To embarrass this Gardner?

[InsanelyPregnantAndSore]

DH and I were desperate to get a time sensitive item done to our garden. We posted on our village Facebook for recommendations and a local company were recommended and sent me a message. Told them our time scales...etc.

Guy came to quote said he’d be in touch but then nothing.
Chased - promised would send that day.
Still nothing, waited ages.
Chased (promised to send)
Nothing
Chased
Reposted on Facebook asking for other recommendations again. Locals ask if he wasn’t available?
Immediately receive a text from him having seen my post and clearly not wanting me to say anything that’ll look bad on him.

Receive the quote and agree it. Ask about timescales and he says he’ll call back tomorrow.
Nothing
Chase till blue in face.
He comes and does a very half hearted job (obviously wonky hedge) tries to claim DH didn’t give him clear instructions despite DH and I both being crystal clear.
Comes again and does job properly.

DH and I now need something else doing in garden. Got in touch with him offering the job (we are rural so not lots of choice and knew he’d see any Facebook posts) but he’s twice now said he’ll send over a quote on a specific day and hasn’t.

I keep being very direct but polite about his crap communication and still getting lots of promises that don’t materialise.

AIBU to re post asking for available Gardner's and sod him if he’s embarrassed that I’m asking for other recommendations locally because he’s flaky and non dependable?

This is all very dramatic really.

If you’re wishing someone to deal with shed or fence this is not the job of a gardener.

Just go on your village page and search for gardeners, or post again but don’t respond if someone asks why.

It’s just someone doing some gardening work, it’s hardly knocking down your house and building you a new one.

I was going to say what the other poster said about speaking to your OAP neighbours about the issue, and asking who they use for heavy/ awkward/ skilled jobs.
They will see the difficulties you are having, and the stress will be lifted from your shoulders somewhat, because you won't have to worry about the possibility them misunderstanding and thinking you are inconsiderate.

You can speak about nesting birds, too, so, year on year, they won't be expecting you to raze everything down pronto, and they'll be aware of your need to be synchronising your efforts with the natural cycles.

To be fair he showed you who he was from the get go. You chose to peruse it which was just a bit mad really. Why would you ever give him more work?!

@longwayoff

This is what happens when Brexut sends home all those hard-working Eastern Europeans. Dream of the brief period when an enthusiastic and competent tradesman with a heavy accent would sort out our domestic trivia, not stop for tea and biscuits, do the work properly and be available in a reasonable time. Back to how it used to be.

So so true.

After ur first experience I wouldn't go with him again. If he says anything about h posting another job advert tell him he's a time waster!

I absolutely hate folk that do this. With me, I'll chase once but not numerous times. If u don't get bk to me after chasing I assume u don't want the job.

@Accentor

Is there no way at all you could do your own gardening?

Taxi services - is there no way to could drive yourself? Hairdressers - is there no way you could cut your own hair? Cleaners - is there no way you could clean your own house? Tree surgeons - is there no way you could cut down your own tree? Fencers - is there no way you could erect your own fence? Dentists - is there no way you could fill your own tooth?

Lordy if it was up to folk like you, the economy would go to hell in a handcart. And we’d all have terrible hair.

I hate this aspect of local recommendations. I had people ''highly recommended'' and they never got back to me with the quote. So then I went back on and tried to rephrase the request, reliable people who are in need of work. I got barraged with the same recommendations for the people who hadn't rung me back the first time, or had come, said they'd prepare a quote and then never got back to me.

You're better off sticking your finger in the yellow pages if that still exists.

Get on to NextDoor.com and put "handyman" into the search engine.

YABU to offer him another job after he did such a poor job the first time!

Switch up your thinking. You’re not embarrassing the gardener, he’s embarrassing himself by not delivering a halfway decent service! No surprise you’ve gone looking elsewhere.

You were daft to give him so many chances the first time and would be completely ridiculous to use him again.

Also, locals asking if he wasn't available all sounds stupid too. Are you sure it wasn't him? Why do locals care who you use?

He’s had his chance, so I say re-post away.
If you get comments asking is x not available, just say something non-commital such as ‘thanks but, I’d like someone else this time’ no need to go into detail or trash his reputation.

Sounds as if he is either currently far too busy and struggling even to answer emails (maybe his staff have been off sick/quarantined?), or didn't enjoy working with you. In either case he may really be hoping that you'll ask someone else.

Try looking on Google Maps - put in "gardener" in your local area, click on their websites, read the reviews.

This is every tradesperson I have ever dealt with, communications is not their strong point! I have often given a job the one who responds best regardless of skill! That said, if they did a crap job I wouldn’t ask them back.

@AbsolutelyPatsy

yellow pages?

Yellow Pages don't exist anymore. Yell. Com is the digital version.

* To be fair he showed you who he was from the get go. You chose to persue it which was just a bit mad really. Why would you ever give him more work?!*

^I have to agree with this. Anyway going forwards- I wouldn’t hesitate to tell people about this mans poor work. More people need to speak up about their bad experiences or these sub standard traders will continue to get away with their shoddy workmanship.

I only put yabu because why on earth were you so persistent when he clearly wasn’t interested in the work. I understand that there aren’t many others around, but if you have to chase someone that often it is quite clear they aren’t going to do a decent job.
hopefully you will find someone else!

I think it's obvious the gardener really didn't want the job in the first place. Like most unreliable tradespersons, instead of just saying "It's not for me" he tried to just ignore you. He reluctantly did the job to protect his local reputation, all very avoidable really.

I find Nextdoor is good for recommendations. But as people have said, the job is more suitable for a handyman or shed company, not a skilled gardener.

You often find people go silent on you when they just don't want or need the job. Avoid.

I didnt mean an actual book. I meant the online compilation. That way you can see what they claim to do, the kind of work they want.

Honestly OP .... you’re being unreasonable, full stop. When he didn’t send the first quote as promised and you had to pursue him, that’s where it should have ended. You shouldn’t have given him the first job. He did a substandard first job, so WHY have you offered him a second job?? Why are you worried by what he thinks if you ask for other gardeners? He’s shown his substandard true colours ... Crazy. Crazy. End of.

He sounds utterly useless, I wonder why he came so highly recommended. Try to find a different one.

i expect he was recommended because he is the only gardener in the village