Oh my God! What a total a*shole!! I hope you call and tell them exactly
why you're not using them. And maybe send them some cat poop in a paper
bag... ;)

I can understand how you feel some people are so heartless! I know you
didn't ask for advice but if you haven't already I would consider
calling the business owner and explain just why they lost your business.
At the very least it might make you feel better. Take care.

rrb

Mary, I am so sorry that happened to you. You were much more gracious than I
would have been. I'm afraid I would have thrown him out of my house, and called
to lodge a complaint with the company. What  it is, is sad really. He sounds
actually very ignorant, in the sense that he's just not very bright and has no
empathy or compassion. Think what his poor family puts up with. Sheesh. This is
making me angry, too and I wasn't even there.
When he said "Why don't you get rid of it and get a healthy cat"..youshould
have said, "Why don't I just get rid of YOU and hire a decent human being.
There's the door."

Sherry

I would have suggested to him that if he couldn't show some respect in
my home then he better pack up and leave.

If he continues to carry on with this attitude there won't be much of a
business left.

OMG, what a horrible horrible person, Mary :(  But just keep in mind, he's an
idiot and you and Duffy are the lucky ones.

Lauren
________
See my cats:  http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

I would be angry too!  In fact, I'm pretty hissy right now!

In your case, I would tell the guy his services are no longer required.
And why.

And that being said, how would you like to adopt a beautiful Siamese
kitten diagnosed with glaucoma?  Or perhaps a charming young adult with
eyes so scarred from herpes he looks like a Halloween monster?

Good for you, taking on the blind cat.  Googly (our herpes boy) is all but
blind, but you would hardly know it.  And he is a happy happy cat.

Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus Cats
www.campuscats.org

I totally agree with you. Instead of finding everything so funny, he should
have thought it was wonderful. When I show my friends the handicapped ramp and
disabled squirrel house my husband made for a paralyzed squirrel, everyone goes
"ahhhh, that's so sweet of him." They don't laugh at him. Of course when I tell
people that the paralyzed squirrel prefers to live in a dirty old bush, that's
when they start laughing ;-)

I hope you tell him why, too.

What a jerk!

Priscilla

I sat and ruminated on the problem you had ....... and I remember a saying
that I learned in business school....... a satisfied customer will tell
another person about their good experience, a upset customer will tell ten
people about their bad experience!

So since you didn't kick his rear out the door, I would see that every
person I know never uses him again. In fact I know a guy that makes custom
buttons..... I would but 50 buttons and hand them out that said "Ask me
about my poor friends blind cat and the carpet cleaner from hell!" That
ought to get some attention!

Sorry for the crude Neanderthal that you had visit your feline sanctuary.

When I was spending $400/month for cat meds, a different person at the
pharmacy would wait on me every month..... they'd always look at me like I
had three eyes and say, "you realize how much this is, right...?"   I would
just reply with, "Yeah.  But, it's for my cat.  I'd *never* spend this kind
of money on a kid!"....... that would usually shut them up......

Sit down and carefully compile a spreadsheet showing what you've spent
on cleaning through his service, and what you project you WOULD'VE spent
over the next few years, if you hadn't dismissed him. Also, post his
corporate name to as many local newsgroups as you can think of with this
story, and let him know that you did so.

You are a very gentle human. I see people like him as justifiable
targets
for life's many frustrations. I would not have raised my voice but
would
have reduced him to a pile of smoking rubble anyway. And thrown him
out.

Is it his company? If so, I would write him a letter telling him why
you will
never use him again. If not, I would write the letter to his boss. It
does not
matter how one feels about cats and injured creatures, what matters
(from
the business point of view) is that nobody you hire to come into your
home
has any business doing anything at all to make you uncomfortable. This
guy is an idiot.

Good move getting rid of the a.shole. A blind cat is still a healthy
cat.

Besides being insensitive  and stupid. I'll bet he was high on dope!

[..]

That stinks, Mary.  People can be so insensitive at times.  Some treat
inanimate objects like they are the most valuable thing on earth (like
a car, or an antique motorcycle or something) and others care more
about the comfort of a living creature.  I know which of those people
I tend to associate with.  Shame that he didn't even seem to see how
his reaction would upset up so.

<< This whole thing made me so angry I can hardly describe what I feel.  What
kind of heartless monster would react like that??  Anyway, it will be his
last time here.  I am going to find someone else for the future.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the helpful comments. It helped to "vent," and it did me a
LOT of good to see all the support from this group. I usually calm down
pretty quickly, and that is true now. However, even when thinking about this
incident in "the coolness of the day," I find it hard to believe that anyone
would be so insensitive (and stupid! because he has now lost a good
customer).

Here is what I have decided. First, I wish I had thought fast enough to make
a comment such as those that several of you suggested (and escorted him to
the door, as was also suggested). That would have been perfect - but I only
seem to think of those perfect reactions after it is much too late. Since
that opportunity has passed, I am going to write a letter in which I will
inform him that I will not use his services after this and tell him exactly
why he has lost a customer of 8 or 9 years' standing. Many of you suggested
this route, and I particularly like the way Rona described it. This will
give me a chance to clearly state my feelings and will also avoid the
possibility that he could later misquote me. Among other things, I am going
to point out that my two cats are members of my family - I look on them as
my children. I am going to ask him how he would react if he heard someone
say something like that about a blind person (although my suspicion is that
he probably has little empathy for what he would see as "less than perfect"
people, either). I am also going to point out that he showed a complete lack
of respect for me by taking this position in my house and continuing with it
after I objected. Building on what Rona said, I can honestly tell him that I
have recommended him in the past and sent new customers to him - and make it
clear that any comments I make from now on will be negative and will include
details of this encounter. Incidentally, I love Jeremy's suggestion about
handing out buttons but admit that I can't see myself actually following
through on that one. A fine idea, though!

Duffy is a complete delight. He is one of the sweetest, best-natured cats I
have ever seen. Holly and Duffy together bring me such joy - and I think I
bring joy to them. They are both happy, loving, playful cats. I doubt that
the man who will receive my letter can even understand this type of
relationship, but maybe he will understand the relationship between my
letter and some loss of income.

Thanks, again, for all your help. I'm not going to rush this. I'm going to
take plenty of time this weekend and try to write a thoughtful and accurate
letter, so I'm open to more suggestions. I hope I can be "intelligent,
articulate, unflustered and factual," as Sherry suggested.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly:      >'o'<
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")

I don't blame you.  What a jerk!  Make sure you know why he lost your
business, and make sure to tell are your friends not to hire him, and
to let him know why they aren't.  Maybe *that* will give him something
to ponder in the future.

Ginger-lyn

Upset at rude comments from the carpet cleaning man...

I can understand his reaction - so many people doen't think of cats as
worthwhile.  It's too bad his parents didn't instill better behavior
in him as a child (but maybe they triee and he's ignored his early
training).  If he has a boss, I wonder if the boss has explained the
proper behavior expected of an employee when going to a client's home
as a representative of that company.  If this guy is self-employeed, I
wonder how many people have only used him once or twice and then moved
on to more someone who was more professional...

Either way, please feel free to write a classy note stating that you
do not expect ridicule from service personelle and as a result of the
completely disrespectful behavior of the carpet cleaner, you will no
longer be using his services, nor will you be able to provide
references for him.  Include a cute photo of your cat, if you wish.

~Shelly~

It always cracks me up when someone comes into your home to do a job,
and thinks they have a right to make comments about your personal
life, property, etc.

You should have booted him out.