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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To embarrass this Gardner?

138 replies

InsanelyPregnantAndSore · 16/04/2021 05:32

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 Hmm 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?

OP posts:
SueSaid · 16/04/2021 09:07

Oh op I'm sorry your dh has hurt his back and you're pregnant, maybe everything just seems more stressful than it actually is? Hedge trimming is never time sensitive.

Just shrug it off. Put it down to bad experience and book another. Fb isn't a court of law you've no need to answer questions or post critiques of the poor communication from original gardener.

Embracingthechaos · 16/04/2021 09:11

Don't overthink it. He didn't provide a good service. You are paying for someone to make your life easier, not cause you a headache and have you chasing them because they're unreliable.

Just post looking for new gardener. If people ask questions on the Facebook post then just say he wasn't suitable or something. To be honest I think it's a bit weird that people would even ask

GlutenFreeGingerCake · 16/04/2021 09:16

Find another gardener not through facebook?

HowToBringABlushToTheSnow · 16/04/2021 09:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn as it quotes a deleted post.

Maggiesfarm · 16/04/2021 09:17

Next Door is good.

BobbidyBob · 16/04/2021 09:20

Maybe you’re struggling to find someone because you’re googling “Gardner” instead of “gardener” Wink Just joking.

YANBU to find someone else, but goodness knows why you gave him so many chances already. If he asks why you’re advertising for someone else, you’ll just need to be blunt as blunt can be and tell him you’re not interested in working with him any more due to poor communication.

muddyford · 16/04/2021 09:23

He obviously doesn't want the work. Find someone else. You aren't embarrassing him.

Lalliella · 16/04/2021 09:26

YABU to even consider using him at the very first point when he let you down. And YABU not to comment on the Facebook recommendation saying “no chance, he never even turned up”

Lalliella · 16/04/2021 09:29

Why would you even consider using him again? Stop being such a pushover!

RealisticSketch · 16/04/2021 09:34

Don't worry about protecting his feelings! He's been very unprofessional and deserves nothing. OTOH not sure I'd be going back to the same people for recommendations when their first recommendation was a waste of time.
I live right and I find the parish mag a good source, or a regional company who send a minion and have a manager you can throttle if you need to. Grin

CirclesWithinCircles · 16/04/2021 09:34

I've had this, I inwardly cringe when putting a recommendations post on FB up, and its spammed by friends and relatives of the local useless, overpriced tradesman!

I've noticed that this type of tradesman is obsessed with Facebook and the free marketing they get from it. There are plenty of tradespeopke who are too busy actually working to bother with Facebook and who pay for proper marketing.

I've found that companies from outwith the area are happy to travel and haven't even charged me extra.

Block local unreliable trades guy and his friends and family if necessary.

RealisticSketch · 16/04/2021 09:36

Shielding him from his own shiteness is yet madness. Think you've been far too conscious of rocking the community boat he should have had the flick a long time ago.

ExConstance · 16/04/2021 09:37

On most village facebook pages there is a search facility, I'm sure so;meone else must have asked for a recommendation before.

Regularsizedrudy · 16/04/2021 09:37

@Accentor

Is there no way at all you could do your own gardening?
What a shitty comment
RealisticSketch · 16/04/2021 09:46

That should have said I live rurally, really not arrogant enough to actually post 'i live right' Grin

icdtap · 16/04/2021 09:50

If I'd had someone round for a quote and I'd had to chase them up for it more than once I wouldn't have bothered chasing it up again and I certainly wouldn't have then let them do the job.
He obviously didn't really want to do that particular job for some reason or doesn't need the work or whatever. He eventually comes round and does it half-heartedly.
Why on earth would you want to employ him again??

Just go on facebook asking for recommendations and if someone says "Isn't X available?" just say something like "We've used him before and unfortunately he wasn't very reliable so we're looking for someone else"... so what if he sees it? so what if other people say he was great for them?
If he didn't want to be "embarrassed" by any negative comments on social media he should have communicated properly and done the job properly too. My guess is he doesn't give a shit - he didn't really want to do the job, that's why he didn't call you back with a quote.

If he didn't

ElsieMc · 16/04/2021 09:51

Get someone else. We had this with a tree surgeon and he was an absolute flake. He would ring and say he had had an accident and crashed his van etc, etc. Untrue. Or it had broken down. When he did the job, I found him handing our logs over our wall to some nearby business. What I didn't know was that he was also in court for assault and harassment. Let it go op. Go to a bigger company - you might pay more but you will get the job done and they will be answerable to a manager.

JamesGetIn · 16/04/2021 09:54

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

lottiegarbanzo · 16/04/2021 09:59

Just get someone else!

I'd always get three quotes before getting anything done. That's the obvious answer to give the local busybodies too. Or just say 'he was quite busy, keen to explore all options' or whatever.

Use a different search tool than the village Fb group. Try a different Fb group, Yell.com or any of the many tradespeople websites available.

Parkerwhereareyou · 16/04/2021 10:00

Why does it all have to be through Facebook? Could you not find online elsewhere?

Yokey · 16/04/2021 10:11

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango

I am currently renovating a house. This sort of behaviour is endemic is some tradespeople. I have so far had a local window company come to quote for over 10k worth of work, they never got back to me. I want a log burner put in, local guy comes to quote and never gets back to me. Plasterer says he will meet me there at 8am, never shows up no phone call nothing. Three different guys to quote for new fencing - nothing back from all 3!

Your mistake is chasing and giving the job to somebody who clearly does not want or need the work. I will only give my jobs to people who seem like they want to work ie come back to me with quotes, good communication etc, otherwise you know you are going to in for a rough ride!

Also renovating and it is crazy how many apathetic and unreliable trades people there are out there! It's been a nightmare. I had no idea there were so many people who don't need/want to do the jobs they created for themselves. Not quoting, not turning up for jobs, taking far longer than agreed, completely ignoring communication etc. seems to be the norm. And standards are an issue too!

Unfortunately there have been a few times where, like the OP, we've had no choice but to pursue people who clearly can't be bothered. You're right, it doesn't bode well, but there aren't enough good workers about willing to do the work.

Daisydoesnt · 16/04/2021 10:14

This time of year he’s probably falling over work, proper gardening work and not handyman type stuff, that he won’t want a one-off job especially if it’s not his core line of business. Our gardener is fully booked now for the summer with regular clients (grass cutting and maintenance/ borders etc).

I second looking in a village/ local shop window for a handyman or ask for that on FB.

wsbts · 16/04/2021 10:15

Hi Op FWIW We have had exactly the same issues living in different parts of the UK in trying to get works to either phone back or turn up for an appointment. If they do not know you or the job seems complicated that's it. Even if you say if you are unable to turn up please call no phone call. We are now in a position that we think we have reliable workers we can call on. However the area that stands out the worst in our opinion for no shows or no interest would be a certain county in the West Country!

WilsonMilson · 16/04/2021 10:15

Gardener.

Also, why bother chasing this idiot? He can’t be arsed and then does a rubbish job. There must be other gardeners out there. He’s already made a fool of you once. What’s that saying - Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!

starfishmummy · 16/04/2021 10:16

I can only assume he’s very busy atm as I struggle to get reliable communication despite chasing constantly’

If people suggest him, I think a simple "he doesnt seem to be available" would do rather than sounding like a pretentious idiot!