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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Eastern Australia
    Posts
    60

    Default What has happened to tradesmen

    OK Im retired, Im a electronics tech. The job I am helping with is guttering on a house for an engineer. Guy has the money to fit gutters and has worked out the gutters he need and got quotes, but it didnt work because.the quotes consisted of guttering that did not conform to need.
    The quotes consisted of guys who said A) gutters had no run.and should be level.. When confronted with the guttereing manual most did not quote , Some say we may break tiles and thats not our issue. God save us from fools. Where are we going. Do old farts over 65 have to fit gutters because you younger farts wish to treat us like fools. Guess what The quote was 3 grand, If it had been OK it would be OK. But the guttering `from a Son in law of a friend was $900 .
    Sure some old fart may break a hip up a ladder, chances are. But life goes on. And you can take your rip off and stick it. The old farts will take their chances and keep their money. What else has an old fart to do. But really what gives. This guy could have paid the price but no one would quote him a gutter suitable for his run. He is not a fool, He is an engineer. and can measure to a bees doodle.
    In Melbourne no one could quote him for a gutter. So whats the use of trades when all you are worth is how much you can screw out of the client. I believe this is the failure of our society, it leads to downgrading. If a trade can not give an acceptable product, what hope do we have. Shame on you. God save us from generation Y.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    65
    Posts
    4,239

    Default

    Step it up a notch and try to get a plumber to run a water pipe inside a ceiling and down an interior wall for a fridge. Good luck with that.

    Six failed to turn up for the quote, one asked me to measure it up for him and a dozen didn't return messages. I finally managed to get a young guy who was a friend of a friend.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Eastern Australia
    Posts
    60

    Default

    You know, I couldnt ask for a better reply. The last job I did for this guy is I had a piece of copper pipe going up to a boiler in the loft which was obsolete and capped off.
    We ripped that out, capped it off under my house and the pipe that I had now feeds his ice maker fridge in his house. (I can solder) Did we hire a plumber. OOPs we did the job better. Go stick another nail through your nose, who care. We had insulation fitted under the scheme, 99% OK but 1% crap and idiots complain. Save me from them.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Shailer Park, Brisbane
    Age
    43
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Sadly, the pride has gone out of the industry. My observation over the last ten years is that noone wants to be kicked around for the first couple of years of an apprenticeship on crap pay if they can find anything else that has better conditions and pay. As an engineer, I actually believe the apprenticeship system is the best way to teach people how practical industry works. I would like to see better schooling options available to give prospective apprentices more pre-apprenticeship training so that when they are picked up by a company they are more productive for their employer, more efficient to teach because there is less of a gap between apprentice and leading hand and everyone wins (at least a little bit) The other issue I've noticed is that there are just not enough tradies to go round. I regularly get expensive quotes back from subcontractors who don't want the work and will price themselves out of it. Too much other easy work on to care.

    Not showing up for a quote is just rude though, and it just indicates again they are not worried about repeat business or word of mouth getting around.

    I'm very interested to see others' views on this too...
    Cheers,
    Shannon.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Parkside - South Australia
    Age
    46
    Posts
    479

    Default

    It seems to be very common. I cant get an electrician to come out to do quite a bit of work or anybody to install gas central heating.

    There must be plenty of easy work going around somewhere.
    Now proudly sponsored by Binford Tools. Be sure to check out the Binford 6100 - available now at any good tool retailer.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    65
    Posts
    4,239

    Default

    I spoke to two plumbers who said they had too much work and were able to be choosy; I can accept that and appreciate their honesty. Not answering messages and not turning up for quotes when they promise is just very poor business (and rude).

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Lindfield N.S.W.
    Age
    63
    Posts
    1,644

    Default

    I agree.
    Which is why, when you find a tradesman who is good both at a technical level and at service, you use him and you don't quibble about price. Getting the job done right, first time by someone who tells you straight what the issue is and what it will cost is money well spent!

    Ps I have a sparky and a plumber in Sydney who I will recommend, but that's no help to you guys.
    Cheers

    Jeremy
    If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Another big issue is that you have a lot of good young people choosing not to go into trades because technology jobs are more interesting to them. We had a young guy in for work experience last week and we got talking. His mother and brother are both carpenters, and he loves both wood and metalwork, but he's torn between his love of technology and that so isn't sure which direction to go. He'll probably be decent at both, so will be interesting to see which wins out. If I had my time over I know what I'd choose.
    ---

    Visit my blog The Woodwork Geek to see what I've been up to or follow my ramblings on Twitter

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    St Georges Basin
    Posts
    0

    Default

    I have a job coming up and contacted a relevant specialised tradie for a quote. He said he was busy but was organising a "quote day" when he could look at three or four jobs in our area on the same day. He did ring back eventually but the kicker was $300 for the privelege of perhaps 2 hours of measuring and simple testing. Do you think he was really interested in giving a quote or just decided to give us a scare?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    belgrave
    Age
    61
    Posts
    0

    Default

    The best work I had done (Insurance job getting roof repaired. Some bowl blanks fell of my house last year! ) was by an old guy with the bosses son working with him as an apprentice. When the boss trusts someone to be showing his son the right way, you know you've got a good one. Sadly he was retiring in the next few months.
    anne-maria.
    T
    ea Lady

    (White with none)
    Follow my little workshop/gallery on facebook. things of clay and wood.

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