No wonder Australian business is going to pot

lizzie

lizzie

Warning ... long rant!

Does anyone else feel like strangling specialised tradies recently ... I don't know if it's a sign of the times, slack Australian business or just me.

Three recent instances ... were looking at building a house 12 months ago. Rang a major spec builder who had a plan almost exactly as we wanted. Emailed him thru a few minor changes we would like and then spent the next 6 weeks chasing him almost daily for a quote - with promise after promise of getting the quote to me the "next day" and it failing to appear. In the end wrote a scathing review on a website because if they can't get a quote thru in a timely manner as promised, how the heck will they go with the building side?

Next ... hot water turning brown - which is an indicator the storage tank is failing and could collapse and blow out at any moment. Rang around and got quotes and chose supplier for new solar HWS ... first install visit put off because of another emergency (fine) - second install put off for a reason I can't remember - third install put off because tank hadn't arrived from Melbourne - fourth install they actually arrived, installed the panels and unpacked the tank, to find it severely dented and had to be sent back - fifth install put off as replacement tank not arrived .... all this time the water is turning darker and darker and, with the hws located internally near new carpet I was starting to stress ... finally installed on sixth install date, nearly two months later.

And now ... we're having the coping on the pool replaced and, being an old, odd shaped fibreglass pool, there is only one guy in the area who makes up his own coping tiles to fit ... was supposed to be installed early December when I paid for the materials ... after being "put off" almost every week since he was finally supposed to come today with no further excuses ... no shock to get a call this morning to say he won't be out until later in the week ... oh ... and he wants his install payment on the day ... and got antsy when I mentioned this job was supposed to be done two and a half months ago ... if he's not here in two days I'll pick up the made-in-November coping pavers and have a go myself!

And then they wonder why we go overseas for anything we can ... got a fabulous logo made up - $200 with as many changes as I needed to get it right - turnaround 2 days each change (even on weekends) ...

Can't blame the car makers for buggering off
 
Yep, I got a voucher of one of the deal sites for a plumber. Rang them up the day I bought the voucher (a Saturday) and said I just need two external taps installed. They said fine, we'll be there on Monday. Didn't turn up on the Monday so I rang again, said they'd be there the next day. Didn't turn up again. Rang again Tuesday afternoon. Said they were too busy and I'd now just have to wait until they have some free time in their busy schedule! So annoyed. Been waiting over a month now. Have rung periodically for an update but keep getting fobbed off.

The most annoying part is that the voucher came out only a week into my 6 weeks off work so I wasn't fussed about what time of the day they came out. Now that I'm back at work, I'll probably have to take a whole day off for them and they probably won't bloody show up! Thinking of ringing the deal site and getting a refund.
 
I've been waiting 3 months for my builder's concretor to be ready to lay the slab for our new pergola, then today I get a call from the builder to say the guy is starving and were there any cash jobs he could do. How does this guy manage his business?

The biggest problem I have with most tradies is their lack of professional behaviour - the late arrivals, the not showing up, the excuses, and often the poor work, and my personal favourite asking for money before the job is done.

I have a firm policy of not paying for work until it's done - heard too many horror stories.
 
The biggest problem I have with most tradies is their lack of professional behaviour - the late arrivals, the not showing up, the excuses, and often the poor work, and my personal favourite asking for money before the job is done.
Click to expand...

Yep. That's why sites where there is a review process built in to them are great. Tradies that don't get favourable reviews don't get work and disappear.

The renderer I used for my job was rough as anything, but did a great job. He was massive - barely squeezed into the cab of his ute. His arms were bigger than my thighs. He had no neck and a goatee. After we'd had a chat, I said to him, 'I've seen you before, Marty.'
'Where?', he asked.
I said, 'Every time the newspapers or TV news need a picture of an anonymous, scary 'person of interest', it's you isn't it?'

When he was done and I paid him his $250, he shook my hand (well, sort of enclosed it in his), looked at me and said, 'Now champ, I need you to get back onto that website and leave me a review.' So he understood how it all works. I told him that given he knew my address I wouldn't be game enough not to.
 
Lucky one - if you need a new plumber, I've used Duncan's plumbing quite a bit, they are fantastic and always turn up when they say they will.
 
I was talking to a mate at his 60th birthday party on the weekend about the business of being a Tradesperson these days,he employs 4 people
they won't do any unloading of materials prior unless the account is paided up-front,most don't have a problems with that form of payment,,the other problem they have is all the TV painful realism reno drama sideshows on the time factor to complete the work,,my mate does all the qualifying
on the phone some people when they first ring up they think all jobs only take 30 minutes like on all the reno sideshows ..
 
willair said:
some people when they first ring up they think all jobs only take 30 minutes like on all the reno sideshows ..
Click to expand...

thats exactly what I ve been saying since day 1

S*&ts me to tears when going to an open and hearing someone say,

"oh, the block did soemthing similar to this, we can put in a designer kitchen, tear down that wall, new paint job, new bathroom, and we can do it for $20k, and in a few weekends, and I reckon we can sell it for $100k profit"
 
lizzie said:
Warning ... long rant!

Does anyone else feel like strangling specialised tradies recently ... I don't know if it's a sign of the times, slack Australian business or just me.

Three recent instances ... were looking at building a house 12 months ago. Rang a major spec builder who had a plan almost exactly as we wanted. Emailed him thru a few minor changes we would like and then spent the next 6 weeks chasing him almost daily for a quote - with promise after promise of getting the quote to me the "next day" and it failing to appear. In the end wrote a scathing review on a website because if they can't get a quote thru in a timely manner as promised, how the heck will they go with the building side?

Next ... hot water turning brown - which is an indicator the storage tank is failing and could collapse and blow out at any moment. Rang around and got quotes and chose supplier for new solar HWS ... first install visit put off because of another emergency (fine) - second install put off for a reason I can't remember - third install put off because tank hadn't arrived from Melbourne - fourth install they actually arrived, installed the panels and unpacked the tank, to find it severely dented and had to be sent back - fifth install put off as replacement tank not arrived .... all this time the water is turning darker and darker and, with the hws located internally near new carpet I was starting to stress ... finally installed on sixth install date, nearly two months later.

And now ... we're having the coping on the pool replaced and, being an old, odd shaped fibreglass pool, there is only one guy in the area who makes up his own coping tiles to fit ... was supposed to be installed early December when I paid for the materials ... after being "put off" almost every week since he was finally supposed to come today with no further excuses ... no shock to get a call this morning to say he won't be out until later in the week ... oh ... and he wants his install payment on the day ... and got antsy when I mentioned this job was supposed to be done two and a half months ago ... if he's not here in two days I'll pick up the made-in-November coping pavers and have a go myself!

And then they wonder why we go overseas for anything we can ... got a fabulous logo made up - $200 with as many changes as I needed to get it right - turnaround 2 days each change (even on weekends) ...

Can't blame the car makers for buggering off
Click to expand...
We are still waiting for our builder to come back to finish off a couple of little things that have occurred since we moved in - 2 years later....

And he is supposed to be a sort of a mate (from the Golf Club I used to play at a bit more often).

Now you folks can understand why I'm so bitter and twisted - I've had loads more years to cop this sort of shoit than you lot. :D
 
willair said:
I was talking to a mate at his 60th birthday party on the weekend about the business of being a Tradesperson these days,he employs 4 people
they won't do any unloading of materials prior unless the account is paided up-front,most don't have a problems with that form of payment,,the other problem they have is all the TV painful realism reno drama sideshows on the time factor to complete the work,,my mate does all the qualifying
on the phone some people when they first ring up they think all jobs only take 30 minutes like on all the reno sideshows ..
Click to expand...

I can add here that we are professional facility managers and the floor polishers we use, are the one who came in to finish the job on the block projects after the cameras turn off.

There is no "reality" in these shows, any more.

FYI they do great jobs in Sydney, Peter
 
Peter 14.7 said:
I can add here that we are professional facility managers and the floor polishers we use, are the one who came in to finish the job on the block projects after the cameras turn off.

There is no "reality" in these shows, any more.

FYI they do great jobs in Sydney, Peter
Click to expand...

It's like my mate said,no-one can toss 50 heads in a row but some of the people that ring him,, just think they are in control on price materials labour ect,and try to tell how the job is done,and this is plumbing most don't even price factor the council permits from the start..
 
VYBerlinaV8 said:
I generally plan to leave the car in the shop all day when servicing is due. Often they will give me a lift to work or even a loan car.
Click to expand...
If only everyone was like you.

Services; often they think they can drop it at 9.00am and pick it up at 10.00 or 11.00am type thing, and in actual time it is normally less than two hours for a straight service with no other issues to address, but it doesn't mean when you drop it off it will be on the hoist anytime soon.

But I'm talking about anything...

Punctures, putting on an air/con belt, a set of tyres, an alignment, change a radiator, replace a buggered radio, etc.

Folks think;
1. they are the only customer we will have for the day,
2. we are sitting around playing thumb-twiddles, and/or
3. we have one mechanic for every car that is booked in.

And, we should charge $30 per hour,

Buggered door window motors are the best; "can you fix it for me?"..often the motor is no change out of $200 (some are cheaper of course) and the labour is always an hour at least - another $105 per door..they think it's a....5 min job.
 
"And if you own a house in a mining town, well then you must be a rich landlord and we can tell you anything and you are stupid enough to believe us and will na?vely pay us whatever we ask."

Can I whing about this twice in the same week????
 
BayView said:
If only everyone was like you.

Services; often they think they can drop it at 9.00am and pick it up at 10.00 or 11.00am type thing, and in actual time it is normally less than two hours for a straight service with no other issues to address, but it doesn't mean when you drop it off it will be on the hoist anytime soon.

But I'm talking about anything...

Punctures, putting on an air/con belt, a set of tyres, an alignment, change a radiator, replace a buggered radio, etc.

Folks think;
1. they are the only customer we will have for the day,
2. we are sitting around playing thumb-twiddles, and/or
3. we have one mechanic for every car that is booked in.

And, we should charge $30 per hour,

Buggered door window motors are the best; "can you fix it for me?"..often the motor is no change out of $200 (some are cheaper of course) and the labour is always an hour at least - another $105 per door..they think it's a....5 min job.
Click to expand...

Frankly I'd rather leave it all day so the mechanic doesn't feel they need to rush the job.
 
The thing that really got me about this last job was that we had pulled up all the coping tiles and surrounding pavers weeks and weeks ago ... as requested ... dug out down to the beaming cement as requested weeks ago ... the weather has been hot ... the pool surrounds look like a rubble tip and we're struggling not to get even more sand in the pool ... and then they don't turn up ... such a first world problem!

Oh - I do like to leave my car most of the day but am very specific when I book that I need it back in time for school pickup - and remind them again when I get there
 
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