Absolutely gutted with home supply companies

[Smashingspinster]

I have a new house - everything needs redoing as it was a very old couple who lived here. Aside from issues with getting people to come when they say they will, I have been trying to sort out a new door. Nice man from local company came - gave me a quote - all close to going ahead but just emailed to ask his advice on some glass. Got an email saying he cant meet my exacting standards and is going to have to pass on the job? WTF? It was one bloody question.

I would email back politely and ask if he has confused you with someone else as this is your first and only enquiry?

If you still get a rude or nonsensical answer from him, chalk it up to something going wrong in his personal life and move on. If you have had no other contact with him, it can’t be related to you.

I had to pick the glass for the insert in the door, and then match it to the options available for the windows at each side (coming from a different supplier, he had advised me to pick the insert first and then look for which one looked most similar). I confirmed which insert I would like and asked if he had supplied a door with it in before and had any ideas which of the other glasses would look ok with it as I was looking at quite small thumbnails online and could not really tell. Then I got the email telling me I was exacting. I was only doing what he suggested!

The one thing I am wondering about is whether it was something about the door itself. He initially quoted me for a door from one supplier, but then I went into the showroom to look at the options available and saw another door I really liked. It was more expensive than the one he had quoted me for and from a different supplier, and I told him I would be happy to pay the extra for it. For some reason he was bent on me getting a door from first supplier he recommended. So I was looking at the closest equivalent to it. that was all - everything else was done and dusted, it was just the final decision to make. I have a lot of work to do on this house and it is making me wonder if asking any questions is going to lead to stuff like this.

If all you’re buying from his car s a door it might just not be worth his while. I know it doesn’t seem like much but if he’s having to source different suppliers for you and answer questions, it might just not be worth it. It might be different if the windows were from him too.

@LastStarfighter - they were all from him, just from his different suppliers. But perhaps that made it too much trouble for him. Not as upset today but I was kind of blindsided by it.

If he’s hell bent on you having a certain option usually means he’s got some surplus stock or he’s getting a big mark up on the item. If you go for the more expensive option likely he’ll get less of a mark up. He obviously doesn’t want the job. Had very similar issues lately, with a boiler and also a roofer. Roofer told me he couldn’t come until July! Found another who can do it by the end of the month.

Fickle. I had a couple guys (who I had worked with before) come see a house I was buying, give me a quote, came again after I bought it to double check stuff, came a third time to confirm with the structural engineer as starting the following week.... then disappeared off the face of the earth.
A bigger job may have come up for your guy and instead of being honest just came up with this weird response.

Thanks all - it makes me feel better, because when someone implies you are unreasonable you always have to wonder, don't you? I couldn't really see what I had done wrong, think it is clear he has some reason for not doing it and wanted to blame me for it somehow. I am feeling quite pessimistic about getting the other stuff done that needs to be done!

This happened to me with a local painter and decorator. Quoted for the job, all good and date agreed to start.
We were to supply the paint.
A week before he was due to start I asked him what paint he preferred for the woodwork and got a reply back saying he couldn't do the job now because he was going into hospital for an operation.
I replied saying how sorry I was to hear that etc and asked whether I could rearrange the date.
He replied saying I should find someone else because he didn't know how long he would be out of action for.

The next week his Facebook page had a review from someone gushing about his services that week. I have no idea why he cancelled on me and didn't want the job in the future. I don't think I was difficult and the job was pretty simple.

I still feel bitter when people recommend him on the local FB page!

What is it with door people. A few months ago my friend was quoted for a new front door, everything going swimmingly, the door person came round with the fitter, friend chatting to fitter and asked his advise re the door, owner man stomped in, yelled at friend, then left, never to be seen again.

To this day friend has no idea what happened

If someone doesn't want to work for you, there's not point in trying to get them to, however illogically they may be behaving. They might even agree to do the job and then just not bother doing it properly, or keep stalling you.
I'd chalk it down to experience and find someone else.

Fair to say, though, that a lot of tradespeople are having a rough time at the moment, materials prices going up after they have done a quote, sometimes spending hours on the phone trying to get supplies- some may be at the far end of their resources/energy.