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?

But if he had waited until Tuesday to reply he could have lost the job. Having done previous work for you that wouldn't be good for his reputation. I wouldn't be refusing to use they're services again if they have done previous work for you and you were happy with the result. You might get someone else and they're shite. We should be supporting local businesses not bringing them down.

Trying to pin my plumber down is like trying to catch a greased pig, and he's married to a good friend so god knows how hard it must be if it's a plumber you don't know. The fact he replied and acknowledged your message so quickly is a good thing.

His reply is completely fine. My DH is a trade and gets people messaging at all times of the day and night. Just because he has a mobile number listed on his website doesn’t mean that he can/should be contacted at all times, especially over a bank holiday weekend for a non emergency.. perhaps he knew that he would likely forget that you had messaged so was asking you to contact him again when he was next working. If you’re not happy with his response you know what you can do..

So you messaged a tradesperson on a weekend (a bank holiday weekend no less) to ask them to service your boiler and now you’re annoyed because they replied and said to contact them on Tuesday when they were at work?! I can almost guarantee that if they’d not replied until Tuesday you’d have moaned about that too. Get a grip. And stop messaging people who likely don’t work weekends and bank holidays (unless in an emergency) on weekends and bank holidays.

I love all the people who think tradesmen have 2 phones for work and personal calls 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'd be delighted with that response. It tells you when to phone again. Far better than him phoning back while you're driving/in a meeting/wrangling the kids.

you asked if you could book an appointment, he replied promptly saying yes, and requested you to message when he is actually working so will have his work diary or whatever, how is this unreasonable

you probably would have been annoyed if you'd messaged him and he didn't reply til tuesday cause you'd probably say it was unprofessional to ignore customers"

why do you expect him to remember you, you're not his only customer

Tradesmen do have families and home lives too you know. He replied so I really can't see your problem. I think YABVU

My plumber and electrician send messages like this to me all the time. I find them really helpful because I know that they can do the work, but that we will have to speak later about exactly when. I'd much rather have a quick response like this than days of no communication and wondering if they can or not. If someone asks me to contact them later I just assume that they are somewhere where they can't note down the query right there and then and they are worried about forgetting it later. I do the same myself at work sometimes. It never occurred to me it was something to get offended by, it is more something adults who are interacting with each other do to smooth the process.

YABU and sound a bit entitled. The little people are allowed their own lives too. Just text him again when he asked you to.

OP, in the nicest possible way, you have your head stuck up your bum. Is it really so hard to call back during normal business hours?

My husband is self employed and some people think he’s available 24/7, so the response you got from your plumber is perfectly fine.

Thanks everyone for the replies, and no it's not a wind up 😆

I didn't think I was being entitled but I guess I'm going to have to go away and think about that a bit more. I didn't expect a reply from him straight away at all (because it's a weekend and a bank holiday!), and equally it wasn't an emergency either-just something I was trying to get in the diary. So for me I wouldn't have assumed his phone was even on-I'd have just expected a response when he was back working to say that he could fix a date.

A couple of posters (and it was only a couple!) touched on the thing that I think had bothered me which was him putting them onus back on me to contact him again? If he had an auto reply set up to say 'I'll respond to you when I'm back at work' then that's obviously fine. As is not responding at all because it's the weekend. . . that's what I had assumed would have happened.

Perhaps it's a combination of things from my end-I work shifts and do a lot of nights as well, so I sometimes send messages at funny hours and times-it wouldn't cross my mind that it's not ok to do that because I work on the basis that if it's a business at the other end then they'd respond in their own working hours. I'm not from the UK either so I guess I need to get used to the British way! Where I'm from customer service is quite different I think so I guess my expectations are a little off

He’s a boiler man. He is semi on call all the time so he has to check his texts even if it’s just op who doesn’t need a response.

Maybe he's away for the weekend/ill/busy but wanted to let you know he'd seen it. Sounds alright to me.

I think it's perfectly fine and clear.

His response was perfectly fine, at least he’s acknowledged you.
Your comments about the British way are rather condescending too. I’ve lived in numerous countries and this would be acceptable there too.

I dont see an issue with what he said.

Ok thank you for your feedback. I didn't mean to come across as condescending so I apologise if I've caused offence.

YANBU. Unprofessional. He has your text, if he’s unable to make a note or set an alarm to respond when he’s back at work I’d question his abilities tbh.

People would never expect regular service from a solicitor/accountant/architect over a bank holiday weekend, so why should the plumber interrupt his weekend? Self employed tradesmen have just as much right to a home life. Or is there snobbery going on here?

Sounds fine. They are not at work so do not have their diary.

I agree with you and I wouldn't have expected a response until he was working again. Don't think I'm a snob no!

So had he left the response till Tuesday chances are you would have went elsewhere. This was he has let you know he is off until then and to get back in touch to set it up. I think it’s good customer service and my reply would have been brilliant will do thanks, have a lovely weekend 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’d have appreciated him letting me know rather than waiting days with no reply.

What on earth that isn't rude 🤣. He's literally asked you to contact him again when he's back at work to book you in. He could've ignored you!

I can see both sides but I think he probably gets a lot of messages and some people will have messaged multiple engineers so it's his way of making sure that he doesn't waste time contacting people who've gone elsewhere and also puts the ball in your court to contact him when he is working and has his diary available.