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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Or is EVERYONE shit at their jobs nowadays?!

47 replies

Fluxedo · 02/04/2013 14:45

Ok, not everyone in the world, but every time we make an appointment with someone like a plumber, IT technician, BT person, joiner, electrician etc they are always late or don't turn up or don't return calls/emails. It's just shit and unprofessional and has been happening ever since we moved two years ago.

I welcome tales of people not being shit by the way, it will reassure me that it's just bad luck.

OP posts:

TheRivieraKid · 02/04/2013 15:47

My husband's Dad is a really really shit painter and decorator. He usually works just for old ladies who presumably can't see exactly how bad his handiwork is, but husband insists we use him for work at our house. I get the rage when I see his finished work at our place, which is all the more irritating as I can actually do a better job.

YANBU, OP, finding people who are reliable is so hard. Still waiting for our plumber to come and service our boiler which should have been done last October and now means our 5 year warranty is void.

Original poster

Fluxedo · 02/04/2013 15:50

Bah! It's just too annoying. Really shocked that people are coming on and saying their own relatives are also shit at their jobs! Oh well, all the more reason to get cracking with my DIY manual and recommend the hell out of the few decent tradespeople I've found.

OP posts:

magimedi · 02/04/2013 15:52

Where we live now I've been very lucky indeed. Plumbers, landscapers & carpet fitters have all been great & turned up when they said they would. Mind you, they have all been very local & have not always been the cheapest quote.

Perhaps we should have a thread, maybe in Property, for recommendations. Not so much saying I recommend Walter Wall carpet man in Z town as people asking for a recommendation in their own town. You could always reply by PM.

Original poster

Fluxedo · 02/04/2013 15:55

That's a good idea magi. I do try and go for local people and the mid-range quote rather than the cheapest, but no luck so far, except for our latest plumber who is great.

OP posts:

TapirBackRider · 02/04/2013 15:57

I have a family member who is a painter/decorator/roofer etc - he's notoriously unreliable but complains bitterly that noone in the family will employ him

Original poster

Fluxedo · 02/04/2013 16:02

Not trying to put down the job of being a general tradesman, but maybe the people who are genuinely good at their jobs go on to do bigger and better things - my uncle is brilliantly skilled at carpentry, design, joinery, plumbing etc and builds beautiful houses instead of going round to people's houses to do little jobs.

OP posts:

MrsKoala · 02/04/2013 16:05

the thing is my dad is/was excellent at his job. as Fluxedo says he used to do big sites. really good electrical work liaising with architects etc. But going round to peoples houses is boring for him and he is semi retired, so just can't be arsed. so is unreliable. very annoying.

EffieTheDuck · 02/04/2013 16:06

We had one total fart of a plumber come and suck his teeth at "Who did this plumbing and what a state?" ...He had been the culprit.
Another plumber did turn up and eat his lunch do a bit of work then we had a note shoved through the door saying he could not cope and it was him not us.
We should be taught basic plumbing and electrics at school so we can cope in an emergency. ie burst pipes and the like.

storminabuttercup · 02/04/2013 16:10

We had a slightly different problem with our plumber, he fitted a bathroom for us just before Xmas a few years ago, we kept asking how much we owed him so we could get money out (he was getting extra parts and we've used him loads so trust him not to rip us off) he kept saying he'd post the bill through. It took him 6 months to give us the bill. There was obviously trust both ways, DP thought it was fine but it irritated me a bit

NadiaWadia · 02/04/2013 16:41

What gets me is when you ring for a quote and they just dont get back to you. Or when they do come round to give a quote, but you never actually receive it!

Why on earth can't they just be honest and say they are too busy, or the job is too small/big/ whatever for them??

EmmelineGoulden · 02/04/2013 17:36

We've had problems getting reliable tradesmen since we bought last year. We've found a good boiler guy, but everyone else has been less than inspiring, including a really bad experience with electricians.

The thing is, it's a difficult thing to excel at. It needs a huge range of skills and aptitudes. You need the technical skills of whatever the trade is, you also need to be good at sales & marketing, negotiation, forcasting, project management, estimation, financial planning, and communication. Then you're also going to be dealing with tax, legal issues, and transort concerns. You need to be happy dealing with the public, working on your own and fitting into bigger projects with other tradesmen. You also need to be self-motivated, good on the phone, good at focusing on your job at hand, and good at multi-tasking.

That's a lot of flexibility and a wide range of things you need to be competent at to give off a really professional appearance. But most people who are good at the trade bit of their job can probably find good money working for a bigger concern where they don't have to be on top of all the other skills.

I think YABabitU to say they are shit at their jobs nowadays with the implication that tradesmen used to be much better at all these things. I think the environemnt for tradesmen has changed significantly and there is a lot more need to be on top of the project management, paperwork and communication side of things than there used to be, along with higher expectations from the public. Wish more women would go into trades, I think that would lift standards a lot since we tend to be more socialised in a lot of the business skills many tradesmen lack.

Chocovore · 02/04/2013 17:46

We've been let down by 3 different carpenters now. I am really getting fed up of it. People claim there are no jobs, but surely getting a trade is the way to go these days for those in the unemployment queue.

OhLori · 02/04/2013 18:07

How interesting, since I have just had a decorator in!

He moaned constantly (high ceilings, long drive, bad neck, never had a holiday, too many doors (hmm)). He arrived late, sometimes v late, and left early.

On the last day I had to point out omissions e.g. only doing one coat on the skirting board. I bet that pissed him off, lol, as he finally! had to work his socks off the last day .

Lesson learnt: don't assume they are going to do a good professional job, go over all the plans. Make sure you stick around the house.

TheNebulousBoojum · 02/04/2013 18:35

I have a lovely plumber and electrician, a fantastic garage with several honest mechanics, tree surgeon, home furnishings sewer and a lovely locksmith.
Personal recommendations every one, not the cheapest or the most expensive but definitely worth it.
There are craftspersons out there, but there are far more people with poor degrees from obscure colleges who have neither a job or a trade and no wish to be blue collar. Which is the insane way our society has developed.
Does anyone remember Douglas Adams of HHGTTG fame?

'The planet of Golgafrincham was once home to the Great Circling Poets of Arium. The descendents of these poets made up tales of impending doom about the planet...
These tales of impending doom allowed the Golgafrinchans to rid themselves of an entire useless third of their population.
The story was that they would build three Ark ships.
Into the A ship would go all the leaders and scientists, and other achievers.
Into the C ship were supposed to the people who made things and did things,
Into the B ark would go everyone else, such as hairdressers and telephone sanitizers.
They sent the B ship off first, but of course the other two-thirds of the population stayed on the planet and lived full, rich, and happy lives until they were all ironically wiped out by a virulent disease contracted from a dirty telephone.

Not enough artisans and people who make things and do things any more.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 02/04/2013 18:55

I've had excellent decorators, plumbers and electricians

But really struggled to find a good Gas Fitter.

Finally found a really trustworthy family business.

PM me if you want to know - London/Herts

sleepyhead · 02/04/2013 19:18

That's interesting emmeline, it was the female partner of the firm we got in who did the organising and people-part of the job. She was right on top of scheduling/billing etc (and a shit-hot plasterer). Her dh did the quote, buying, painting & decorating as well as plastering but you got the idea that she was the one that kept the firm ticking over. It was a really good example of complementary skills making a successful team.

furbaby · 02/04/2013 19:29

Yanbu ... some out there do take the piss . Word of mouth is always the best way to go . Had a tap that would, nt turn off due to failed washer that should have been changed years ago . Stopcock was rusted on so I went into panic as could, nt turn off tap (what a waste of clean water )
Friend put me in touch with his plumber mate who came straight over and sorted stopcock and mended tap . What a bloody hero ! And he did, nt even mind our dog helping him :)
All for £20 .

blondieminx · 02/04/2013 19:29

Just to add that when googling for a local painter/handyman recommendation I discovered that the other site (think sparkly tickers and suchlike ) has a section for local tradespeople. Was pleased with the work (north east Essex area, PM me if you want details!)

Original poster

Fluxedo · 02/04/2013 21:46

Emmeline the 'nowadays' in my OP was superfluous and meaningless. This is my first house and I have never dealt with tradesmen before. They may always have been shite... Very good point re. the range of skills required!

Nebulous that's a great quote :)

OP posts:

pigsDOfly · 03/04/2013 00:19

This is very pertinent for me at the moment as I've just cancelled an order with a large national company for a kitchen and the installation.

I just got so fed up with having to chase them for everything, trying to get people to ring me back etc. etc. Nobody seemed to give a damn about having me as a customer, so I'm taking my custom elsewhere. Until I find a company that's prepare to treat me with respect I shall have to make do with the old kitchen. If it means I don't get a new kitchen and end up keeping my several thousand £££, then so be it.

CalamityJ · 03/04/2013 01:36

Our local electrician popped over to size up the task on Good Friday then told us to use his name at the local wholesalers to get a discount on the light. Being new parents we totally forgot to buy the light over the weekend and he contacted us bank holiday Monday morning to say as he hadn't heard from us to say we'd got the light and he'd be going to the wholesalers did we want him to get it for us and he could fit it today. He said he'd arrive between 11-12 (if that was convenient for us). Arrived at the right time, fitted it and tested it and was thoroughly pleasant throughout. I've recommended him to so many friends over the years I guess he gives us extra good treatment to keep the recommendations coming in but I suspect he just gives great service to everyone as I know some friends have recommended him to their friends so he must be consistently ace!

CalamityJ · 03/04/2013 01:40

Oh my local garage is ace too. Give you a lift home. Drop your car back on your drive so you can pop in and pay at your convenience. Recommended them to a few local people who didn't know it existed and had thanks back for the recommendation. Now if only they'd remember my DH is not called Paul

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