The buyer's agent called me and asked if Mark could call the seller. Apparently there were some issues with the electrical. It happens. Usually it's just a switch that needs to be flipped or a GFCI that tripped. Before I could text the details to Mark, the phone started ringing. It was the same number that I was about to text to him.
"I was just sending him your number so he can call you."
"Do you have any idea what the problem is?"
"I'm told it's something with the electrical..."
"My pool no longer works, my patio lights don't work, my alarm is making a whining noise and the trouble light is on..."
"We weren't given any information about your alarm codes..."
"Don't you argue with me! EVERYTHING in my house is broken! I have been violated! That inspector needs to get back over here RIGHT NOW and fix everything that he broke."
"Ma'am, I will have him phone you as soon as possible. Thank you." And with that I hung up. You can't speak rationally to someone who is convinced that everything in her house is broken because her patio light doesn't come on.
I phoned Mark to let him know he might be walking into a hornet's nest when he phoned her. His one question to me was "Was she rude to you?" At this point I didn't relate the conversation to him. He doesn't tolerate people being rude to me. He would have refused to call her at all. So I just told him that she was very upset and that she felt violated and that I'd been unable to calm her down.
So he phoned her and in his very best Queen's English asked her how he might help. He let her know that he understood how difficult it is to sell a house - strangers coming through it, an inspector poking around. Very invasive. He also explained to her that sometimes after a GFCI switch has been tested, it trips and then he stayed on the phone with her and walked her through resetting the switches. Of course, the alarm was something he couldn't help her with. He doesn't touch them, except to disarm or rearm them when we receive instructions to do so. But the buyers had asked him a question about the alarm system and when he told them he didn't know, they started pushing the buttons. All he could tell the seller was that he understood how she felt, but that he was there to inspect the house, not babysit the buyers. If he were to follow them around keeping them out of things, he'd never get the inspection done. She was happy that the electrical was all working again and although she was still unhappy about the alarm it was no longer directed at him. That's when she told him she'd been a bit rude to me. He assured her that it would be fine, but later that day, she called to apologize for being unpleasant. No problem! I'm just glad I hadn't been unpleasant in return.
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