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Original poster

Unprofessional behaviour you've witnessed from the builder ?

32 replies

cherrytopcake · 08/03/2022 09:16

Just overheard the carpet fitters downstairs argue over team work and refusing to work Saturdays. Started as a disagreement in a normal tone conversation and quickly escalated to one of the fitters shouting at the other two. Had to intervene and tell them to do this elsewhere and how unprofessional it was of them to argue on the job.

Admittedly, nothing very exciting but what poor/unprofessional behaviour have you heard or seen from your builder ?

Was I unreasonable for stepping in ?

OP posts:
HereComesSpringAgain · 08/03/2022 09:18

Why are you starting a thread trying to tear tradesmen down?

incognitoforthisone · 08/03/2022 09:19

I really wouldn't give a shit if some carpet fitters had a row in my house, to be honest. I certainly wouldn't intervene and give them a lecture about professionalism. I'm not their headteacher.

seekinglondonlife · 08/03/2022 09:27

As a teen I came home from school to find the builders sitting in our living room watching porn on TV.
More recently we had work done on the fascias and the builders threw all of their off cut plastic bits, coffee cups and crisp packets around the garden. I had to go out and do a massive clean up after they left. And before anyone asks, I was very good to them!

PatienceSwing · 08/03/2022 09:28

Plasterers were in and I was in a zoom meeting in another room (I had told them). They sang a loud made up song featuring the lyrics ”I want an omelette. Make us an omelette. I know you can hear me PatienceSwing”

Hrpuffnstuff1 · 08/03/2022 09:33

@cherrytopcake

Just overheard the carpet fitters downstairs argue over team work and refusing to work Saturdays. Started as a disagreement in a normal tone conversation and quickly escalated to one of the fitters shouting at the other two. Had to intervene and tell them to do this elsewhere and how unprofessional it was of them to argue on the job.

Admittedly, nothing very exciting but what poor/unprofessional behaviour have you heard or seen from your builder ?

Was I unreasonable for stepping in ?

I deal with a well renowned global manufacturer, they had an issue with quality on an order we had processed. Whilst communicating via email, their admin accidentally copied me into there internal emails. So I saw the vitriolic abusive response from the quality-production manager. Idiots. So it's not just Blue-collar trades that get their hair off or act unprofessionally as you put it. I used to manage @ a small plumbing company, I've seen employees actually have fights so there are no boundaries when it comes to disputes.
jimmyhill · 08/03/2022 13:38

@HereComesSpringAgain

Why are you starting a thread trying to tear tradesmen down?
Hark at checkatrade here
poorbuthappy · 08/03/2022 13:42

@PatienceSwing

Plasterers were in and I was in a zoom meeting in another room (I had told them). They sang a loud made up song featuring the lyrics ”I want an omelette. Make us an omelette. I know you can hear me PatienceSwing”
This is awful - but christ it made me laugh. Sorry.
anon12345anon · 08/03/2022 13:47

@PatienceSwing

Plasterers were in and I was in a zoom meeting in another room (I had told them). They sang a loud made up song featuring the lyrics ”I want an omelette. Make us an omelette. I know you can hear me PatienceSwing”
Grin Grin Grin

sorry I know probably wasn't funny for you - but this made me laugh out loud!!

ANameChangeAgain · 08/03/2022 13:50

Are you from the Midlands @jimmyhill? I hear my mum and grandmother's voices echoing in Hark at checkatrade here 🤣🤣
We've also had some shockers. The worst was the guy shouting and swearing literally from our business premises rooftop at his ex girlfriend's new boyfriend on the street below.

Hobbesmanc · 08/03/2022 16:08

Our builders were always squabbling - they were one extended family. It wasn't very professional but they're builders- I am sure there's huge amounts of passive aggressive emails flying around white collar work places every day. And those pursed mouth fridge confrontations

zaffa · 08/03/2022 16:15

@incognitoforthisone

I really wouldn't give a shit if some carpet fitters had a row in my house, to be honest. I certainly wouldn't intervene and give them a lecture about professionalism. I'm not their headteacher.
Snap. I would be more concerned they would take this elsewhere and not fit my carpet 😳
Rewritethestars1 · 08/03/2022 16:22

@PatienceSwing sorry but it did make me laugh too.

Onlyforcake · 08/03/2022 16:27

It's when it's in front of customers, potential reviewers you do realise they're just some dodgy cowboy act though. I've seen awful behaviour on sites and I've seen those people not get contracts again.

Dontbeamugallyourlifesucker · 08/03/2022 16:54

I must be so lucky.. In the last 4 years I have had a plumber /electrician /painter & decorator /joiner /builder and all have been so good.. Turned up on time.. Done the job with no mess. Will recommend all of them and will certainly use them again Smile

PlainOldMe80 · 08/03/2022 17:02

When I was heavily pregnant and suffered from very bad spd the landlord had painters paint the front of the house. I could hardly move and was in agony, they rang the doorbell and told me to make them a cup of tea, not even asked no told me to make them a cuppa. Told them no as I was in pain and thought they we're rude. The amount of abuse I got was unbelievable, told them if they asked nicely I could have let one of them make everyone one but they still kept being horrible.

Figmentofimagination · 08/03/2022 18:24

Having windows fitted above the conservatory so had to have scaffolding above it.
Window fitter decides to hang off the scaffolding one handed like a monkey.
Also dumped all of their rubbish in our garden and our next door neighbours garden so I had to clean that up.
And they dropped a window walking down the stairs which cut a massive gash into my wallpaper. Luckily it was only a short drop so it didn't smash.

PatienceSwing · 08/03/2022 21:52

GrinGrin It’s ok, I can laugh about it now. I was raging at the time though.

KarmaStar · 08/03/2022 22:20

Not rude but when we moved in we needed some work done,they ended up:
Smashing the patio doors
Breaking my Crystal lamp which was a one off piece
Drove into our new neighbours walk and demolished it
Knocked the fire off the wall it wouldn't go back on.
Happy days,😀

notsohippychick · 08/03/2022 22:35

I was getting a boiler fitted. Now I appreciate people need the loo. However, I answered the door to the boiler man, there was no…..“hello I’m here to fit your boiler”……..just ….”where’s your loo?”

Off he trotted and then spent the next 15 minutes doing, what I can only assume was a massive crap in my loo.

The smell. I only live in a little house and it was like Armageddon. Violated 😂

He could at least have said hello before he took a dump.

I see him around driving his van and still say “that’s the gas man who crapped in my loo”

Aphantasia · 08/03/2022 22:54

God I’ve so many!! Once had kitchen gutters in while we were getting the whole house replumbed. The apprentice did a massive stinking poo in the UNPLUMBED toilet upstairs, panicked and tried to flush it away with a bucket of water, which achieved nothing but flying it out the back with a bucket full of shitty water all over the floor… as it was of course unplumbed, said shitty water then leaked through the bathroom floor through the ceiling of the kitchen and the plumber and kitchen apprentice had a bust up in the back garden over who was going to clean it all up…. Delightful.

I was also once called a cunt by an extremely aggressive scaffolder, that was fun

Iamtired123 · 08/03/2022 22:57

Not as bad as some other posts here but I found it really weird. Carpet fitter upon seeing my extremely narrow bathroom burst out laughing saying "thats the narrowest bathroom I've ever seen" then took a picture of it to send to his pals!

ProfFloss · 08/03/2022 23:00

I work for a builder. They’re the funniest, kindest and most thoughtful people I’ve ever worked with. They can be hilariously non PC, but that doesn’t bother me and I rather enjoy it.
On the other hand I briefly worked for a very wealthy upper class family, he’s Chairman of a big organisation and they’re very well connected. They were the rudest people I’ve ever worked for, they were deeply disrespectful and had no clue how to deal with their staff. I told them to shove it and went to work with the lovely builders.
Don’t judge a book and all that.

FfsKaren · 08/03/2022 23:01

Some of these are hilarious will show my tradesman other half.
When we were having Windows fitted I came in to collect something unexpectedly and one of them on phonecl with gf/wife describing him as an absolute shower of shit (phone on loud speaker) I had to sneak around to grab what I'd forgetten whilst window man put finger to lips Bd rolled eyes.
It felt like I'd walked into a scene from Jeremy Kyle 🙈🙈🙈

BrinksmansEntry · 09/03/2022 14:28

We had the outside of our house painted when we were on holiday. When we got home, DH was clearing up some rubbish they had left and found a big human poo underneath an upturned plant pot hidden behind the rear hedge.

AlmostMaybe · 09/03/2022 14:35

My friend caught her builders pissing in her garden, despite them asking to use her toilet for the 2 month job rather than them getting a portaloo. A portaloo arrived the next day. Dirty bastards.