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Original poster

Getting tradespeople to turn up..

82 replies

NotMyCat · 29/10/2021 23:01

Any tips on this?!
So I had someone out to quote for a thermostat, tiling and flooring. All fine. He said the thermostat would be this week and he would quote the flooring. That was 2 weeks ago and he's AWOL

I book people and they either don't quote, don't turn up, or vanish. Is it just me?! And no, not since covid, it's always happening
I need work doing on my kitchen - the tiling and floor, it can be done any time, I provide drinks and biscuits and make myself scarce, pay them and that's it
Just find it so frustrating if I take a day off work and they just don't bloody turn up

OP posts:

TerriblyNaice · 30/10/2021 00:04

I'm with you. I've had multiple tradespeople do that to me this year. It's driving me bloody crazy!
One who cancelled three times, each time minutes before he was due. Yes, it was good that he let me know. However, his mother died the night before on two of those occasions

GCAcademic · 30/10/2021 00:09

We have been trying to get repairs done to our roof and have had around twenty roofers arrange to come around. Some didn’t turn up, most who did never sent a quote, and the one person who did quoted £14k for what should cost around £4k.

Pavlova31 · 30/10/2021 00:10

Same here. Trying to book anyone at the moment always the same.
Come round ,accept the quote , book the day …. Then never see or hear from them again.

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GameofPhones · 30/10/2021 00:17

Same here. They are totally unprofessional, and I will never have anything to do with one again as long as I can possibly avoid it.

Original poster

NotMyCat · 30/10/2021 00:23

I honestly don't know how people get work done in their house
Although I have booked a company to fit blinds, they turned up, quoted, and have generally been great
The rest...

OP posts:

KloppsTeeth · 30/10/2021 00:24

I agree that this is really annoying. I want some plastering doing. Had three plasterers turn up to look, measured up etc, supposed to send quotes….nothing.

I now really research traders, like checking reviews across multiple places: Google and Facebook, and see who people in the local area recommend. It has worked so far for electrician and plumber. But I can’t find a plasterer. We have abandoned plans to get it done this year.

Original poster

NotMyCat · 30/10/2021 00:30

It makes me wonder
How people get work done
Who they are actually doing the work for
Like if you're busy that's fine, tell me! Want to quote at 7pm, fine. Want to do the work short notice? Yep just turn up
I'm the most easy going person but I work in customer service and lack of communication boils my blood I will ring a customer even to say I have no update for them!

OP posts:

NiceGerbil · 30/10/2021 00:36

Happens all the time v annoying.

Also coming not quoting, or quoting sky high if don't want job.

I have never understood- any other service this just wouldn't fly for 2 secs!

Ask for recommendations.

Contact loads.

Hope for best.

Sorry no idea is a nightmare.

VanGoghsDog · 30/10/2021 00:37

Same.

Plumber took 6m just to quote then quoted £11k for a tiny bathroom, without the cost of the floor, mirror or vanity unit. Should be c£3k.

Obviously not going with that quote.

Contacted another, a month ago. Kept saying he'd come and quote. No joy. But I had a leaking tap so called him to see he could help, came round, needs a part, isolated it, will get the part and be back next week. I've chased him twice. So, been without a bathroom tap for three weeks now. He's promised to sort it next week.
Meanwhile, he's still not quoted for the full bathroom refit.

Can't get anyone to replace a shed for me. Was quoted £4k just to take it down!

I have at last found a reliable decorator. On Tinder! And he got me a plasterer but he's moonlighting so he can only come on Saturdays.

NiceGerbil · 30/10/2021 00:37

Some are good obv but IME rare.

Original poster

NotMyCat · 30/10/2021 00:55

I have someone booked for Monday to do the thermostat now.. let's see if they turn up
After the last one said "oh your dad could change that" I lost the plot and rang my dad, and he went on a mission ringing people and I don't think he was in the mood for taking shit

(We can't get the thermostat off the wall, it's wired in, and no my dad can't do it as see the part where we can't get it off the wall...)

OP posts:

Freddiefox · 30/10/2021 01:00

If you need a thermostat changing try hive, they come with installation options. Not the best but likely to turn up

Linnet · 30/10/2021 01:04

I’ve been trying to get my hall painted.
I phoned 3 decorators,
The first one admitted he was fully booked for months, fair enough.
The second the receptionist said he’d get back to me, but he didn’t.
The third said he’d come round two days later to give me a quote and never turned up!

It makes me so mad, they must not need the money.

Cherryana · 30/10/2021 04:14

From my observations of my builder husband and his associates - For the most part you are dealing with avoidant people who hate admin.

They also have one track minds. So once they are on a job that’s what they are doing and then common curtesy for anyone else goes out the window.

Add that to the ones who do good work are overwhelmed with work and they have no incentive to level up to what I would deem are normal standards of client/professional interactions.

It’s s a culture that perpetuates itself. They all do it, and they have had it modelled to them with the people they leant from, and they teach it to the young guys they bring on.

My husband works in a much more systematic way but he is booked up over a year in advance and he is not at all cheap.

It’s multifaceted in why it happens but it’s also simply rude and make stressful situations even more stressful.

Cherryana · 30/10/2021 04:20

Also just to say most customers expectations regarding price are usually way off. Building work - even small jobs, are very expensive. Labour alone is £200 - £250 a day around here.

TheLeadbetterLife · 30/10/2021 04:28

Yes it’s a nightmare and no there’s nothing you can do, except learn as much DIY as you can. My house my not have everything done to an immaculately professional standard, but we’re getting better at it all, and at least it’s bloody done.

Half the time when you do manage to get someone out they fuck it up anyway, so it’s all too stressful to be bothering with.

CheesecakeAddict · 30/10/2021 07:21

The best way of getting people, I have found, is via other tradespeople. So my plasterer knew a roofer who he asked to get in touch with me. My window fitter got a tiler and a plumber in for me. My plumber knew a kitchen fitter. We have tradesmen around here taking bookings for 2023.

Caspianberg · 30/10/2021 07:27

I have no idea. It’s been a nightmare. They come, spend hour to ask what you wnT and get quote, then I spend weeks chasing people who never give the quote.

Ended up using basically the only people who bother to give quote as I just need stuff done.

I have been waiting months for the a bit of concrete work in garden. Used the guy before who was good, but now he’s been ‘definitely coming next week’ since June… I wish they just say, look I’m really busy, you need to get someone else, instead of constant false promises

Cleaners as well. Offer above going rate, offer any time or day that suits them.. then nada.

Silkieschickens · 30/10/2021 07:41

We did not have any issues until covid hit and since then there seems to be a shortage. Electricians arent too bad here but plumbers and carpenters there are big shortages of. We did get a new boiler done a couple of weeks ago from our preferred plumber but had to chase, email and phone to get them out, took about a month then they quoted fairly high but went with them as we are thatched and so want to be careful and they came next week as someone cancelled.

Love the mother dying twice excuse.

nancy75 · 30/10/2021 13:24

We had a new boiler recently, knowing what plumbers are like we paid the extra and went with British Gas - all fine, done on the day no problems.

I see a lot of people moaning about decorators on Facebook, usually the same people who want a room painted but don’t want to pay a lot.
My dad owns a decorating company, he always turns up & quotes and the work is always done on time. His company do work to a very high standard (they do most of the big London hotels & west end mansions)
I never recommend him because I know people won’t want to pay what he charges ( he does very little residential work because people are so unrealistic with their price expectations)
I suppose what I’m saying is if you want things done & done properly go with a bigger company (rather than a man with a van & a paintbrush)

LadyCleathStuart · 30/10/2021 13:28

When we were recently buying a new house our no1 requirement was that it didn't need work done because trying to get tradespeople has been such a nightmare in the past.

I remember trying to get an extension done a good few years ago, it was such a pain in the arse.

It grates me especially as my Dad is a retired tradesman and he was well known for his reliability, he still has people trying to tempt him to work now because they struggle to get anyone to show up for jobs.

On the other hand my brother is also one and he is the single most unreliable person I know.

MaybeAMoaner · 30/10/2021 14:33

Probably get slated for this but I believe the answer is:
Because men are absolutely shit at organising themselves or anything else.
And the majority of tradespeople are MEN.

All of my family/ friends and I have experienced all of the above it’s so frustrating.

Hekk · 30/10/2021 15:17

@TerriblyNaice

I'm with you. I've had multiple tradespeople do that to me this year. It's driving me bloody crazy! One who cancelled three times, each time minutes before he was due. Yes, it was good that he let me know. However, his mother died the night before on two of those occasions

Kendodd · 30/10/2021 15:29

YANBU OP.
You can't get a tradesperson for love nor money round here. It's been like that for years. You practically have to plead people to do the job (if you can find anyone) and then just pay the sky high prices they want because you have no choice. I paid £2,000 recently for a tiny bit of damp proofing under a bay window. It was two mornings work (one man). And nothing specialist about it, just that ordinary black stuff they paint on. I couldn't find anyone else who'd even look at it.

TSSDNCOP · 30/10/2021 17:47

I have had very good experience through Check a Trader, but after in two things:

Be realistic with timeframes
Be realistic with price: MN price vs real world not the same

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