Half hour tea break after being here half an hour?!?!?

[anonymousbird]

I have some new windows going in today. I was told they would be here between 8.30 and 9, so with great difficulty I arranged for kids to be taken to school so I was here for their arrival.

They actually got here at 9.30 and did all the usual oo and ah about how difficult the job is going to be etc, then finally got down to it around 9.45. At 10.10 one of them announced "flippin hec it's gone 10" and disappeared off to their van for their break (I made them a coffee as soon as they arrived...) and only just two minutes ago, at 10.45 have they reappeared?!?!?!?

Is this how most people approach their working day? Even if they are late for the job (ok, I accept they may have been at their place of work on time, but they were late to me) they still tools down at an exact time rather than trying to catch up the time and have a later or shorter break??

Right jobs worth, bloody disgrace.

My Dad used to be a window fitter. Just because they have just arrived at your house, doesn't mean they have just started work. they will have been to the factory first, to pick up the windows/materials and log in their jobs for the day. They might have been to measure up for some new jobs/quotes.

They have probably been working since 8ish.

All the places he worked gave an allotted time to complete jobs in, depending upon how big the job was. Sometimes they had time for loads of breaks, sometimes they would be working from 8 until 8 with only a quick lunch break between jobs.

Did they say why the job was difficult? has something unexpected came up?

YANBU. Just make sure that they actually put your windows back before they knock off. I had a couple of friends who worked for a well known double glazing company. They arrived at a job, ripped out the existing windows and went to Corfu for a fortnight. The houseowners didn't realise anything was wrong for a couple of hours, they just thought P+R had gone for a tea break.

Shiny I entirely accept they have already been to their depot (as I said in the OP) and all that but I just think it doesn't look good to the customer to turn up and have a break so soon after starting the job, or taking such a long break....
And when they gave me a time, I kind of expected the to stick to it, at least vaguely. We even spoke to them yesterday just to confirm it all up and double check everything available and good to go.

As it is, now I will have to go out whilst they are still working as there is no way the job will be done by 3 (as they originally said it would be....) and I have to go for kids. So, I leave them in my house, house unlocked??

If they had been here on time they would be done in time, but they weren't and they won't be and I can't wait to see how long they take for "lunch"!!!

grrr