Are building "professionals" getting less professional?

robatwork

OK a deliberately provocative title.

I managed to find, a few years ago, a great builder/carpenter/handyman through recommendation. He did some small jobs and some much bigger ones around the house and garden, and even came out the same day when I had a garden fence down.

He has I think become victim of his own success, and now doesn't answer his phone or respond to voicemail, text or email. I can't accept that, so have been looking for someone new to do some carpentry.

I have been contacting various professionals via various methods, with hugely disappointing results. There must be more work than people to do it, because the number who simply don't respond at all is surprising.

When I do get a response - for example "I can come and quote on Tuesday at 5pm", I send a message on Monday asking if the appointment is still OK and get nothing back.

Rinse and repeat the above 3 or 4 times. The other variation on a theme is someone visiting, promising a quote and not delivering. To me that says they are not interested - and I'm not chasing up someone so disinterested or disorganised. If you're too busy to follow up or do the job, just say so. Takes a few seconds.

In conclusion: Rude.

PhilE

Yes they are. Last few decades have seen a massive drop in British workmanship in general. Compared to the Germans, Australians and Americans the British tradesman is lagging far behind and getting steadily worse. And if you dare to point out that obvious fact, they get angry and rude. Some of the replies to what I've just posted will probably prove that.

Its not just British workmanship though, safety on the streets, respect to your neighbors, considerate driving... all these things that make up a civilized society have declined in Britain. Obesity and alcohol consumption have been steadily rising however.

Madscientist

Tell me about it. My roof was leaking, so found someone local online. He came out after numerous calls and beggings. Charged me £300 for the job, did whatever he did on the roof and left. So I left him a good feedback on google. Couple of weeks after a rain roof was leaking again. I called him numerous times again and he always said he was coming today or tomorrow until I gave up calling. So I deleted the feedback I left for him on google. He called me (I think it was him) without telling me who he was and said horrible things. So I called police. Now I am scared to call anyone except caling my insurance company which we are covered in emergency and they send reliable people.

FreddieFrugal

The last building job we had done at our house I ended up just giving in and saying I'll finish it myself. They made a mess of several jobs and after having a few chances to put them right just couldn't seem to be able or sufficiently willing to fix them.

Even simple things like getting the guttering level.

I've made the decision that if I can't do the job myself, it's not being done!

sevenhills

FreddieFrugal wrote: »

I've made the decision that if I can't do the job myself, it's not being done!

Isnt that what people used to do?


Perhaps because people no longer do their own jobs, there are not enough skilled people to do the jobs. Or maybe if you are on facebook, there are loads of people looking for work.
My boiler needs servicing soon, I put a question up and have had two quotes that I need to respond to.

EssexExile

There have always been good & bad. The plumber I used in 1976 was as bad as the one I employed last year. The one I used in about 1986 & the one I use currently are brilliant. likewise plasterers, most other things I did myself until the body started complaining.

Furts

Madscientist wrote: »

My roof was leaking, so found someone local online.

Charged me £300 for the job, did whatever he did on the roof and left.

So I left him a good feedback on google..

A common tale with countless consumers these days. Yes, there are issues with dodgy workers but the golden rule applies today just as it has always applied. Cowboy builders feed off cowboy consumers.

Here is a post where a typical scenario is "I do not have a clue why my roof is leaking, I do not care about about any details or any technicalities, I will not do any due diligence, I want it sorted and I want it now, I will beg and scrape to get anybody to get up there, I will not manage or inspect the work, I take no responsibility for my actions, I will pay cash, and I will bury my head in the sand."

OP has been conned out of £300. Be realistic here is it any wonder? Safe working is likely to incur more than £300 as a starter - there needs to be access to the roof so scaffolding has to be factored into the cost.

Suppose the worker had fallen off OP's roof and died and OP was now being grilled by the Police for allowing this to happen. What defence would OP offer?

I am like everybody else - I do not want to see cowboy builders out there. Unfortunately our society has dumbed down, which is a point PhilE in #2 has not mentioned. This dumbing down is encouraging and assisting the cowboy problem. One thing is certain - it is going to get worse as the years tick by!

PasturesNew

It is nearly impossible, often you end up paying "over the odds" just because the bloke with the ridiculous quote actually turns up and does it

I did hit lucky when a tile blew off in the gales - got a good bloke, who did it really soon for just £60, but that's rare.

I put off even trying to find somebody to quote because there are so many fail points in the system, from finding somebody, having them answer the phone, getting them to turn up to quote, getting a quote you can bear, then having the work done.

I think one of the problems is that while they might be good at what they do, they're disorganised in a "business sense", so never get round to things they've promised as they don't operate a proper diary/schedule system, but end up chasing their own 4rse and/or finishing early and sliding off home rather than opening their book and asking themselves "Right, so who's contacted me that I can call ... and who wanted a quote...." -they just slide off down the bakery/pub/home as that's easiest.

I asked for a gas boiler service person .... an overwhelming response to my request was "This Guy" - and when I looked he was Gas Safe AND lived over the road. Perfect I thought ..... modern boiler, he lives over the road ... he gave me a good price. Two weeks on I've still not managed to see his face (although, to be honest, I've not been overly bothered as it's important, not critical, this month). Firstly he went "radio silent" for four days, by then I'd given up - so stopped looking for messages and he left one suggesting "tomorrow?" which I didn't see until the following day, so responded and he's not got back to me yet. I gave him both my phone numbers, what's wrong with picking up the phone? It is easy money for him..

One of the problems is that "we don't know how to do our own stuff" - and you can't learn it unless you're keen/motivated/have space and money for lots of tools/equipment and are prepared to wreck your house trying to learn

Evening classes for "put up a shelf on a plasterboard wall" and "get that picture hung" or "I don't like that leak, how do I stop it without flooding the house?" would be handy .... just to not have to live with the disaster of your first attempt without a clue.

sevenhills

PasturesNew wrote: »

Firstly he went "radio silent" for four days, by then I'd given up - so stopped looking for messages and he left one suggesting "tomorrow?" which I didn't see until the following day, so responded and he's not got back to me yet. I gave him both my phone numbers, what's wrong with picking up the phone? It is easy money for him..

These days different aged people communicate in different ways.


Why people just dont send a text message is beyond me, but the older generation offen dont like them.
I work and I drive, so ringing me on the phone is pot luck, facebook messenger is another option.

robatwork

sevenhills wrote: »

These days different aged people communicate in different ways.


Why people just dont send a text message is beyond me, but the older generation offen dont like them.
I work and I drive, so ringing me on the phone is pot luck, facebook messenger is another option.

I have been communicating mainly via text and FB messenger as it's 1) what younger workers are used to and 2) leaves a trail so they and I know what's been arranged.

It doesn't help - they still don't respond.

robatwork

Furts wrote: »

Unfortunately our society has dumbed down, which is a point PhilE in #2 has not mentioned. This dumbing down is encouraging and assisting the cowboy problem.

PasturesNew wrote: »

I think one of the problems is that while they might be good at what they do, they're disorganised in a "business sense", so never get round to things they've promised as they don't operate a proper diary/schedule system

This, and this, precisely.

I didn't mention my own beliefs as to why this is happening, but I see what's happening in our schools, and it's obvious we are producing people barely able to function on their own, let alone run an efficient business. Why school don't teach time management and basic finance I have no idea, although most of the teachers probably aren't capable.

I am not basing my comments on speculation but observation.