Putting the Punk in Punctuality

There are many things I like about living in the Houston area. There are also things I don't like, such as the common practice of leaving shopping carts where you empty them, even when the cart rack is only ten feet away. One thing I don't like at all around here is the complete lack of punctuality. Whether you're dealing with the cable company, the refrigerator repairman, the plumber, or the pest control company, they never keep their appointments. If they make the appointment for "in the morning," you can expect them at 5:15 pm. If they say 9:30, the earliest they offer, you won't see them before noon.

Is my time worth nothing? ARS called me yesterday and offered me a discount if they could come out and service my air conditioning system. I don't need them, mind you, I just thought it would be a good idea to get it done, so I took them up on their offer and let them give me a time they could come out. They're over an hour late (so far), and they haven't even bothered to call. So I have to put my own errands on hold because I don't know when they're going to show up.

This is the way it's done down here in the Houston area. When my POS Whirlpool refrigerator required repeated servicing (a dozen times or so), they never once showed up on time - or even in the same half-day window.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should bother staying past the first hour. Just let them show up and wonder where I went.