I own 50% or a commercial building. I run my accounting firm out of one side of it. My co-owner and I split all expenditures equally based upon our Partnership Agreement. I have an a/c unit, actually 2 units linked together, that cool my operating portion/side. One has stopped working. I got a bId from C&S Heating whom I've worked with In the past and trust implicitly. I forwarded the bid to my business partner who chose, rightfully so, to receive a counter bid. He chose Air-Tech of Brazos Valley. I met the owner of this company, Byron, when he came through to look at my units. He explained to me that the bid from C&S was a 'patch' and explained his reasoning as to why. I jotted down notes and listened thinking perhaps I was misreading his condescending tone and bristling at my jotting of notes. I agreed with him that the two units were indeed extremely old and only requested that I be just be kept in the loop so that I, as an owner, would be informed. The bid I received from C&S was in the proximity of $3000. The bid received from Air-Tech was close to $20,0000....I've attached the bid below. When I requested that we look into a possible alternative before spending this type of money, the response I received from Byron was both unprofessional and insulting. Not only did he did not call me to explain why my suggestion/question was not feasible, he instead responded with what only can be called derision via email...I'll let the attached emails speak for themselves. Call me crazy, but one doesn't just write a check for $20,000 without the ability to ask a question from a vendor without being treated to such unprovoked disrespect when I have been nothing but cordial.
...and to clarify one note, the one conversation we had was overheard by two people in my office who both remarked on this man's tone and condescension without me even posing the question which is quite sad in and of itself. read more