So I work at a big hardware chain store. Really enjoy my job for the most part especially now that I work 9p.m to 6a.m but one thing that irk's me to death is when some nice but clueless person comes in with a list of things to buy from their contracters for a project. 7/10 times is crumpled up you can barely make out the chick scratch and when you can it's full of half meaningful terms and no real measurements or exacts. Like here's a common one.
4 2x4's
Mud
Sheet rock screws
Deck boards
6sheets of ply wood
Two saw blades
Snapping turtle screws
Then to make it worse after they give you the list and you ask for specifics like " what length 2x4 ?" Or do they need to be treated or untreated ?" What length screws ? Ect , 9/10 times you get a blank look and a shrug and they say " heck I don't know they just gave me the list and told me to give it toe one of you" Then that evolves into trying to piece things together,goin like " so what exactly are they building?" Are they doing roofing work ?" And half the time the customer can't even answer that. Which astounds me. Like if I have a few guys with power tools working on my house I'd at least wanna know kinda what their doing ya know. Like " yeah they're doing something to the roof" Then that evolves into me asking them to call the contractor who never picks up their phone and when they finally do I have to get chewed out buy some 50yr half shot handy man who questions my intelligence because he's calling wall anchor screws snapping turtle screws and anyone with 2 bits of brain know if someone is buying mud and 2x4's then they should be XYZ. I mean alot of times I just tell them they need to have their contracters ever come in and buy every themselves and have them give your the receipt and explain everything to have them make a better list because I can't sell them $2000 of mabye's with a clear conscience .And I've had to explain this to my manager a few time with upset customers.
And it just baffles me because when I did contracting work sending the customer to get supplies would be a dead last resort, and even when we did the list was extremely well written and detailed. Like
4- 2x4x8 treated
1- 10lbs box of a 2 1/2" self tapping deck screws XYZ brand
So on and so on. Because if they brought it he wrong thing and we had to send them to get the right stuff that was a day sometimes if not being able to work!
Just seems to be a common thing down here though idk why though. Do contractors do this alot round y'all ?