I recently found Mr. Hardy through a google search and decided to give him a call. Mr. Hardy was very polite and provided me an “on average” estimate for two minor electrical fixes I needed for my house at $150.00.
The Good:
Mr. Hardy was able to come out to my house within an hour. This was a great turnaround time. Service was very prompt and appreciated. He was also very knowledgeable about the work at hand and was able to solve both of my issues in under an hour. This guy most certainly knows what he is doing and has 40+ years of experience doing it. I would never question his work and would recommend him if you want the job done correctly.
The Bad:
Mr. Hardy explained to me on the phone that he didn’t take any form of credit card or digital (paypal/venmo/square) payments. This isn’t a huge deal, but then again this is 2016.
I went to the bank to get cash beforehand for payment and when it was time to pay the bill, Mr. Hardy was reluctant to accept this, and wanted a check only. I haven’t written a check in years, nor do I own any checks (there is no need to own checks any more), so we were able to eventually work out the transaction with cash. This is a minor quibble, and deep down not a huge deal, but an inconvenience nonetheless.
The work Mr. Hardy did was very good, but being charged the $150 “on average” service call estimate for right under an hour of work (no extra parts were involved) felt extremely high, and I regret not shopping around a little more. I realize that this one is on me.
The Ugly:
The entire time that Mr. Hardy was at my residence I was constantly lectured on the importance of marriage in life (I don’t care), how the world has lost its mind (I respectfully disagree), and eventually got the sales pitch/invite to discuss my church views (I don’t care about church either).
Everyone is entitled to their opinion on these matters, and Mr. Hardy’s opinion is worth the same as anyone else’s regarding all of these issues, but when I am paying someone the amount of money I am to fix an issue, I don’t want to be lectured or getting “life advice”. If I wanted this, I would go to a therapist/friend/life coach, not an electrician. I am perfectly capable in my current ways as I am sure Mr. Hardy is in his. I’m not saying Mr. Hardy’s views are incorrect or mine or right. There is most certainly a time and place for these discussions, but I don’t feel like a business transaction is one of them.
While I don’t believe Mr. Hardy had any ill will during this exchange, and was just speaking his mind, this was extremely ostracizing and unprofessional. I respectfully humored and listened to what Mr. Hardy had to say the entire time, but when I was asked “if I went to church” I was ready to never see him again.