Tradesmen not wanting to earn money

I never employ trademen who are fat. I am far from thin myself and my weight has been up and down and I know from personal experience than people who are fatter are lazier, it takes longer to stand up/move about etc and it’s a mental thing too. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to lose wieght and I reckon people are fat simply because they can’t be arsed to lose weight, I don’t want these people doing me a new kitchen.

Nearly spat my tea out reading that hehehe 😆

jekkyl – Member
I never employ trademen who are fat. I am far from thin myself and my weight has been up and down and I know from personal experience than people who are fatter are lazier, it takes longer to stand up/move about etc and it’s a mental thing too. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to lose wieght and I reckon people are fat simply because they can’t be arsed to lose weight, I don’t want these people doing me a new kitchen.

Frank – you’re in the Borders, that apparently is how it is… 😉

On a more serious note we had a stove put in before Christmas, looked at 3 companies, got 2 in to quote – so 1 made less than nothing (he took time out to visit and verbal quote).

All seemed busy though, but no idea whether they were profitable.

Also with VAT at 20% now householders are really focusing on non-VAT tradesmen, so to keep below the threshold these guys are often only looking at supplying labour.

Where i am from its called the ‘Pembrokeshire Promise’ie they promise to come round and don’t. It happens so much that tradesmen now have it written on their vans.

Frank – you’re in the Borders, that apparently is how it is…

So true.

B.R, We have gone with the guy in Jedburgh by the way. He is a nice guy, seems reliable, keen price and Hetas registered. Reputation seems good as well. Followed your reconmendation and got Ian round. Nice guy (not actually returned a quote yet though)but the Hetas thing tipped it for me.

I paid cost plus time for some plasterers a couple of years back, totalling up the job looking through the invoices there’s an item “charity £10”. I look up to see them all sporting new help for heroes wristbands.

Cheeky blighters. 😆

You don’t sing ‘I want to be a part of it!’ as you waltz through the hallway on your way to showing the tradesmen the problem at hand, do you?

:O)

Think yourselves lucky, I’ve been hounding my plumber for an invoice or price for work he carried out last August so I can pay him, he only lives two doors down & I’ve still not had a reply to my many requests ❓

I should explain my comment about fat tradesmen. This comes from a time when I employed a ‘fat’ man to do some floor tiling. Watching him wheeze about the bathroom on his hands and knees, watching him get up to standing from the kneeling position. knee to foot, knee to foot, podgy hand forward, take muscle strain and RIIIISSSEEEEE. I thought **** he’s in the wrong job. There was a floor to celing cupboard and I wanted the floor inside the cupboard doing as well to make the job all neat, when he finished I went over opened the door and he hadn’t done it, I pointed this out to him and he blew air out through his teeth like ‘oh gawwd I really can’t be arsed doing that’ and it was half 5 as he took all day. I let him off and we agreed a bill 20 quid less. I’m convinced if he had been thin he would have got round in a much shorter time and done it to a higher standard. When I moved house I had a few guys round to quote sorting out the mess of the garden and lay turf, the thinnest guy got the job and he did a great job. Maybe I’m wrong but I’ll never employ a fatman to do any jobs for me again…. and it’s my house and my money so balls to anyone who says I should do otherwise. 😀

……..all that happens is you get tapped up for every bit of info and then when you put together something on paper all its used for is a bargaining tool with someone else..

This is so true. I often get the “we have a problem with x can you come and have a look? Or..”we’re thinking of doing/ building such an such come and have a look and tell us what you think.. “, which I do. I’ll normally say that said problem can be solved either x or by doing xx. Temporary job X will cost approx x amount or the lasting/ proper solution will cost x + x. Of this type of job I might get the job 20% of the time. I have a very good reputation of be a problem-solver as well as a competent tradesman. 80% of the time once the ‘ client ‘ is given a solution to the problem its easy enough to get a cheaper incompetent tradesman or even the husband to do the work. I have nothing but loathing and contempt for this type of person. I come around in my time using my fuel, go home and research a solution or prices for materials or phone my suppliers, write up a quote…all on my time..to be told ok we’ll think about it, maybe next year we’re going to get the windows done first or you hear nothing ( which really pisses me off )or somebody else works off of my design probably cheaper. Btw. I’ve been in the construction ‘ game ‘ for 25+ years. I bet I’ve heard every excuse out there.

jekkyl – Member
Maybe I’m wrong but I’ll never employ a fatman to do any jobs for me again

What if you want an Opera singer?
The larger chaps seem to make the best ones..
🙂

After trying to get it as low as possible, doing a work schedule and drawings, I get a simple email telling me that he’s decided to go with another quote…

Your lucky you get that! I often go out to quote jobs. Taking an hour or 2 of my day or most often, evening, to drive out, look at the job, drive home. Then up to 2 hours sourcing info and pricing. I submit it as soon as possible and I either get the job or hear absolutely nothing form them ever again, not even a thanks but no thanks.

I even had an enquiry off Singletrack through a thread. Job all arranged for a date, I even bought some of the stock then he vanished off the face of the earth, wouldn’t reply to any of my emails, nada. Cheers!

Sit at least I can go home at night and sit on my sofa made of £50’s, it’s an easy life this! 😉

I deal with dozens of electricians and I’m never to give anyone their numbers.
I’d say that the most successful one are those that have always totally dictated what work they do and who they work for.
Running round after the public and only getting the work because you’re the cheapest never seems to make them rich?
And a good few tradesmen are tied up in the evening invoicing, planning signing off etc.

Also tradesmen get a sniff when there’s a job about, they talk to each other and won’t all go quoting the same job.
Not brilliant but that’s what I see all day.

When I was doing bathroom refurbs I rarely did quotes for people who hadn’t been referred by last customers.
I relied on referrals who wanted the same quality as they had seen in a friends house, and trusted that the price would be fair.

I didn’t spend hours quoting for work that went to someone else once I had told them the best way to solve problems.
I didn’t spend £££’s on fuel driving all over the place looking at jobs that never even started because they “were only thinking about it”

I did however get probably 90% of the jobs I was asked to look at.

And I didn’t always return calls, I was very busy. And people who’s calls I returned were the ones who said, “I got your number off xxxx. You did his bathroom last year and I would like you to have a look at mine”

^^ this. almost all of my work these days is referrals. my sister had drawings done for an extension, 2 downstairs rooms, 3 upstairs rooms and new roof, my quote came in at £40k, the builders firm up the road £48k, my brother in law’s cousin came in at £20k. alarm bells were ringing, who got the job? yes, the £20k man. did they finish it? did they f*%k… quoting is hard work, and takes a lot of time, i do all mine in evenings

In the interests of rounding this off. Ended up with two quotes. Gave the business not to the cheapest guy but the one who seemed most professional and had Hetas registration (not an absolute requirment here).

And yes, gave feedback to the guy who didn’t get the business.

Which one of them ws fat out of interest? 😆

So, to the trademen who don’t quote. How do I know if I can afford to employ you, if you won’t tell me how much a job will cost?

How do I know you’ve factored everything into the job if you won’t provide an itemised breakdown?

they don’t want your custom – you either trust them or not

this is where knowing you local community and tradesmen helps

So, to the trademen who don’t quote. How do I know if I can afford to employ you, if you won’t tell me how much a job will cost?

What we seem to have learned is this:

1. If you want a job done, only go through recommendations. (it goes without saying you are able to get reconmendation, even if you are new to the area)

2. When phoning a tradesman, tell them they have been recommended by ‘x’ otherwise they probably won’t be interested

3. Ask them very very nicely if they wouldn’t mind telling you how much it may cost. Don’t ask them to come and quote. Say please.

4. Absolutely do not attempt to get more than one quote (even if spending many thousands of pounds, you are not expected to compare costs, that would be entirely unreasonable and a complete waste of their time)

5. Be very grateful if they do come round and under no circumstance offer an opinion on how the work should be carried out, remember, you trust them completely and you know nothing about the work that you want done.

6. If you do get more than one quote, you must feel bad for the person who doesn’t get the business. After all, you have wasted their time. It is not reasonable to ask for a quote unless you award the business, you are in the wrong.

7. Don’t employ a fat man.

8. Say thank-you, lots

So, to the trademen who don’t quote. How do I know if I can afford to employ you, if you won’t tell me how much a job will cost?

They are either too busy to quote, or they only work on recommendations.
It might seem that they don’t care about “expanding their business” and to be honest, if they are working 60+ hours a week already, why should they.

How do I know you’ve factored everything into the job if you won’t provide an itemised breakdown?

You won’t, because if they don’t come and quote, they don’t want (or need) the job.
Move on and get someone else ?
Ask friends for a recommendation, the best way to get a good tradesman.
And the best way to get someone to come and see you (you basically become a “qualified” lead)

@ Franksinatra.

9. put the kettle on

9. put the kettle on

10. Pay on receipt of bill