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Heating Repairs in the Baby’s Room and a Frantic Mother

January 4th, 2012

When working in the HVAC industry and in most construction related industries the company must work with customer schedules. This scheduling problem is typical and comes with the territory but sometimes the scheduling dilemma is a little more complicated than being there when the customer comes home from work.

There was a situation I recall having been told to me by a previous heating repair technician at my old job where a baby was involved. The mother had planned for the heating repair guys to come over and agree to work in between the baby’s naps. There was a problem in the baby’s room where not enough hot air was coming in to his room as was coming in the rest of the rooms of the house. There were other issues with the system as well but this was the main issue at hand.

The technicians came over and began work on the heating system but just as they seemed to have gotten started working the baby was down for a nap. The techs had to pick up their tools and move into a different part of the house to work on something else until the baby was awake again.

You can probably see how this moving back and forth in between a newborn baby’s frequent naps could start to get old. The heating guys had to carry and lug tools around and in the process lose track of where certain items were at and what needed to be done next. The whole stop and start process created inefficiencies in the job and a lot of frustration with the HVAC company techs.

On a different day the techs came back to complete the job and they were hoping for a quicker more efficient time at the house in order to knock out the job once and for all. The initial problem of scheduling the job in this way in the first place is solely the responsibility of the HVAC company so they really have nothing to complain about as they had agreed to this setup.

What do you think they did to speed things up this time? Well, they needed to finish things up in the baby’s room by cutting a hole in the ceiling. They soon discovered while in the room that the baby wast fast asleep in the crib right next to them.

With not a lot of thought the heating repair tech’s decided to place a drop cloth on top of the crib while they cut away at the ceiling. They thought that this would be sufficient to catch any falling debris from landing on the baby while they finished up the job.

The mother ended up walking in on the job as a piece of sheet rock fell onto the drop cloth and on its way down into the baby crib. The baby was fine but the mother was more than just frantic as she got down right violent and through the two heating repair company guys out of her house.

The guys didn’t fight back and left peacefully but there is a lesson here for customers hiring any kind of construction company. Many construction companies will have their quirks and unprofessional behaviors and it is almost unavoidable to see something you don’t like during a job.

When choosing a heating repair company in Tyler TX consider hiring a company that has a professional code of conduct as a part of their business process. Take reasonable steps to schedule them to come to your house when there are no baby’s sleeping around the job site 🙂 And finally choose a company that you believe will adhere to the scheduling arrangements you require without getting the feeling they are over-promising on how they will work while at your house.

No company is perfect but reasonable effort should be made to accommodate your specific situation. Accommodating customers is normal in the HVAC service industry so don’t be afraid to tell the company to park on the street while not blocking the mailbox, wear footsies in the house, and even to stay away from the sleeping baby (although consider moving the baby to another bedroom just to be safe.)

Southern Utilities Again

November 22nd, 2010
Southern Utility Tyler TX

Southern Utilities in Tyler Texas

It’s been about a year and a half since I wrote my original article on Southern Utilities Water Company in Tyler, and still their service has not improved. Their unhelpfulness, and extremely poor customer service has made this company a source of real frustration for Tylerites like myself. Unfortunately, their lack of concern for customers is not limited to the company’s owners. Evidently the employees who work there are tired of the complaints of unhappy patrons and now make a point of maintaining a sarcastic and superior attitude.

So why am I returning to this topic? Because; I’ve had yet another disagreeable encounter with the business just today. When I arrived at the drive through window, (which by the way I did before four in the afternoon because that is when they close), I realized that I’d forgotten my bill. I explained to the girl what had happened and she responded with a blank stare and a “you’ll have to go inside for that.”

Now I realize that this in itself would not be a huge issue but I had my three year old with me, which was why I selected the drive through in the first place. I let slip a rye chuckle and asked “don’t you have a computer there that you can just pull it up on?” She responded with slightly more emphasis and a great deal more sarcasm: “You’ll have to go inside for that.”

So what she successfully communicated to me is that the kids working at Sonic have greater technology, and probably knowledge of that technology than one of the oldest utility companies in the Tyler area. I won’t detail the story of my encounter inside the building, but while I was not disruptive I did make it clear that I didn’t appreciate the company’s complete disinterest in the satisfaction of its clients. “As far as I can see there’s not a single thing this company is willing to do to make its patron’s lives easier.”

There are two ways to pay your bill with Southern Utilities: a check through the mail, or cash or check on location. There is still no website (which seems unheard of in today’s business climate), there’s no phone payment method, and they don’t even accept check or debit cards. The lady behind the desk didn’t care. Big surprise. Is there anyone in the East Texas area who wants to start a new business? I suggest servicing water to those who don’t qualify for city water. I can give you the names of numerous folks in our area who quickly sign on to your service.

Hastings Video Store in Tyler

March 26th, 2010

Hastings

www.gohastings.com

4015 S Broadway Ave
Tyler, TX 75701-8727
(903) 534-9278

Hastings parking lot maybe an awesome hang out for the East Texas teenagers, but I think that there are more people in the parking lot than in the store. The store does have a great variety of books, movies, music, and video games. This store is probably the dirtiest store in East Texas. I feel like I have to take a bath after renting a movie. The well known store may be struggling to stay in business.

As I try to find the door through the clouds of smoke from the teenagers hanging out side the door, I already know that I really want to get a movie and leave as fast as you can. You can dig through the towers in the aisle to find cheap movies to buy. “Buy two get the third for a penny.” They have great deals for movies on sale and as the world of electronics grows to the newest level; Hastings is starting to sale and rent movies on Blue Ray.

Hastings lack of convenience may be the thing that puts them out of business. Although you can shop online for movies and music and much more, you have to return to the store. The great thing about the competing rental companies, such as Red Box and Netflix, is that they are convenient to your every day life.

The odd and, many times, unhelpful people that work at Hastings add to the frustration of the shopping experience. The oddly disturbing action figures and adult board games makes me rush out the store with my hands over my eyes.

Although you can find most music, movies and books, I would look everywhere in Tyler before I endure the torture of shopping in Hastings. The good thing about the store is that they buy those old movies and CDs that have been sitting on your shelf just collecting dust and taking up space.

Hastings is my “last stop store”; if I can not find a movie I have been wanting to watch for months in Red Box, or the dollar rental machine at Brookshires, or if it is not at the other failing rental store, Blockbuster, I go to Hastings, then I go home and take a bath until I can not smell the stink of the store in my hair.

Choosing A Nursing Home in Tyler

February 27th, 2010

[ad#Wall and Madison]

Tyler Texas Elderly Care

Assisted Living Tyler

I never imagined I’d ever need to deal with the difficult decision of whether or not to place one I love in a nursing home, let alone have to consider which facility. When my own father took a turn for the worse during his battle with Parkinson’s, he ended up with a 6-week hospital stay. At one point, it was unclear how much strength he would regain even with intensive occupational therapy. My mom broached the topic, and it shook me to consider that he might not be able to return home, that he might need more care than we could give him. Once my mind stopped reeling, I realized I had no idea how to go about choosing a medical care facility for my father.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to begin to decide where to place your own loved one, be assured; there are lots of guides and resources there to help you. Every state has an Ombudsman program connected to the Department on Aging that offers patient advocacy and information on choosing a nursing home.

Here are some helpful tips to help guide you through this difficult decision process. Take careful notes as you visit or collect information online about each nursing home. Keeping record of your findings will help you tremendously as you weigh the options.

First, consider whether your loved one needs short term or long term care. This information could greatly impact your decision. Second, make a side-by-side comparison of each facility based on the same criterion. Three general areas to consider when choosing the most suitable facility are location, quality of care, and affordability.

Location

Keeping close proximity to family members is perhaps the most important consideration. Choosing a Tyler nursing home close to home means frequent visits will be much more doable. These visits can positively affect the patient’s quality of life, outlook on their current situation, and go a long way to reducing stress, depression, and frustration. All of these factors contribute to potentially faster recovery, improved health, or even extention of life.

Quality of care

This is obviously an important consideration. We’ve all heard of or seen examples of poor care and I know of an elder care facility in Tyler Texas that has several negative reports from government inspectors. Inadequate qualified professional staff, staff shortages, old equipment or facilities, and lack of concern for dignity or patient preferences have a huge negative impact on the quality of care a nursing home can offer.

The good news? Other than making a visit to obtain a first hand glimpse of a Tyler nursing home, there are outside agencies who gather quality control reports on each nursing home in your area. The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services provides reports on nursing home facilities and their Ombudsman Program provides advocacy and further support. There are also government-mandated quality assurance checks on all nursing homes who accept Medicaid or Medicare patients. These reports are made available at www.dads.state.tx.us/news_info/ombudsman/choosing.html.

Carefully review each location’s quality reports, health and safety inspections. Note any violations as well as what has been done to improve care. For example, if there was a lack of qualified staff working, have more staff been scheduled or hired? Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services puts out annual reports on nursing homes who have received a citation for actual harm or immediate jeopardy on this website: MemberoftheFamily.net

Affordability

When it comes to choosing a Tyler Texas home for someone you love, no one wants to base their decision on affordability, but because of the incredible expense involved, this unfortunately has to be a consideration. Temporary or short term care, sometimes required for a few weeks after surgery or for accident recovery, is often covered by insurance. Long term care (100 or more days) is usually not covered. Be sure to ask each facility about financial assistance or payment plans.

Going into this decision making process as fully armed as possible can only help you. Visit facilities personally, make careful observations, gather all the information you can, and take complete notes. Find a friend or an advocate to help you in your search for the nursing home you feel satisfied will best suit you and your loved one.

Thrifty Nickel In Tyler Texas

December 15th, 2009

Learning About Better Online Classifieds Than The Thrifty Nickel

Like many in East Texas I have used the Thrifty Nickel for years. From what I hear they may have changed their name to the American Classifieds but I will always know it as the Thrifty Nickel. I moved away from Tyler back in 1999 and lived in Colorado for a season. While there I started using an online service called Ebay. The Thrifty Nickel lost a lot of appeal for me when I came back to Tyler TX because I was now familiar with just how well a service like Ebay worked for me. I sold a lot of ski and snowboard equipment I no longer needed while back in Tyler and I did it all on Ebay. In the past I would have used the Thrifty Nickel because there was no such thing as Ebay.

Classifieds East Texas

I used the Thrifty Nickel to find things I now find on Craigslist like motorcycles, furniture, personally owned used cars, odds and ends you would find at a garage sell, and the back bumper for a Ford F150. These larger items are too expensive for people using Ebay to ship but the Thrifty Nickel was full of stuff like this. These days the jobs section is full of work from home ops like the envelope stuffing scheme, MLM businesses and such. The merchandise area where I used to find personally owned cars has much less to select from and the Nickel is full of car dealer ads everywhere. Blah! I don’t use the Nickel for car dealers. I would just go to the dealer and cruise around the lot if that is what I wanted. I am looking for good deals and I get more frustration from the Nickel than satisfaction. Back in the good ole days the Nickel was something I always grabbed along with Autotrader but those days are over. Autotrader is still a good magazine but what happened to the Nickel?

Order Of Greatness

1. Amazon.com
2. Craigslist.com
3. Ebay.com
101. American Classifieds (Thrifty Nickel) blah!

Differences Between Popular Online Classifieds Like Ebay and The Thrifty Nickel

The difference between Ebay and the Thrifty Nickel back in 2000 was night and day. I was able to sell really obscure items every time I listed them and many times at retail prices on Ebay. Many of my ski gloves were old used retro gloves but people in Europe loved them. They would buy old used ski gloves for $40 a pair and higher. Many Europeans were buying my ski goggles and other ski equipment for nice sums of money on Ebay. After selling a bunch of ski junk on Ebay I managed to make about $3,000 on unwanted ski items my friends gave me to sell. The Thrifty Nickel back in 2000 was good for unloading a used car or selling an old refrigerator for a decent sum. Because these larger items can’t be shipped affordably you had to sell this stuff using the Nickel to someone local. So Ebay remained an online place for selling smaller items to anyone in the world in order to make a handsome profit and the Nickel got you about what you deserved for an old used car. The Nickel remained your local marketplace to sell and buy items that were not easy to ship. Now I use Craigslist to buy and sell most of those larger used items.

10 Years Later The Thrifty Nickel Is A Much Different Animal

Now it is the year 2009 and we are almost approaching 2010. 10 years later after using Ebay for the first time my interests have changed a bit. I will still pick up the Thrifty Nickel from time to to time but what I have noticed is that the magazine has way too many national spammy advertisements in it. They may have changed things since a few months ago but I saw a lot of car dealer ads that were not from local people selling their automobiles. I also noticed that the jobs in Tyler Texas that were posted in the classifieds section were spam type junk job ads selling opportunities and get rich quick schemes. Some of these ads resembled envelope stuffing work from home schemes and other related waste of time job classifieds.

Giving The Nickel A Few More Chances

After picking up the Thrifty Nickel in different cities throughout East Texas while on my way out of a gas station or other convenience store I finally began to see that there was not much appeal to the Thrifty Nickel anymore. The classifieds magazine has way too many car dealers and national job seeker ads. The few and far between real ads are sparse and you really don’t get the selection that you used to. I would think that the reason the Thrifty Nickel has lost a lot of its quality may have to do with Craigslist.com website and Amazon.com taking over this market in a large part. Ebay still competes as well but for large local items like cars and furniture you will find that Craigslist.com has many local Tyler Texas residents selling anything from a filing cabinet, office conference table, to a used Volkswagon Rabbit. Ebay is also a very good website for finding local automobiles but as far as furniture and other large local items I would stick with Craigslist.

What Is So Great About Ebay?

Ebay remains a great way to pick up some unique antiques, home accesories, gadgets, and replacement parts but I would be wary of power sellers selling you something used you can get new for cheaper elsewhere. Amazon.com is a much less frustrating Ebay with no auctions only competing prices on new and used items. I consistently get a less hassle free experience at a cheaper price when buying merchandise from Amazon.com. Craigslist.com is the king of cheap prices on large items you couldn’t possibly have shipped to you. I have bought cars, filing cabinets, desks, and you name it on Craigslist. You can also get some good deals on used engagement rings on there from awkward local break ups but I imagine it would be weird buying a used ring from someone who just broke an engagement. Anyway this gives you an idea about how online services compare to the Thrifty Nickel. The Thrifty Nickel is online also but they don’t have the type of things you see on Craigslist so I don’t see the point.

If You Like The Thrifty Nickel Or American Classifieds Let Us Know

I challenge local Tyler Thrifty Nickel enthusiasts like I once was to look at a recent addition and see if it has changed for the better. I would love to write up a positive review about a paper that used to be one of my favorites but I have been disappointed just one too many times. Maybe I have missed some of the great positive aspects of The Thrifty Nickel. If I have missed something please tell me. There is a comment section at the bottom of this article for providing your two cents about the Thrifty Nickel. Feel free to leave a response.