While reviewing some marketing techniques that I’ve used over the years to attract customers it was fun to remember a particular radio advertising campaign that I particularly enjoyed. I decided that if I ran radio ads as a drywall repair guy they couldn’t be boring and had to be unique. I decided to do a series of ads called the “Drywall Chronicles” which focused on interesting drywall situations that I’d encountered. At this point in time I had about 10 years experience under my belt so it wasn’t difficult to think of some whoppers. I’ll share a few of the stories that made it into my radio ads:
- While taking a nap one Sunday afternoon I woke to a loud “thud” and walked out of my bedroom to find my son standing with his sled next to a 2’ x 2’ hole in the wall at the base of the stairs. When I asked him (he was at most 8 yrs. old) what he was thinking, his response was “Dad I was going to put my foot down but I was going too fast!” I have to say that fixing the wall was much better than paying a doctor to fix an arm or leg.
- I got a phone call one day asking how much it would cost to repair a 3’ x 3’ hole in a ceiling that was two stories high. When I walked into the home it was obvious that someone had fallen clear through the ceiling. While this young man was helping his dad in the attic his friend came over to see him and was waiting on the couch in the living room. As the boy crossed the trusses on his way out he stumbled and not only fell through but broke his jaw and knocked himself out cold. The friend watched the whole thing as the boy came through the ceiling and ended up breaking his leg. The good news is the boy survived after a stint in a body cast.
- One night a skunk decided to come inside a home through the “doggy door”. Once the dogs woke up, a “great race” began that the skunk ended up losing, it basically exploded just before it got back to the door. In order to get rid of the smell they had to remove flooring, cabinetry, and yes, drywall.
- A family called and said they thought they had a bees nest in the ceiling but had called the exterminator and were ready to cut into the ceiling which felt “thin” and check out the damage. While cutting out the ceiling a basketball size bees nest fell out, full of drugged bees wandering everywhere.
These are just a few of many interesting moments on the job. Whoever said the construction trades were boring?
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