to think tradesmen add a "big house tax"

[bedraggledmumoftwo]

Feeling really stung by a locksmith today. They were supposed to come around and quote to fix a patio door that was broken in the locked position. However, by the time they had essentially broken it open it meant the house wasn't secure so I wasn't in a position to consider a quote at that point, just choose between the cheapest and most expensive options offered. And alone in the house with two screaming preschoolers I wasn't really in a place to argue.

Anyway, we live a big old house, aibu to assume they look around and mentally put the price up as soon as they arrive?

They not try

The whole Google thing makes me very nervous. We have an unusual surname. Google it and you get our company, based at our home address, of which we are the directors, and also, very worryingly, how much money is in our company.

I'm always a bit nervous about some chancer turning up with a baseball bat. We know people who have been carjacked on their drive less than half a mile away too.

You will be badmouthing as greedy instead, that's better?

I do remember thinking that the highest quote for our extension just wasn't really interested in the job. And we weren't interested in paying an 20-30k. of course if we had done maybe it wouldn't have overrun by six weeks and we would have had patio doors that didn't break!

Tbh if the tradesmen charge more to people that can afford it and it subsidized poor people I have no problem with this at all. I actually think its great.

Ex bf dad was always undercharging oaps.

I think they add a nice house/ area tax (our house isn't huge but it is nice and we live in a decent area). We were quoted £700 for 8 square metres of floor tiling - labour only.

Howto- people don't bad mouth you for a high quote. For high call out, for increasing costs when on a job, for letting jobs escalate on costs, for taking too long and not predicting potential faults- but a high quote? People will think that's too high, dismiss it and forget you. Ime- which admittedly is not huge as I've only ever not wanted three quotes I've attended - and made the mistake of telling the first that I didn't want it and then got bad mouthed on Facebook as lazy. ( I wasn't lazy but rather knew I couldn't commit the time to the job that was needed) The other two I went in too high and nothing more was said / done.

As cooking said, plus it's ingrained in you to never turn down work.
I quoted for a job some weeks back which I knew was more expensive than it should be as I'm over-qualified for the work. Not a boast, just you could get someone lower-skilled (therefore lower priced) to do it. It was like getting a consultant to take blood rather than a nurse. I gave the client my price and said I was happy to do the work, but explained she may be better off trying with a company that only does that particular work. She was really off with me. I certainly didn't get thanked for my honesty.

Yes I was quoted way more than my friend in a 2 bed terrace for an almost identical job.He had been recommended by them

Recommendations also are not always all they should be.

I have heard plenty of greedy tradesman.

They definitly seem to. My dad years ago heard a trades man on the phone to a friend discussing how he was going to double the quote as 'they seem to have more money than sense' lovely.

In particular I remember the playground gossip about a greedy Dad builder.

Yes Howto- in fact this very thread is about a greedy tradesman. But a greedy reputation tends to be built on over charging. Not over quoting. But it's all anecdotal here anyway.

I wouldn't even mind so much if they had done a good job, but they have replaced one of the handles with a totally different one so now the two sides dont match and I am going to have to find one the same to replace the one on the other side (which I will do myself, I might add). Even more annoyingly we didn't need a new handle, the old one works fine, I have checked. But now that they have drilled a new hole we are going to have to go with the bigger ones. Grrrrrr. .

pine basically he said he could offer me a much better price if my (new) neighbours wanted theirs done too - I was talking to neighbour when he arrived so he knew I knew them
I think that is fair enough, if they have to wait for coats to dry etc and travel to you etc (although that house is closer to where he lives...) etc
I said I'd get back to him if/when neighbour wanted theirs doing -but neighbour dithered and then had theirs replaced with plastic ones instead. So I still haven't had mine done (whole renovation thing has ground to a halt anyway ...long story)

Sometimes it's where they are based too. My mum lives in a lovely, v desirable village that is equidistant to 2 towns. Town A is a lovely regency town, very affluent with lots of beautiful houses. Town B is a fairly average provincial town, a little more down market compared to A. She had no end of issues with workmen from town A- expensive, and possibly more annoyingly, unreliable. She was always stunned at how little (relatively) we pay for things. We live in a town a bit like her town B. So I suggested to her that she try workmen from B instead of A. She has said that so far they have been cheaper, and more reliable.

Howto - it works both ways. Some customers are absolutely bloody awful.

He can give a quote or estimate, which is accepted, then once he starts the job, the customer starts adding extra requests. 'Oh, can you just do this, can you do such-and-such as you're there.' Then when they are given the bill sticking to the original quote, they moan about it and very often pay less. More often than not, the people in large houses, it has to be said.

One Christmas Eve, DP had a frantic call from someone saying they needed a job done urgently. DP was already running around like a headless chicken, but agreed to fit her in. Went absolutely out of his way to fix her problem, which he did successfully. He charged her £40 +VAT for fixing it, but she refused to pay him giving the reason "But you don't have a call-out charge". She didn't understand that a call-out charge is often £50 or more just for driving to someone and knocking on their front door. So he helped her, fixed her problem, drove there, using his petrol, time and equipment, on a day when he was already stressed and busy. And didn't get paid at all.

What on earth did she think - he just goes around doing work for people for free?

He also does, voluntarily, do 3 or 4 jobs a week for elderly people at no charge, if he's only been there for a little while. Because he's a nice chap.

So please, everyone slagging off and lumping ALL tradespeople together, remember that there are some good ones out there, and some customers can actually be utterly shitty.

I am sure that is the case, Evans. for your dh.

Thank you, Howto - his favourite

Ah Evans, the old 'while you're here...'
Never had someone try to pay less after the work is finished however. I would be tempted to take my materials back to reinstall in my own home if that was tried on!

Morning all, still fuming about this.

Think I may ring and complain about my two biggest gripes.
A) I don't think I needed a new cylinder or handle @ cost of £125
B) the job therefore looks shite as we now have one bigger door handle that doesn't match. I really as a minimum want them to come back and fit a matching handle on the other side as they drilled a hole in the door to fit the new bigger handle, so we are Stuck with bigger ones.

Those of you in the trades, how do you deal with complaints? Is he likely to just tell me where to go while rubbing his hands with glee at the money he managed to con out of me?

Funnily enough, some tradesmen actually take a pride in what they do... I don't expect a complaint of any sort is particularly well received.
If it happens to my DH, he will always contemplate whether the customer has a point, and if fair, do every thing possible to set it right. My DH does it out of pride for his work and reputation, but these days the motivation for some may well be through fear of a bad review on Google.
Either way, if you feel you have a fair complaint, I would expect the company would want to set it right

Ok, so I complained and I think part of the root of the problem is that it was a breakdown in communication between the person who said they would send someone to quote and the locksmith they sent, who said he wasn't told the job was to quote not do. I think person a is basically to blame, dont think they are locksmiths at all, just someone farming out jobs and taking a cut. Despite their website being locksmithsodbedraggledtown.com. The actual locksmith was from another town 20 odd miles away.

Anyway, actual locksmith was quite nice, has offered me a refund of the difference in the prices he quoted and the prices on the bill and explained why a) he didn't quote (ie he didn't realise that was what he was there for although i would have thought it was good basic practice)And b) why I needed new cylinder and handles. He also said he would come back and replace the other handles to match for half price.

The first guy (who I don't think is a locksmith at all, just a broker) got really shitty and told me I should have told the guy he was quoting not doing and should have stood up for myself. Which is true, but if he is going to offer to send people to have a look and quote, he should do just that! I think most of this problem lies with him and I assume the high bill was partly his fee.

Anyway, lesson learned. Yes I should have stood up to them and questioned what, why and how much, but I appear to lose all faculties when looking after a demanding one year old. Will make sure I find someone actually local next time I need something!