Mobile phone downtime

[artme]

Was having a discussion the other day with some friends
about the time some tradies spend on their mobiles while
being paid by the hour to work for you.

I'd never really given it much thought but some claimed to have lost
an hour or more in work time for which they paid. hardly seems fair.

What are your thoughts.

[NCArcher]

Don't pay them by the hour. Get a quote, in writing, and only pay the agreed price once the job is finished. If they don't like it get another tradesman. Plenty of them around.

[wheelinround]

No worse than entering a shop and being at the counter being served and phone rings the person behind picks it up and your standing looking rather

[artme]

Not always as easy as you say NC. I have found that full job quotes are
often quite exorbitant.

For instance, because of my injured hand I have had to have others finis my deck.
The quotes for tthe job ranged between2k and 5k.

Got it done at an hourly rate for <2k - including the purchase of a a steel beam.

Wheelin Know what you mean!!! But for us mugs it's only time, isn't it?

[wheelinround]

Not always as easy as you say NC. I have found that full job quotes are
often quite exorbitant.

For instance, because of my injured hand I have had to have others finis my deck.
The quotes for tthe job ranged between2k and 5k.

Got it done at an hourly rate for <2k - including the purchase of a a steel beam.

Wheelin Know what you mean!!! But for us mugs it's only time, isn't it?

Thats their thoughts as well but we all have somewhere else to be.

For thoise guys running their own business they are IT som e are lucky when wives or family can handle 50% of calls.

[Mulgabill]

Artme, I know where you are coming from. Earlier this year I looked for several quotes for some roof repairs and bathroom/plumbing renovations and selected fixed price quotes. Both tradies were recommended and all worked out well. However, during the works the roofing guy sat on the roof taking phone calls and making appointments for quotes while the plumber disappeared for hours at a time. So it was just as well I was not paying by the hour.