Frustrations with GC

[jmellc]

Did a job for a small GC recently. He'd gotten my name from a neighbor. He was OK to work with, but for 1 major problem. He is hard of hearing & does not use a hearing aid of any kind. In person, I can usually communicate OK by shouting & him seeing my lips & gestures. Over the phone, impossible. He asks a question & cannot hear my answer. I am often in public places where I cannot scream & shout on the phone. After the 3rd "I can't hear you" I would just hang up. He would then wonder why I didn't want to talk. Sometimes, even in person, I say apples & he hears oranges. Or he sees me speak with a passerby about something & wants to know the situation, then can't understand it. He pays reliably & likes my work. I'd like to work more with him but I am not up for all the shouting. In spite of my rants here, I am not a boisterous person & shouting bothers me. Don't know if I should push him to get a hearing aid. I told him once I was not up to shouting on the phone. Bad thing too, I can be shouting with him, then it's hard to turn off if I get a call from my wife or a customer. It takes a minute to change those gears.

Has anyone else dealt with this?

 

[copper chopper]

I know this may be a pain-- however if you like working with them then maybe consider carrying a note pad to write on or if you have the money an ipad to doodle on so that he will understand what is being asked of by you.. if this doesnt help megaphones are'nt that expensive...lol. as for phone calls tell him how you feel about his hearing condition and wish to converse with by text or email only as to not cause any confusion between the 2 of you... Also I have a grandmother with these same issues and i purchased her a hearing amplification device. she wears headphones and it has a big microphone that you might see news reporters using. It works well and she likes it..

 

[satcom]

I know this may be a pain-- however if you like working with them then maybe consider carrying a note pad to write on or if you have the money an ipad to doodle on so that he will understand what is being asked of by you.. if this doesnt help megaphones are'nt that expensive...lol. as for phone calls tell him how you feel about his hearing condition and wish to converse with by text or email only as to not cause any confusion between the 2 of you... Also I have a grandmother with these same issues and i purchased her a hearing amplification device. she wears headphones and it has a big microphone that you might see news reporters using. It works well and she likes it..

Many GC's have selective hearing problems, when you ask to be paid, but you say he pays, and you like working for him, you found a rare one, a GC that pays, try everything you can to help him.

 

[George Stolz]

Encourage texting.

 

[jmellc]

I thought a bit on the texting, as you guys suggest. Only thing about that is it is very tedious; not time efficient at all. Notes would be sort of OK on jobsite. He doesn't have e mail. I do need his business though. Keep the ideas coming. I'll work out something with him.

 

[Cow]

Maybe a dry erase board on the jobsite would help?

I can't actually believe a guy this hard of hearing doesn't have a hearing aid? He must be happily married. She can talk all she wants and he's none the wiser.:lol:

 

[jaylectricity]

I thought a bit on the texting, as you guys suggest. Only thing about that is it is very tedious; not time efficient at all. Notes would be sort of OK on jobsite. He doesn't have e mail. I do need his business though. Keep the ideas coming. I'll work out something with him.

How is texting less time efficient than repeating yourself 3-4 times or trying to find a location where you'd feel comfortable shouting into the phone?

 

[PetrosA]

One other thought based on my experience... Could there be problems with one or both of your phones making things worse? I have one customer who has a cell phone that makes him sound like he's talking through a pillow and I've had a phone that had major issues with dirt getting gunked up in the earpiece so that I couldn't hear other people. I've also heard phones with super loud earpieces so that I could hear the entire conversation standing a few feet away (not on speakerphone). Maybe a different phone would help the GC communicate better.

 

[stevenje]

How is texting less time efficient than repeating yourself 3-4 times or trying to find a location where you'd feel comfortable shouting into the phone?

Have tried talking to other subs or suppliers that work with him and find out what works for them?

 

[cowboyjwc]

I did a lot of work for a guy that stuttered, Mel Tillis type, one day as he was trying to explain something to me I interupted him and said, "John, you know I get paid by the hour, right?"

 

[readydave8]

I did a lot of work for a guy that stuttered, Mel Tillis type, one day as he was trying to explain something to me I interupted him and said, "John, you know I get paid by the hour, right?"

So did he then stop trying to explain and just drew you a picture instead?

 

[kwired]

How does this guy get good results with his clients? There is probably similar issues there.

Sounds like you need to avoid the phone as much as possible. He may not be into email, or texting, hopefully he can receive faxes, otherwise face to face or mail is probably best.

 

[jmellc]

How is texting less time efficient than repeating yourself 3-4 times or trying to find a location where you'd feel comfortable shouting into the phone?

Hard to xt while driving, I try to limit my talking time when driving also. Texting more than a few words takes forever. Have to hit each key 2-4 times in most cases, or as many as 6 times for a numeral.

 

[kwired]

Hard to xt while driving, I try to limit my talking time when driving also. Texting more than a few words takes forever. Have to hit each key 2-4 times in most cases, or as many as 6 times for a numeral.

Please don't txt at all while driving. Your friends and family want to see you again, in one piece. All distractions while driving are bad but this one has to be about the worst.

 

[cowboyjwc]

So did he then stop trying to explain and just drew you a picture instead?

No he would just let me explain what he wanted and he would just nod or shake his head. He was a home owner so he didn't really know how to explain it anyway.

 

[satcom]

How does this guy get good results with his clients? There is probably similar issues there.

Sounds like you need to avoid the phone as much as possible. He may not be into email, or texting, hopefully he can receive faxes, otherwise face to face or mail is probably best.

He may be planning to buy a fax machine, after he upgrades from a black and white TV

 

[cowboyjwc]

He may be planning to buy a fax machine, after he upgrades from a black and white TV

Maybe too, because he only get's three channels, he doesn't see the late night ad's for the Super Ear.

 

[satcom]

Maybe too, because he only get's three channels, he doesn't see the late night ad's for the Super Ear.

He would be a good guy in my book, because he pays, the way I see it, find a way to help him communicate.

 

[kwired]

I did work for a homeowner one time that was totally deaf. We did a lot of writing and drawing pictures.

He was born deaf but at time was 80 years old, so he was pretty experienced with communication with people who did not know sign language.

 

[cowboyjwc]

He would be a good guy in my book, because he pays, the way I see it, find a way to help him communicate.

Yeah, I guess it's better than the GC that hears fine but only goes deaf when you ask for a check.