I called a pet sitter several weeks ago to come and watch Mr. Chekhov and Rain Bird while I'm away on vacation. This lady came on election night at the beginning of the month, and everything was great as far as I could tell. She left me with information, and Mr. Chekhov actually let her pet his chin, although immediately afterwards, he wanted to hide under a bed.
My travel times changed, so I called on Monday to talk with this lady about a change of schedule and asked her to call me back. She didn't. On Tuesday, I did the same thing. No call. On Wednesday, I called again and it rang once and then went to voicemail. I was being ignored.
I freaked out a lot because I'm leaving Monday at midnight and I can't just leave my cat and bird alone. I mean, I'm not even that mean. Both my friend and my coworker (#5 for those keeping track) urged me to find someone new. So I did.
You know, I get that people get busy and have other stuff happening. I get that our lives become complicated and we get depressed (or I do) and don't want to see or talk to anyone. But this passive-aggressive bullshit just kills me. Maybe it's because I go to therapy where I'm regularly urged to actually speak my mind and be honest that I just happen to be honest with people (though I can also be passive-aggressive at times, see: coworker #7), but this is just no way to run a business. If she had called me and said, "I just don't think I can take on another client right now," I would have been pissed, but I would have understood. Heck, she could have texted that to me. But now, since she didn't have that courtesy, I'm sitting here wondering why she won't answer my calls, why she doesn't want to watch my cat and bird, and if I did something wrong.
This same exact thing happened with the person I thought was my best friend at the beginning of the year, so I now am doubly wondering, "What's wrong with me?" I don't know how I come off on this blog, but people who read my Fifty Shades reviews probably think I'm some sort of sex goddess with a steel backbone and a ton of self-confidence, but like all people, I have doubts about myself now and then. I actually think I'm a pretty cool person. I'd be friends with me. I'd certainly watch my cat for me. Especially if I was paying myself $25.00 a day.
Anyway, I'm really glad that I'm dealing with this now instead of on Saturday or Sunday or even Monday when every pet sitter in the city would have probably charged me double and I'd have had to take it. The lady I am hopefully hiring has a website with all of her information and credentials displayed as well as her business license and references. She didn't ask me what type of cat I had, like the other lady did. She also seemed to be unfazed by the fact that I live in an apartment building whereas the other lady found it to be incomprehensible. So maybe I just wasn't rich enough.
Anyway, it's all good. Crisis averted. The good news is that this prompted me to look at my clothes and think about the outfits I want to take with me. I also bought my little niece a cute sun hat and sunglasses for her birthday that I think she'll kill in.
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Hello! I found you through your Fifty Shades of Grey posts (which are hilarious as well as containing some really interesting analysis! - I should probably have posted this on one of those posts really, huh? Anyway, definitely going to be reading those instead of the book, so thanks!).
ReplyDeleteCompletely sympathise with your situation here. Something very similar happened to me when I was planning my wedding. Found a florist and discussed what I wanted, and she said she'd get back to me to confirm prices and book it. She never did, and so after a while I called her. She said something along the lines of 'ah yes I'm just sorting it out now and will email you tonight' but she never did. She never contacted me again. After a while I gave up and found another florist, but the first one never did contact me to tell me she couldn't do it. No idea why, and like you, it made me question myself - had I done something wrong? I know I wasn't being a pushy bride, and besides, I was actually pretty relaxed about the flowers. Knew what colour I wanted but was open to all other ideas/options. Did she take one look at me and decide I didn't have enough money? Maybe she just didn't like me. Or was she too busy to do the wedding but was afraid to actually say that? Never found out. But yes, it does leave you feeling disconcerted and questioning yourself.
It's weird, and I don't understand it, but I guess some people just do this. Seems like bad business to me. Just try not to second guess or to wonder why, and think of it as her loss instead. And meanwhile, you found someone more reliable. And I'm glad you got it sorted! Have fun on your holidays! :)
And also, you have a cat called Mr. Chekhov? That's equal parts awesome and adorable! If I ever get a cat he will be known as Guybrush Threepwood.
Now, I'm off to read some more posts ripping into Fifty Shades of Grey!
Guybrush Threepwood? Awesome.
DeleteYes, my boy is Mr. Chekhov. I adopted him from a shelter, but he has all of the earmarks of a Russian blue, so I figured he needed a Russian name. Most people think I named him after the author, but every now and then, I meet a fellow Trekker who gets me. ;-)