handymen - not so handy!

[jefoss]

why do people insist on employing "handymen" for all jobs, i know there must be some around that are competent but ive yet to find someone who can genuenlly do the job correct on all the things they try.

are these guys the ones at school who never were quiet sure what they wanted to do?

is it something that doing same job every day bores them? and do they really like getting slated and having to re do work cause its a load of ****e! im sure they must be good at one particular job. come on "handy" men get it sorted!!!!


( reminds me of an old bob monkhouse joke - yes i do remember him, kids ask your daddy!

- i saw a job advertised at a guys house, he was looking for a handy man,
so in the interview he asked me if i can do gardening?, no i said.
ok can you do carpentry? again i said no.
he then asked me if am any good with electrics, oh god no i told him ill kill us all.
so he asks me if i can do plumbing? no no no and told him the story about the flood in our bathroom, very funny.
so then very red faced he asks me how the F*%£ are you a handy man? so i told him, i only live round the corner.)

 

[corgiman]

do you feel better for that rant Jef?

 

[Diyisfun]

I think Im a handy man.
I class a handy man as a person that knows enough to know that he can do the job or knows when to call an expert.
There are lots of jobs out there & people do not know if to call a plumber, electrican or who.
eg
My partners son, said his electric shower dosnt work & he is waiting for a plumber. I said you need an electrican, so a week later plumber turns up & says, guess what, yea you got it, you need an electrican.

 

[jono_h]

I think the problem with some Handymen is that they don't want to say No.
If I'm asked to do Plastering I say No, I'm not good enough.
If I'm asked to do tiling, I give a price, but point out that I do not do it every day, so it would be worth getting a quote from a professional (if the customer then chooses the lower quote, they have made a choice)
If I'm asked to hand a door I say No, because I hate doing it.

That may seem like a lot of No's but people appreciate the Honesty. And I know that when I take a job on I can complete it to a standard the Customer will be happy with.

 

[Nige F]

I used to be a Plumber ....gas, oil, solid fuel, leadwork,underground pipe and clearing, cutting brickwork+ making good, wiring my own heating controls....... ALL GONE NOW due to beuaracracy , D*no r*d and roofers SO I`M a Handyman

 

[jefoss]

do you feel better for that rant Jef?

i did indeed.

untill later in the day when the "handy" man that was looking at the customers radiators last night didnt cap off one and it had been leeking all night and the "happy" customer awoke this morning to find his kitchen ceiling on his kitchen floor, mostly, obviously apart from the bits that were left dangling or on his worktops.

this is just the type of guy i was talking about, the reason i had the mini rant was he had already done work for the cust and it was shocking, yet he got him back to do other bits. now he had to call in proper plumber, plasterer and electrician. 3 real men nothing "handy" about them!

and now i have to lose 2 days on the job while its being sorted.

a very slow hand clap for . . . . no sorry i shouldnt name him!


big love to all!

no offense to anyone, well offence to one!

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

With any trade you will get people who don't/won't/can't do the job properly. I class myself as a handyman and I sometimes question if I am qualified to do what I do (especially if I am having one of those days ) But then I look at some of the shoddy work that I see from some and I stress SOME tradespeople and just carry on.

I know my limitations, I can hang a door but it takes me a while and if I am asked to hang a few I do point out that a carpenter although dearer on a day rate than myself would do the job quicker and therefore would maybe be cheaper.

I do a lot of small jobs that some trades don't want to do, like resealing a shower tray for somebody the other day, they had been quoted £150 by their plumber. Probably because he didn't want the job (I can see no other reason)

I also get jobs from trades guys who will give my card to householders if they deem the job to be too small for them and that works the other way if I get called to do a job that is too big for me.

I take pride in my work and I conduct myself in a professional manner (most of the time ) I have never needed to advertise and I am always busy.

So be nice to us handymen we need to eat as well you know!

 

[iaith]

The trouble with the word Handyman is it implies that he's unable to do a trade and is relegated to odd jobs that the trades can't be bothered with. I prefer multi trade. I'm sure there's lots of useless handymen out there, but I know there are loads of rough as f*** over priced trades people out there too. It's the shoddy work of some trades that gives me the confidence to fit kitchens and bathrooms, and I'd confidently put my plastering, pipework, carpentry, and tiling, against any tradepersons work.

Gauntlet down

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

I agree with you 100%

 

[noseall]

in my first five years in the building trade, i mainly performed bricklaying and plastering trades.

i eased into carpentry as a result of building small extensions, whereby jobs were simply too small to attract a joiner/carpenter.

this lack of enthusiasm by the other trades, allowed me to learn-by-necessity, the skills required to build cut roof's, hang doors, fix skirting's, build stud walls etc.

the only 'other' trades i use are heating engineers, electricians and shop joiners.

i have not been referred to as a 'handyman' in 26 years.

although, as a builder i am fairly handy.

 

[roughcaster]

One of the best construction companies that I ever worked for was Tarmac. I spent 5 great years working for them on runways,bridges,roadworks and a variety of buildings. Myself and the others,we did a varirty of jobs.Slabs,kerbs,structural concrete pours,concrete finishing (power float and hand finishing),Plastering,rendering,building manholes and catch-pits, sweeping up,etc etc.It was called versatility and it kept us in a job. Those who specialised in one particular trade were usually paid off.

Roughcaster.

 

[jefoss]

One of the best construction companies that I ever worked for was Tarmac. I spent 5 great years working for them on runways,bridges,roadworks and a variety of buildings. Myself and the others,we did a varirty of jobs.Slabs,kerbs,structural concrete pours,concrete finishing (power float and hand finishing),Plastering,rendering,building manholes and catch-pits, sweeping up,etc etc.It was called versatility and it kept us in a job. Those who specialised in one particular trade were usually paid off.

Roughcaster.

im not arguing against versatility, just guys who claim to b jack of all trades and masters of none

 

[roughcaster]

Yep,no problem with that at all Jeff. I know what you're saying buddy.

Roughcaster.

 

[morrik27]

im not arguing against versatility, just guys who claim to b jack of all trades and masters of none

But surely you can be a jack of all trades, and a master of some, or even ONE??

How many tradesmen out their can do another trade? i bet there are plenty of non plumbers out there who can bend a near-perfect ninety and solder it up to a t junction - albeit with two inches of solder?

How many Non-electrictions out there can run all the wiring for a new extension, but get there part P pal over to check and sign it off?

 

[Bespoke]

Handy man none insured runs for the hills when job goes belly up, blames tools for making a bad job, killing the trade by working for peanuts and pay no or very little tax ?

True tradesman fully insured stands up to be counted if a job goes belly up time served apprentice ?