Yet again we turned up to a job today that isn't ready. We wired the new extension bit a couple of months ago and told him to get back in touch once the knock through's were done and the old dining room emptied. Despite confirming with him as late as yesterday that it was all good to go we turned up and the builders were there about to do the knock through's. HTF can you possibly work in the same room whilst that is going on? Another waste of a day, even the kitchen we wired is wrong as he decided to get another firm in to supply/fit the kitchen and they have changed the plan we worked off. Everyone is the same though nowadays, I was getting mithered to death to go round and look at a job to quote it, I went the other night after sitting in traffic for an hour and said right what do you want to be met with "well we've not really decided yet", **** me, now the silly ***** is harassing me for a price. It seems to be everyone who is under 40 that wants work doing is a moron, they are totally oblivious to anything and everything, this is usually made abundantly clear when you turn up to do the work and there is no where to park yet the customers car is on the drive, how the **** do they expect you to cart your tools and drills half a mile down the road just so they have the convenience of popping to the shops in between watching Jeremy Kyle. I need to get out of domestic or retire, one of the two.
Altogether now....Who are we.. Customers... What do we want .. We don't know.... When do we want it ... Now!!!
I don't find straightforward customers too much of a problem Peter, it's when you get builders, plumbers, kitchen fitters into the mix that the problems start! I turned an extension wiring job down a few months ago because it sounded like the builders were still going to be around for a while.
People are indeed thick nowadays. I blame the Everything is Fast and Easy lifestyle we expect nowadays. The diy programmes also make everything appear that a large job can be done in a day like magic. The comment about customers parking their cars on their driveways is so true! Generally the older generation are the best to work for. They usually can pay for the work and they have courtesy
That is a rubbish thing for the customer to do. Hopefully your hourly rate contains an element to account for wasted time - it's an unwanted overhead in most businesses. I would think you are justified in charging this customer something for turning up when they were not ready for you. And if you need to do any remedial work due to the change in plan then that should be charged at your hourly rate also.
Absolutely Peter, as this has obviously happened to you before, you should have T&Cs that cover you for this. Also the agreement for work should have the final kitrchen and other plans as part of the price agreement. Any changes and alterations after start of work is additional. I agree it's pants, luckily I got out of domestic and retired so I can now sit on the sidelines and chuckle...
It has been mentioned before about people in UK being complete numpties. It appears that immaterial of qualifications or background....most young people/people are idiots. Never been hungry or cold...never had to do paper rounds etc. Don't help in the house. Expect everything to go their way. The quality of TV programmes is indicative of this.... Next time any of you are in a pub/eatery...just make a note of how many people cannot use a knife and fork correctly...and/or shovel food into their mouths. As a heads-up...the width of a fork is the same width the food on it should be... Call me old fashioned...go on...I dare you.... Rs
Did a rewire the other day fully furnished and customer was excellent moved all furniture and fittings, if I go to house and nothing moved I just say oh well and tell them it gonna take longer and I'm not responsible for any damage and at the end of the day it beneficial to all to get in and out quickly
Soup...have you ever seen anyone eat soup correctly. There is an art, an etiquette, certain polite rules. Lets not go there.....it's a can of worms...lol Rs
Went back to the job today, knock through is done but still no steel in and about 10 acro's holding the wall/floor up. We 1st fixed it anyway but left it on his toes if things don't go right. He also gave us a box of 2 crappy Yale cameras to wire, the mind boggles.
Turned up on a job many years ago to fix roof trusses on an extension. Customer had phoned a week before saying it’ll be ready. Arrived to find the brick/ block work was only up to about 4 or 5 feet off ground level. Yeah I can put the trusses on for ya. Might not have much headroom in your extension though. Another job, putting in first floor joists, I phoned the builder a few days before and asked when it would be ready. “ Come on Saturday morning, it will be ready.” Turns up on the morning to find the block work all ready for the joists to go in, but the builders , building the external brickwork about 4 ft above the block work. Made installing the joists just that little bit harder. To be fair to him though, I’d marked the height for the block work and he’d got it spot on.