So you finally got the three bids back for your house addition and were a bit curt with Bob… Bob was the last contractor who submitted their bid- a couple of weeks late- and you were asking if Bob’s tardy response meant that he was over-committed. You thought the question could provide some insights-but Bob took it the wrong way and thought it was insulting.
You’ve analyzed the bids and selected Joe, the second contractor because he seemed to have the best mix of quality, price and reputation. So you contact Joe quickly and arrange a meeting to finalize any details and sign the contracts….
What you don’t know is that Bob did not take kindly to your last exchange questioning him for his tardy bid….Bob’s a little thin-skinned and had a bad day….and by the way…. Bob’s brother-in-law’s kid plays soccer with the kid of the Dept. of Highways supervisor. And over at the soccer field, Bob suggests that the Dept of Highways supervisor send over a staff-member to that potential customer to see if the dumpster was filled over capacity. Who knew there were regulations that control the amount one could fill a dumpster? Well you just got schooled- and learned by a violation ticket that you exceeded this regulation.
Moral of the story: Be polite in all of these transactions and unsuccessful transactions. Don’t give Bob a reason to retaliate or get passive aggressive, because it’s a small world and the connections behind the scenes can often result in unwanted surprises. We’ve seen this kind of story unfold in many situations. 
Be smart, not sorry.
Just Sayin’….
