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.

She didn't say all tradesmen are dishonest!

Parallel example:

OP: "AIBU to wish that cats did not crap in my garden?"

Outraged cat owners: "How dare you! My cat is lovely, and has never crapped in your garden."

crazy and snoop

I haven't 'come in here to slate' ALL tradesmen at all.

Good ones are hard to find and are in high demand.
Good heating engineers are like gold dust and I am hoping that this tradesman is, intact, rushed off his feet and will get back to me.

I wrote this post asking if IABU to feel frustrated to not have a date fixed (I don't think I am, it's been over a week) and IABU to hope for some reply to my text either 'Sorry, rushed off my feet will get back to you soon' or 'Sorry, can't fit you in atm'. (Others on here have confirmed that's not unreasonable either) .

I also asked how long is reasonable to wait before looking elsewhere.

As it turns out, I have been talking to a friend who has confirmed that this guy is brilliant and very busy - he also said that I should give it a few more days before giving up.

Fingers crossed!

I share your frustration, I've been trying to get a field fenced all summer. I've had a few contractors out for quotes, all of who have said they could do it, would be back in touch with a quote etc. All of them have not returned calls/texts or got back, and I've spent 3 weeks dithering over whether to give up. Now summer's gone and it's too wet to do the job, so I can't use the field for six months. I wish they'd just say "sorry, I've got loads on and won't be able to fit you in" in the first place, then I could try elsewhere. In my case it's more upsetting because I knew two of them, they were my husband's friends and they were, most probably, aware that my husband was very ill in hospital, so they made a tough time even more stressful.

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.

Yes - I think people can often forget that a skilled and qualified plumber/builder/electrician is just that. It's not like an office where you have a different person or department dealing with every step of the job. They may not have the time or the skills to stay right on top of the admin side of it and reply or get back to you instantly.

Fair enough, if you chase them and they still can't deliver the timeframe that you want or need, by all means go elsewhere; but, as PP have said, you can go to the likes of Pimlico Plumbers (if you're in London, of course) and get the whole service with each stage having a dedicated person or team to do it efficiently - just don't expect it to be cheap at all.

I once booked a highly recommended local tradesman who was all over our local facebook group giving advice and basically saying how brilliant he was

He didn’t turn up to the job,didn’t respond or anything, and that very day someone else commented on the group to say how frustrating it was when tradesmen booked the job then didn’t turn up. Turned quite juicy when the tradesman I’d booked commented on the post about how awful it was to have unrealiable tradesmen and to give him a call instead.

Asked him where he’d got to as he was booked and got the usual “oh sorry, I had an accident at work so couldn’t come”. Oh i see, an accident that means you can’t even text me but can go on Facebook to further advertise your services...?