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46 • JULY 2015 • WORLD FENCE NEWS In loving memory of Jim Hart, professional fencer, storyteller, and world class humorist, World Fence News will occasionally reprint one of the many articles that he contributed to the publication over the years. Sad- ly, Jim passed away some time ago in Florida, where he lived. This column first appeared in the March 1985 edi- tion of World Fence News. • • • About 2,000 years ago, a wise man who changed the course of the world made the profound statement, "Ye cannot serve two masters, you will hate one and love the other…" Boy was that an understatement! We recently got caught in the trap. We install for anyone, competition or not, and wound up measuring a job for a store and putting the fence up for one of our competitors – not the store. The customer never bothered to call us for an estimate, so he was sur- prised when we show up to install the fence for the competition after we did the estimate. I didn't bother to ask the custom- er why he didn't call us. I was afraid that would blow his mind. Well, the customer couldn't understand how we could work for two masters, so to speak. I told him both boss's money was green; I'm a professional fencer, and I build a fence. "It doesn't matter to me who sup- plies the materials," I told him. "I give 'em all my best shot, using the materi- al supplied, whatever grade!" This opened the can of worms and started 'em wiggling. "There's a difference in the grade of material?" the customer asked. "I thought fence was fence. There was only a $40 difference in the price. What would I have gotten for $40 more?" The store had informed this cus- tomer of the obvious better quality and warranty on the stuff, but the $40 difference "ruled the grade," so he bought the cheaper. It just so happened I had a sam- ple of the store's stuff on the truck to show him. Now this store's "economy grade" is better in my opinion than the rest of the industry's medium grade fence – the 0.045 wall stuff most fenc- ers sell to the "out shopping price" customers. I took this occasion to assure him the fence was adequate for what he wanted. It had been in use as the stan- dard for the industry for years. It was just that the store had come up with something better for the same price. The $40 difference was in the gates – round corner jobs instead of aluminum elbows and square corners. The round corners were an advantage on his particular ground due to the slight grade on the gate site. Square corners will hang up – round won't. Well, the customer followed us through every step of the installation, trying to get me to say the materi- al was no good. He used every ploy known to man to get me to say the stuff was "junk." I finally gave in, admitting that in my "professional opinion" the heavier stuff from the store was easier to work with, was about seven times stronger, had better steel and galvanizing, bet- ter bonded acrylic, etc. But since price was an object, he had perfectly ade- quate fence with the stuff he bought. It had been in use for years all over the country. For years! No com- plaints as to its durability! "I knew it! I knew it!" shouted the customer. "I should have bought the other stuff! What kind of warranty do I get on this stuff?" "One year on my work and about the same on the material from the manufacturer," I said. "Free replace- ment of any defective material subject to the manufacturer's decision." We finally got the fence up. It held the customer's dog, a pit bull who was a sucker for the "butt scratch," fine. The mutt tried his best to get out, throwing himself at the fence, but it held his charges. The customer saw this and I guess it put his mind at ease. The fence wasn't junk, it will hold the dog, so he made out a check. "How can I reach you if some- thing goes wrong?" the customer asked. I gave him one of my business cards. "You're a fence contractor too?" he asked. "Why hell yes!" I said. This start- ed the "two masters" stuff all over again. "Where is it written in stone that one fence company can't team up with another competitor to do a job?" I said. "Are we supposed to be dead- ly enemies 'cause we are in the same business?" "We work for the 'long green'," I continued, "not prestige or company honor." Right about then, I couldn't resist throwing in, "Now if you had called us in the first place, we could have done the job for about $20 cheaper than you got it for, with the same workmanship and material." With that, I jumped into the truck and drove happily off into the sunset. Caught in the middle again Fencer juggles can of worms with boss's boss BY JIM HART, WORLD FENCE NEWS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EMERITUS American Made – American Steel We Offer The Best Industrial And Commercial Chain Link On The Market! GBW or GAW You choose – Southwestern Wire makes it all! 11, 9 and 6 Gauge • Class III, Class IV & 2 oz. • 15 Year Warranty MEMBER 1-800-348-WIRE (9473) • Fax: 1-405-447-2830 www.southwesternwire.com MANUFACTURING LOCATIONS: Norman, Oklahoma • Sacramento, California • Warrior, Alabama