Do any tradespeople actually enjoy their job?!

[Edwardandtubbs]

I've had it up to here with trades! I know they are all busy and there must be challenging aspects to the job - going to quote is a PITA, I get it.

But seriously, if I meet another tradesman (they have all been men) who look at me like I've asked them to scrape their own eyes out, when actually all I want is for them to do the job they are trained in, I'll scream!

The plasterer looked pained, sucked his teeth, went on about asbestos, how I wouldn't hesitate to sue him if the ceiling fell down (wtf?) and on and on and not a single smile or pleasant word!

The tiler just moaned non stop - 'oh everyone wants small tiles these days.' 'The floor is so wonky.' 'Why do want the whole room tiled?'

Please, Jesus, send me a tradesman with at least a smile!

Anyone else?

Our are all good, and seem to enjoy what they do. Our roofers and plasterers especially. All on their third or fourth jobs with us, and they still get really keen and enthusiastic, full of ideas and explanations about how they will get round any possible problems. Maybe it's a local thing?

I've had plenty of those "what do you want to do that for?" types. And the teeth suckers, the non committal, the terminally noisy, and lemon featured too.

Been in the trade for over 30 years and absolutely love my work and job however I can do the best impression of the most miserable person in the world some days !!

always time for a smile though

@BlueMongoose if you are in East Anglia please send them to me! I don’t get it as the people here are generally lovely…

I love it, but I don’t quote on 2/3 of the enquiries I get.

I get the feeling that those customers have unrealistic expectations, will be a pain to work for, and yes, would want to capitalise on it of something went wrong.

I can sympathize. I hate dealing with tradespeople. It always feels like I am an inconvenience!
My brother is a tradesperson and he is giving up soon and going into a 9-5 job in an office, because he's falling out of love with his job ( i think he's not quite cut out for it - he is good at the actual work itself, but it's all the other stuff he's rubbish at, like customer care, organisation and time management).
He feels he can't manage customers expectations anymore and wants a job he can finish at 5, and mentally clock off at 5. As a tradeperson, he works his manual job till 5/6, then goes home to do quotes/estimates/ordering/invoicing /credit control until late in the evening.

I think he has lost sight that customers are his income, whereas he'd rather just complain about customers ! ("they want me to do a 4 hour job after 6pm at night because they work full time but so do I!" - "they want to knock money off for the hot water I used washing the rollers" - "the customer is arguing that I haven't done X,Y,Z. I said I've done work as per the quote, but the customer is saying because I haven't specifically said "this quote does not include X,Y,Z", they are arguing that I have to do it for free". ). It's basic customer service that he could solve himself.

I think there's an increasing number of trades people who aren't very resilient. With the serious skills shortages, it's going to get worse I think!

I'm with you op!

If someone doesn't want to work, no problem. Just say. PLEASE don't make an appointment and then not turn up!

The electrician I used for a big job does. He was so lovely, smiley and professional as well as affordable and did a great job. I've told everyone I meet if they need an electrician to use him! Don't get me started on plumbers though, I think being an unprofessional grumpy arsehole is trained into them at college.

He should stick with it. We all go through that.

The problem, as I have said is that 2/3 of people have unrealistic expectations and if he’s early in the game and feels he needs the work he’s saying yes when he should be saying no.

Sometimes customers can get very very pissed off when you say no, because they simply have no clue what they’re asking for and what it involves. So it comes with time.

If you’re a people pleased or “not very resilient” then forget it.

Otherwise stick with it but pick your customers with care, and bounce anyone that challenges the price.

Where I live in the South West, there is such a high demand for tradespeople so much so that they can pick and choose their work.
My neighbour has recently had their kitchen replaced and they had to get a fitter who lived 150 miles away to do the work. Expensive! Pays to know people nowadays….

I get the high demand, and I get unrealistic expectations. But I don’t get it when someone walks into my house and I say something really simple like ‘I’d like this ceiling plastered’ or ‘I’d like the bathroom tiled’ and it’s instant negativity!

I would never quibble on price after the event or try and argue the toss over small things. That must be frustrating. But don’t anticipate that all customers are like that!

DH is a gardener and he gets some ridiculous requests - lately someone who wants to leave the ground elder in their borders as it’s ‘good ground cover’. They are totally wrong but he manages that with good grace and a smile!

I've lived in my home for a long time and have built up contacts with excellent tradesmen who seem very positive about their work.

They in turn have many regular, decent clients which must make their job more enjoyable.

I'm sure there are plenty of the teeth-sucking types around but I don't come into contact with them any more, thank goodness.

You've just brought back memories of that chap that came to quote for guttering replacement. He stood in the back yard, stared up at the old guttering morosely then stated baldly: "I hate guttering."

Why. Do. It. For. A. Living. Then!!

I realise now with experience that he just didn't want to quote for my job. I would much rather he'd said so, even though it would have been awkward with his "No job too big or too small" advert. My guttering looked straightforward with clear access and no hazards to bypass so I don't know why it was so objectionable. Maybe he just didn't want me as a customer, who knows?

Fortunately there have been more nice tradespeople than rotten ones since.

We have a wonderful, cheerful and capable plumber, but we had quotes from a sequence of miserable decorators who seem to absolutely hate their business so I know exactly what you mean.

It’s the questions too…the ones that seem specifically designed to catch you out. Like ‘did you want to keep the coving?’ Or ‘which end of the bath would you like the taps?’
Seemingly straightforward questions but you can bet your arse there’s a wrong answer. And don’t even think about saying you don’t mind! Because then you get hit with the problems that arise from both answers!

It truly is a dark art.

The problem with customers these days is their expectations are way too high I have found! They often dont understand the building game so often make choices based on limited knowledge, building is actually quite complex in reality with so many different processes and strategies - that’s why there are
so many problems when it comes to
building and so much goes wrong half the time due to limited knowledge. I often find customers obviously want the job done but they don’t want to pay for it either because they are ignorant or don’t have the funds! I have had many customers “play games” have you running around in circles for that final cheque! Some customers are however accommodating and understanding when you explain you can’t do that or that product would be a lot better! I often find
the customers who are accommodating and understanding are fine at paying too! The customers who are stubborn and annoying are often the non payers also. I work strictly for myself now and what a difference in comparison to dealing with customers! It’s a nightmare they talk about rogue tradespeople but I often say what about rogue customers?!

I don’t understand why someone would respond to a query, make an arrangement, then not bother to turn up for it.

I don’t understand why someone would come to look at a job, return to look at alternative ideas, then not bother to quote. Waste of his time and my time.

Yes I have had that many times people turn up look interested and then you never hear from them again no quote or estimate nothing! It is a bit strange it’s either because they forget or another job comes in that they don’t need to quote is often why so they take on what comes easiest available to them at the time. Being self employed is tough it’s not easy by any means I can say that for sure! I worked for 15 years for the public and it was tough but I always turned up and quoted 99% of the time. Now I wouldn’t be so keen as I used to be as one person said up above being a people pleaser ends up hurting yourself in the end and it is better to say no rather than being a yes person. People will value your time more if you do.

Trades can be a pain. But so can customers.

It could be the aura you give off. If you are in a trade you develop a highly tuned radar for figuring out when customers are going to be a pain in the ass.

The ones who think everything should be a 10 minute job. The ones that think all jobs are "small" and therefore should be cheap based on no experience whatsoever. The ones who talk about getting a "handyman" because they think it is going to be cheaper than getting a professional and expect the same outcome. The ones that don't tell you properly what they want, then complain about the outcome. The ones that want you to rescue years of bodge jobs for next to nothing.

Customers. Who'd have em.

Oh and some tips for dealing with traders.

i) Know what you want.

ii) Don't say it's a small job or an easy job. That is for the trade to decide. If you think it is an easy job, DIY.

iii) Don't expect prices for work to be consistent from when you last had the same thing done in 1970, and take a sharp intake of breath otherwise.

iv) Save up lots of small jobs for the trader to do on site all at once. This means the jobs will be cheaper as the trader will not have to travel from site to site and if they are sensible they will charge for their time doing that. Try to organise the jobs in whole days.