To borrow a line from a friend (that will always cause both of us to remember the exact situation) - "What a hassle!"
A Simple Delivery ...
It seemed like a simple thing. I was to have a new refrigerator and a new stove delivered today. The new dishwasher and hood for the stove will have to be delivered separately, since they require "installation" into the house. Okay. I can handle that.
It seemed like a simple thing. I was to have a new refrigerator and a new stove delivered today. The new dishwasher and hood for the stove will have to be delivered separately, since they require "installation" into the house. Okay. I can handle that.
The mix-up ...
They were scheduled "between noon and 5pm." You know the drill. So, I called around 11 to see if they could tell me where I fell on the delivery schedule. I was told I was last of five deliveries, so I could expect it to be between 4 & 5pm. Okay. Great. I could run another errand I needed to do while I was off.
They were scheduled "between noon and 5pm." You know the drill. So, I called around 11 to see if they could tell me where I fell on the delivery schedule. I was told I was last of five deliveries, so I could expect it to be between 4 & 5pm. Okay. Great. I could run another errand I needed to do while I was off.
I won't go into the saga of what should have taken about an hour total, from the time I left home until I returned, turning into over 2 hours at the service center and the expected $40 bill being $140. I'll just leave that one for another day.
At any rate, it's still just after 1:30 and as I leave I decided to check my home recorder for messages. At 12:20 there's a message from the delivery guy that they are just leaving the store and heading to my house. What happened to being scheduled last? To expect them between 4 & 5pm? At about 12:50 there is another message that they were at my house and no one was there, so I needed to call the store and reschedule.
You betcha, I'm calling the store!!
Person at store: "Oh, sorry, who told you that? They should not had done that."
Okay, "Thanks!" Next time remind me not to believe what I am told by your employees...
She made a quick phone call to the delivery guys & back to me. They would come back by after the one they were working, and they were almost finished there. "So, are they calling me again before they come?" "No, they're almost done. They will be back to your house shortly."
I quickly pull all the food out of the refrigerator. (The freezer food had already been moved to my upright freezer in the garage.) Some could go in ice chests, but not all of it.
An hour later, they call to say they are on their way and will be there in about 20 minutes.
Discovery 1
The first "discovery" was when they pulled the old stove out. It was not plugged into an outlet - it was hardwired into a 6' cable coming out of the wall!
The first "discovery" was when they pulled the old stove out. It was not plugged into an outlet - it was hardwired into a 6' cable coming out of the wall!
Of course, the "delivery" guys couldn't remove the wires from the old stove and put them in the new one. A call back to the store - and the wait on the subsequent return call to find out the answer - revealed that the "installers" who were coming out later in the week couldn't do that either. I would need to call an electrician to install my stove!
While I was waiting on the call back from the store to determine what could be done with the stove, they started unloading the refrigerator.
Enter Hero # 1
Just as the "lovely" discovery was made, the friend who was coming to take my old refrigerator and stove away to be used by others arrived. "Hold on a minute." He started investigating the situation and determined that it simply needed the "strands" disconnected and then connected correctly to the new stove, and started working to disassemble it. In the process, we decided it really would be better if the stove had the normal electrical cable attached to an outlet rather than running into this same problem the next time. So, he left for Ace Hardware to get a circuit box.
Just as the "lovely" discovery was made, the friend who was coming to take my old refrigerator and stove away to be used by others arrived. "Hold on a minute." He started investigating the situation and determined that it simply needed the "strands" disconnected and then connected correctly to the new stove, and started working to disassemble it. In the process, we decided it really would be better if the stove had the normal electrical cable attached to an outlet rather than running into this same problem the next time. So, he left for Ace Hardware to get a circuit box.
Back to the refrigerator ...
The delivery guys have realized that they can't wheel the refrigerator through the door from the garage into the hall without moving a shelf unit that blocked the approach by about an inch. There was disagreement between them about which would be easier - take the doors off the refrigerator or unload and move the shelves and take the entry door off it's hinges. The second opinion was held by the guy who seemed to be "in charge" - though not the one I would have assigned to be! Hence it won out. They started rearranging my garage and removing my door.
The delivery guys have realized that they can't wheel the refrigerator through the door from the garage into the hall without moving a shelf unit that blocked the approach by about an inch. There was disagreement between them about which would be easier - take the doors off the refrigerator or unload and move the shelves and take the entry door off it's hinges. The second opinion was held by the guy who seemed to be "in charge" - though not the one I would have assigned to be! Hence it won out. They started rearranging my garage and removing my door.
Once the refrigerator was in the kitchen, it soon became apparent that it was not going to simply "slip" into place. The bottom edge of the shelf unit I had measured so carefully, wasn't exactly straight. In the middle, it failed to clear by about 1/8". Seriously! Of course, I had measured the outer edges - on both sides! Then it turned out there was also an opening for access to the ice maker on the top. (I've never seen one of those before - even when looking at and measuring this model in the store.) It also extended up about 1/8-1/4". So, the refrigerator is not going to slide under the built in cabinet.
Enter Hero #2
I have a friend who is an incredibly gifted handy-man that I knew had recently encountered a similar problem when installing a new microwave in his kitchen. I called him to see if he could help me out. Not only was he willing, he had time to come this evening and take care of it - and show me some of his new fancy (actually, very cool!) tools.
I have a friend who is an incredibly gifted handy-man that I knew had recently encountered a similar problem when installing a new microwave in his kitchen. I called him to see if he could help me out. Not only was he willing, he had time to come this evening and take care of it - and show me some of his new fancy (actually, very cool!) tools.
Back to the stove ...
Jess was back from the hardware store, had the wiring installed in the stove (hmmm, you would have thought the guys who delivered the cable with the stove would have done that!), the receptacle attached to the 6' wire that was coming out of the wall, and we were ready for power. First good sign: no casualties when I flipped the breaker back on. :) And there was power to the stove. It took a little bit to get all 12' of wiring bundled up small enough that the stove would slide back and the drawer on the bottom close. Having a "long & lanky" son helped - AJ had to crawl behind and bundle up the wiring cables and then be lifted out over the stove!
Jess was back from the hardware store, had the wiring installed in the stove (hmmm, you would have thought the guys who delivered the cable with the stove would have done that!), the receptacle attached to the 6' wire that was coming out of the wall, and we were ready for power. First good sign: no casualties when I flipped the breaker back on. :) And there was power to the stove. It took a little bit to get all 12' of wiring bundled up small enough that the stove would slide back and the drawer on the bottom close. Having a "long & lanky" son helped - AJ had to crawl behind and bundle up the wiring cables and then be lifted out over the stove!
Yea!! The new stove is functional.
As for that refrigerator...
Tim and his wife, Theresa, who is almost always beside him in his many "charity" efforts like tonight's, came by after work. Even with her making a run back to their house to pick up one tool they failed to get loaded, he had the lip and sides of the flange on that cabinet trimmed and my refrigerator sitting in it's rightful place in less than an hour and a half - cleanup included. Wow! Tim, you're the man!!
Tim and his wife, Theresa, who is almost always beside him in his many "charity" efforts like tonight's, came by after work. Even with her making a run back to their house to pick up one tool they failed to get loaded, he had the lip and sides of the flange on that cabinet trimmed and my refrigerator sitting in it's rightful place in less than an hour and a half - cleanup included. Wow! Tim, you're the man!!
So, a mere 5.5 hours after I was told the delivery men "would be there shortly," I had stove and refrigerator installed and operational. (At least I got the food back in the refrigerator after only about 3.5 - 4 hrs).
BUT God is Faithful!!
BUT God is Faithful!!
In spite of all the hassles, God has Jess arrive just as the stove is sitting there, with the delivery guys waiting for me to tell them to leave it or take it back. And Tim answered his phone rather than it rolling to voicemail as is often the case, and was not only willing to help but could do so this evening. God really does know what we have need of, even before we ask.
But, for the record, I am asking ahead of time for a quick, simple, no surprise delivery and installation of the dishwasher and stove hood on Friday afternoon. Prayers of agreement welcomed!!
