If I could give zero stars, I would.
So, had an agreement with Vince to provide pool service for about 6 months, for which period he did a decent job. The pool was usually, but not always clean, and on more than one occasion, they left either plant matter from the pool on the pool deck or pool chemicals on the pool deck, which required me to clean myself to avoid staining the pool deck. That in and of itself wouldn't be a problem, nor would it be cause to terminate their service, just a factor in an overall decision.
However, it was not made clear that 4 weeks a year were a paid vacation for him and his guys until they took a week off while I was out of town and came back to a pool full of rotting leaves. It was explained and I completely understand that they pro-rate the bill over the whole year to cover the cost of the 4 weeks of vacation, but the problem is the extended two-week periods where the pool is not being cleaned, requiring more extensive cleaning by myself to keep the yard presentable for guests.
Together, those two things would not be enough to rate a bad review on Yelp, even actively search for a new service. They were enough that when I was interviewing companies to do a pool heater installation and was offered a more detailed cleaning service at the same price I decided to switch companies. After contracting the second company, I called Vince to tell him that I would be going with another company and to set up a final payment. On top of the regular payment and the holiday bonus, I was planning to provide a "severance" payment. But Vince became verbally abusive and finally told me to go f*ck myself.
Come on, man. Be somewhat professional. Part of being in business is being beaten by the competition on occasion. When that happens, how you respond is critical. You can see it as an opportunity to up your game and find ways to improve, or you can be a jerk and ensure that you never have a chance a getting my business back.
Vince chose to be a jerk. read more