Problem with 'workman'. Help please!

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Ring Trading Standards or speak to Age UK or the CAB

DD found Trading Standards very helpful when she had a dodgy workman demanding money and ratcheting up his prices. She started the conversation with him. 'I have spoken to Trading Standards and they say........' he grumbled, left and didn't come back.

If he comes back just say 'I have spoken to xxxxxx and they advise me that.......'

I would text him - thanks for explaining, I'm sorted for now. Keep it short and sweet. (Can you block his number on your phone so you don't have to have another conversation?),

You've already spoken and been sympathetic with his position, and really can't do much more.

Presumably you are confident Ben is reliable and will continue to give good service.

Well i think you should stick with Ben,John is bullying you IMO.
If he did have covid and was in hospital,surely someone would have contacted the people he works for just to put them in the picture.
I would stand my ground and tell him Bens staying put,in a nice way IF you can get a word in that is.

Oh dear what a pickle Fanny.
As the first chap has been cleaning the bins for 10 years, I suppose your loyalty should be with him. Indeed he has been ill and hadn’t been able to let you know he wouldn’t be around.

Phone the second chap and explain and politely say sorry but your original man had been in hospital.

I think ‘John’ probably needs your custom more.

Difficult situation indeed, Fanny.

Hello
Thank you so much for your replies.
M0nica mentioning trading system is a very good idea.
It doesn't really make sense, as I'm sure that the young woman (who seemed to be doing the job anyway) or another of his acquaintances could have got in touch with his customers.

John complained to me that he'd lost so much business. It's hardly surprising is it!

Gingster for the past year or so, it was the woman doing it, I hadn't seen hide not hair of John for a while.

Oh I see Fanny . So his business was still operating then !

Stick with Ben then. Tell John you weren’t to know he was in hospital as no one had bothered to let you know.

I don’t think John has any grounds for feeling disgruntled. He’s been paid up front for a job he’s been unable to do for months and presumably isn’t returning any of your money. You didn’t know he was ill.

I agree with everything wildswan16 has said. Keep it short and sweet and let him know that you had to find a replacement when you hadn’t heard from him in so long. Then block his number and don’t worry about it.

Remember my ex bin cleaner, after trying to say I hadn’t paid, when had proof I did, sent him off with a flea in his ear. Now clean my own bins.

Fanny You might be able to work into your conversation with him (or the email) some mention that shows you are aware that the young woman had actually been doing the work well before neither of them turned up at all for those months.

Difficult one as he has been doing it for 10 years and presumably you have been happy with the job in that time. His daughter may have taken over because he did have covid but for whatever reason you and I guess lots of other customers didn’t have the bins cleaned for several months. He may be desperate for money and need his job back. He is going to have to build up his business again from scratch and bullying previous customers is not the way to go about it. He has not offered to refund your money so that’s not good either. And you are happy with the new chap who sounds much better and he is contactable.

If John comes back if it was me, and he lets you speak, I would say I was sorry to hear of his problems but having heard nothing from him, I had to find someone else, and I intend to stay with him. If he argues just keep repeating that quietly and firmly. Then go inside and close the door.

Elegran you're right.
I hadn't seen or heard anything from either of them for six months now.
It's just not on.

My DH was a self employed builder and I did all the admin stuff, so I know how you should treat customers.
As I mentioned in the op, he did once have my phone number.
He didn't even have the facility to leave a message on his landline.
It's not very professional is it.

It’s no wonder we get stressed out is it?

How awkward.

The thing is, you weren’t a casual customer who paid him each time he did the job. You paid him in advance for a year. To my mind, that entitled you to be informed why he (or the girl) wasn’t doing the job. Surely they could have contacted you when he was recovering?

He’s in receipt of your money until August. I would continue with Ben the next 3 months, if he still proves to be doing a good job, I would tell John that regrettably he has been replaced.

Not easy I know.

To begin with he did it on his own, but more recently a young woman (may be his daughter) has been doing it.

Gingster I think the young woman should have let FannyC know that her father was I'll and she couldn't cope with the business on her own and come to an arrangement regarding the money too.

The thing is, you weren’t a casual customer who paid him each time he did the job. You paid him in advance for a year. To my mind, that entitled you to be informed why he (or the girl) wasn’t doing the job. Surely they could have contacted you when he was recovering?
Yes I agree.

It's unfortunate and I don't know how much money you may have lost but I'd continue with Ben if he is doing a good job.

We don't have our bins cleaned but the window cleaner doesnt charge annually; he charges each time.

A roofer tried to do similar with me. There happened to be a painter in the house, a burly rugby enthusiast who overheard the talk at the door . Painter got off his ladder, ordered me to the back of the house, and totally dismissed the roofer.

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.

I presume you mean you don't want him to have your number? And you don't know that the young woman is actually his daughter?
I think it is sad if he has had covid and been seriously ill but he doesn't sound as if he is over it.
I think I would prepare something to say like "As I've said I'm sorry you have been ill but I have made other arrangements now and don't need your service any more. Best wishes". I doubt you would get/want a refund. If you don't then you could also mention that you have paid upfront till August but do not require the money refunded. Don't know if bin cleaners have specific territories like window cleaners and ice cream vans You probably don't need a "bin war"!

What is a bin cleaner? I am not joking, I am not familiar with them because I don’t think we have them here. We get plastic bins for rubbish and recycling and another one for garden waste but they don’t really get dirty. The main waste one you use plastic bin sacks so there is no dirt there. The others are for weeds, so no dirt and paper and bottles which we pre wash. You must have a different system.

nanna8 I believe they come round after your dustbin has been emptied and clean it out for you, at a price. We jet wash our own with disinfectant in the water rather than paying someone. Some of our neighbours use the service but pay monthly, bins are emptied alternate weeks, household/recycling.

They come along with a water tank and clean out the sulo bins. They can get a bit smelly if something leaks.

My OH puts some hot water in ours and swills it round. Seems to work ok.

Glad you asked that, nana8. the recycling bin I have doesn't get anything dirty or smelly in it and there's not very much in the non-recyclable bin, apart from tissues and wipes. The food caddy is emptied into the garden bin and it all goes to a composting facility. I don't think anyone runs a bin-cleaning business around here.

nanna8

What is a bin cleaner? I am not joking, I am not familiar with them because I don’t think we have them here. We get plastic bins for rubbish and recycling and another one for garden waste but they don’t really get dirty. The main waste one you use plastic bin sacks so there is no dirt there. The others are for weeds, so no dirt and paper and bottles which we pre wash. You must have a different system.

The systems are different for every Local Authority here, nanna8 and even then, they keep changing them.

At least they recycle in your part of Australia because I know they don't everywhere and my family in one area has to pay a private firm to collect the rubbish.

Ours don't get dirty either but DH hoses them out occasionally.
I wash the food waste bin as the bags sometimes leak.