Do You Believe In The Rule Of Threes?

Mike Finley

The rule of threes or what I prefer to call it - the cluster ***** rule is that trouble comes in threes. More specifically for me, once trouble starts, I'm basically committed to having to deal with crap until the job is done. The job becomes like a bucking bronco and I have my hand stuck in bridle and I can't get it out, the only thing I can do is hang on for the ride and hope for the least amount of pain when its all over.

I swear I believe in this rule more and more. I either have a flawless job from start to finish or a complete cluster once a problem begins. There just seems to be no in between. I have one of these going on now. It started when I subbed out the installation of a complex glass shower enclosure. The first sign of trouble was when I was able to call the sub to come out and do the final measure so it could be ordered, I find out he is going on vacation for 2 weeks the next day. Should have seen the cluster ***** coming, cut my losses and just walked off the job right there. Anyways, surround gets installed and I get the call, we chipped a tile during the installation. (there's #2). After the repair and everything drys and sets, customer gets to use shower. Get the call - surround leaks (there is #3)... this has been dragging on now going on 5 weeks from the first sign of the cluster raising it's evil little head. It ain't over and I'm on the bronco, can't get off and don't know for sure when the ride will finally let me off and it can be over.

It seems like this is the pattern every time, either everything is perfect or once one thing gets out of kilter the whole thing starts coming apart at the seems!

You guys ever experience this or is it just in my head?

Patty

Funny that you started this thread, Mike. Here's something rather bizarre that fits 'the rule of three's'. I have a client who called me yesterday to see how I was doing. We chit-chatted awhile and then he told me that his twin baby boys were born the same day I went into the hospital. Incidentally, so was Nathan's baby boy. (RULE OF 3'S)

Then, he proceeded to tell me this:

His Tribune rep died of a heart attack.
His door hanger rep died of a heart attack.
I had surgery on THREE out of four aneurysms and am an ad rep of his, as well.

RULE of 3'S STRIKES AGAIN!

Notice how I am the only female involved here? Just a thought... . Not sure what to make of it but you made me think of this story with your thread.

Kind of weird, actually!

Debookkeeper

Yup! We always have said that also - that things come in threes - just had it happen in one of the offices...fax machine broke, a week later video card in computer went bad, two days later the laser printer crapped out. Just think of it this way..... the first time something goes wrong, you will be prepared for two more.

Oh... I have three kids... does that count under the bad things come in threes???

mdshunk

I don't have time for superstitions.

When bad things happen, it tends to cloud your whole outlook, and you almost set yourself up for more failures. It might take about 3 to get you snapped out of it.

Teetorbilt

Three hurricanes and another on the way.........Nope!

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snapper21

Tomorrow's the third day of the work week.

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dayspring

Didn't all happen directly to me but my lead man had his exhaust on his car spring a leak this morning (sounds terrible) then a flat tire at noon, then he shot a nail through a water pipe at right at quitting time. Poor guy had one of those days.

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Speedy Petey

My Mom is a firm believer of the "three" superstition.

Like Marc I have no time for superstitions. I put them in the same category as bad luck, the lottery and those stupid routines like ball players have. I love the one in Bull Durham where he can't have sex until he looses.

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Tom R

Let's face it, - - although it may be some superstition, - - it's even more of a (tra)dition, - - 'threes' are just the increments in which we start and stop the count . . .

theworx

Just curious Mike, did you have a good gut feeling going into that job???

Speedy Petey

"Gut feelings"

Now there's something I DO believe in!

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Tom R

Gut feelings.

Is that some kind of heart-ache you feel on a demo job??

Grumpy

Mike I find I have one job like this every year. What I have learned is just go with your gutt man. Every one of these bad jobs I saw coming and I chose to ignore. Everyone of these bad jobs I ended up kicking myself for ignoring my gutt. I truly feel we all have a 6th sence for these thing. I am now learnign to listen to mine.


Someone mentioned printers breaking. This happened to me earlier this year. LOL color laser broke, a few days later the black laser broke and then finally my fax/scanner also broke. This happened within a week. The fix cost me about $1000 to replace all the machines.

Like MD I am not really into stupidstitions. I totally agree with his assessment of the first mess up clouding your outlook and typically the subsequent mess ups are usually your fault... but the printers we just dumb bad luck!

ABLE1

This is really strange that this topic is just started. Last Friday had a call from customer #1 and was told that something strange was happening to one of the extension phones. She said that "it just starts to ring and when picked up nobody is there and won't stop ringing until they unpulg it."

Said Ok, it is an old system and would stop in on Monday since it is late on Friday.

NO JOKE!!!

3 minutes later I get a call from customer #2. 20 miles from customer #1 and not related in any way. He says that something strange was happening to one of the extension phones. He said that "it just starts to ring and when picked up nobody is there and won't stop ringing until they unpulg it."

#3 has not happen as yet................ but you know what they say "What happens twice happens trice!!"

So now I am very cautious when I answer the phone.

This is scary stuff.

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ABLE1

reveivl

Unplug your phone now!!! Before it rings again and when you answer it no one is there and it won't stop ringing until you unplug it. Unplug it NOW.

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Mike Finley

I was actually stoked going into that job.

Mike Finley

I'll tell you along with it when I say it's a cluster *****, here is the best part. The customer loves the carp out of us. This is the only sub on the job, everything else we did and it looks wonder-bar (that's German for great)

After the 3 times the charm with this surround, now the customer has convinced himself that the thing is just a time bomb waiting to ***** him down the road. Now he is scrutinizing every little thing about it, every normal thing about it now looks to him like a for sure problem down the road.

I've even had to contact the manufacturer and get confirmation on a factory onstruction issue of it just to settle his fears.

RobertCDF

MMMM.... Fish...

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
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phinsher

don't know about the three thing, but we never start a job on a Friday. Anybody else have bad expereinces starting projects on Fridays?

bcf

They always turn out to be a long day, whether something big goes wrong , or just a lot of unnoticable thing s that eat away to clock.

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