Why are some plumbers such a let down ?

[ALEC1]

in fairness I do respond to every one but I understand why people don't care..sadly it is the educated business men that give the worst example

Its the world I, you and a few others want to live in but we don't, and we aren't going to change it.

JohnLewis is held up as a company that profits from good service, but how many imitators does it have...and its been doing so for nearly 150 years...

 

[Norcon]

98% of our customers are loyal and 99% of them gentlemen.
Glad I don't live in the world some people on here seem to be living in. London is a horrid place. Been there once and once was enough.
Though having said that most big cities are the same. Shi*tholes.
The Op is too laid back. He should be chasing these guys down the phone.

 

[marb]

Maybe they just didn't want to work for you?

What kind of help is that ? Just because I have been let down more than once (I haven't included the stories of the other 2 people) doesn't automatically mean I am the problem.

I must say that I am disappointed with some of the arrogant attitudes in response to this post that confirm my thoughts. One of the plumbers had had a job a year earlier of fitting a new boiler and servicing it a year later. The other guy had also been working on a problem with the upstairs rads. I not only wanted him to fit a kitchen rad, but also new thermostats to all rads so his visit would be worthwhile. he also left the tap on the rad unusable as he was supposed to come back and finish it when he had a new valve so I have to have it set on full all the time. Sorry, I should have stated this in my initial post. I have never heard a trades person say "I can't do that because you are not spending enough money on a bigger job". I never get turned away from a shop because I am not buying enough product.

 

[Terry lambert]

I have a couple of customers wanting me to fit rads at the moment.

I am working everyday flat out and I am booked for over a month.
I keep trying to complete jobs a little quicker so that there is time to get to them.

Then there arethe jobs that come in that have to take priority, like leaks or heating not working ( established customers)

Its not about money, I have one pair of hands, and small children that need to see me at some point.

Really they should have said no to the work.

You can please some of the people some of the time etc,

 

[HERTS P&D]

The Op is too laid back. He should be chasing these guys down the phone.

Sorry Norcon, I have to disagree with you on this one, if you call a tradesman and he doesn't get back to you - I would take this that he does not want the job and there is no point in hassling someone for a price or to work for you. It would be best to move on and start calling others tradesmen.

Andy

 

[marb]

The Op is too laid back. He should be chasing these guys down the phone.

Sorry Norcon, I have to disagree with you on this one, if you call a tradesman and he doesn't get back to you - I would take this that he does not want the job and there is no point in hassling someone for a price or to work for you. It would be best to move on and start calling others tradesmen.

Andy

Or perhaps the decency to say "no thanks, I can't do that" saving me time also (time is valuable to us customers too)

 

[ALEC1]

Norcon which part of the country are you in...Last time I looked the banks, internet providers and large companies were all over the UK..

Why should plumbers adhere to different business standards than other business's..it makes no sense..


And especially if people go to the websites like trust a trader my builder etc that are based on selling leads to the builders and plumbers... so bad reveiws just get removed and the public is dupped into thinking they are getting some sort of assurance....

I abhor the poor levels of service we get in this country and the indifference to the consumer...but this is the UK and we collectively just do not care...and have no will to change things...

 

[HERTS P&D]

I totally agree with you Marb, but the trouble is that plumbers find it hard to phone a customer with an expensive quote to replace 1 radiator or even phone a customer to tell them that they don't want to do the job. So they just leave it and hope it will all go away.

Or they send out a quote via email/post but have to make it work their while and then the customer will class them as rip off merchants.

What I have learned over the years is that their is NEVER a 5 minute job or even an easy job. All jobs have their hidden time wasters but as tradesmen we know how to come over these but sometimes we get caught out.


Andy

 

[FiremanT]

Norcon which part of the country are you in...Last time I looked the banks, internet providers and large companies were all over the UK..

Why should plumbers adhere to different business standards than other business's..it makes no sense..


And especially if people go to the websites like trust a trader my builder etc that are based on selling leads to the builders and plumbers... so bad reveiws just get removed and the public is dupped into thinking they are getting some sort of assurance....

I abhor the poor levels of service we get in this country and the indifference to the consumer...but this is the UK and we collectively just do not care...and have no will to change things...

Alec, I really don't get you. Are you serious or just trying to generate a lively debate?. (maybe just trying to vent )

It matters not what other business' do, we are in the main OMB's and to get any referalls or recommendations, we have to act as normal people. To get through life, we need to be happy in our work. There is always going to be the odd customer who is ignorant or just unrealistic in his expecatations, but to start a relationship in the vein that you endorse is just madness.

And you can't complain about clients,if you started the winding up!
(IMHO)

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

A lot of us go on gut instinct, maybe you give off bad vibes, is your house a smelly tip with cat litter trays stinking and overflowing, some place's and people we are just not prepared to deal with and work in, I am not saying this is you, but does it ring any bells ?

 

[Andy4444]

"One house I used to go to I don't think the cats knew exactly where their a**e's were, the tray was surrounded by turds and hardly any in the tray, it was almost like a competition to see which cat could get it's turd the nearest to the tray without actually getting it in, bit like bowls, only with cat turds"

The above extract from a post still to this day makes me wheeze with laughter. The author knows who he is!

 

[ljrgas]

Reason that put me off a job.
1 thats expensive
2 I haven't got much money ( well u shouldn't of called me then with your merc outside)
3 I got loads of property's do me this one favor and ill sort you out
4 bidding me down mate ( no I'm not charity and I'm not you mate I run a business)
5 rudeness
6 noing I have to move the customers crap out of the way taking up half my day. ( elderly I don't mind)

Almost forgot one of my best ones. ( boss I throught you was going to sort me out)

These are the main reasons why I do not reply and don't turn up

 

[sherbert]

I love these posts

Some poor bird wants a rad fitted

We 1st accuse her that perhaps they don't want to work for her ............ then we pull apart british banks, and the such like and end the thread on cat Sh*t and ask if her house is full of it

don't take it personally ........... if the England game had been on nobody would have replied!!

 

[ALEC1]

firemen T I just dont get why plumbers are expected to be the paradigm of virtue when so many business treat customers with contempt...thats all..

I do return calls and emails all the time, I respond on saturdays and sundays, because I treat people how I like to be treated, but I so sometomes wonder why...I do well out of my business, but I wonder what the benefit of good service is to my bank account..it just generates work for me...as it does any person giving it..


Lots of clients talk the talk, but when you leave a good functioning reliable system you rapidly loose touch.. Many times thats a pity. I have some great customers...

 

[ianmcd]

I love these posts

Some poor bird wants a rad fitted

We 1st accuse her that perhaps they don't want to work for her ............ then we pull apart british banks, and the such like and end the thread on cat Sh*t and ask if her house is full of it

don't take it personally ........... if the England game had been on nobody would have replied!!

Absolutely Brilliant cheers really made me laugh I agree completely