Why are some tradesmen so unreliable?!

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Have contacted 3 separate guys for a quote to refit my bathroom. All came recommended.

First one - no reply to my Facebook message, or voicemail, nothing.

Second one - spoke to him, then just didn't show up to price.

Third one - Came out to price 10 days ago.I Haven't heard from him since.

Same story when redecorating a bedroom a couple of months ago. One no show, one never heard from again. So bloody infuriating! 4K sitting in the bank and nobody seems to want it.

I have no idea obviously thee is a distinct lack of tradesmen/women and we should all move into this area of business. I called several after a huge leak a couple of months ago 3 people came and quoted to fix it, all 3 could not do the work until after Christmas. Huge waste of time and completely pointless, not one of them seemed to realise that I obviously wanted it fixing sooner than January .

Same issue local to me (Greater Manchester). It is no exaggeration to say practically everyone I know has struggled to find tradesmen (except some members of my family who are in trades themselves).

When are the government going to realise that not everyone needs to plod away until they're 18 trying to get that elusive C grade in maths/English and plough some money into basic plumbing/electrics/plastering etc. as an option at key stage 4 and apprentiships for 16-18 year olds? With the rising costs of uni I'd definitely encourage my daughters to pursue the trades if they're not overly academic (and even if they are academic but fancy learning a trade - it can be very lucrative).

Think it depends where you live. DD used to live in Hull and never had a problem finding tradesmen. In our area it is the same as OP's experience.

I just think the decent thing to do is tell your potential customer that the job is too small/big/boring/whatever instead of wasting their time and making yourself look like unprofessional. Three people that I won't recommend and they've never even lifted a hammer for me!

From a trade point of view - if they're any good they're probably working on paying jobs full time, with a waiting list. Pricing jobs isn't a priority until the list gets short, and even then usually has to be done at weekends/evenings - leaving them with no time off. Putting a quote together can take hours or even days of work, with potentially no reward, so it's just a question of when they can fit that in around other commitments. (I do recognise that it's frustrating if you're waiting to get started!)

@UnconsideredTrifles can I ask for any tips to get on a tradespersons waiting list? Most of the ones I contact completely ignore me, but I'm willing to wait for someone good.

UnconsideredTrifles wouldn't it be better to rule themselves out straight away then? If a customer rings and says 'I'd like a quote for a new fusebox.' the electrician (in this case) could just say 'No, sorry, I am too busy/nearing retirement and don't fancy it/ have a contract at the new builds up the road' instead of coming round , saying 'I'll drop your quote in by the end of the week' and then not doing it.

This topic has cropped up every few weeks recently. I think that unfortunately you have to factor in that getting quotes will take longer than you think and that maybe if you like a tradesperson and their quote seems reasonable you book them in and don't get comparison quotes, which goes against all the advice out there.

I had two plumbers out last year to quote. They turned up but didn't quote, in spite of me chasing. I was clear on the phone what the job was, so if it was too small, why bother to come out in the first place?

Agreed 9Green.
I also agree with wowfudge. We only persuaded one person to actually quote for our bathrooms, he was a very likeable chap, so we had him anyway. He had very good reviews on local trade sites.

I've experienced this too. My kitchen fitter is a nightmare to get hold of, never returns calls or text. His work is really good but I'm now getting worried he isn't going to turn up when I need it fitting!

I don't even want a quote. I just want someone to turn up with a drill and do a small DIY job. Local handyman "no job too small" doesn't even ring back.
I need some holes drilling. I could go out and buy a drill but I physically can't use one. DH would swear a lot, make a big hole in the wrong place and throw it down saying get someone in.

I agree about not getting multiple quotes. Getting someone to actually turn up and give a price is an achievement. I have a decorator and plumber who I've used for 25 years so that's covered but any other kind of job is impossible.

That's the thing. The guy who actually turned up to quote, i was pretty confident I could go with. I'd seen pictures of his work and the colleague who recommended him is pretty fussy, so I thought if she recommended him, he would probably be pretty decent. Had he got back to me and quoted within my budget, I'd have happily gone with that. I only contacted him after I never heard from the other two, so he wasn't even competing with anyone. He told me it would likely be early October before he could me fit in, I was fine with that. Even suggested mid October if it suited him better!

As for it taking days to do a quote. Fine, I don't know the ins and outs, but reply to my text and say you're working on it, at least

I feel your pain. I can never get 3 people to actually come and give a price. I feel lucky if i can get 1!

We are on the process of renovating our new house and I can say that bar one good handyman, all the other workmen have been horrendous. They have come with good reviews but have turned up hours late, canceled at last minute when I've taken time off work, not completed work they quoted for and still expected to be paid in full, and left an awful mess afterwards. I will never renovate another house due to this

Another aspect these days is the sheer amount of "one man bands". Go back a decade or two and most were proper firms who had employees, apprentices, etc., and no doubt some admin support such as a secretary to do the paperwork. Nowadays, the same person works alone and does everything. People just don't take on staff these days if they're small and don't have a HR department - they're scared of the potential claims, fines, etc., if they don't cross all the t's and dot the i's in the paperwork etc.

No need to worry! John Lewis has started their new Home Solutions, operating in Milton Keynes and coming to all of us soon!

Plumbers, electricians, carpenters etc.

Can't wait!

That'll be handy in Derbyshire

I seen one of the aforementioned decorators in my work today! He was the one who came out and priced, but snubbed me when I went back and told him I was ready for the work to be done anytime at all that he was! He looked at me for a second, then said hello. I told him at the time that I work in the college he goes to. You need to have a real brass next to know you might see someone every day, and still be so ignorant!

They can afford to be picky. May be they think you'd be a total pain to do work for

I agree with forever

Indiana - my best tip is to have a really thorough plan of what you want, right down to the last detail. It makes quoting much quicker and more accurate, and reassures the tradesperson that you're serious about having the job done, not just musing on possibilities. Also keep chasing, at least once a week until it's more work to delay than to do the quote... But be considerate and don't chase at midnight! Also, once you've had the tradesperson once they're more likely to give you priority if you've been a pleasant person to work for - offering tea, paying on time and not saying things like "Oh I'm so glad DS didn't fail his exams, otherwise he might end up like you..."

Android absolutely, if they're too busy/about to retire etc they should tell you, that's just good manners. I've had the same problem with gas engineers, and I've given up on waste removal people completely!

When are the government going to realise that not everyone needs to plod away until they're 18 trying to get that elusive C grade in maths/English and plough some money into basic plumbing/electrics/plastering etc. as an option at key stage 4 and apprentiships for 16-18 year olds

The issue is a lot of colleges that teach plumbing, electrics etc require 5 GCSEs at C+ 2 must be in Maths and English before you can even get on the course. In our area there are only 2 colleges with an intake of about 16 places each that don't require GCSEs and have lessons each week for people who failed Maths and English.
The days of learning a trade without academic qualifications is fading fast