AIBU to think this reply is a bit cheeky?

[OldBoiler22]

As per my username, I need to get our boiler serviced. Used a new company last year who were fine so had intended to use again.

The website of said firm has on a landline and also a mobile number. In a quiet moment last weekend I thought I'd seize the chance to send a message to the mobile number asking if I could book an appointment. This was the response I got:

'Hi OldBoiler, yes no problem. Can you message me again Tuesday when I'm back at work'

I was a bit narked I won't lie.

AIBU to think that, as the customer, it's a bit much him asking me to contact him again at a point that suits him?

I agree. Very good customer service would be to simply reply in working hours.

BUT, a lot of people in business are very busy, not least the trades since 52% of the public voted for building costs to go through the roof and waits for tradespeople to become much much longer.

The reality for a lot of tradespeople is "I have a month's work booked in. I could take on two week's work every week if I wanted, but I wouldn't have the time to do it all. I could call this person up, but if I do it will eat into my non-working hours for ZERO benefit as my diary is already full to bursting".

His reply was absolutely fine. He didn't have to reply at all, but he was polite and let you know that he would get back to you when he was in work/ had access to his diary.

If you look at it in reverse.
Imagine you worked in a nursery for example and a parent emailed you at the weekend asking to make an appointment for a meeting.
You were in the middle of a family day out/ enjoying your day off and you get this message.
How would you have responded?
Would you have dropped everything and arranged that meeting there and then?

Also you have to bear in mind that a lot of people leave their work diaries behind at work at the end of the working week.

I don't see the problem here as his tone wasn't rude, and a lot of people don't bother replying during their time off. I'd just be glad he replied.

I don't see anything wrong with his response.

It used to annoy me when DH would call/text a mobile for a business during out of hours, for something that wasn't an emergency. His reasoning was that they would have the phone turned off if they didn't want to answer it, and he could leave a voice message. It didn't occur to him that they might leave it on for emergencies.

DH can be lacking in some common sense at times.

If he hadn't replied until Tuesday - would you have tried to find someone else?

If you expect him to chase you up Tuesday - and you've gone elsewhere, then he has wasted his time. If he has a few people do this - then it all adds up, plus some people he would contact might not answer and if he leaves a message, it can become phone tag.

He might have also get a lot of messages - so if he didn't respond now, your text might have got lost. I am guilty of that at times.

Actually you were rude contacting him for a boiler service over the weekend. It’s not urgent and could have waited until Monday. Also, you could have called him or phoned the landline. You were being lazy and expecting him to bend over backwards. News flash this is not the time of the year that plumbers etc need to be bending over backwards he will be rushed off his feet.

I do love an AIBU where the OP gets told by some that yes, they are being a little unreasonable and then their second post on the thread is an argument to say they don’t think they are being unreasonable 🙃

Yabu. There are boundaries to working life. I actually initially thought your post was a wind up. Maybe it is!

No issue with this at all 🤷‍♀️

Truth of the matter is that he does not really need your business. It will make no difference to him if you call him back or not. He is probably run off his feet as boiler men seem to be and so does not need to worry too much about providing top notch customer service.

My hairdresser does this & I've never thought it was cheeky.

Have you any idea how many people message/ phone businesses / voluntary groups at all hours of the day / night / weekends ?

I deal with admin for several voluntary groups & the amount of cf that contact with a staggering.

I get why you think you shouldn't have to contact them again but other posters have already explained why

The amount of times I've asked for more details & sent several messages to then not even get a thanks, we've got something else. I now don't respond at weekends

Bloody hell. Would you respond to a customer who messaged you out of hours? At the weekend? While you're spending time with your family?

At least he responded while NOT AT WORK.

If he hadn't replied to you, you'd probably be pissed off about that too. You sound very entitled and a bit of a nightmare customer to be honest.

I don’t think it’s rude. You would think business wise he’d take your details and call you but lots of tradesmen are busy and not great at admin. He was probably out no diary. My milkman texts things like remind me next week etc.

At what point would you say that its OK for tradespeople to stop "at least acknowledging the text". After 1 weekend text? After 10? After 30?

Why do you think their time off work shouldn't be considered as actually being off work? Why do you think they need to stop what they're doing on their days off to acknowledge messages?

If you’re SE you can choose if and when you reply.

Most want the business so will reply to say they’re closed but to acknowledge the message so the person doesn’t go elsewhere.

Some jobs like my own, require reading or answering texts or emails out of hours.

Fon

I kind of see you’re point - it’s not the not giving a firm answer that’s annoying, it’s the asking for a second text?

So he could have just sat on it and responded on Tuesday? But he’s saying he can’t even be expected to remember to respond to texts? Is a bit weird but also a bit like some other sole tradespeople I’ve come across.

Could have said “let me get back to you on Tuesday?” rather than wanting a reminder.

Suppose it’s up to you if you want to find someone else, or text him again.

Rude!
You not him.

@OldBoiler22 Im going to go against the grain and say you weren’t being entitled messaging on the weekend given his mobile is on the website. Unless said mobile was identified as “for emergencies only” I would use it too as you did. If it’s a work mobile and not for emergencies, then it should be switched off when he’s not working. That would avoid the need to ask you to call back if he was socialising etc. that said, I don’t think his message was rude and I would have no problem messaging again.

Gosh get over yourself, his reply was perfectly reasonable. I would have assumed he was off work and would actually feel bad for messaging him on his off days.

Not at all. If anything you were a bit cheeky to message at the weekend.

Total overaction.
The reply is fine. I do a version of this if I'm not in front of my diary by asking people to pop their request in an email so I remember to respond/action

Never occurred to me it was rude!

My plumber sends messages like this because he works constantly. I've never been offended because he is really good and often squeezes me in when he really doesn't have the time. He also did a small job for me for free.

He is absolute gold dust and I am more than happy to fit in with him!

He wasn’t cheeky. He asked you to contact him again when he’s back at work. He was on HIS TIME probably with his family, in the middle of family life, not standing there with diary in hand to write “call Mrs old boiler Tuesday” so to avoid saying he would call you back and forgetting he asked you to get in touch when he’s back at work.

Perfectly reasonable. Get a grip.

I wouldn’t have any issue with his response and would assume he has asked you to message him so he doesn’t get confused between different customers as he won’t have your number saved in his phone.
If he gets several requests a day it could be a faff to go through all the messages to find the correct person.

Not going to lie. I can tell it is a man who replied -they love to fob stuff onto other people. If he isn't working then fine, why have the phone on or even reply. He should reply when he working. Rather than passing the onus onto you to chase him again -you have already contacted him once