[Closed] What is wrong with tradesmen?

It's one of the first things the building trade learn. How to piss off paying customers.

It always feels like you are asking for a favour rather than being a paying customer

And Brexit is only going to make it worse.

I have pretty much said the work is his

and

I know he does a good job

Perhaps for him to be able to meet demand, he needs a reliable working colleague.. which as he cant find, he cant grow and satisfy demand hes created by being good?

We’re not all like that! 🙂

Anyway, I noticed you said this...

I know he does a good job so I have pretty much said the work is his.

Maybe he now feels he doesn’t have to try to hard to “win” the work. (Which is not to excuse him but y’know...)One missed appointment is forigiveable. Two and three are not (IMO). Sometimes it’s hard to give people bad news - and some guys adopt an ostrich approach.

All that said, I have, in the past, just had to ignore people whose jobs I didn’t want to do until they stopped pestering me.

I have pretty much said the work is his

makes him complacent
and
I know he does a good job

probably means he's already beyond his work capacity if he has this reputation
Perhaps for him to be able to meet demand, he needs a reliable working colleague.. which as he cant find, he cant grow and satisfy demand hes created by being good?

Perhaps correct on both fronts, but no excuse. IF he doesn't want the work, can't do it or is too busy, then just tell me. Don't arrange to come out to the house and not turn up, three times!

All that said, I have, in the past, just had to ignore people whose jobs I didn’t want to do until they stopped pestering me.

Did you tell them that you didn't want to do the work? I wouldn't have an issue with that at all, I would rather know up front.

Did you tell them that you didn't want to do the work?

No, I didn’t. I just ignored them until they stopped pestering me. 🙂

All that said, I have, in the past, just had to ignore people whose jobs I didn’t want to do until they stopped pestering me.

I find this particularly annoying. I'd rather people were up front, if they are too busy and don't want the work then say so. Having to chase someone even to quote or commit to a date doesn't bode well. I normally give up on them if I feel like I'm the one doing the chasing.

I understand good people get busy though. And I bet there's a fair few dead end quotes as well.

I'm pretty much always booked 2-3 months in advance. When I get a call I try to look at the job in a timely manner still, but make sure the potential customer is aware nothing is going to be happening until whatever date, which I try to stick to as close as possible.

Not turning up for a pre arranged appointment once, let alone 3 times, without a phone call in unacceptable in my books.

I do get a lot of people however, that expect you to be sitting at home waiting for their call to come and have a look. Quoting often has to wait until the weekend as I don't have any other time to do it.

It always feels like you are asking for a favour rather than being a paying customer

Ahmen.

Crap tradesmen that are crap - readily available.

Not quite as crap tradesmen - arse you about.

Decent tradesmen that are not crap - 6 month waiting list.

I'd happily pay £300 + a day for anyone if they turn up and just do the job, properly.

I will defend them to a point though, as most people are dicks and I couldn't fancy doing work for the majority of the public 🙂

As far as the phone answering / getting back to you thing, I have some sympathy with that - they are specialist in a trade, not necessarily skilled in running a business.

Richard, still with a chimney that pisses water into the hearth because of above 🙁

Edit:

He’s getting a review on his trust a trader

I know the feeling.....

Having a brick shed built, walls are up, just needs the roof and door sorting.

Four no shows so far and the twunt never answers his phone but then texts me with his next promise / latest excuse.

He’s getting a review on his trust a trader / Facebook pages if he doesn’t show up on Monday.

I normally give up on them if I feel like I'm the one doing the chasing.

My kinda guy! 🙂

I had a similar experience to the OP with getting a bathroom floor tiled and have had many similar experiences with mechanics. I'm musing here but I think this behavior flourishes because the margins between standards are quite small.

Tradesmen who are really good will presumably expand and quickly be pricing themselves out of smaller jobs in relatively short time, so as a private householder you're left with people who are content to stay small, take on smaller jobs or people who perhaps aren't good enough or don't have the desire to move past that.

I mean, if you can get someone who is semi literate, answers his phone and gives a quote somewhere in the ballpark of what you expected then that's probably good enough so that's the standard you end up with.

Ive had this all year (though found some good people in the end just in case the top bloke who did my extension is reading). Ive learnt to be wary of anyone who answers the phone / turns up on time / can start next week. They usually seem to be really shite or not even doing the work themselves.

I don't answer my phone during the working day, all that happens is that you make arrangements to see people that are simply not practical. I like people to text me; I might take a while to respond but when I will suggest a time which doesn't mean I have to leave a job unfinished in order to spend 3/4 hour in traffic crossing town to make the appointment.
Are you happy to pay someone £30/hour to be on his/her phone half the day doing admin for other jobs?
The fact is there is a massive shortage of people doing trades; it's not something youngsters aspire to. Once the Poles all leave the situation will get worse.
I agree it is very unprofessional not to turn up for an appointment. I forget maybe once every couple of years but will always call to apologise as soon as I remember.

All the above is so true. But what gets me is why when you do managed to get 2 or 3 quotes, how can they vary so wildly. Just had a patio installed and got quotes ranging from £7k to £13k! It's just a patio for Christ's sake - I provided the design, specced the stones, and gave exact dimensions.

TL:DR however what I do know is when you find a good one, be nice, forgive them for the odd mistake and pay them pronto. You will miss them when they are gone.

Same here. Plus I'm getting rip off merchants. One guy says whole flue needs replacing at £1k another guy says to just replace the seal and bracket at £100. I currently have one chap wanting me to commit to a date for a job, he hasn't even confirmed if he can access the roof in that location or a price...

I reckon I would make a killing as a trade just by doing what I said I would when I said I would

Absolutely OP. My number one 1st world pieve. If I ran my business like they do I would be out of business.

Have you tried checkatrade?

I stay loyal to regular guys, so same trades each time. Anyone new i need some collateral with, best to overpay which i probably do but the price is soon forgotten when the jobs done well. Buy cheap buy twice.

As a self employed person myself, I hate talking on the phone with customers. I can understand why they prefer it; presumably so they can get answers to eighteen questions in a thirty second phone call.

But for me, i’d rather correspondence was via text or email. Apart from the fact that I’m generally WORKING when they call. The main reason being is that there is a record of everything discussed that you can refer to at any given time. From dates and addresses, to quantities and specifications. It’s all there.

I’m generally WORKING when they call

But theirs is the ONLY job anywhere that needs doing this year. You should be flattered. 🙂

Ditto, three weeks to find a bathroom fitter, quoted me two weeks and a price. After 10 days he was no where near done and wanting more money.
Sacked him, next one turned up three days later than arranged so sacked him too.
Ended uo fitting it myself, peice of piss. They are having giraffe so to speak.

There not as bad as heating engineers though who are all psychopaths, thats why they work for themselves.

I hate to generalise, because there are loads of good tradesmen out there too.....

.....but how many of them are in the trade because they can’t be trusted to be reliable in a professional environment, where they would be accountable for their performance?

Before anyone explodes, I’ll stress I’m aware there are good, professional tradesmen too, amongst the sea of crap ones. In other Countries you need formal qualifications to call yourself a builder or similar, unlike some of the cowboys we get here.

I’m not sure it’s just Tradesman. Certainly in my experience ‘anything’ done in construction and development, including all professional services is done last minute and testing the respective Client / bill payers patience to within an inch of them snapping.

....but how many of them are in the trade because they can’t be trusted to be reliable in a professional environment, where they would be accountable for their performance?

I’d certainly put myself in that category.

let me hit the other side of the fence button.. woken at 04.58 one morning this week to a text from someone i ve never heard of.. ''can you fit a shower today pref this a.m.'' twelve times a bloke rang and left a message every single time.. because he didnt know if he needed batteries in his timer that hes had for 3 years.. today attend a shower not working call.. turns it on shower runs for 3 minute 40 seconds and stops ..'' there.. you ve broken it, im not paying to have it fixed'' and the worst trend.. folks now wanting written quotes for boiler repairs.. would you travel to a property.. tools out, diagnose fault, reassemble, travel home to write a quote for a 65 quid repair..?? website NO No No all you get are people who now how to do everything telling you the best way to do the job you ve done for 20 years.. i dont do ads. websites. and get by nicely on word of mouth by been cheap, cheerful and nice to old folks.. 🙂

I'm going through it at the moment. The romanians/poles turn up within 30 minutes of you calling them and want to start the same day. Brits tend not to, although most people i call tend to come around and quote on the job. I've had good and i've had shit with both approaches. The Romanians tend to really push for the work. Some of them are charlatans, but many are decent workmen. I had an Asian plasterer in yesterday, who agreed to labour for me today (...HE didn't have work today and was keen to just have a day's work). He turned up at 0700 both mornings and worked like a beast until 1900 this evening hauling concrete in and out of the house in buckets.

The most amazing thing is how many differnet opinions there are to solve basic problems...and wildly different prices. Trying to get a patio done (THANK god one of the final jobs) and really unsure at who to go with...

...but think of it from the tradesmen's point of view. People with google at their fingers, call loads of people, get loads of quotes...you traipse round town quoting on jobs after doing a long day of work yourself and then are expected to take odd jobs here and there at a day rate which equals a salary that most office workers would sneer at.

As for the person above who said "it's easy"; DON'T be so ****ing riduclous. How can you claim that the trades are easy? Everything is easy when you know how. I am pretty competant when it comes to most general building tasks, but stuff like bricklaying/plastering aren't worth my while and the difference between an amateur job and a pro one espeically when it comes to finishing is night/day.

let me hit the other side of the fence button.. woken at 04.58 one morning this week to a text from someone i ve never heard of.. ''can you fit a shower today pref this a.m.'' twelve times a bloke rang and left a message every single time.. because he didnt know if he needed batteries in his timer that hes had for 3 years.. today attend a shower not working call.. turns it on shower runs for 3 minute 40 seconds and stops ..'' there.. you ve broken it, im not paying to have it fixed'' and the worst trend.. folks now wanting written quotes for boiler repairs.. would you travel to a property.. tools out, diagnose fault, reassemble, travel home to write a quote for a 65 quid repair..?? website NO No No all you get are people who now how to do everything telling you the best way to do the job you ve done for 20 years.. i dont do ads. websites. and get by nicely on word of mouth by been cheap, cheerful and nice to old folks..

Heating engineer got called on Monday came to look wends with a 1 hour time slot diagnosed the problem coming back next week to replace the boiler as it goosed.
Sorted

I had it with a 'reliable/excellent' tiler. Needed a kitchen & bathroom doing but he had a 3 month waiting list. I was OK with that, some other stuff needed doing. 2 weeks before he was due he emailed to say it would be another 2 weeks as his current job was running over, fine I can go with that. 2 days before the reviewed date he emails to say he can't actually do it at all, no reason at the time but he's still in business.
Then emails again to ask why I'd given him 1/10 on a review site. 🙄

Have phone number for work. Get indigent when people use it to contact you about work. 🙄

I hate talking on the phone with customers.

Seriously??? I don’t expect someone to be available 24/7 but a ring back would be nice.

I’ve tried texting tradesmen but that almost never gets a reply. 🙁

I think a lot of tradesmen are operating like it’s the 1970’s still.

I think a lot of tradesmen are operating like it’s the 1970’s still.

Certainly felt that way when Mrs Johnson commented on how hot it was in her house last week.

Checkatrade and trusted trader rated people they are a laugh so many dodgy folk on them a bit like the guild of master craftsmen from years ago as long as you pay the money anyone can join
If you see ads that start gutters cleaning then monoblocks upvc facias then eventually more serious stuff beware as the can't or shouldn't be doing it
It is tricky but word of mouth is probably best, avoid those that turn up in trainers to work in construction or look like they ate all the pies

Is there any other industry where it is so common for people to be so unreliable and not have basic business norms like a good website, telephone answering, published references, guarantees etc.?

the NHS/ gp surgeries etc

Certainly felt that way when Mrs Johnson commented on how hot it was in her house last week.

😯

AS one of these tradesmen,2 nights at 22.30 woken up by phone call asking how much to fit 2 internal doors, had to get up to answer the phone but it went to voicemail before i found the phone.

Last night 2315 another call went to voicemail just heavy breathing, again had to got up to check phone.

3 months ago went to a customers house measured up and drew out what they wanted delivered estimate a few days latter, 7 weeks latter they deciided to go ahead with part 1 at a cost of 100 quid.

3 weeks ago they decided to go ahead with part b cost 95.00 quid bought materials, materials increased in price, decided not to charge extra, day of job they rang up to totally change specifiation, they would now buy materials, had to then return materials as not needed , hassle, havent heard anything since.

To those with phone calls late at night. Have a business number?

Dual-sim or another phone etc.

If too drastic put Android on block everything apart from known numbers.

No way you've got to tolerate that.

It's like the Blue Planet. The reliable decent tradesman is like the receptive female grouper fish; the customers are all the males competing to try and be the one who gets his moment of glory....
Guys, you just need to up your act: Help to unload tools & materials whilst telling traffic wardens to **** off, freshly cut flowers? Are you sure your tea & biscuit offerings are up to the mark? Single estate tea? Green % Blacks chocky on the biscuits?
It's dog eat dog out there... 😈

I've had lots of work done on my house in the last 18 months. Insurance appointed disaster recovery company were absolutely shocking, altho the insurance co were brilliant at kicking arses along the way to get stuff done and mistakes altered, but it was a constant challenge. I had lots of extra personal work done by locals on top of the insurance claim and some of them were unreliable, liars, job jugglers, shisters. Only guy who was top notch was the most expensive quote and required a big deposit. He turned up on the day when promised and worked straight thru till the job was finished, all that was a gamble on my part (paying him a deposit up front), but paid off. You get what you pay for was my closing summary, but it's still very difficult to separate the shits from the good guys, for sure.

Without going into details....GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH! 😡

I reckon I would make a killing as a trade just by doing what I said I would when I said I would

I find this! I'm a tradesperson and find I can pretty much be garenteed of getting the job by turning up when I say I will for the quote. Often people have already tried several others with no shows.

I don't advertise and am mostly word of mouth and have taken my phone number off my website due to too many calls when trying to work. Much prefer an email enquiry I can answer in my own time in the evening.

I'm about to downsize the business due to the difficulty in finding employees so am sadly having to cull a load of regular customers and the first to go will be late payers and ones who don't offer tea or Christmas tip. If you find a good tradesperson let them know you appreciate them as being self employed there is no one but your customers to tell you that you're doing a good job and even a small gesture like a bit of cake can tip the balance.

I find this! I'm a tradesperson and find I can pretty much be garenteed of getting the job by turning up when I say I will for the quote

However, I had a bricky drop a chimney flexiflue for me. He was prepared to go up on ladders, but I said no way are you doing that and I paid for scaffolding (it's a 3 level house). He repointed my chimney and under the guttering for free as a return good gesture. One of the good guys. Because he did me a unexpected good turn, I then had him do some major internal alterations as well, before the insurance co came back to re-instate my house.

Argh, trying to give tradesmen money has been a total nightmare for me this year.
Called plasterer about a small job, they say they'll come round and take a look. Smart looking chap turns up, measures, says he'll send me a written quote, but probably looking at £x ballpark. Great. Except quote never gets sent out.
Called gardeners cos things getting well and truly out of hand, and wanted a new shed and patio. Say they'll come out for quote, but not when exactly. 10 days or so later guys come round, i take them round front/back garden with a list that needs doing. Ok they say, we'll prepare a quote and send it out. Except you guessed it - no quote.

WTF - i'm trying to give you money, why don't you want it?! 😕

It's taken me years to build up a bank of decent tradesmen. I now have a sparky, plumber, roofer, plasterer, decorator and general builder and don't even bother getting a number of quotes in - these guys always turn up and do an excellent job.

Wasted far more time waiting for no shows than the alternate quotes may have saved and then I'd be chancing that the work is not as good.

Our old plumber retired a bit ago and was a bit stuck for a while until we found another decent one.

I've been fully booked all year, it gets to be a waste of time answering the phone to say no so I reply via text if they leave a message.

Once I can recall forgetting to turn up to an arranged quote, I got in touch the next day to apologise. When I said I could only do the work in 3 months time she said no anyway.

If I ever hear I'm the cheapest quote I'm gutted, that's no way to operate.

I'll be taking on a couple of new customers next year as two customers have just sold up and one has died.

I always have spider senses ready to detect awkward jobs or customers, even if they don't intend to be. The best ones are those who email/text late at night as they are usually busy working families who don't have time to pester people working for them. I turn up, do the job, arrange standing order payments over the year and basically never see them, perfect!

A few years ago was away in Morzine biking with a good friend of mine who's an electrician, up on top of some big hill or other. His phone rings, from the conversation it's clearly about a job he's been working on with somebody who he knows quite well. "I'll be round in half an hour"
😯

Recently had a call about fitting 3 blinds and replacing a letter plate on a upvc door.

How much, we provide an insulated sleeved letter plate.

Took 3 phone calls and didnt get the job.

Yesterday urned up at a job 15 mins early, lovely lady apologised profusely for being late as she had to take kids to school, it wasnt her fault we arrived early,we just did and would have waited.

We got a tip, cups of tea etc, as well nice lady

Looking back at my year of house renovations I reckon 50% of tradesmen answer the phone, probably 50% actually turn up to look at the job and then maybe only 50% of the ones that turn up provide a quote. Basically turn up, sound like decent person and write a number on a piece of paper and the jobs yours. I can understand the people who ignore me from the off but its the c**** who spend an hour poking round my house sucking their teeth who never end up providing a quote that gets me, who can afford to waste that much time?

Been trying to get tradesmen for a couple job and that's pretty much my experience nosedive. If you are not available in the first place how hard is it to put a message on the answerphone to say you are not taking on more work at the moment? Then if you bother come round how much harder is it to quote? Strikes me that trades are looking for easy low hanging fruit, like some old dear who won't haggle or complain. I've ended up doing jobs myself but I'd rather be out riding my bike 😉

Strikes me that trades are looking for easy low hanging fruit, like some old dear who won't haggle or complain. I've ended up doing jobs myself but I'd rather be out riding my bike

Damn right!
Where would you rather spend your day? Helping out an old dear who feeds you tea and bikkies, and chats about her late husband's love of his shed, or doing a boring job for some self entitled git who argues about the price and has so little regard for your skills that he "would do the job himself but doesn't have the time"...

I'd rather be doing the well paid job where the customer is nowhere to be seen!

Good and bad out there but what I won't accept is someone who juggles my job with another. If its a week then I want a week in one go not buggering off to keep someone else happy. Also if you quote for a job, balls it up and lose on the deal that's your problem. Anticipate problems please, tell me a worst case scenario and also a likely cost. If you misquote , hard luck. If I get it wrong that's my fault.

What is a Christmas tip?

Cash gift or bottle of wine/chocolate that loyal customers give you on your last visit before Christmas break to show they appreciate the hard work you've done throughout the year.

Any gardeners in the West Mids area need any help then give me a shout!

Cash gift or bottle of wine/chocolate that loyal customers give you on your last visit before Christmas break to show they appreciate the hard work you've done throughout the year.

Think the point was that most people don’t even dream of getting a present as well as being paid for the work they did.

"would do the job himself but doesn't have the time"...

Pfft. Next you’ll be telling me te police don’t like it when I tell them they should be out catching real criminals.

Seriously tho, I do think some men will say that just so they don’t feel like a complete beta, having to get a man in. Reassuring themselves etc.

Mrs Johnson

Steady DD. That's a typo or two away from a duel! 😀

So now times by 10 all what you've been whinging about and think of running an entire site with countless tradesmen.
If you treat these folks right you get good service. One man band's are hugely sought after at the minute as word of mouth ties them up and their next jobs are booked well in advance.
Perhaps some of you should get out if your cosy warm offices and have a go at dealing with the general public!

I've found this also. Tradesmen are unreliable mostly because there is a shortage of good tradesmen and the good ones are scared to turn work down.

I think it stems from that the building industry is at the sharp end of any economic movement. And at the moment there is a bit of a boom after a good few years of a slump, this means tradesmen are weary of turning down work as they know (from experience) that the next economic slump is never too far away.

It doesn't help that the whole building industry is not great at investing in training the future tradesmen so when things do pick up in the economy there is a skills shortage. Hence why we end up with crap (pretend) tradesmen or/and immigrant labour to fill the shortfall.

I do have an idea of how to sort the whole 'feast and famine' phenomena that the building industry finds itself constantly in but maybe that's for another time or thread.

If anybody in Tayside needs a good plasterer... I'm a teacher now but back plastering because of a shortage of tradesmen. Too many people think they are better than the guy doing the job. I turn up on time and give the customer respect: it would be nice if that was a two way street.

I no longer advertise due to time wasting customers.
As a curtain maker I was doing a full days work, then going out and measuring (for free, because in our line of work you can't charge) in the evening.
Often I would end up giving a quote which is all done after work, when the husband would say - "how much"? or, "you're not choosing that are you?".

Several years ago I would more or less get every job I quoted for, but since the recession several years ago, I probably only get 95%.

I often find that the price I charge works out that I'm earning the minimum wage. Trying to make up wages with selling stuff such as poles, rails or other window dressings is harder, because most customers can get stuff cheaper on line. Often cheaper than the company I have an a/c with.

Customers often don't turn up with their fabric (not always their fault), when they say. Often don't collect when they say.

But on the whole my customers are great and pay up on time

Now talking about my curtain fitter, could take all day. He's unreliable, never gets back to my customers with quotes, his car is always breaking down but does a good job. Luckily he's freelance.

I always answer my phone, return messages and do jobs on time, however this takes out a fair portion of your time.

Luckily I don't do this work for the money, more for the fact I love the work.
When I give this up, I can't see anyone taking over and earning such low wages for the time it takes to make a job, or put up with hassle from the fitter, suppliers, some customers (most of mine have been with me for years) or having to go out and give free estimates.

Perhaps some of you should get out if your cosy warm offices and have a go at dealing with the general public!

Oooof

I'd swap some the numpties I've had to work with, in cosy warm offices, over the years for the worst truculent tradespeople, any day of the week. 😆

Perhaps some of you should get out if your cosy warm offices and have a go at dealing with the general public!

I dealt with tens of thousands of customers over a long period working in retail. If I treated a customer like a lot of tradespeople do every day I would have been fired on the spot. Most have no concept of even the most basic aspects of decent customer service.

I have a friend who has his own carpet business, he had one fitter who did my carpets who did a good job but left quite a mess behind. All he had to do was pick up the bits and give the room a vacuum. I mentioned this to my friend because I knew he was trying to provide a quality service rather than the cheapest available. The fitter was there too and he absolutely refused to do it and said it wasn’t his job and he’d never done it. I tried to suggest to the fitter that maybe he could charge a little more for the extra time it took (10 mins extra so hardly anything really) and that it would provide a better service and help him secure more work and make him more money. He got quite angry (my friend agreed with me) and my friend told me later that he wasn’t using that guy any more because he just wouldn’t change.

I understand why trades don't want to say no, In my first few years trading I found it hard. You never know when work may dry up.

IT's just a basic courtesy to keep people informed though. I find it much less stressful when I don't have anyone hounding me to finish a job.
I book a job in, giving a realistic time. If for any reason I'm going to be late (very rare) I'll make sure I drop the customer an email a few weeks in advance. I've found that folk don't mind waiting, as long as they are informed.

That said, some potential customers will 'hear' something you simply didn't say. This happens quite regularly.

IT happened last week - I told someone on the Monday that I'd call in to look at their broken stove the next time I was passing, most likely later that week on Thursday or Friday.

Thursday afternoon she phoned to ask where I was as she had waited in for me... which is bollocks as it's a pub and she's 'waiting' in anyway. It's hard not to be rude sometimes.

The vast bulk of my work comes through word of mouth. Sometimes I'll get a cold call via google or whatever looking for 'the best price'. I'm quite up front about asking if the 'best' price means the lowest price then it's probably a waste of time me coming out. I'm aiming for VFM and good service, not cheapest.

Pricing is a chore and hard to find time for during busy periods. It has to be done though. Most of the customers I deal with are understanding but some just don't have a clue. I had an email a few days ago asking if I could 'pop out' to see a job, ASAP. An hours drive away...
I price a lot via email these days though if they send a few pics.

A final note, if someone comes to measure up but doesn't send a quote, CHECK SPAM!!
My email is an info@.... and goes to spam more than 50% of the time. I usually email the same day and ask them to check spam. If I don't get acknowledgement of receipt then I'll text or call to check it's been received. I hate the thought of someone cursing me for not bothering my ass to send out a quote when it's been done promptly.

Where would you rather spend your day? Helping out an old dear who feeds you tea and bikkies, and chats about her late husband's love of his shed,

Had this quite a few times, reaLly lovely it is as well, one lady whos husband died suddenly ,she was teling me about his life and people they had met etc, we both ended crying.

I feel your grievances there op, as still waiting over a month for so e tit bag builder to come back to us on lots of good work but highly suspect he got a better offer of less work which means either he has a shite attitude or is a joke of a builder.

I’m sure this thread would go on and on if it were a name and shame tit bag builders / tradesmen one.

I’ll happily start... 😀

Don't tar them all with the same brush. We had a bloke round to fit kitchen worktops and another to fix the stone tiles on our roof. Both did a great job. Mr Pea is also a tradesman and although he doesn't always answer his phone immediately (he's busy!), he does a good job, and in the main is very positive about his customers. However, he could tell a few stories about bad customers- including people who don't pay (usually the rich ones) and people who are so tight they want you to work for almost nothing. Oh and people who spend 20 minutes trying to decide where to position a loo roll holder!

Good to hear a post to side with the tradesmen a wee bit, i find some public absolute pain to deal with many waste your time never get back and some seem to run out of money when they are due to pay and heading off abroad for a wee holiday
Some think they can save loads by suppyling the material and then complain when left with half boxes of expensive ties or 3/4 of a roll of dpm it's their choice
I tend to be loyal to the ones you can trust they trust you and pay reasonably quick via bank transfer

it's still very difficult to separate the shits from the good guys, for sure.

Same with mechanics.....

molgrips - Member 

it's still very difficult to separate the shits from the good guys, for sure.

Same with mechanics.....

POSTED 53 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

It's the same in all jobs. How many shit social workers have ****ed up and some poor kid has been "let down by the system,"
I could think of two teachers at my daughter's school who should have been sacked over a year ago and have now left before being pushed, and let's not forget the bankers....

Everybody seems to only ever moan about the rubbish tradesmen, when there are literally thousands keeping customers happy day in day out. Seen the weather today, all my groundworkers are in and grafting, half of you whiners won't even go for a bike ride if there's rain forecast.
Up the grafters!!!

'I'm trying to give them money'

So, we have learnt the following:

Don't expect trades to answer their phone during the day as this will annoy them, they are working.
Don't call in the evening, this will annoy them as it is the evening.
Send a text, but don't expect a reply if they do not want to do the work
Preparing quotes annoys them as they may not get the work
They are likely to do the work if you are a nice old lady
Do not challenge or question the price, they are the expert, not you.
Give a tip at Christmas

Meanwhile, I have money burning a hole in my pocket that I want to spend on a new bathroom. I'm not trying to cut corners, do not think I am unreasonable with my expectations and I am not looking for a favour. I do want someone turn up though, let me know (with some accuracy) when they can do the work and how much it will cost. Then I want them to do a good job. Then I will pay them what they asked for.

Why is this so difficult?

Meanwhile, I have money burning a hole in my pocket that I want to spend on a new bathroom

We're the same with our kitchen! We've had three builders come round to measure up, then not bother quoting. Three surveyors didn't even respond to emails. I can only assume that business is so good they don't need to bother with even the most basic levels of courtesy.

We're the same with our kitchen! We've had three builders come round to measure up, then not bother quoting. Three surveyors didn't even respond to emails. I can only assume that business is so good they don't need to bother with even the most basic levels of courtesy.

Pretty much exactly the same experience I had when we did our kitchen a few years back.

I get what people are saying about not tarring everyone with the same brush, but it does appear that there is a widespread problem in this particular industry and the good guys are the exception rather than the norm.