Tradesman hasn't turned up

robatwork

What's disappointing with so many tradesmen is that in these days of simple easy communications, their comms has never been so bad.

When it was phones only, I didn't notice much of a problem getting anyone to talk to me.

Now we can email and text/facebook message, I'm often amazed that someone I am paying can't spare the 30 seconds it takes to acknowledge an email or text, even if just to say they're busy and will respond later. I understand if your hands are full of bricks, or you're on a roof, you won't be able to respond. But within 24 hours every professional should respond to every message.

moneyistooshorttomention

ceredigion wrote: »

That sentence combined with the general sentiment of the post makes me wonder.

You mean - as to which part of the country OP lives in?

I was thinking "Bet I know whereabouts OP lives - same area as I now live in....:cool:".

The tradespeople in my current area of country are notoriously unreliable and I'd never experienced tradespeople turning up late (or not at all) before I moved here. Since moving here on the other hand...:eek::eek::eek:

They are well-known (by everyone here) to be unreliable and the only consolation is I've been told "It's not just you - they do it to their own (ie locals) as well". It's manana land....

TamsinC

robatwork wrote: »

What's disappointing with so many tradesmen is that in these days of simple easy communications, their comms has never been so bad.

When it was phones only, I didn't notice much of a problem getting anyone to talk to me.

Now we can email and text/facebook message, I'm often amazed that someone I am paying can't spare the 30 seconds it takes to acknowledge an email or text, even if just to say they're busy and will respond later. I understand if your hands are full of bricks, or you're on a roof, you won't be able to respond. But within 24 hours every professional should respond to every message.

Completely agree - radio silence for days on end is a no no and rude. Its not like you are asking for a letter. A quick - 'busy now, will contact you later' is all that is needed most of the time. And then of course the follow up call. I've nearly lost it with a couple of trades for not replying and one is on the verge of not being given more business due to this and never knowing when or if work will happen on time. And being made to feel like they are doing me a HUGE favour and my opinion is completely irrelevant.

Brummie85

Trades not turning up when they should isn't anything new, or much to worry about initially.

I had a sparky leave me in the lurch for our house. Dates booked in, works following on agreed etc. He turned up and then decided it was too much for him. He came on the first morning, but then text me to say that it was too big a job for him to fit in around another site and he couldn't carry on with it...

On the plus side at least he let me down on Day 1. If it had been dragged out it probably would have been worse.

OP give the plasterer the benefit of the doubt. If he's on a fixed price and completion date then all the responsibility to meet the requirements are now his. But if you aren't happy with the work are are concerned it won't be ready for when you need - Don't leave it too late to bring it up. Customers do have an active role to play in construction projects, which they often don't realise. You're not just paying !

JustAnotherSaver

I know the odd one or two tradesmen, enough to be on friendly terms with them.

They've told me about days where they've woke up and just said F it, made up some nonsense story for their customer, apologised & gone back to bed.


Then the other side to it where they're just taking on too much work for their little hands to manage & they've managed their time poorly so someone loses out (well, one customer loses out.).


Who knows what your tradesman's story really is be it genuine or not.

cha1n

First day on the job, boarded the extension ceiling (proper roof space, separate from the main roof) before any loft insulation was in. I mean, this is basic stuff right?!

Doozergirl

cha1n wrote: »

First day on the job, boarded the extension ceiling (proper roof space, separate from the main roof) before any loft insulation was in. I mean, this is basic stuff right?!

He's a plasterer, not project manager. It's not his job to check the insulation or even know if it's being put in.

Why wasn't the insulation in there? Who told him the insulation needed to go in first? Where was he told to start?

If I had a plasterer start in entirely the wrong place before the roof had been finished, there'd be no one to blame but myself - unless of course I had specifically instructed them to do something else and they'd just ignored me.

SandraX

I feel for you. Set out in bullet points what you expect and tell him and negotiate on that if required.

I have bad memories where we took on a worker that was a day late, that should have been the warning, ie text, no phone call, texted last min no apology, hubby and him fell out, it put us off having work done in our home.

ATB

Puflet

My neighbours and I had an agreement with a tradesman who didn't turn up at all. This was on a Monday. We contacted him, he apologised and said he could start on the Wednesday.

I just had a bit of a bad vibe about him, and looked him up online. Turns out that the previous Friday he had received a suspended sentence for fraud (telling two customers that work needed doing when it didn't) and Health & Safety breaches.

(I got back to him and told him we were cancelling the job...)