To wish tradesmen would be honest...

[Elodie2019]

Boiler/heating issues here and have had a man out to look at the job.
He made the job sound straightforward and knew his stuff., said he could fix the problem and explained how it would be done - involves a days work.said he would contact me when he's looked at his diary. Really nice bloke....

However, that was last Friday and I have heard nothing.

WTF keep someone hanging in for a week? I don't want to pester him but if he doesn't want the job JUST LET ME KnOW. so I can contact someone else.
Sent him a message Thurs night and nothing.

Sorry... IABU to feel pissed off and WWYD?

Perhaps you aren’t the only person in the world with a broken boiler ?
I once phoned a plumber about to rip his head off when he finally answered his phone for not turning up and the man was in tears his father had just died

Ok, so maybe his father has died, he may have had his dog put down or or maybe I am being selfish because there are 50 people who have no heating and he is working his at through them...

A quick message to say 'Sorry, unavailable to do the job at the moment' is unreasonable to expect?

When my Dad died, I let work know that I wouldn't be in.

Couldn't possibly be that he just hasn't replied because he doesn't want the job and can't be arsed to let me know?

Ignore Inliverpool1. Yes you can be annoyed that a week later they haven't been in touch! A 'sorry I'm busy right now' or a time frame text takes 1 minute and it's his livelihood at stake.
Self employed tradesmen (which I'm just presuming he is) often rely on word of mouth 'reviews' from customers. It's not a good advert for your services to ignore someone.
I'd look for someone else and get some other quotes OP. He sounds unreliable.

Thanks Misty.
Would you give up on him and start looking now? I sent a text on Thursday. Worried he'll text back the minute I contact someone else.

Agree, and this is why Pimlico Plumbers do so well, despite being expensive. They are extremely reliable, and they do what they'll say they'll do.

Would you give up on him and start looking now? I sent a text on Thursday. Worried he'll text back the minute I contact someone else.

It's a bit like a dating dilemmas. I think you've been ghosted

I'm pretty sure on the relationship board they'd say block his number!

Yep I'd look right away. If he does text back you're under no obligation to use him. And I'd tell him you've looked for someone else as you've been without a fully working boiler for over a week and his lack of communication isn't good enough!

I haven't heard of Pimlico plumbers. Have you used them? Are they ridiculously expensive?

Just looked on the website but can't see prices

@ ghosted!

Contact someone else. It's a good practice to get more than one estimate for any contracting work, so even if he turns up soon you'll have an idea if he has the right solution to the problem and a fair price.

Not quite the same, but I went to great local restaurant last week to ask them to cater an event for 20 people today. They have done it before for us, very good service.

Spoke to 2 people, agreed this would be fine, they definitely had capacity and they would phone me after 5 pm when manager is in. It was 4 pm at this point. The guy then said, actually, it will be me who phones, as I'm the chef, so we can sort out menu. He wrote all my contact details in the official book.

One week later, I'm still waiting on that call. Did the catering ourselves. Restaurant missed out on an approx £400 event.

Why not just give a call to say 'sorry, can't do it'?

Yes they're expensive:
www.pimlicoplumbers.com/rates
I've used them, and found them honest, transparent and very reliable. They've basically introduced the concept of customer service to home repairs.

Thanks Triangular

PS I thought they were national. Just realised they're London-only.

Exactly this Dancer

Decided to give him one more day.
No reply and I'll phone someone else tomorrow.

That's shoddy, but I think plumbers (and other tradesmen) can often choose to be picky about what jobs they take as they provide essential services.

Just find someone else. If you have a local FB page, asking on there for recommendations could be an idea.

Don't use Pimlico Plumbers. They treat their staff like shit.

You're not unreasonable to be annoyed that one tradesman did not call you back, you are definitely unreasonable to label all tradesmen in that way.

I totally share your frustration.

Finding reliable tradespeople is a nightmare. They either don’t turn up to quote, don’t reply to phone calls or fail to arrive when they say they will.

I think I am a reasonable customer, I don’t nag, am flexible if they need to rearrange, don’t hover, trust what they tell me and always pay the bill same day. Morevoer I am loyal. I don’t phone around trying to save a few £. But still I have issues.

Plumbers are the worst and of course the one trade, you normally need in an emergency situation.

Nothing throws me into a greater anxiety spiral than my Boiler or pressurised tank playing up. I immediately know I am going to have to go through the ‘find a plumber’ nightmare again.

Ask amongst friends for their recommendations and compile a little black book of reliable people for all the trades. Once you know the, a bit they are likely to be reliable.

And use Checkatrade for reviews.

Some tradespeople are dreadful, it’s hard to see how they survive.

I've had numerous plumbers over the years and I have to say that their father dying is the main excuse for not showing up, swiftly followed by van breakdown, illness of wife, theft of tools from van, and injury to own arm. We used one plumber twice, jobs were three years apart, and he used his father dying both times!

Don't use Checkatrade for reviews: it paid for advertising and the reviews cannot be relied upon to be genuine or truthful.

DP is a self employed trades person. He is often rushed off his feet and sometimes just doesn't get back to people as quickly as he should. Customers also often don't pay when they should. So swings and roundabouts.

If you aren't happy he hasn't got back to you find someone else. Dont just come on here and label all tradespeople as dishonest just because someone hasn't behaved how you would like him too.

It's frustrating and not acceptable but as other PP have said you ( and other PP) can't come on here and rubbish ALL tradespeople. MY DH is a master plumbing and heating engineer and phenomenal at his job. He is commercial installation and doesn't do private work - when he has, in the past, done work for friends/ colleagues when begged to it has been a huge pita with people expecting miracles for little money. He now, as a result, strictly does no work for others ( except fir free for my dad who is in his 80s and so grateful).