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
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