I don't mind them watching aslong as they are talking, I've got to hate now if they don't talk neither do I, it * me off, if ur standing there talk!! Also how funny is it when they brew up in front of you and don't offer u 1!! I don't drink um but if I did I would be fuming!! Edited due to unsuitable language
Was on a job many years ago for an Asian family. The mother of the family kept coming into the room where I was working and watched everything I did. Every now and then she'd get up and go away. Within minutes the family were up asking me "Mother want's to know why you are doing this, doing that, doing the other,, when she thinks it should be done this way,, etc , etc" Ended up walking away from that job. As I told the family afterwards, I don't mind someone watching me, but when they start questioning what I'm doing, then they should be doing the *******g job themselves.
Must have a prenup - Terms and Conditions - Hourly Rate Standard rate £35.00 If you watch me £45.00 If you advise me £50.00 If you attempted the fix beforehand £100.00 All above attract 10% discount when Tea made with 6 sugars and supplied in non-plastic mug
These answers are brilliant. I hate people watching me, I used to work for a big care home. And every time I would turn around there would be this guy watching me. So off putting! I told him once to bugger off. Lost my cool. I had a women the other day tell me the handles weren't straight before I even did the screws up. She also said to me I hope you know what you are doing. I laughed and said No I haven't a clue. Over the years I have learnt to laugh at them but I found this very difficult at the beginning.
"I hope you know what you are doing?" "Well, now you mention it, I haven't a clue. So please take me through what I need to do next. I will now do EXACTLY what you tell me, and happily pick up my payment at the end of the job."
I like the old favourites : When your face is purple, veins bulging in your neck and some little voice goes "Is it heavy ?" followed by now "watch you don't drop that on your foot" / "watch you don't hurt yourself"
Used to hate the ones that stand right behind you, in the way every time you turn round for a tool. They got a couple of hints then their foot was right in the way next time I stepped back.
Reminds me of the time a plumber was getting annoyed with this old bloke who was constantly watching him at work so he just tapped his old fashioned blow lamp with his foot so it turned onto this blokes leg, we were never bothered again.
If I hadn't stood and watched as a kid I'd have no clue what a screw driver is for now. It got me interested
I was the same, MadHat - a chippie was replacing some doors for my folks when I were a lad, and I watched from behind the sofa. He went off for lunch so I picked up his yankie screwdriver which fascinated me - I couldn't work out how he was able to screw using chust a pumping motion (stop it, you...). Only he'd left the darned thing in its closed position. It was pointing towards my face as I found the 'release' button - the bludy screwdriver tip stopped barely an inch from my eyeball. Took me months to get over the shock of realising my eyeball was so close to exploding like a cherry tomatoe...
I started at the age of 7 helping my uncle out doing things that wouldn't be allowed to do today. Digging ditches, mixing cement and concrete by hand and moving stuff around - the worse thing used to be bricks. In those days lorries never had hiabs. So when they arrived on site they would literally be tipped off the back of the lorry, 10,000 at a go. Then they all had to be re-stacked and sorted into whole bricks, 3/4 s, good halves and bits. Hard work but made me freakishly strong compared to others kids - great for rugby though
If I hadn't watched Karate Kid when I was younger,I wouldn't have known how to 'sand the floor' and 'paint the fence'.
If there are children in the house, say the courts have ordered that they are not allowed within 500m of you. I tried that once when I was taking pictures on a beach, got my lights punched out
You watcher haters are missing the £ tricks... I have customers sat in the kitchen as I fit and consider my main job to calm and guide them to a point they have complete confidence and trust in me and make a brew when I ask.... I know they get bored and when they say they are going out and leaving me I always tell them ..great I will bodge everything while you re gone and have a laugh with them.. By the end of the job they know it's fitted as if it were my own and as they hand the fitting money over I divide it and mention that amount goes back to the company.. They then ask if that's all I get and insist on tipping me which can be quite a large one and boy do I love them watching me and appreciating the effort put in their kitchen.. I always thought the other 11 teams /single fitters were stupid not do this but when doing remedial work on their jobs I kind of realized they wouldn't be comfy being scrutinised closely !!!!
Just another take on this: Customer may have an inquisitive mind or autistic children showing an interest in a particular trade Do prefer to work alone as I can then concentrate on the work, just getting used to be around people. If someones wants to learn and improve their home, it wouldn't be a bad thing to pass skills on?