"When America says we'll do something," the president declared, "we are going to do it—and finish the job.”
Dear Ron,
About two and a half years ago some big renovation work got underway around our place. I’m phrasing it like that because even though there were some major problems that needed fixing, it was hard to figure out exactly how we were going to get started, plus a lot of people involved didn’t want to anything to be changed at all—well, it’s a complicated situation, but the upshot is that, out of the blue, what seemed like a whole army just showed up with lots of men and equipment, and without asking anyone, just went at it.
They pretty much approached the project as a complete teardown and didn’t seem too interested in finding out what we wanted. They did come off as very professional, at least at first, with a “can-do” attitude about things that sounded convincing. They kept telling us how much we were going to like the new place when it was finished, and it’s only as we look back that we realize they never showed us blueprints of any kind (doh!).
After a few months, however, it was hard not to notice they weren’t making much progress, and every time we asked what was going on, it seemed like there was some new story. The costs were going through the ceiling—they’re not kidding when they call it “the money pit”!—with no end in sight.
Now it’s 29 months later, we’re surrounded by rubble, the electricity and water are only on for a few hours at a stretch, and frankly, the constant demolition has made the whole area a lot less safe (it’s almost like there’s a bomb going off three or four times a day). But we still can’t get answer about when the work will be done—one “boss” said it might take another twelve years! Ron, can you help us Fight Back®?
Steamed in Samarra
Dear Steamed,
Sounds like you forgot entry number one in Ron’s Rules of Renovation—get it in writing! Whether it’s a new coat of poly on that hallway floor, or building the golden-years house of your dreams, a paper trail is your best ally. Even if it’s just an after-meeting memo of what you and you contractor discussed, it’s something you can point to later if the job doesn’t go as planned. Then there’s what I call “mission creep”—what starts out as sprucing-up a tired-looking bathroom turns into adding on the tiled sauna you didn’t know you always wanted. Pick a goal—and stick to it!
We called the number you gave us and spoke to C. Patrick Brennan, Assistant Deputy Undersecretary for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Right away we saw a problem—when you’ve got a project of this size, it’s best to have someone in charge on-site, not sitting at a desk 5000 miles away!
Mr. Brennan told us he shares your sense of frustration. “We did present a number of scenarios for the reconstruction period, based on best and worst case projections, and they were either ignored or rejected, and eventually the authority for rebuilding was taken out of our hands,” he said. Well, maybe—but here at Fighting Back® we recognize the sound of one buck passing!
Brennan referred us the Department of Defense, where we chatted with Mindy McFarland, Junior Liaison for Public Information. She disputed your version of events, claiming it was made clear up front that it was going to be “hard work,” and that any kind of timetable for completing the job at this point “would only help our enemies.” That set off alarm bells for us—it’s never a good sign when the client-contractor relationship becomes antagonistic. Here’s where some plain old horse sense comes in. If you and your builder just don’t seem to be speaking the same language, hold it right there. However awkward it might be to say “thanks—but no thanks!” you’ll save yourself trouble later on.
Since this sounds like a marriage that might be on the rocks, we decided to see what some other firms would say about taking over the project. We didn’t have much luck there. Neither France nor Germany would return our calls. Poland, Spain, and Italy told us that they were scaling back on jobs of this kind. Micronesia made a strong pitch for your business, but its lack of “boots on the ground” left us skeptical. England sounded committed to the task, although it said that doing the work correctly would involve addressing the global warming problem. Saving energy is never out of season, but the cost-benefit ratio might not be worth it—it’s a perk for buyers at resale time, not a necessity. You’re better off spending the money on a “wow” upgrade, like granite countertops in the kitchen, or a permanent military base.
Realizing we weren’t making much headway, we decided to go straight to the top—the Office of the Vice President of the United States, the parent company of your contractor. The spokesperson there listened to our concerns and assured us that, while no definite date could be set for finishing the project, the problem was being dealt with and the last of the difficulties would shortly be under control. New, improved equipment is on the way to increase workplace safety, and local laborers will soon be sufficiently trained and on the job to make things run more smoothly.
Better late than never? It’s your call, of course, but under the circumstances, we think it’s worth giving your contractor one more chance—especially with Fighting Back® on your side, keeping the bigwigs honest. And remember, when the dust does finally clear, and the last remaining crew of workmen is evacuated off the roof, you’ll be able to sit back and relax—in the comfort of your beautiful new country!