My First Rant; Loyalty What Ever Happened To It???,

[seapower]

I don't know whether to just get pissed and shut up or just get pissed and go postal!!! One of my flaw's over the year's is that I'm just too loyal to those I like. Now I have to admitt I'm one of those guy's that really doesn't like alot of people. But one thing I am is 100% loyal to those few I do like. I've been dealing with a boatyard here locally for year's, again the only boatyard I refer customer's to. Every boat I carry in there get's a % of my labor bill as "yard rent". This is standard practice, the yard makes money off of me without a dime being invested in my operation. Plus they get 100% of all the yard work, lift work, yard labor etc... from said boat that I have sent to them. Never mind the boat's that just need to be hauled and painted that I have refered to the yard (which is very, very many). I have not and never will ask for a "kickback" from work they do for a customer that I have sent to them.
Now here's the rub, the guy that own's this yard I thought was a "friend", got in a tight spot last year. As foolish as it may sound I offered to help bail him out, he didn't take me up on it, but I cared enough about his situation to give him a hand. He's been off hunting and fishing with me at my invitation (no politic's involved). He like's to do those sort of thing's but didn't know how or where to do them. Now I'm noticing that I'm not getting the referral's from him that I once did, so I asked him "man to man" (I don't believe in that behind your back crap) what's the deal? Seem's that he's helping some "jack leg" (and I mean "jack leg") out getting started up. The guy he's helping out has got a long troubled past and was fired by a pretty good sized yard because he couldn't cut the mustard. Well he's there on premise now (oh, even gave hime a little building to get set up in), any walk up customer's that don't know better will obviously see him first.
I know this may seem like whining to some, I really don't care! I've got over 10 year's invested in this one sided relationship now. I feel like the guy took the dullest knife in the drawer and stuck me in the back. This was supposed to be a"friend". In my book if you're not loyal, you ain't squat!
OK, I'm done now! But man I'm pissed!!!!! Frank

[clt_capt]

Frank,
I've seen a lot of that kind of mess - not only in boatyards... I hate it too.

One of the things I truly miss is the good old days of a man's handshake being his bond...

[BarryTurano]

Frank,
Sad to say that loyalty as we knew it is a thing of the past. What has caused this change be it dire economic straights, greed or ignorance is beyond my scope of recognition. It just seems that you are only as good as your last good deed for that individual or company, or what can you do for me today.
Very sad state of affairs.

[seapower]

Guess that's my point, my word is my bond. It doesn't get any more secure than a handshake. I don't care how much money is involved, my loyalty isn't for sale!!! Frank

[scattered_grass]

sounds very shitty to me Frank, I would be upset too. My dad and others around the area speak very highly of you and your work. Your solid reputation and loyalty will get you a lot further in the end.

[Sea Draggin]

In my book if you're not loyal, you ain't squat!

At my desk job, every is out for themselves and its expected as part of the culture. But I had an experience this year with my jig stuff that was about crappy as it gets.

[Robja]

That is Crappy Frank. The loyalty, the handshake, the man's word really are things of the past. Its a shame our society has come to the point it is today. What happened to you is something that has probably happened to most of us who are in business not matter what kind of business it is. I remember many years ago a guy came in and was wanting to get into a different insurance business. He was a friend and fishing buddy of my brothers. We had an agreement that business I couldn't write I would send to him as long as he didn't try to take what I already had on the client. For almost a year i was sending him the equivalent of $500 in commissions a week until he replace a small mobilehome policy I had on a mutual client. I told him I hope the $35 bucks he made on that sale was worth the $500 a week.

I've never met you personally but I can tell you if I had a boat and needed some work done to it you would be who I carried it to because you seem to be a man of your word.

Keep your head up cause your "friends" new person is probably going to screw something up and it will come back to bite him in the ass for dishing you off.

[Big Jay]

It's not like it used to be my friend. My parents raised me very "old school". Firm handshake, look people in the eye, be polite, man of your word, etc.

In that regard, this world is going to hell. The only thing you can really do is do the right thing 100% of the time. Good karma will eventually visit you.

[seapower]

of you guy's thank's. I'd say almost everyone in this neck of the wood's know's me and my straight forward attitude. Alot of folk's say I'm "too straight forward", but it is what it is. You never have to wonder what side of the fence I'm on, and you'll hardly if ever see me straddling one!!! SkirtChaser your folk's know me and I'm exactly the same I was 10 year's ago. Well the "world" may have changed, but I'm not. My word and handshake will be the same today, tommorrow, just as it was yesterday. ROCK SOLID !!! Thank's again, Frank

[Ultralite]

What goes around comes around. He screwed a good man in favor of a loser. It will catch up with him. I've seen this too much throughout the boating and fishing industry, but there is such a thing as karma and it will come back to bite him. Hopefully you can work out an arrangement with another yard.