Perpetual Unexpected Twists

My sister, who is also my boss, has been out of town and it is taking it's toll on me. I don't know how she handles it day after day!

I just had some lady come in and rip me a new one. We are building her a house, and the truss plant got backed up, so while we are waiting on trusses, there has been no activity on her house. She is not even my client, but she came in today and demanded her down payment money back. When I told her that even with the delay in the trusses, we are still on schedule, she called me a liar. I basically told her that she needed to take her concerns to Liberty (her realtor, my sister) or Morgan (the builder, my brother) because there was nothing I could do for her, even if I wanted to. Dang it, she made me cry.

I have written her an email in response to her conversation with me. I had to be careful, so as not to drive her further away.

I have been stirring over our discussion concerning your home being built under contract. At Hatfield Homes we strive to focus on the quality of work, while meeting our deadlines and pleasing our clients. At times there are back-ups and delays due to suppliers, or sub-contractors, etc., but the delays are usually small, and we can quickly make up for lost time. I have been reassured that your home is on schedule and that there have been no serious complications. Barring natural disaster, your quality home WILL be completed by December 1, 2004.

We respect you as a client and appreciate your trust in building your home. I understand that with such a large investment it is easy for emotions to run high. Thank you for expressing your apprehensions towards your home with me, and please bring any future concerns to my attention as quickly as possible. By doing this we can avoid potential stressful situations. You are a wonderful client and we enjoy working with you. Thank you!

I hope that she was just venting, and that we don't have a problem as big as she made it seem. What a day!