Traders with too much work to care.

Several years ago I spoke to a joiner who had been working next door all week. I explained what I would like done and asked for a quote in writing. He shook his head and said it wouldn't be worth his time to do the job. The job was worth over £1000.

Yes, too few tradesmen and too much work is a problem. Some jobs I do myself. The underlying problem is that successive governments have encouraged young people to go to university. Some of them get degrees of little value in career terms. If a reasonable number were encouraged to do trades courses at local further education colleges - always a Cinderella sector - to become plumbers, etc., that would help.

Word of mouth is the best, but if they’re any good you won’t get a look in. Young people now don’t look on the “trades” as being worth their while, or just can’t hack hard physical work. Schools are made to encourage academic qualifications rather than manual work. We have learned the hard way who not to employ - I resent having to fix a job that I’ve paid for. Can’t get a painter and decorator for love nor money. The kitchen re-fit has taken months to organise, and we’re still waiting for a door which has, twice already, been sent damaged.
If you need small jobs doing try your local Age Uk, they usually have someone who works for them (you pay).

jenpax

It amazes me how many people have the money to get work done! We have just had a pandemic and now cost of living crisis, so where are all these people coming from ?

If there's something wrong with your drains you try to get a plumber you cut your shopping bills and budget until you can pay the bill. The problems have been building up since the beginning of the pandemic and if your OH can't do it you have to pay someone

I am married to a builder and he is trying to retire but is in constant demand. We haven’t trained up younger people and then the push for young people to go on to university has exacerbated the problem. Ironically my husband earns more than I do and I did the traditional academic and senior management route. Sadly some people look down on vocational careers… ironic really. I have known him be asked to not use their downstairs loo or they put paper down for him to walk on. If he gets a drink it’s in an old chipped mug. Most times these customers would be shocked if they knew where we lived but hey if you marry a builder you get a great property

Why not try your local ‘Next Door’ and ask on there.
You may be lucky and have recommendations but they may also tell you who to steer clear of.
Shame our education systems stopped woodwork and metalwork all those years ago. Should bring back domestic science as well.

I have now got to the stage where, IF I can get someone to come and look at a job, I say to them .....,
"If you think the job is too small, it's going to be months etc before you might get to me, I would rather you say no now, rather than keep us all waiting". Yes some do, sadly more than not these days. At least I know where I stand.
All they are interested these days are big contracts, whole house or streets on a new estate. The day of a tradesperson coming to do a small, bit vital to you, job are over. I have to rely on friends, neighbours and friends of friends in the main. One local window fitter keeps a book of people who want 1 or 2 windows doing, maybe a replacement toilet window. He saves them up, usually no more than 4-6 week wait. He then sets aside 1 week and does them all. He is VERY busy.

If they let me down without contacting me, I don’t chase them, think what they would be like if you had a problem after they had done the job.. That’s why I’ve still got a list of jobs as long as my arm.

We have the same problem where I live (a fairly remote village in the very North of Scotland). We wanted our windows replaced and upgraded to Triple Glazing, as it's extremely windy here even in summer. Found a firm in November (based about 80 miles away) who quoted said the work could be done around February as the windows are not standard sizes and would need to be made. The fitters finally arrived at the end of April, but the work is dreadful. I've sent letter after letter, email after email without response, and we are left with two windows that won't open at all (one of these arrived broken) and two more for which the ventilation is not complete. The bay window has gaps left between each angle (at windowsill level), and one of the coverings (between the angles) for the bay has already been blown off on a windy day because of the gaps at the base of the windows. Basically, straight windows have been fitted, each with straight sills, leaving the brickwork exposed at each angle.
I've now submitted a claim to the Small Claims Court (Sheriffs Court) to get back £5,000, which is the maximum that the Court can award (the total cost was over £12,000). Even if the original company come back now to do the required replacement windows and repairs, I would not trust them to do the work. I want to employ someone else, but who, how and when remains to be seen.

n.b. I've also written to "Rip Off Britain" and had no reply.

Such a common problem. Some tradesmen will say right away that they can't take any more work on. That's fine. But so annoying when they say they will come to take a look and don't turn up. Even worse when they come and promise an estimate. You wait and it never arrives. Back to square one. I can usually live with a wait so long I'm in their diary. But difficult to get that far.

I live in Bedfordshire …. ivdd we never had trouble getting or hiring tradesmen…. sometimes I have to wait …but the longest was 6 weeks! If a tradesman is busy…. He’s good!

My friend is a builder and he's having to turn down work as there are not enough hours in the day. Also he prices a job with materials and when he gets around to do the job everything has gone up in price again. I think your tradesman was rude and I couldn't cope with that attitude and that's before he starts!

We have a Care Network organisation where I live which keeps a list of Safe Traders. These traders have to contact prospective customers within 5 working days of receiving a referral. If they keep missing the target, or have complaints made about them, they would simply be removed from the register. The organisation regularly checks up with customers . I always go through them if I have a job that needs doing, small or large and they usually have someone on their books who can do it.
I wouldn't tolerate the way the OP was treated.
Good luck with finding someone suitable who does a good job and treats you with respect.

Luckily for us, our neighbour recommended a good tradesman. I would recommend him. I wanted to use local tradesmen in our village and cancelled our insurance cover for appliances. The reality was - there were no local tradesmen willing to do these repairs and breakdowns. I promptly reinstated my insurance cover for heating and washing machine. I now know that if anything breaks down - at least an engineer will turn up and complete repairs.

It amazes me how many people have the money to get work done! We have just had a pandemic and now cost of living crisis, so where are all these people coming from ?

I agree with Sherry1 Thu 30-Jun-22 11:57:03 post.
Word of mouth is the best way of finding a good tradesman.
That's how I've found mine. All perfect.

We have the same problem in France. We email to request quotes for something or for a job, and get absolutely no response at all. It is only through friends who know someone - then we say that we have been recommended by XYZ - that we have been able to get a result. It is a right pain!

We needed some new drains dug for our dishwasher washing machine and sink and to connect to the sewer. No one wanted the job as they couldn't get a digger in and they would have to be dug by hand. With the advice of a retired builder we dug them ourselves and laid the pipes etc. and the builder connected to the sewer. Took a week of hard digging, but we now have working drains.

We're just finishing a large renovation, having taken on a recommended local builder who has reliable tradesmen working for him.
The plasterer, electrician and plumber are fine but the builder's project management is very disorganised and often nobody turns up when we expect them.
So far it has overrun by two months and we know he's started on another project so we come bottom of the list for his tradesmen.
Prices for some work are ridiculous, he quoted £9K+ ("at a discount from £15K") for decorating but I held my ground and it's been done for what DH says is a reasonable price.
What I find so irritating is his constant excuses for not turning up.

There is another side of this. I sit down every morning to reply to enquiries. I get 4 responses

Sorry out of my budget
No reply
Yes please
Can I have further details, I am not a time waster

As soon as I get the last reply I know they are not going to buy. We will go back and forth asking more details until there is just silence.

If I was you I wouldn't even consider him to come into my home for any kind if quote...Why not try and source a site where people have had bathrooms fitted and go by photos and genuine reviews....

This is happening to us too. We have recently moved house and are renovating it throughout. Tradesmen come and measure up for the quote and then you never hear from them again. Why not just say, it is too big a job, too fiddly or whatever?

I have decided to project manage the job and they don't make it easy to co-ordinate all the trades. It is very exasperating.

Being rude to clients just because you are "busy" is never a good idea. There may come a time when you are less busy and then it will be your turn to chase jobs. A professional person does not need to be told that.

I had an electrician who insisted the entire house needed re-wiring. He did none of the checks I expected and seemed to give an opinion off the top of his head. So I asked another (recommended by a friend) for a second quote. He did a complete EIRC inspection and announced that it only needed a new consumer unit and a few other remedials. Not a re-wiring at all. He was professional and polite and the work only took one morning.

Ive got a plumber coming in next week to re-seat the bath. Hes done a couple of jobs for me in the past on the boiler and managed to fit me into his schedule.

When you find a good tradesperson they are worth looking after. I know hes partial to a chocolate biscuit so I will be getting some in.

I don't quite understand. Do some people call tradesmen 'traders'? Surely a trader is someone who sells items?
Watching an Australian soap recently I heard builders being referred to as 'tradies' in fact 'hot tradies' as they were so attractive!