www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Hi everyone,

Just wondered if anyone has experienced the same problems as me in Tradesmen letting you down by arranging to come and quote on a job you want doing, then not turning up.

This has happened 3 times in the past fortnight. One actually turned up, gave me a quote which I accepted and he said he would phone me to arrange the day and I've not heard anything from him for nearly a week now. Another was out of the Yellow Pages with an e-mail address and phone number. I e-mailed and to this day have still not had a reply.

It's a days work: fitting 41ft of skirting, two lengths of Dado Rail and boxing in about 2ft 6" of piping in the toilet. I've now got to start phoning round again. Why do they make arrangements with you then let you down and don't seem to give two hoots! It's so FRUSTRATING and ANNOYING!!

That is one reason why I started this site.

A few years ago I had an house and had two plasterers a drain unblocker and a gardener that never turned up

They are not all bad though, there are some excellent tradesmen out there, when you find one make sure you keep his number

You might find someone on here who can help you!

Hi again,

The bloke that fitted my kitchen done an excellent job last year and said when I need anything else done to give him a call.

I rang him two weeks ago and he said he would call round 2 days later at 5 o'clock to have a look at what I wanted doing, but I said I can't be there till 6 (he lives a 3 minute drive away) so he turned down a job because I don't get in from work till 6!
I can remember when my dad was a self-employed fencer coming home late at night after working a 12 hour day because he was quoting jobs that people wanted doing.
It seems there's not the same enthusiasm towards work as there used to be.

maybe when times are good, people can be really picky - I would think the way the economy is going at the moment, this will change.

the best tradesmen will be reliable in good times and bad and they are ones we need

I always turn up when I say I will. I will always make time for a quote and explain if I am busy how long it may take before I can do the job. If they can't wait fair enough if they can then I do the work. I can't understand these tradesmen that don't turn up, after all it is in their own interests as it means more work.?

The flip side is that many people expect free quotes when it suits them without realising that the tradesman isnt earning a penny for giving a quote.Lots of messers the past few years with mnay demanding this and that price then buying online and using a friend etc once they know what your going to do.
I fit a lot of window bars,collapsible gates and security gates and now only give quotes if the people measure the windows themselves.It got to the point where you were spending all week driving around giving quotes and not earning any money.
This new system does upset many who wont do a basic measure themselves but works out far quicker as i can price something the same day now which apppeals to many more. Recently i have worked out 3 different quotes for driveway gates and each took a fair bit of time to workout with all the automatic closers etc.Not heard a sausage from them and followed up with a call to each and one had the cheek to ask for more details on what i was fitting so their " builder" could install it.

I know a builder who now charges for quotes as he recently spent a lot of time working out prices only for the homeowner to explain they needed 3 quotes for the insurance company and they were never intending to get the work done.

At least if they are not going to turn up they should explain why,i certainly do even if it upset them.

lockie wrote:The flip side is that many people expect free quotes when it suits them without realising that the tradesman isnt earning a penny for giving a quote.Lots of messers the past few years with mnay demanding this and that price then buying online and using a friend etc once they know what your going to do.
I fit a lot of window bars,collapsible gates and security gates and now only give quotes if the people measure the windows themselves.It got to the point where you were spending all week driving around giving quotes and not earning any money.
This new system does upset many who wont do a basic measure themselves but works out far quicker as i can price something the same day now which apppeals to many more. Recently i have worked out 3 different quotes for driveway gates and each took a fair bit of time to workout with all the automatic closers etc.Not heard a sausage from them and followed up with a call to each and one had the cheek to ask for more details on what i was fitting so their " builder" could install it.

I know a builder who now charges for quotes as he recently spent a lot of time working out prices only for the homeowner to explain they needed 3 quotes for the insurance company and they were never intending to get the work done.

At least if they are not going to turn up they should explain why,i certainly do even if it upset them.

I can understand that, but I don't mess around getting loads of quotes I just phoned one plasterer and asked him to come and quote, he never trapped and so I asked another one- he never trapped either

As for the drain unblocking, I phoned them and asked them how much ?- it was about £60 so I asked them to come and do it the next day, they never trapped. I then phoned another firm who came out the next day and sorted it in 15 mins.

There is a simple solution to this- if you don't want the work or don't intend turning up to give the quote then don't say you will turn up in the first place.

You can do 100 jobs right and that is what the customer expects because that is what they are paying you to do.

But do 1 thing wrong and that will undo your 100 rights

Thanks for all your comments.

The Carpenter's I've tried to employ to do a job for me are obviously totally unreliable. They must like receiving calls, making arrangements for the homeowner to be home and then not turning up or visiting, quoting and accepting the job and then letting you down! SAD!!

So any Carpenter in Northampton, if this is you, you should be ashamed!

There should be a website for this sort of thing where you can name and shame the people in question.

Hi Dollydots

I'm a chippy! Not near enough to come do your work however, sorry! Would love to help!!

I don't understand why some tradesmen do this, but I suppose you're lucky to find out early that they're not reliable!! Its also a surprise you can't find anyone, as theres been a massive downturn in commercial housebuilding and there are hundreds of tradesmen now looking for private work???

If I where you, I'd drop by the nearest big building site. Shopping centre or the like! Ask if there are any carpentry contracting companies on site, talk to the foreman or site manager and see if any of the lads want some evening or weekend work. Cash jobs if you get what I mean!! Not that I do any of that!!! Draw up a simple contract agreeing the price and the materials too.

Most of my lads do a ten hour day on site, only to head off fitting kitchens, fitting doors or popping skirtings on for privet clients! Its a common thing. The bonus is that you're getting experienced tradesmen, working regularly, and not a dodgy mulTITradesman from the Yellow Pages. I've always said, if you need to advertise then you're not doing a good enough job!!!! I don't even have my van signwritten and I'm never short of work.

I give free Estimates, and charge for quotes. Quotes are legally binding if not accompanied with a contract stating terms!

If you are successful in finding someone, post how much they want to charge on here and get some second opinions!

If you where here in the South I'd charge £120 labour plus materials. Materials include fixings remember!

Best of luck!

Dollydots wrote:
There should be a website for this sort of thing where you can name and shame the people in question.

On the flip side, there should also be a website to name and shame bad customers

Totally agree some customers, although I tend to sniff them out at quote stage can be a nightmare.

Hi Carhaart Kid,

Thanks for your reply. I really don't know where else to look except the Yellow Pages or Thompson Local cos there's no building work going on round my area.

I registered with My Builder website and got 2 quotes at £300 (labour) for the work I wanted doing and thought that was a bit over the top.

The Carpenter that actually come round (got out of the Yellow Pages) quoted £150 for the labour which I accepted and he said he would phone me in a couple of days but never did.
So I'm back to square one.

I just can't believe how difficult it is to get someone to do this work for me!

Got another suggestion for you.....

Speak to a couple of letting agents and see if they would give you the name of the tradesmen they use when work is required on properties they are managing.

They will usually engage tradesmen who are good value and reliable (so they don't get on their clients bad books) and do a decent job (so they don't get on their renters bad books!)

We did this on a Boiler installation where we had no idea of local companies after moving into the area, and the guy did a good job at a reasonable price.