Tradies you gotta love them

[chrisp]

It is interesting to read the large number of responses to Wongo's "What will you do?" scenarios. Only one response so far...

Unfortunately, to most "homeowners" getting a tradie is truly a hit-and-miss affair. Sadly, it seems most homeowners can recount bad experiences with engaging, or even attempting to engage, tradies. Yep, I'm sure there are PITA clients and there are many good tradies, but unfortunately there seem to be many bad tradies.

How many of you would be willing to pick an unknown tradie at random out of the phone book, ask them to do a job, and be confident that the job will be: (a) done, (b) done right, (c) done well, and (d) that you will not be over charged?

Maybe some of the trade associations should work harder at trying to tidy up their own industry rather than trying to maintain a closed shop.

Perhaps I'm one of those PITA clients, but in order to sort the wheat from the chaff I'll question a tradie on all sorts of aspects of the proposed job. Why? Its not because I'm trying to work out how to do the job myself (there are much better ways of finding information, and I wouldn't consider it ethical to gain information under false pretenses) What I'm trying to is find out how the tradie intends to go about the job to see if it up to my expectation.

Hell, sometimes I'll even play dumb to see if they are going to try and rip me off!

What they mightn't realise is that I've done a fair bit of homework and I'll have a fair idea of the cost and effort involved. For example, when having gas central heating installed, I'd read up on the clearance regulations, check energy ratings, contact the manufacturers, have obtained and read a copy of the manufacturers installation manuals - before I ring a tradie for a quote. (I sorted a few issues with brands, models, and location of the unit but I still got caught by the first "What will you do?" scenario Wongo posted).

And BTW, I usually don't go with the cheapest quote. I go with the quote that I'm fairly confident that will do the job right (or rightest). I'm not "looking to screw them down", I'm trying to get the job done right first time to save me the grief associated with call backs.

I would properly use these

http://www.macsim.com.au/products/An.../anka_plug.php

Gee, maybe I am a difficult customer! I wouldn't use a anchor on a tiled hollow wall to hold a towel rail. Why? At my place the towel rails tend to get used as "steadies" to hold while drying your feet. I'd be concerned that the flexing of the wall would loosen the tiles. So how have I done it? I've ensured that the screws went into a wall stud at each end of the towel rail (I adjusted the length of the rail to suit).

[Sorry Nev, I'm not really having a go at you. Its just you have provided the only response to Wongo's questions for me to bounce off.]

I'm not trying to have a go at tradies. I have many tradie friends and work colleagues and value and respect their skills. But it does seem that there are many rogues out there after a quick buck.

Chris ("1-2")

[Frank&Earnest]

Chris ("1-2")

Frank INTJ

[Barry_White]

From what I can see, Andy is not a Spring Chicken and he WAS talking about compacted clay. That takes a LOT of elbow grease to shift.
Wolffie

I don't know about being a Spring Chicken at 49 but he certainly isn't a worn out old rooster. When I was that age and building my house I dug over 300 metres of trenches by hand using a shovel and a bar some up to 3 feet deep for the electrical, water, stormwater and septic as well as the adsorption trenches for the septic as well as the hole for the septic tank 7 feet deep by six feet in diameter. Apart from the topsoil all the subsoil had to be barred with the pinch bar.

All this was in granite soil during a drought which goes as hard as concrete. The last three feet of the septic tank hole was gravely clay.

That was in the days before Dingo or Kango machines and I couldn't afford to hire a Bobcat or Backhoe operator. So it can be done in a pinch.

Apart from that I dug probably another 100 metres for a dripper system in the orchard.

Probably at the age of 69 I would have difficulty doing it but then I was young and silly.

[Brickie]

The same old tired story about some tradie doing some poor wickle innocent public person out of something.

The number of times Ive been to look at a job and the poor wickle person isnt even home, even after making an appointment.When I ring they declare all innocence about making the appointment.

I had to go back to a job Id finished ages ago to replace some bricks the client had deemed to be too orange, the whole house was orange.

Have a look at the pic and tell me which ones they are?

Next time you need to bitch about tradies give the poor person a bit of credit.

[Barry_White]

Have a look at the pic and tell me which ones they are?

I see the problem its the ends of the half bricks and if you had of end for ended them he would of complained about the rough end. Face it Brickie you just can't win against us whining customers.

[SAISAY]

EXCUSE ME.
First of all I am not a female dog and as such cannot be a bitch. I take great exception to be called something like that.

Note to self: Add rudeness to my vent about tradies.

Secondly, I was NOT asking for a quote, I was waiting for the material to be delivered and the job done. I sat there all day waiting, thinking that MAYBE another job had delayed them.

Thirdly, before we retired, we ran a painter and decorator business, so I know all about clients asking about quotes and not calling back, hence I would NEVER EVER waste another person's time but neither would I accept an outrageous price or bad workmanship.

On the other hand I HAVE been waiting 6 months for a roofer to call me and give me a quote for replacing my roof.

Mind you, the small place where I live, we cannot pick and choose.

Wolffie

Originally posted by Brickie
Next time you need to bitch about tradies give the poor person a bit of credit.

As I said above and I STILL resent being called a bitch
To add to that, I had to cancel a specialist appointment 2 1/2 hours drive away that I had been waiting 9 months to get.
My next door neighbour had to wait 18 months to get a broken window replaced because the job wasn't worth the glaziers while.

Wolffie

[Jasey]

To all the tradies on here using those clients that either aren't home, don't want to pay or complain about workmanship unfairly as excuses for poor manners - get real. I think you'll find that most people who need a tradesman are flexible and pretty understanding. If you need a tradesman you just want to be shown some BASIC respect by a) calling if you are to be unreasonably late or not be able to make it b) spend a reasonable amount of time determining what the actual requirements and costs are.

Everyone understands that you don't get paid for quotes, driving, paperwork etc. I just hate it when a tradesman say "well sometimes I get stood up etc so I won't bother calling anyone!". Its the job! Don't complain to me about your bloody mobile bill - if that is what it cost you to run a business with RESPECT to your customers then add it in for crying out loud.

Its only a phone call - you should consider it a part of your job.

And those people you are quoting for-most of them do jobs that YOU need also - maybe your dentist should just close the door on you when you need something done.

[ravlord13]

Hey Brickie,
I'd be more worried about the bL**dy great crack down the middle




Just Joking, don't throw a brick at me it would probably break your computer monitor.
Andrew

[Brickie]

 Originally posted by Brickie
Next time you need to bitch about tradies give the poor person a bit of credit.

As I said above and I STILL resent being called a bitch
To add to that, I had to cancel a specialist appointment 2 1/2 hours drive away that I had been waiting 9 months to get.
My next door neighbour had to wait 18 months to get a broken window replaced because the job wasn't worth the glaziers while.

Wolffie

Twernt aimed at you so settle down, unless you feel the need to be victimised of course?

[Brickie]

[code]
To add to that, I had to cancel a specialist appointment 2 1/2 hours drive away that I had been waiting 9 months to get.

Owwh please...............I wouldnt cancel an appointment of that magnitude for anyone or anything..

[Big Shed]

T

Next time you need to bitch about tradies give the poor person a bit of credit.

The adjectives bitchy and bitchin' and the verb to bitch evolved from the noun bitch. All of these derivative forms tend to be less offensive than the noun form, although it is clear that most derivations of the term originate from the insulting meaning of "bitch."
From this usage of bitch as "complain", the colloquial noun bitch-fest evolved, to describe people complaining about something together. Used in its verb form, to bitch is considered significantly less offensive than the noun bitch. It is not uncommon for people to say that they are "bitching" about something, whereas it is less common for someone to call himself or herself a "bitch." Although "to bitch" may maintain some of its feminine specificity, men are also commonly said to be "bitching" when they are complaining extensively about something (thus implying they are acting feminine).
The use of the term "bitching" has been extended to the common sewing or crafting get together known as a "stitch-n-bitch". At these gathering women (and occasionally men) gather to work on projects and talk or complain.

Extract from Wikipedia entry on Bitch

[SAISAY]

The adjectives bitchy and bitchin' and the verb to bitch evolved from the noun bitch. All of these derivative forms tend to be less offensive than the noun form, although it is clear that most derivations of the term originate from the insulting meaning of "bitch."
From this usage of bitch as "complain", the colloquial noun bitch-fest evolved, to describe people complaining about something together. Used in its verb form, to bitch is considered significantly less offensive than the noun bitch. It is not uncommon for people to say that they are "bitching" about something, whereas it is less common for someone to call himself or herself a "bitch." Although "to bitch" may maintain some of its feminine specificity, men are also commonly said to be "bitching" when they are complaining extensively about something (thus implying they are acting feminine).
The use of the term "bitching" has been extended to the common sewing or crafting get together known as a "stitch-n-bitch". At these gathering women (and occasionally men) gather to work on projects and talk or complain.

Extract from Wikipedia entry on Bitch

And this one fits where?

"Theres always one whingin bitch"???

Wolffie

[Brickie]

And this one fits where?

"Theres always one whingin bitch"???

Wolffie

Give a rest Wolffie.

[Big Shed]

And this one fits where?

"Theres always one whingin bitch"???

Wolffie

Didn't see that one Wolffie, I saw you take Brickie to task and "assumed" that was what you were referring to

I have now found the other reference which was totally uncalled for and I fully understand you taking exception to it, in fact I'm surprised it hasn't attracted "official" attention.

[Brickie]

I find it really strange that one member of the forum can hang shyte on anothers, but cant take it when the shyte is chucked back?

Most strange.....