Wednesday, October 14, 2009

It's not a debate. Do the work. Or go unpaid.

Why does everything have to be a debate or an argument with Rev? He has like a monopoly on pool cleaning, here [along with a bunch of other stuff - construction, painting, etc.]. I really, really want to find someone else. I just got off the phone with him and when I see him, that is exactly what I am going to tell him. I'll find someone else if he isn't going to do the work.

Of course, Rev doesn't ever actually do any work himself. He has a crew of guys that do the physical labor for him. I don't know who he knows - someone - and you can bet that that someone is getting a kickback in order for Rev to get through the gates every day and get his men in, too. Rev just takes money from people and promises them work for dates and times that he cannot possibly deliver because he spreads himself way to thin chasing that almighty riyal. He has frustrated a lot of people. And he is about to "frustrate" the very last "frustration cell" I have left.

Monday the pool didn't get cleaned. Today new pool guy came - the Filipino - and I asked him why he didn't clean the pool Monday. He said, "I come, you not here." Complete total utter bullshit. I was home all day. Of course, it would help if he could speak a little more English - or if I spoke Tagalog or whatever it is he speaks - but I don't. I know I had trouble communicating with regular pool guy - but at least we were able to work it out. This one? The Filipino? Not a chance. And for him to tell me that I wasn't home - when I was - just set me off!

So, today he cleaned the pool. Only he didn't clean the pool. He hooked up the vacuum, took three or four swipes with it [you can see the marks in the bottom of the pool], and then he sat and played with his mobile phone. Won't happen again. Let me see you pull that mobile phone out when you are supposed to be here working for me. Go ahead. Make my day...

I called Rev. Told him that the pool never got cleaned on Monday. Rev gave me his standard, typical response, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." No. NO! Not "yeah, yeah, yeah." "Yeah, yeah, yeah" means nothing to me. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, he come on Monday." No, Rev, he did not. "He say he come Monday and you are not home. He will clean today." Wrong again, Rev. He was just here and I'm not sure what he did - but he didn't clean the pool. I was furious - as is what always happens when I talk to this man - and had to call him back. "Rev, you need to come today and see this pool. "I will come tomorrow." No. You need to see it today. If you come tomorrow you are just going to tell me that it was clean and it is dirty because of the dust or something. Come now! "I cannot come because I have appointment for six o'clock." Well, then, you've got two hours. All of the sudden him appointment is right now and he will come be afterward.

I do not like this man. He is a snake in the grass. I have had nothing but problems with the Filipino's here. Which is not to say that there are some perfectly good Filipino's out there - I am sure that there are. But, between a prior houseboy [who was a thief and a liar - he got fired] and Rev - who doesn't do anything he says he is going to do and who never shows up when he says he is going to and who won't answer a question with anything other than "yeah, yeah, yeah" - and now Filipino pool guy who says he was here when I was home all day long, and then cleaned the pool so half-assedly that it wasn't worth doing... Nope. Can't say that I am enthralled with what I have seen and met so far. Indeed, quite the contrary.

DH is going to have to talk to Rev [and he would be having a conversation with him right now if he was home because he does not like to hear me rant and rave and bitch about stuff like this - and I do just that until he takes care of it for me], but by the time DH gets home it will be almost bed-time, late and dark, and he won't be able to see how dirty the pool is after having been cleaned not ten minutes ago!

Guess I need to call housing tomorrow and find out who else comes on the compound to clean pools. If my old pool guy is coming back - I am happy to have him, but he is on vacation for the next two months. Until then, Rev is going to have to find someone else to clean the pool - not the Filipino - I am not even going to argue with a worker about whether or not I was home when I know damn well I was - or I am going to have to get some other company. For the record - Rev isn't getting paid for Monday and he isn't getting paid for today, either. Perhaps I can find someone dependable. Who tells the truth. And, who actually does what he says he is going to do at the specified time. We know Rev sure isn't capable of those things.

Okay. Done ranting for the time being...

1 comment:

  1. I always feel so bad for you when you post the difficulties you have with workers. Maybe it's because you have a much bigger compound than we have, but our workers here are excellent. I had one guy, a Sri Lankan, who cleaned for me. He wasn't going to sign another contract and gave me two months notice. Suna brought Roger, another Sri Lankan and told me if I was pleased with his work, Roger would take over for Suna. Suna made sure Roger knew what was expected and made sure I approved.
    I wish I could send you Roger.

    ReplyDelete

 
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