Herb Travis Handyman Services

"It's a shame that this situation happened. The cement work I performed alone, was worth $700.00, plus, the 5 - plus buckets of cement mix, and a total over 15hrs into the job. Basically, the job was "written up" as.... 1.) " Chip away loose debris from foundation" 2.) " Fill holes in foundation with Quikrete cement." 3.) " Paint 2 coats of "Drylok" over cement. I spent the whole first day, filling the concrete on the customers house. There were huge sections of missing concrete. It is a physical, long day, mixing 7-9 buckets, which set very quickly, so you have to use it right away, (3 min or so). I have pictures of the shoddy caulk all around the house. I spent time peeling and scraping that off also. When I started chipping the foundation, I began questioning whether or not the Drylok was going to eventuallty peel the entire surface of paint. Myself being a Handyman, have not come accross this particular dilemna in the past. So after trying to wire brush a section, I realized the customer was going to have to get a cement expert, to rectify the surface properly. I, for a labor total of $950, did not have the means to efficiently remove all the paint properly, to complete the task. So I spoke with the customer, and told her I recommended having a cement "expert" come in to properly coat the foundation. I also said she did not owe me any money, ( 15 hrs into the job, 3 trips, plus $100 ish in materials.. I have receipts) She had given me a $400.00 deposit, so she was not owed anything. She got very upset with me, because she knew the cost will be much more than she thought it would be. Somehow, that was my fault...being honest isnt easy, but it makes me sleep well at night."

"When we initially spoke on the phone, there was no mention of a jacuzzi tub. It would have been $250 if he had told me it was a jacuzzi tub. This is what you take on by doing small jobs, but it won't deter me. Thank you to all concerned."

"Well, this is actually a case of people trying to take advantage of my business. As I recall, she was very friendly. Everybody knows in this business that to drive any vehicle to anyone's house, is a minimum of $100. Even for the smallest things. I was at her house for three and a half hours, not including driving there and back. I hung at least 10 pictures, assembled a computer system, moved several tables around, and was more than helpful. When I was done, I told her the amount, which was more than fair to begin with, and she talked me down. I agreed, figuring that it is a relationship between a customer and a service provider that I will be doing several more things for her in the future. So I had no problem working with her. While attempting to hang one fixture on a certain part of her wall, I explained to her, that her walls were horsehair plaster-very fragile, and it could make the hole too big for any anchors. So, after trying several ways to make this work, a hole developed that was too big to insert any type of anchors. I told her that when I came back, I would patch the hole for her, and do a few more things. I really don't understand it, but I know nobody else goes to her house for free. Herb Travis. ps. I have copies of the actual invoice."