Entitlement newsflash (I want it done tomorrow really cheap because I am special) it’s not the internet and your not the centre of any tradesman’s world! Most unfortunately through real world bitter experience view customers as complete bell ends/adult children, tolerate listening to their bullshit and doing the tedious work in exchange for mandatory life tokens. Unsurprisingly they are not just toddling around waiting to serve you when you decide your ready.

Additional reassurance and hand-holding always adds to the costs 😉

@ markgraylish – same old same old, repeated by PAYE employees who get paid hourly regardless of what they do.

Imagine pricing the current garage I’ve put the founds in for this week from your shiny paye towers. It’s a big un admittedly 11×5.5m but would you expect two and half days digging and two separate pours totalling 30 m3? That’s about 4k before we’ve laid a block, thanks Mr nhbc ****!
And as for looking for work, we’ve never done it,….

I want it done tomorrow really cheap for free because I am special

would seem to be the attitude of many of the clients I deal with..

@ chestercopperpot: my sarcasm detector is not working properly so I’m not sure whether that comment about PAYE employee is a dig at me or whether you simply don’t believe me.

Granted I’m not self-employed but I work for a very small company and my boss takes the risk of the work bids not coming to fruition but the entire company has to ‘go-the-extra-mile’ to win and keep business in a very cut-throat world.
The OP seems to suggest that many ‘tradespeople’ are oblivious to this cut-throat world and, to a certain extent, can choose which work they want to pick up or leave because (some) don’t seem to care about the client.
Realistically, most people who have ever had to use a tradesperson knows whats involved but it’s the sheer un-reliability and lack of any sort of professionalism/lack of communication that can be frustrating (which is the same in other industries too)

Quoting to dig down in a cellar and do a loft conversion takes longer than quoting to build a website I imagine,

Boy, is your imagination wrong! 😉

And whilst it can be done ‘remotely’ that also means it can be done from anywhere on earth…and you end up competing against Indian labour rates… 😕

You gets what’s you pay for ^^

You gets what’s you pay for ^^

Very very true…

Quoting to dig down in a cellar and do a loft conversion takes longer than quoting to build a website I imagine,

Very very wrong, typically the proposal or pitch (quote) to a new client for a website can take anything from a day for a very simple site (couple of hours customer meeting, research plus a few hours to draft up proposal, budget with initial ideas), to up to a couple of weeks and multiple meetings if the website is a biggie. With a new client we may be competing against 3-10 other agencies at times, all putting in the same volume of work and all turning up for meetings on time 😉

Have you checked all the “tiles” look the same ?

You gets what’s you pay for

Not if they don’t turn up.

I’m a trades person and am quite surprised at the resignation to this and how common unreliable trades people are. I don’t know how they stay in business as I have always thought that being on time and doing what you say you will is absolutely vital. Maybe they just get by on new business rather than repeat business but I don’t understand taking time out of your busy day to quote then not returning a quote but maybe they are just juggling too many balls and some (the least attractive) get dropped. The only thing I would defend is not returning an initial enquiry (phone message)should not be held against you or mean that you are not a good reliable person. From my experience at times I am unable to return all enquiries. You are working flat out using loud machinery etc in or on someone else’s property who’s paying you to do a job not be on your phone all day, after your days work you go and quote for some jobs, when you’re home you spend some time doing admin/sending off previous quotes and when you finally sit down and have time to look at your messages you have lots of missed calls some leaving no message some leaving good detailed messages with a return number (yes their number is logged in your missed calls but if you’ve had 10 today you might not want to go through matching up the message to the missed call) some messages are less appealing and those may not get returned. For me it’s people that leave abrupt messages with no info but just saying can you come and quote this Saturday as I’m at work all week…Sorry I’m not interested in spending my weekend working. I do try to text back at least as many as possible even if it’s to say sorry I’m fully booked at the moment but i do reply to 99% of email enquiries (unless they’ve fallen into junk) as I can sit eating my dinner or watching the tv whilst I do this whereas returning calls takes up a lot of time. So don’t take it personally if a tradesperson doesn’t return your initial enquiry but try emailing them too and give good info about the job unless of course it’s fixing a smelly loo then don’t tell them till you’ve got them in the door and plied them with tea and biscuits and finally don’t ask them to come on the weekend!

Try finding a small local company with a little office.
Why?
They’re usually run by the owner who will be relatively organised and wants to get things done.
The last guy I sub contracted for was very cool.
Try contacting Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Potterton, Ideal or any of the manufactures, they have recommended installers.
Gas Safe website also has a list of local installers.

Myti has put into words exactly my feeling/experience. If I have my head down at a customer then I should be doing their work not spending hours on the phone (which they end up paying for!).
I ask folk to send me a text and tell me where they stay and what day/time they’re home so I can reply later to plan a visit when I’m over their side of town so I don’t have 1.5 hours of driving just to see one job. Not turning up is unacceptable as is charging extra without agreement.

Entitlement newsflash (I want it done tomorrow really cheap because I am special) it’s not the internet and your not the centre of any tradesman’s world! Most unfortunately through real world bitter experience view customers as complete bell ends/adult children, tolerate listening to their bullshit and doing the tedious work in exchange for mandatory life tokens. Unsurprisingly they are not just toddling around waiting to serve you when you decide your ready.

Was that aimed at me? Where does entitlement come into it? All I’m expecting is for someone to keep their word when they tell me they are going to turn up at a certain date and time, or at least let me know if they won’t be coming. If they don’t want the work, that’s fine, just tell me. Don’t dick me around.

I don’t want it done tomorrow, I’ve made it clear to any of the people who have been interested enough to ask that I don’t want it doing until January at the earliest and possibly February depending on my work commitments. And I’m more than willing to pay the going rate, although until someone gives me a quote I’ve no idea what that is.

We found a sh@t hot plumber through an anal mummy at nursery.
If you have a local indie plumbing store it may be worth going in ,get some prices on boilers and asking who they recommend. Worked for me on the past,I did buy from them though….

We found a sh@t hot plumber through an anal mummy at nursery.

Was the job at Centerparcs? 😀