Problem with 'workman'. Help please!

Thank you Blossoming!

FannyCornforth. I can’t believe some of the responses on this thread. John has not given you a satisfactory service, I don’t think he’s telling you the truth. If he was ill with Covid etc he should have let you know. You paid for your bin to be cleaned, it wasn’t. and you found someone else who has provided a good service. Continue with Ben and don’t be guilt tripped by John, his daughter or people on social media.

Sounds like Nanna2 might have been made up

Oh, and if anyone is still interested ?
I still haven't contacted John...

Thank you Jane - as I said previously, I was beginning to feel like a right weirdo!
I'm rather saddened that nanna8 never came back to explain her cynicism.
Yes, it's not exactly top-trolling, is it

I have to say I am very tickled that this could be made up Frank would have been really disappointed that his teaching had led to this level of 'imagination'

I have my bins cleaned too. The chap lives in my village in a BIG house and they have a fleet of bin cleaners now and I have seen him advertise for bin cleaners and he plays pretty well in all honesty.

I also pay 12 months in advance

So that's around 18 months plus since I saw John.

Hello montymops
Just to clarify, the woman who I refer to was actually doing the job for around a year.
I hadn't actually seen John in all that time.
His entire story / excuse / reason relies on the assumption that I didn't know that the woman was cleaning the bins.
When he came to the house last week, he had plenty of time to explain his absence - in fact he didn't shut up and I didn't get a word in.
And it didn't really make any sense.
I mentioned that my DH had been hospitalised with Covid, and he didn't even acknowledge what I had said.

No not at all. But John had worked for her for ten years - so must have given satisfactory service - that length of service deserves some consideration and understanding. He was also paid in advance so trust must have been there. The reason why no explanation was given at the time, really needs to be Investigated because people are making huge assumptions about the woman who was with him on occasions. She might have been his daughter, or his wife, or just a mate seeing how the job was done - maybe she didn’t know him well at all? I can see it is a problem having now employed someone else but I still feel sorry for John.

The thing is, surely John should have kept the OP informed, should he not? Especially when he was paid till August. Blimey! Stick with Ben, say I.

montymops that may apply to the replacement bin cleaner as well. What should the OP do? How should the OP choose if both bin cleaners are within an hour of dying of starvation if she does not employu them?

Since the OP says the bin cleaner brings a girl round that does the cleaning. Why didn't she inform the OP? She knew where she lived. I know plenty of people who despite all kinds of difficulties have managed either to contact people and even indicate others who could cover their absence when they could not get to work due to illness or other disaster

Are you suggesting that we should put up with people who are incompetent and inefficient, just because they might have a sob story to tell?

Most of us know when to fall over backwards to accommodate someone who has had problem of some kind, and when to simply part company.

Montymops please don't tell me to be kind. I've spent my life being kind, even before it was a thing.
I've explained in the op and thread why it isn't cut and dried.
And trust me, my husband and I are not exactly living the dream!
I'm not going to have it on my conscience that I've starved some geezer!

Don’t have my bins cleaned but feel very sorry for John- if he has had Covid and been very ill it may not have been possible for anyone else to contact you. May not have your number - may also have been ill- Does he work for himself? The bullying tone may just have been desperation. There are many desperate people out there who have lost their jobs - be kind - you can afford to have your bins cleaned - he may not be able to feed himself -

If you don’t want him to see your number on an iPhone you can go to:Settings>phone>show my caller id and turn off for that call then turn it back on again after.
I’m sorry but I don’t know about Android but I’m sure you can google it.

Grannynannywanny ??

Fanny I think you need to ask him where he’s bin for months and tell him his service is rubbish ?

Now I come to think of it, I'm wondering if he had another job, which is why his daughter/ the woman took over.

I think that for some reason maybe she decided not to carry on with the bin cleaning venture.

John then lost his job due to Covid (either through his illness or due to other virus related circumstances) and he therefore decided to take up the bins again.

I find it depressing that quite a few posters have commented on the lines "Why wash the bin? I just put everything into plastic bags, and line the bin with a bin liner"

The dirt washed out of the bins will become compost in a few months and return its components to nature where eventually they contribute to nourishing plant growth. The plastic will take hundreds of years in landfill to disintegrate and will contribute to nothing, or will end up blowing around an open landfill mountain in a third world country, or washed up on some (formerly) idyllic tropical beach.

He is probably a bit put out that he has lost a lot of customers and his income, but bullying people will not win them back. Covid has done this for many people, why didn’t his daughter make contact with people to let them know what had happened, or is he using it as an excuse for some reason? If you are happy with your new chap then stick with him. You could text saying that you no longer require his services, that way you have made it clear and he should not contact you again. You should be able to screen calls and if he does start to make a nuisance of himself, tell the police.

FannyCornforth

Naninka to be fair, the upfront payment was my idea. At the time DH and I were both working and I don't like people popping around at odd times for a couple of quid.
John doesn't do on-line banking, whereas Ben does, and I pay him monthly

Another good reason to go with Ben The Bins!
And thank you so much for responding! xx
Good luck.

Surely bin liners or putting all your rubbish in sacks just adds even more unnecessary landfill.

Yes, can’t really understand the need for bin cleaners. If everything is put in sacks the bin doesn’t get dirty to the extent that it would need much cleaning.

Naninka to be fair, the upfront payment was my idea. At the time DH and I were both working and I don't like people popping around at odd times for a couple of quid.
John doesn't do on-line banking, whereas Ben does, and I pay him monthly

Before he calls you, and you are left back footed, call him with a plan of what to say, thereby taking control. Tell him that he let you down, his worker didn't do the work you had paid for, and hadn't even been in touch. Tell him you understand he was unwell so are prepared to forego his refund to you, but that you regretfully feel the trust and reliability you had employed him for has gone now that it is his employee doing or not doing the work. Then simply say goodbye and hang up on him.

Charleygirl5

I would never pay anybody a year in advance for anything. I would stay with Ben and if he does a good job I would get rid of John. It may become unpleasant but once you shut the door in his face he will realise you mean business.

Neither would I.
Reputable tradesmen don't ask for money up front.
My suspicions arise if someone wants money up front. It's not the way to do business.
You don't pay for a year's worth of hairdressing up front or an extension or anything (bar insurance).
Sounds to me as though you've come to your own conclusion.
Exit stage right, John.
Enter stage left, Ben.