Worst Tuesday I've had in this trade so far...

I was running coax in a new build up near Springfield last week and the homeowner decided to move all their furniture back into the room while my ladder was still up. I tripped over a couch leg and spooled about 200 feet of cable all over their new carpet. Has anyone else had a job go sideways because of something the client did you couldn't plan for?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant13011d ago

Oh man, that's rough lol. I've had homeowners do stuff like that too. Best thing I ever learned was to put up a couple of those cheap plastic caution stands and some tape around my ladder area before I start pulling cable. It feels dumb at first but it gives you a chance to tell the client "hey, I'm going to need this space clear for a bit" and they actually listen more when they see the barriers. For the cable tangle, if it's not kinked too bad you can usually just re-spool it by hand while walking it backwards - takes forever but beats cutting and splicing new drops. Hope the carpet wasn't too expensive to get cleaned up lol.

jamieburns11d agoMost Upvoted

Grant130 is right about the barriers. I started keeping a couple of those folding orange safety cones in my van after a client's kid ran right into my ladder while I was up there pulling cable. The tape and cones make it feel more official, and people actually stay out of the way. For the spool, I've had luck hanging the tangled section off a railing or hook and slowly walking it out, letting the coil twist itself straight as I go. Just have to be patient or you'll make it worse.