Best "You're fired" story - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Forry · 03-24-2009, 02:17 PM

Not my best story, but I fired the new guy the other day...

Client called a little concerned, she pointed out a possible defect in the guys work, and he denied it, said it was like that before. Went to the job to look, sure enough, he screwed up, then lied about it. To top it off, the client mentioned that the employee had requested a personal letter of recommendation for his future in contracting, and that she wasn't comfortable about the whole thing.

Fired.

He was surprised and didn't think it was fair.

I felt a little bad, as he was a hard worker, but jeez, lie to me then ask MY client for a written atta boy?

Fired. No warning, no discussion.

As he was leaving he says "Lets be honest, you're just intimidated by me"

"Guess so" I said.

dirt diggler · 03-24-2009, 04:46 PM

nice going Forry - he'll be in here next week asking "how much should i charge?"

Forry · 03-24-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt diggler

nice going Forry - he'll be in here next week asking "how much should i charge?"

Ha! I hope so.

Anyone have a good story?

bwalley · 03-24-2009, 07:28 PM

I had a guy quit on me last week, he said he ran out of stuff to do and asked the foreman of the mason crew what I wanted him to do next, they supposedly told him to clean the port-o-john.

He apparently didn't want to do it so he quit, they said they never told him that and I believe them, but next time one of my slackers pisses me off, I am going to tell him to clean the ****ter.

BTW we call him the Tidy Bowl man now.

Heritage · 03-24-2009, 07:39 PM

My only stories are of ME getting fired. It happened 3 times,...let's just say I don't like getting fired. My getting fired always borders the fine line where I probably should get arrested. It comes from being a hot head.

I practice a very respectful manner of "letting someone go". I never use the word "fire", because I know how it feels to be on the receiving end.

Alright I'll fess up. 1st time-I was a superintendent paying my way through University taking night classes. Property manager was a bona fide douche. Long story short, I threw a chair at his head and overturned a table onto his lap, accompanied by some foul language and threatening gestures.

Second time-Boss found out I applied for a job somewhere else, turns out the place i was applying knew my boss and called him...while I was still working with him. He came up to me and said "What the eff where you thinking"...

. I don't take that kind of talk, long story short, I made some threats and got up in his face and begged him for a reason.

I'm not proud, I just don't take disrespect very well. They were rude in the way they fired me, I wasn't going gently into that unemployed night

.

Moral of the story...be nice when you fire someone. Don't get high and mighty, you've already fired the guy...no need to shoot his ego down along with it.

rbsremodeling · 03-24-2009, 07:46 PM

I worked for 6 months once, besides that I have never had a job in my life.

**loneframer** · 03-24-2009, 07:54 PM

I try not to fire anyone, I'd rather give them s#!t work until they quit. For example, the late guy gets to hand nail hangers, straps and ty-downs with 1 1/2" Teco nails. When he asks for the palm nailer, I tell him I don't have nails for it.

WisePainter · 03-24-2009, 08:02 PM

I have only been fired.

I earned every single one of them too.

dirt diggler · 03-24-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heritage

Alright I'll fess up. 1st time-I was a superintendent paying my way through University taking night classes. Property manager was a bona fide douche. Long story short, I threw a chair at his head and overturned a table onto his lap, accompanied by some foul language and threatening gestures.

Second time-Boss found out I applied for a job somewhere else, turns out the place i was applying knew my boss and called him...while I was still working with him. He came up to me and said "What the eff where you thinking"...

. I don't take that kind of talk, long story short, I made some threats and got up in his face and begged him for a reason.

I'm not proud, I just don't take disrespect very well. They were rude in the way they fired me, I wasn't going gently into that unemployed night

.

For someone who, in my opinion, is educated and intelligent as you are --- why do you act like that??

Seriously - with your stories - you can't control your emotions. One day you're going to meet the wrong person. Hope you can change that part of you. Not everyone settles for chairs being thrown at them.

bwalley · 03-24-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loneframer

I try not to fire anyone, I'd rather give them s#!t work until they quit. For example, the late guy gets to hand nail hangers, straps and ty-downs with 1 1/2" Teco nails. When he asks for the palm nailer, I tell him I don't have nails for it.

Tidy Bowl man was on the job 1 week and I gave him a $1 an hour raise on friday, monday he was 45 minutes late, so he swung a sledge hammer on a set of CIP stairs all day.

I was going to let him use a 60lb jack hammer, but I figured he could use the exercise.

**loneframer** · 03-24-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwalley

Tidy Bowl man was on the job 1 week and I gave him a $1 an hour raise on friday, monday he was 45 minutes late, so he swung a sledge hammer on a set of CIP stairs all day.

I was going to let him use a 60lb jack hammer, but I figured he could use the exercise.

I'd have given him a 3 lb. maul and a cold chisel.

Heritage · 03-24-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt diggler

For someone who, in my opinion, is educated and intelligent as you are --- why do you act like that??

Seriously - with your stories - you can't control your emotions. One day you're going to meet the wrong person. Hope you can change that part of you. Not everyone settles for chairs being thrown at them.

Then he never should have yelled at me.

I'm not an instigator Dirt, I just don't believe in turning the other cheek. It's a long story, you just have to trust me...I don't start it, I don't step on people.

When you fire someone, have some respect...that's all I'm saying.

AboveAndBeyond · 03-24-2009, 08:42 PM

my coworker has a bit of a temper and has been known to throw people into walls. it's happened to me a few times, no harm done. years ago we worked for the same guy, who he threw into a garage door, somehow i got caught up in his defense and we BOTH never showed up again! we felt so bad for each other we decided to help each other start a company.

he's not allowed to negotiate disputes with clients anymore though.

WisePainter · 03-24-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AboveAndBeyond

my coworker has a bit of a temper and has been known to throw people into walls.

So when he is in jail, do you do all of the work by yourself?

AboveAndBeyond · 03-24-2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WisePainter

So when he is in jail, do you do all of the work by yourself?

not if we keep his shock collar charged

Trim40 · 03-24-2009, 09:10 PM

I fired 2 guys for leaving early to go to a Grateful Dead concert. They were fairly brain dead and I'm not a dead fan.

ModernStyle · 03-24-2009, 09:18 PM

I never liked to fire people, it is so much more fun to make them quit. My old boss was real big about not ever paying anyone unemployment, so rather then fire people they got moved to my crew where the whole crew would torment them untill they quit.

WisePainter · 03-24-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trim40

I fired 2 guys for leaving early to go to a Grateful Dead concert. They were fairly brain dead and I'm not a dead fan.

woah pal, there are some serious lines being crossed here...

WarnerConstInc. · 03-24-2009, 09:40 PM

Not a Fan of the dead either, at all. I tried to listen, enjoy and relate to them a few times. I was in the right 'mood' for reasoning with the dead, didnt work ever. Buffet sucks too though.

Back to the matter at hand!

I have never been fired from a job before.
I worked at some of the places numerous times.
I resigned once, I should have let them get rid of me. It was a Gov't job and I would have been able to full fill my 22 year old strip club habit with Uncle Sam's money ( what was I thinking).

I fire myself sometimes but, there is no one to pick up the tools then.

weats · 03-24-2009, 09:56 PM

I never cared much if my guys came in late or left early, I just pay them while they are working. And I take off more than anyone else, there are just too many fun distractions in life. Hunting, skiing, and family adventures often take precedence.
My long time lead man always got a kick out of when I told some young screwball that he was like the civil war now. When they ask what I mean I just tell them " you are history now"

Take care and have a great week