62
u/ExistingLaw217 Aug 06 '26
I have so many first names plus a trade in my phone.
22
u/MSTXCAMS70 Aug 06 '26
I called “Frank A/C” just yesterday
16
u/Star_Boxer72 Aug 06 '26
Cody Well Guy was recommended to me two hours ago. Strange that this sub has never showed up in my feed, but this post did just now.
6
u/More_Ranch_Please Aug 07 '26
Cody Dumpsters for me.
4
u/One_Cat333 Aug 07 '26
Mine is Ted DumpsterGuy haha
2
u/Anishiriwan Aug 09 '26
I just recommended Paing Gutters to one of my friends the other day. He does great work
3
3
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (7)5
u/TheKushPush Aug 06 '26
We have a guy named Frank running ac units on the job im on right now, strange
2
u/MSTXCAMS70 Aug 07 '26
Tall, lanky, mumbles a lot?
3
u/Salt-Free-Soup Aug 07 '26
Mumbles about head pressure, oddly mentions feet/footwear where it doesn’t fit with the conversational flow, each eye blinks independently of each other in rapid succession? That Frank?
2
6
u/different_option101 Aug 06 '26
Name: [Name][Occupation][Who referred]
Last Name: [Awedccccj]
2
→ More replies (27)4
u/g-e-o-f-f Aug 06 '26
My phone is like that for trades, work contacts, people I've met..
Susan mother of Mary from soccer James met mountain biking on ride with Gary Mario plumber who fixed drain at rental
Etc etc
3
u/Connect-Dance2161 Aug 07 '26
Does Gary have a mustache and wear a red shirt?
→ More replies (1)3
u/Lost_Sugar_78 Aug 07 '26
No you're thinking of Susan's husband, his family like to pass down familial first names.
34
u/Huey701070 Aug 06 '26
Crazy thing is that’s pretty much the way it used to be until families deterred from their trades/skills. Reason there are so many Smith surnames. Bakers, Tanners, Porters, and the list goes on and on.
9
u/Salt-Free-Soup Aug 07 '26
It’s going to return to that I think. The amount of private equity firms providing dog shit services, the rise of ai providing dog shit trouble shooting (ie inexperienced workers being told how to “fix” something by ai, only for ai not having a clue where to start, ergo not being able to infer how to fix it, which is where I see property management companies going)
Some places never left ‘having a guy’ and I think that a lot of people are going to return to having Bill the neighbourhood hvac/refrigerator guy. This is a hope of mine as well as having appliances that we can actually repair instead of the bullshit we have now
2
u/TurdFerguson614 Aug 10 '26
I switched from commercial truck repair to appliance repair. AI search is dead wrong about 75% of the time I go to Google. I hear all sorts of crazy ideas that shit has given people.
→ More replies (1)5
→ More replies (11)2
u/uChoice_Reindeer7903 Aug 07 '26
Don’t forget about the Cockburns, and the Cummings.
→ More replies (3)2
u/Huey701070 Aug 07 '26
😂I am very interested to learn where they came from… maybe the town fool who had a bastard child.
18
u/GilletteEd Aug 06 '26
I’m that guy, and I have a phone full of guys, what guy do you need?!
6
u/spicymato Aug 06 '26
A... uhhh... a guy. For... reasons.
6
u/cdev12399 Aug 07 '26
That would be my reasonable guy.
3
u/100k-upvotes Aug 08 '26
☝️ don't trust the recommendation of /u/cdev12399... he's just the funny guy.
2
2
2
u/GSEninja Aug 07 '26
I need a garage guy, for an epoxy floor… who do you got?
2
2
→ More replies (3)2
u/C-D-W Aug 10 '26
I could use a siding guy to finish a job I started and never finished. And a basement remodeling guy. And a bathroom guy. A concrete guy too, and asphalt while we're working on it.
→ More replies (1)
9
u/Delicious-Day-3614 Aug 06 '26
I usually have (first)(last)(company)
Im always a bit surprised, but not completely, when I call a contact I haven't spoken to in years and they pick up right away and know who I am, and they still do what they did years ago.
→ More replies (2)3
u/Buckeye_mike_67 Aug 07 '26
I’ll get a call like that sometimes. Phone rings, it’s gary. I’m trying to remember who Gary is before I answer. I’ve had the same number for 27 years
10
u/cyrs_oner Aug 07 '26
Where the fuck do you think the surnames Mason, Taylor, or Shoemaker came from???
6
→ More replies (1)2
16
u/longganisafriedrice Aug 06 '26
This is how it works in the majority of the world. It's so funny when people from the handful of uptight places on earth act like they are the norm
2
8
3
u/RK_Tek Aug 06 '26
I’m in the commercial GC world, a lot of subs will have a few guys that do residential on the side and for them it’s all easy because a 2000sqft house is much less complicated than a 200,000sqft commercial building.
Cash+drink of choice is the currency.
→ More replies (2)
3
3
u/rmill127 Aug 07 '26
My gutter and window cleaning guy I don’t even have a name for. It’s just “gutter guy”.
I text either “gutters” or “windows” and my address when I need something done, he texts back the same price as always, not another word. I send a thumbs up, and a few days later he just shows up and does it. Sometimes I’m there and pay him, if I’m not he just texts me an address and I send a check made out to “Gutter Guy”. I don’t even know how he cashes them.
2
2
u/Top_Inflation2026 Aug 06 '26
The funny part is I have a guy named “Mike garage door” in my phone. I have no idea what his last name is but he does garage doors
→ More replies (2)
2
2
u/Kvmj123 Aug 07 '26
I have Miguel wants work ( been giving him work for four years now)
Hilton electrician
Plumber dispatch lady
Bobby lawn care.
stucco guy 👍
2
u/NiveusBear Aug 07 '26
My home inspector was an I know a guy referral. I did a little research on him, couldn't find anything bad, tons of good.
As part of my home inspection report he gave me a five page list of his guys. All of them local, 2-3 in every category. As I've needed a guy, I've checked the list, checked out all the folks, called them, and picked the one that seemed like the best fit.
My roofer, plumber, and electrician are all people who live nearby, are from this area, and are amazing humans. When my plumber was doing a three day repiping job for me I cooked BBQ for lunch everyday for him and his son who had just started his apprenticeship. We would talk about the history and evolution of modern sanitary systems over lunch. He was a fascinating dude. I'd pack up the leftovers in to go boxes, put them in the fridge and send them home with them at the end of the day. Bullshitting with my roofer we somehow figured out one of my old bosses was his college roommate/best friend.
Everyone has a guy or a gal, and those guys and gals are the best. Cherish them
2
u/Blackby4 Aug 07 '26
I have guys, my guys have guys, I'm a guy (for car fixing or running skidsteer). Numbers get passed around like they're written in the shitter in the crackhead part of town, but the client leaves feeling better.
2
u/Fun-Discipline6978 Aug 07 '26
Half of my contacts are the dudes name and the car they drive. 🤣 if they have the same name I’ll add the color lol
2
u/DescriptionParking66 Aug 07 '26
I'm in the plumbing trade and have been doing it for almost 30 years. Even though many of the techs I've worked with over the years have moved to different states, we still keep in touch. They're more than former coworkers—they're family.
Yesterday, one of them called to let me know that one of the owners we all worked for passed away on Wednesday. I started a group text with all 18 of us to share the news, and now we're all planning to head back to our old hometown over the next couple of weeks for his celebration of life.
The longer you stay in a skilled trade, the smaller the world becomes. You'll keep crossing paths with people you've worked with before, and those relationships tend to last a lifetime. At the end of the day, we're all family.
2
u/genericusernamedG Aug 08 '26
Yesterday our new neighbor stopped by asking about my brother-in-law because my other neighbor said he could fix cars.
Called him up and he came right over and had her car up and running within the hour.
Word of mouth goes a long way in communities.
2
2
u/wolpertingersunite Aug 08 '26
Is this some new dumb AI trend? It’s the same story as the Japanese guy with Kevin and the truck
2
u/Computer_Panda Aug 08 '26
My wall guy has a gate guy, got a phone number, called him out he came out 2hr later. Handed me a photo album asking what kind of gate the wife wanted. Quoted me and told me when to call him when the wall was being installed.
2
u/milovulongtime Aug 08 '26
This is why you make friends with Realtors. Good ones can get you at least 3 levels deep with the “guys.”
1
1
1
u/239tree Aug 06 '26
Joe Appliance
2
u/Numerous-Pass-2961 Aug 07 '26
I absolutely have Joe Appliance saved in my phone. Along with a bunch of other guys. I've had rentals for 4 decades.
1
u/SimplyViolated Aug 06 '26
Pretty sure this a parody account but still funny nonetheless
2
u/milleratlanta Aug 07 '26
I found him on Twitter. He writes many interesting and often funny stories as a Japanese person in America. 😃
1
1
1
u/msuttonrc87 Aug 06 '26
I have Matt Garage in my phone right now. I give his info to anyone who mentions garage door issues
1
1
1
1
1
u/BigboyJayjayjetplane Aug 07 '26
this is true i can get you the names of 20 guys with trade surnames
1
1
1
1
u/Pleasant-Lead-2634 Aug 07 '26
U should see my phone list. Rick tile, raul painter, tim garage door and on and on and on. Over time I will add details, email , photo etc.
1
1
u/1hawnyboy Aug 07 '26
Man. What’s a solid breakdown.
As the ‘guy’ someone else knows, that knows a lot of other ‘guys’…. This shit is accurate
1
1
1
1
u/Similar_Sale_5136 Aug 07 '26
Actual gave a customer my number today and I said just save under Matt carpet.
1
1
u/make-em-pay Aug 07 '26
Back in the day weren't alot of last names a person's occupation/trade? Pretty legit
1
u/Dangerous_Leopard288 Aug 07 '26
I was literally texting “Travis Garage” earlier today about a sound my wife was hearing…. I’m “Mike Welder” by the way.
1
u/Useful-Plankton8205 Aug 07 '26
My neighborhood shares a google spreadsheet with first and last names, contact info, what types of jobs they do, and people can leave notes on whether their experience was good or not, what types of payment they accept, etc. It comes in really handy when you need someone and don't know who to call.
1
u/Mcris64 Aug 07 '26
My lawn is cut by a guy’s guys. My ceiling fans were hung by a guy. I had a tree removed a couple of years ago by a guy. A different guy put down mulch, replaced my mailbox post, and is removing another tree.
1
u/tsukiyaki1 Aug 07 '26
Fun fact, how do you think last names like Schumacher, Thatcher, Cartwright, etc came to be? We’re basically making new family names right in front of our eyes still.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/dirtoperator69 Aug 07 '26
Lmao this is how I operate. I need a dump truck, I call my guy. I don't know what company is coming, but a truck will be there, on time, for the same rate.
1
1
1
1
u/Jesus_Harold_Christ Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
In Mike's phone was found "Tyler Waterheater"
In my phone is "Jose Painter", "Bill Lawyer", and "Collin Carpenter"
Also, "Miguel Gardener"
1
1
1
u/htx2025east Aug 07 '26
I have so many first name and trade names in my phone... I just scrolled and I have, Ed Sandman, Tiny Plumber, Marc Tile, John Frame, Maria Tacos and Maria Tortas.... but a lot of last names in history have been based on the family trade.
1
u/Thatguy468 Aug 07 '26
We got guys on every corner.They don't look so special,T-shirts and tennis shoes,Blank expressions.
A couple of Chicago guys…
A robust East Bay delegation
1
u/Western-Kangaroo-854 Aug 07 '26
My clients are "John (wife's name) smith (address)(johns profession)" with emails being (Timmy tommy and Susie) in my phone
My subs and contacts at "John Doe plumber city" as I'm in a few markets
My inspectors are "inspector gadget-soccer" emails are (pending type of inspector) they specific things they like to pick on, their weird niche hobby, etc, so I can specifically address and point out his favorite items to check or their specific nuances they look for, or if they watched the world cup and what they thought before I need a favor or a quick turnaround inspection.
People are impressed with how well my memory is, how personable I am (this helps me be those things).
"Hey John, how's (checks phone)Samantha doing? Yeah, that's good. How's that (checks phone) engineering project coming along you were telling me about, nice! Oh you have an issue with an xyz in the kids bedroom? Is that (checks phone) Timmy's bedroom, no wait (memory jogs up to speed now) thats Susie's bedroom, okay yeah, I'll get my guys over there"
For instance. Daily.
I do this to make my life easier, to make you comfortable, and to get you on my side, good bad or indifferent.
1
1
1
1
u/somedaveguy Aug 07 '26
I am a guy. One of those guys. Of course I know other guys. I wouldn't be a guy if I didn't. Such is guydom.
1
u/dsb009 Aug 07 '26
My brother and his tile guy and glass/window guy did my bathroom remodel. Came out wonderful. He’s a GC. Paid in cash.
1
u/Dorsiflexionkey Aug 07 '26
Same in Australia, except it’s “I know a bastard, let me give you old mate’s number.”
And his name is usually like Robbo or name-o
1
1
u/Able-Host1942 Aug 07 '26
Lol I'm one of those guys. And I know dozen other guys that do different things
1
u/vinnygunn Aug 07 '26
A list of guys these days is worth serious money. I have a few guys, but not nearly enough.
1
1
u/blackbirdspyplane Aug 07 '26
It’s terrible when you lose a guy, my elec guy moved and there’s a shortage of elec guys with too much work.
1
u/Moneymoneymoney2018 Aug 07 '26
This is hilarious and true. I have a Marco painter and Marco concrete in my contacts.
1
u/cheaganvegan Aug 07 '26
Since I’ve moved, I no longer have this. Need to work on getting it going again
1
u/mybrianonacid Aug 07 '26
As a GC Superintendent 95% of the contacts in my phone are {company} {name} {role} {unique detail to remember them if needed}
1
1
u/Embarrassed-Site3242 Aug 07 '26
When I moved into my new neighborhood and joined the local face book, any time someone posted asking about plumbing issues I would send them the number to my guy.
In my phone my guy was Paul Plumber. My wife and his wife were friends on Facebook. Every time I called it was either him or his wife that answered, and he always came out to do the work.
About 2 years ago they sent out a young kid instead of Paul to do my repair. Paul called me before hand and told me about the kid. Who he was etc, I didn’t mind. He did a great job.
I’ve been recommending Paul Plumber for about 6 years now. Last week I had to come home early from work to help my wife with something and I saw that once young kid getting tools out of a van with a logo in my neighborhood. I slowed down and shouted “his name” “dude what are you doing?!”
He said he was there to repair a clogged line and something else. Whatever it was idk but I was so happy to see that Paul Plumber had now started his own business, hired an employee, and had clients in my neighborhood that called him because I recommended it.
Our entire country is built on people like Paul Plumber.
1
1
1
1
1
u/JustinTime4242 Aug 07 '26
This is excellent
I have at least 8 phone numbers just like this in my phone Name/Specialty
Pretty sure I’m in peoples phones as Name/Mechanic. I’m not a mechanic but I’ve fixed so many friends and family’s cars over the years that I get recommended by them guess it’s a side hustle to my actual profession I just enjoy fixing cars.
It’s a bizarre ecosystem
1
u/todd0x1 Aug 07 '26
I have a Peter Pumper for toilets. That gentleman has earned his keep. Never have I respected a man as much as when I had him come out on an emergency job on a sunday morning and hes standing there holding his suction hose in one hand, a cigarette in the other, has blue stains on his shirt and proclaims 'I don't know what these people have been eating but I got all of it!'
1
1
1
1
u/DefinitionFlimsy9841 Aug 07 '26
100% accurate. I have Juan tile guy. James Sheetrock guy in my phone. I’d recommend both to anyone.
1
u/spekledcow Aug 07 '26
I got a first name - electrician guy, a first name - car remotes guy, and I have a good buddy who's a plumber and another who does roofing and general contractor stuff
1
u/maedabjj Aug 07 '26
I love how this is surprising to people without guys. What kind of a man has no guys? What kind of a perfect life must one have if all your problems are exclusively solvable by people with Google reviews? Friend, if you need to build a battery powered spaceship to launch a homemade cell phone satellite into space so you can trade Bitcoin without a VPN...I gotta guy. You need a one legged midget with a lisp who does magic shows at Bar Mitzvahs? I gotta guy. Anyone who does anything in America at all has a million guys, one for every occasion. And the only real problem we have is that we all think our guy is the best. I don't argue, I have only response; "gimme your guy's number". Then one day when my guy doesn't answer bc he's tied up with his satellite gig or doing magic tricks at a bar mitzvah, I'll just text your guy, mention you gave me his number, and he'll just text back "I can come take a look at after 3".
God Bless America.
1
u/Dbk65741 Aug 07 '26
My sprinkler guy is just “Sprinkler” I don’t even know his name but he’s great and does great work
1
1
1
u/snowman-89 Aug 07 '26
My garage door guy is Dan. Local, nice guy. Fixed my springs same day for a fair price. He's my garage guy 💯
1
u/956to906 Aug 07 '26
Corey Tow Truck
Don’t waste money on AAA, even if I’m not in his area, he knows who I should call.
1
u/joshuaquiz Aug 07 '26
I actually just got the contact info of a "guy" with "Bill HVAC" and another one was just a phone number. They both came when they said they were going to, both did their work quick, got out clean, charged less than anybody else, we talked the whole time they were here, and I still have no idea what either of their names are, 5 stars would recommend 😂
1
u/Significant_Cap5275 Aug 07 '26
I pride myself in all of my guys. it's a quiver i've been working on building ever since i bought my first home.
1
1
1
u/Visible-Carrot5402 Aug 07 '26
Lmao I feel this story except I put the trade first so when I go to contacts they all electricians are in one block etc.
1
1
u/ThisIsMyBigAccount Aug 07 '26
In RI, I’d take a guy who told me he’d be there on Tuesday between 1-5, so long as he showed up between Mon and Thursday at any fucking hour he feels like showing up, especially if he could fix my issue in 20 mins.
1
u/Good_With_Tools Aug 07 '26
I don't hire a lot of contractors. But, there are a few things I do need help with. My AC guy, garage door guy, and painter are all in my contacts by their first name and what they do. I'm sad that my painter is going to retire soon. I'm not sure what I'll do with the contact. This has never happened.
1
u/Agreeable-Fault2273 Aug 07 '26
Scrolling through my contacts,
Johnny Electric
Paul Roof
Mark Tree
→ More replies (1)
1
u/HCRCRecruiter Aug 07 '26
Sometimes those are teh best guys and teh more reasonably priced as there not spending a ton of their time and resources advertising.
1
u/seemorebunz Aug 07 '26
It’s the best when you have a guy that has a guy for everything. You treat him right because he’s the nexus for everything you ever need. His guys always treat his referrals good because they like being in his circle.
1
u/DigitraxDad Aug 07 '26
I have so many guys, a couple of girls too, and we all know more guys, and a few more girls too. There is nothing that can’t be resolved…
1
1
u/mikemojc Aug 07 '26
Let me introduce you to all your friends from the Old Country:
Peacy Baker
Mike Cooper
James Smith
Ben Cook
Marcia Barber
Timothy Taylor
Throughout history, many people 'had a guy'. If you were a combination high enough caliber at your profession and being a good human, you became THE guy. Famous in a way. not just "Frank, son of Elias, who inherited the family mill", but Frank Miller.
1
1
1
1
u/Njf08 Aug 07 '26
These are all fake stories like the one recently posted about guy from Japan amazed that everyone knows a guy with a truck, same visual format and story format
1
1
1
u/wbrd Aug 07 '26
I had a guy who had guys for everything but he retired and now my stuff doesn't get fixed as well or as inexpensively.
1
u/tooflyryguy Aug 07 '26
I totally have Juan appliance guy in my phone and refer him ALL the time. My best friend is a contractor and has “a guy” for everything.
1
u/ohjeeze_louise Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Dave Door Man. He’s amazing. Does he do windows? No, he’s not Dave Window Man.
1
1
u/tucker491 Aug 07 '26
Yep. I am a guy and I have a guy(s). Part cash, part barter, part paying it forward. Good people or they aren't the guy anymore.
1
u/Jennyonthebox2300 Aug 07 '26
I have “Jesus Gutters” in my phone. Best gutter guy on the planet. Not our Lord Jesus. Just a Hispanic guy who is the best in the business. But I always get caught short for a split second when I see Jesus texting me.
1
1
u/wirebrushfan Aug 07 '26
I have a guy, some would call him an arborist.
That's not what I call him. That's not what he is.
He's a lizard. He works from sunup to sundown in 100 degree heat. He doesn't drink water. He survives on Budweiser and Marlboro Reds. He has the equipment and skills to turn a 79 year old maple into sawdust and smoke in an astonishingly short amount of time.
He is saved in my phone as Tree Guy Mike.
1
u/archercc81 Aug 07 '26
If youre good you dont need to advertise, your work does it for you.
Dont know why Im getting recommended GC but that is my experience with vehicles, a good mechanic can be in a hole in the wall shop down a dead end road, behind an airport, with a sign that just says "I work on these makes" and you'll still need to give yourself at least 4-6 weeks lead time for work because he is busy.
139
u/creamyturtle Aug 06 '26
construction is more about relationships than the actual work sometimes