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Original poster

Why are trades people so incredibly unreliable?!

249 replies

motherofkevinnotperry · 28/02/2023 14:43

I need someone to explain why. What's so difficult with "I'm sorry, I'm not able to do that" or "I'm going to be late", "I'm fully booked", "I need to reschedule" etc etc. How long do you give them before moving on and finding someone else?

I have had more than my fair share of trades just not turning up, making false promises on work then not fulfilling it. They're all so unorganised and terrible communicators. It's so infuriating. Just tell me!

OP posts:
coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 01/03/2023 06:58

DH is in the trades.

One of the main difficulties he has is the weather - he does both indoor and outdoor work. Indoor work can obviously be done whenever but if he's doing outdoor stuff, it can't be raining, too cold or too windy - and we live in the Lakes, so at this time of year, days where he can work outdoors are limited Grin

So it means he can't plan ahead - he can start an indoor job but if there's suddenly an unexpected dry day, he needs to start the outdoor work or it could be another three weeks before the weather improves - meaning the indoor job takes longer and the next one he has booked is then delayed and so on.

He does communicate with people but his experience is that people don't care about factors out of his control - they want their job doing NOW and don't seem to realise it's not possible!

Saltovinegar · 01/03/2023 07:05

I've someone coming round today to do some work, well I hope I have!!

It's the third time we've made an arrangement and the other two times he hasn't turned up. Last time it was because he forgot!

We've used him before and he's always been a bit unreliable but does a really good job. If he doesn't turn up today I'll give up on him.

He's not the first to let us down and we're now at the point of letting the house fall down around us because we can't face dealing with treadesmen.

I am going to bite the bullet and start to paint walls myself because I just can't face dealing with yet another unreliable person.

I don't know one single person who has not had a problem with tradesmen. It's an absolute minefield and they deserve every bit of stick they get.

(I have a fantastic plumber and chimney sweep so there are the odd good ones).

BroomHandledMouser · 01/03/2023 07:18

My DH is too, these massively generalised post really piss me off.

Do you know how hard it is to get labour at the moment? Hardly any young people are coming through the apprentice system, and there is a huge shortage of training staff to deliver the programs. To the point where our apprentices are now having one day release every month rather than one a week.

This is resulting in a shortage of skilled workers, especially in the electrical/plumbing industries.

So before you lump every single (and mostly very hard working) tradesmen into the same shithouse, please try to remember that it really isn’t personal.

Saltovinegar · 01/03/2023 07:30

A shortage of skilled workers isn't an excuse for someone to just not turn up or give a quote and then ignore all efforts to book them for the work.

I'll happily wait for someone who is booked up, I'll pay over the odds and I always give a generous tip to someone decent but a reliable tradesman is rarer then hens teeth.

If any of these posters saying their OH are good at the job, reliable etc are in the North East feel free to point me in their direction.

Firefly2023 · 01/03/2023 08:03

BroomHandledMouser · 01/03/2023 07:18

My DH is too, these massively generalised post really piss me off.

Do you know how hard it is to get labour at the moment? Hardly any young people are coming through the apprentice system, and there is a huge shortage of training staff to deliver the programs. To the point where our apprentices are now having one day release every month rather than one a week.

This is resulting in a shortage of skilled workers, especially in the electrical/plumbing industries.

So before you lump every single (and mostly very hard working) tradesmen into the same shithouse, please try to remember that it really isn’t personal.

That is no excuse for not turning up when promised or leaving shoddy workmanship unfinished.

Original poster
motherofkevinnotperry · 01/03/2023 08:36

BroomHandledMouser · 01/03/2023 07:18

My DH is too, these massively generalised post really piss me off.

Do you know how hard it is to get labour at the moment? Hardly any young people are coming through the apprentice system, and there is a huge shortage of training staff to deliver the programs. To the point where our apprentices are now having one day release every month rather than one a week.

This is resulting in a shortage of skilled workers, especially in the electrical/plumbing industries.

So before you lump every single (and mostly very hard working) tradesmen into the same shithouse, please try to remember that it really isn’t personal.

Respecting other peoples time and managing expectations has nothing to do with shortages of workers. If anything it increases the need to be upfront with people from the beginning and being realistic about work loads and possible time scales.

OP posts:
Chimna · 01/03/2023 08:46

My DH is a builder (joiner by trade) mostly building one off houses and bespoke extensions. He's very good at his job with years of experience and charges a fair price. Because of this he doesn't need to advertise and works through word of mouth. If you got his number he could offer you a date in 2025, but this could be brought forward if other jobs get cancelled (which happens with the cost of living crisis). In this climate, the decent tradespeople rarely need to advertise and you have to be willing to wait.

Chimna · 01/03/2023 08:49

To add, the cost of materials, getting hold of materials and getting a price for them is a nightmare. Making quoting very difficult. Most people aren't willing to pay what it costs for a decent job, so go with the cheaper quotes from cowboys.

Theelephantinthecastle · 01/03/2023 08:53

I am willing to wait as long as the person actually turns up...

Saltovinegar · 01/03/2023 08:59

Theelephantinthecastle · 01/03/2023 08:53

I am willing to wait as long as the person actually turns up...

Yes, totally agree.

bussteward · 01/03/2023 09:05

Not all trades! My current builder and everyone he works with - sparky, chippy, gas, tiler, everyone - are all exemplary: brilliant work, brilliant communication, SO tidy, lovely to have in the house, manage when things go wrong because of weather, availability of materials, etc. They pick and choose their jobs and only do the work they want because obviously they’ve got work coming out of their ears. I will never ever piss them off or neglect to supply biscuits.

Worth noting they’ve all previously been in non-trades jobs that required good communication and admin skills!

Trades are often very physical jobs in cold or rubbish conditions for people who won’t let you use the loo or access the fridge, can’t imagine that does much for the mood.

KateAusten · 01/03/2023 09:06

Probably because they have so many ppl asking them to do work they can pick and choose and to hell with the ppl asking them to do jobs that are more effort, awkward and not very well paying

SlipperClub · 01/03/2023 09:09

It’s the lack of communication for me.
If a previous job has overrun or you need to be somewhere else, fine. Just text/ring like you would in any other profession.

When we had work done on our house - I lost count of the amount of hours I wasted waiting around for people who never showed up or were two late, with zero communication. I guess my time is not as important…

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 01/03/2023 09:19

I don't know why they do it. Or don't as the case may be. I had an extension that went on for weeks and weeks with no sign of anyone to do any work. I have a very small house so basically had no downstairs for a very long time. It was very upsetting. And don't get me started about the mess. Or the fact that I had to get an emergency plumber out twice after they'd left due to leaks...

Anyway... it's the one thing I actually shout at DIY SOS on the telly... of course it looks great, they showed up... and finished it!!!

lieselotte · 01/03/2023 09:41

KateAusten · 01/03/2023 09:06

Probably because they have so many ppl asking them to do work they can pick and choose and to hell with the ppl asking them to do jobs that are more effort, awkward and not very well paying

Well until they come to quote they don't know what jobs are more effort.

People say they don't need me, but how do other people get them to need them? What's the secret?

I did finally manage to get "my" tree surgeon round to give me a quote today, about six weeks after I originally asked ;)

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:08

@lieselotte that is because they have so much work, coming over to quote takes them away from the work someone else is paying them for. So whilst you're moaning about them taking ages to quote, someone else is moaning that they've left their job.

What you're actually expecting is for them to come outside working hours whenever you want them to regardless of other commitments. Why didn't you contact somebody else?

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:10

And @lieselotte a lot of trades will have a basic understanding of what you want since they will probably ask you before coming!

It's unlikely you'll be asking them to do something they've never done before.

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:13

Perhaps people need to rely on recommendations for trades? Those that are any good probably don't need to advertise.

Bookist · 01/03/2023 10:22

I'm in the same boat and it's so frustrating. I contacted a DIY man who came very highly recommended via our local Facebook group. I had a long list of little jobs which would he said would take him a full day to complete. I stupidly assumed he would arrive at 9.00am and work through until he had finished. Not the case, he just keeps popping around at weird times to do one tiny job, think fitting a new tap washer, before disappearing off again. He was meant to be undertaking a bigger job too but has delayed the start of that twice now. Of course he didn't bother to tell me he was delaying the job, he just didn't turn up to do it. It's causing chaos as home.

Once he's finished, I will take great pleasure in DMing everyone who expresses an interest in his services on the Facebook group and informing them how crap he actually is.

Theelephantinthecastle · 01/03/2023 10:24

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:08

@lieselotte that is because they have so much work, coming over to quote takes them away from the work someone else is paying them for. So whilst you're moaning about them taking ages to quote, someone else is moaning that they've left their job.

What you're actually expecting is for them to come outside working hours whenever you want them to regardless of other commitments. Why didn't you contact somebody else?

I think this is one example of the point that trades often just don't take admin seriously.

Quoting is work, a well organised tradesman could set aside some working hours to do quotes rather than rely on ditching jobs to do it or doing it out of working hours, that's entirely within their gift.

Or, they could JUST SAY NO if it's really so hard. Not make arrangements and then constantly fail to turn up

bussteward · 01/03/2023 10:38

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:13

Perhaps people need to rely on recommendations for trades? Those that are any good probably don't need to advertise.

Yep. Every good trade I’ve had has conspicuously NOT been on checkatrade, find a builder, rated people, etc. they haven’t needed to be and were quite sneery about it. The key is to find one great person and ask them who they recommend - we’ve found everyone through our gas engineer.

EL8888 · 01/03/2023 10:41

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I must be a nightmare as l also think it is entitled and rude behaviour to make an appointment but not show up. I hate letting people down, don’t agree to something and then not show up or cancel!

I also think this behaviour must slip over into people’s personal lives, if that’s your MO

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:55

I said in an earlier post that most trades we have used agree that they need at least a day a month or even week to deal with admin. But that is also a potentially significant loss of money - perhaps you'd be happy to start being charged for a quote?

People really don't seem to understand how the construction industry works. And I say that as someone whose partner is in the industry but also as someone who works on the legal side of the same industry.

My DP can quote for a job that he knows he will get done in half a day. He can't charge a full day rate so if he only has other jobs that are going to take a couple of days or weeks, he's down half a day. Small jobs definitely aren't as attractive for quite obvious reasons.

He has also quoted for many people who don't really know what they want and then treat him as someone intent on ripping them off.

He went to quote for someone a couple of weeks ago who had the audacity to suggest he keep his quote low because he didn't have much money. That same guy then went on to decide not only did he want his fancy lights fitted on the cheap but now he also wants an electric door handle fitted - so now his original quote needs to be amended at yet more cost.

These things happen all the time. People can't make up their mind, cancel at the last minute, ask for a cheap quote, ignore what he recommends, treat him with suspicion and then people come on to boards like this and suggest they're generally not appropriately educated and will make bad partners or fathers.

He'll be leaving a job early tomorrow which will undoubtedly piss someone off because their job is taking too long - it's to take our DD to her swimming lesson after school because I also have a full time job and he's such a bad father he tries to share our parenting responsibilities.

There is an expectation that trades should be available immediately and prioritise your job over everything else even though a lot of customers are sketchy and don't pay on time and need chasing. It's all very one sided.

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:56

@Theelephantinthecastle be willing to pay for a quote then.

kirinm · 01/03/2023 10:58

@bussteward agree with this and it actually works both ways. DP did some work for an architect and now that architect recommends him for his jobs. He met a builder on a job and now that builder recommends him to his clients.

He doesn't have to work beyond a 2 mile radius of where we live.