Is it only me workmen don't turn up for?!

[starfish4]

Over the years we have had three really good trades people who turn up when they say or let you know if they're going to be delayed (heating engineer, electrician and kitchen installer). However, the majority either haven't turned up around when they say or let us down. Are we the only ones this happens to?

A chap said he'd install our cat flap around Thurs/Friday of last week. Hadn't heard so phoned on Friday, he said it would be Saturday - fair enough it was pouring with rain but had no phone call to say he wasn't coming. Meant to be here around 10am today- hopefully he's just delayed on the job he's doing but...

Think we're good customers, always offer a drink, try not to keep them talking and pay at end of job if looks ok (before they leave).

no, I have the same problem also! We are getting the bathroom done soon and I was dreading it until a friend of a friend was recommended.

I'm getting some work done next week that I contacted the guy about in January! I thought we'd locked it in for yesterday but no, apparently it's next week

No, it's not just you.

Having in the past used contractors and tradesmen for large contracts, I have had very little difficulty with unreliable people, and would have had no hesitation in pressuring the company boss, or throwing them off and getting somebody better.

As an individual householder, I have been shocked by the unreliability of local builders.

Nope, shocking here too. Trying to get quotes for the bathroom - one at least quoted but got the measurements wrong and hasn't ever put it right, one came round to look and never send a quote and one never even showed up. It's draining. Someone should set up an agency to field calls and get tradespeople to actually show up!

Nope not just you. We ve had faithful promises of " definitely next week" from three different tradesmen - from last September! Got quotes from different tradesmen too. Yep, we can do it soon. And then they just disappear into the ether.

Yes! I posted about this last week. I'm just trying to get people round for quotes. I had one not call back, one booked but didn't show, and one couldn't come to look at the job for over 2 weeks (he's supposed to come on Thursday so we'll see if that happens...)

it's pretty rife. when we bought our house it was a huge 'project' and I would say that one in 3 people we approached just didn't turn up.

Others turned up and then never put quotes in, some would start the job and then disappear for a few days and we couldn't reach them.

Plumbers I found the most reliable. Decorators and plasterers the least.

It's one of the reason a lot of people will always Eastern European workmen over Brits - they tend to turn up for work.

Me too. Just been messed about something rotten by Carpet Barn.

They changed our booking for the second part of the fitting (having 3 rooms sone at once, so spread over two days) and no one bothered to tell us. Took me chasing for ages to find out what was going on, and wasted a whole day waiting in for someone to turn up. Then we had problems with doors afterwards, wasted another day waiting in for someone who never arrived. Was left for 5 days with carpet curled up at the door of DD2s bedroom, which faces the stairs, despite me calling repeatedly and telling them how flipping unsafe it was. They didn't care.

Nancy, we've just used a decorator and he was actually fantastic. Turned up when he said, very good communications, as well as doing fab work. So pleased we think we'll use him again for a room I was going to do myself, but I'd never get it as nice!

Not just you!

We've had the lot: not bothering to answer the phone, not calling back, not turning up for quotes / the actual job... in the end it's the guy that gets back to you that gets the job!

I don't get it, it's like they don't need the money... Is it like this in other countries? There must be another way!

I've learned over the years not to chase up the no-showers: they also tend to be unreliable when it comes to doing the job.

definitely right Wowfudge - chances are the no shows will also bugger up the job.

recommendations from friends and neighbours is the way to go. You can't even rely on sites like checkatrade either as their operating system is pretty dodgy.

I've not been disappointed by a single East European builder so far when it comes to turning up for a quote/communication. Yes, I've also learnt that I shouldn't expect to get quotes back from local decorators/painters unless I chase hard. Bathroom are bigger jobs so I'd usually get quotes back quickly.

Definitely not just you! We've been trying to get someone to quote for various jobs for years and have pretty much given up. I'm expecting the house to eventually fall down around our ears due to lack of maintenance.

Same problem here.

Looking for a plasterer at the moment. I contacted three. One never responded, one came to look at the job a couple of months ago and hasn't quoted and the other takes two weeks to reply to an email so I have given up on him.

Very annoying as we found a good plasterer but he has moved away since he was last here.

It is very testing...

Same here, been waiting for a chap over a week. He came yesterday, didn't finish the job as he had to be elsewhere. Just as well, as on reviewing things it's not quite what we wanted (due to a breakdown in communication on both sides). He back here now and having to undo everything, but it's more important to get it right.