Your chimney sweep...

[Adios Pantalones]

Living in NH, I'm used to the political polling companies. I expected that was the caller when I picked up the phone.

It was some calling center (took a sec to pick up, and there was noise behind them)-

a woman said "This is the chimney sweep. We'll be in your neighborhood next week and are setting up appointments..."

I cut her off to tell her that I had mine swept last weekend, which is true. My wife doesn't trust my clumsy self on the roof, so she called someone.

Anyway- first I ever heard that tactic of marketing for a sweep.

 

[GAMMA RAY]

My wife doesn't trust my clumsy self on the roof, so she called someone

It must be the height thang that Mrs AP is worried about....cause I would trust you to do the sweep...you friggin operate that kiln dammit... :lol:
I have never heard of any sweeps in this area calling to schedule appts...maybes they are hard up for business...?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Ya, it's the whole falling off a metal roof potential. I have swept it myself, but admit to being a bit spooked up there.

 

[Jags]

I find that an interesting approach. Hopefully the sweep company is playing by the rules and are not some type of fly-by-nite company. But if it was an honest offer for sweep service, I kinda like it.

I hear short people have more problem with heights than normal people - just passing on what I heard.

 

[GAMMA RAY]

I hear short people have more problem with heights than normal people - just passing on what I heard.

I heard AP is 6'5"...so I doubt that is the reason Jagsy... ;-)
Doesn't he look tall on that tricycle?

 

[Delta-T]

I hear short people have more problem with heights than normal people - just passing on what I heard.

I heard AP is 6'5"...so I doubt that is the reason Jagsy... ;-)
Doesn't he look tall on that tricycle?

"long" and "tall" are not the same.....just sayin ;-)

 

[BrotherBart]

Bet it is the same shyster approach we got once a week. "This is the company that cleaned your carpets before...". Every week for months. Finally I snagged the call and told her that I wanted a name and phone number. I had been looking for their sorry asses ever since they destroyed my dining room carpet. (Which we have never had commercially cleaned.)

Line went dead in a heartbeat.

 

[maverick06]

Long story short, I had a company calling my cellphone trying to sell me "any prescription drug I want" and since "they are doctors" they could "do the prescription for me" (They were asking for some lady, who I guess gave out my phone number as her fake number). Of course I didnt want any part of that. it was about 4-5 times a day... for weeks and months on end... probably 4 or 5 months. You cant block specific phone numbers on a cell phone, I called verizon. I was about to change phone numbers, but I have had this for about 15 years, and didnt want to give it up. One of the guys ended up giving me their real phone number (because when they called me it would so many different verarities. I looked it up and it was in miami.

I called my local police, they couldnt do anything
I called Miami police, they couldnt do anything.

Then I though, well they are trying to sell me drugs... so i called the DEA... The lady sounded downright excited, took the phone number and the address and said they would send someone over.

Although I do not know what happened, I never got a call from them again.

We get the people who "are in the neighborhood" to do roof/windows/gutters. I ask where in the neighborhood... They never have a answer and just mumble. Done believe them for a minute. Some people might be honest... but there are more people scamming the sytem.

 

[Shane]

I used to try to schedule people a year ahead, I would call them at the end of summer to make sure they still wanted the appointment. I would also call people when I was going to another town so that I could split the mileage charge between as many people as possible. Paying a telemarketer to do it is a good way to tick a customer off. I had alot of them up in arms until I clearly identified myself when I would call them.

 

[woodgeek]

I have had a company pitch the same way....."when was the last time your chimney was swept?", "Have you had your oil chimney swept recently?", "We can do both at the same time for a special rate". Do some scaremongering. Makes sense, they have someone work a phone all day in a neighborhood, and then they send a crew out to do half the houses at a go.

I told them my wood chimney was clean as a whistle, and I wasn't worried about the oil chimney--go blow. A short time later I had a 'soot-a-lanche' in my oil boiler liner that choked off the flue and started flooding my house with CO. Ended up ok, but maybe I would have been better to take their deal, huh?

 

[firefighterjake]

Not saying they were not legit . . . but this sounds a lot like the pitch from folks that come into an area and offer to clean the gutters, fix a roof, repair a chimney, etc. . . . and then end up over charging and either not doing the job at all or doing a half-a$$ed job.

Now if this company was local and well known . . . I suppose it's worth trying . . . but that said . . . I know the sweeps I work with tell me that come Fall they're usually right straight out with installs and cleanings.