About Tradies

[artme]

Tradies are the same as the rest of the general populace. There are good ones and poor ones, honest and dishonest.

I have had dealings with my fair share over the years and have few complaints. Generally faulty work has been attended to quickly and politely. Where I have asked for and insisted on quotes they have been given and adhered to.

I have had a couple of "sour taste in the mouth" experiences however. On one occasion I was charged travelling time when a fellow with a Ditch Witch ran out of fuel and went back to town to get some. Next day same machine broke down and I was charged for the time - several hours - that it took to go into town, get the parts and repair the machine. I took this up with the owner of the business, whose wife had made the charges. She was adamant that I should pay but the boss eventually won the day after I told the wife that in a smallish town a large black mouth could do lots of damage.

Recently a plumber did a job for me and charged me for work he most certainly didn't do. Not only that, i had already supplied all the replacement parts but, when he left he took all the other perfectly usable parts with him. This is another battle I aim to win. Had I have been asked about the parts I would probably have said OK, but for him to automatically assume ownership really ruffled my feathers.

I have seen tradies steal things myself and reported the matter, as has a friend. If we don't act in this way with everything regarding honesty we leave ourselves open to abuse and corruption of all sorts.
I am not lumping all tradies together, but these types give the vast majority, who are honest,courteous and hardworking a bad name! a bad

[wheelinround]

Not just tradies artme

How about an ex high school teacher come - TAFE teacher running Real Estate Business who we caught charging us for rental property repairs which were never done.
Good job I new one of the tradies and his invoice/receipt types.
Gave him a call found out he'd not been near the place, so gave the other two fellows a call they both got back to me with definate NO Work done at that property.

I faxed each a copy of the invoice and they all turned up on the Real Estates door step demanding the funds for their supposed work.

Fixed his real estate agents little red wagon tradies put the word out no one would do work for them for about 12 months.

[echnidna]

Yer shoulda had him for criminal fraud.
And complained to the real estates board, he would have lost his practising license

[autogenous]

About clients

4 out of 5 think its great for you to come out and help them design their project and carry out a free estimation service.
Most of them want to arrange a time around their schedule though some wont turn up.
After you have given them a quote they'll want you to break it down and tender it to 10 dills who don't know what their doing can give them a unit price and undercut you for providing a service or they will run off and order it themselves and do the job.
Some just want to see what it will cost for the fun of it.
Some will ring because they want to buy a house but want you to spend your time helping them establish the cost of a retaining wall prior to purchase but have no intention of getting back to you.
Some think that all the money they give you is your wages.
Some want you there tomorrow but the materials haven't arrived yet so you will sit at home watching play school until they're ready.
Some think that you don't pay for mobile phone calls to give them half an hours advice for them to do their own job.
Some think that because they want to take off 10% GST plus tax and give you cash is some how doing you a favour.
Some think you mystically have some form of full time employment when your employed from 1 to 10 days at a time with no guarantee.
Some think you should pick up materials for free.
Some don't realise that contractors cant get social security for 7 weeks in a recession but expect them to do one week on one week off.
Some think your a robot and don't suffer fatigue or get sick or do paperwork or buy tools or run a company.
And yes the majority take the cheapest price and cant work out why the majority wont give them a perfect job.
Its a double edged sword.