Taking Exception
I believe Dennis Dixon does himself, the construction industry, JLC, and the magazine’s subscribers and advertisers a great disservice by using derogatory slurs to label the very people who hire contractors (“Getting Paid for Preconstruction Advice,” Business, 10/12).
Newbies? Bottom feeders?? Price-shoppers?
Sadly, Mr. Dixon did not need to do this to get a valid message across. His point about a contractor and a potential client seeing things the same way could be made (and has been, in first-class magazines like Fine Homebuilding) in a way that is not condescending and mean-spirited.
For Mr. Dixon to avoid a “hypocrite” label, I trust that when he goes to buy a new work truck, he does no Internet research (that would be free pre-sales advice), visits the first dealership he sees (to avoid price-shopping), asks no questions (free advice), and hands the salesperson a blank check. No haggling of course — hagglers must be like bottom-feeders. I have no guess as to how he has avoided being a “newbie” in some way at some point in his life.
Dave Bell
Anaheim, Calif.