Unreliable tradies!

[TMNT]

Experienced renovators or experts, lend me your wisdom!

Now we all know, generalisation I know, that tradies are unreliable, and so are young people and so are bogans,


Anyway, I'm at my Reno at the moment with two tradies working with me, now, there is the view of you pay peanuts, you get monkeys, however with tradies I've found it doesn't matter how much you pay

Out of the ten working days per week, for the two, I have on average 1.5 days per week not turning up,

In my years renovating, I've never met a bunch of people with so many health, personal, family, financial, issues

Just today a tradie called me at 11 for a 9am start because he slept in, and could he come in at 12

At 1230 he calls and says he can't make it because his mother has a doc appointment, and has to driver her cos she has lost her license to dui (so has he Btw)

I could fire him however it's near the end of the job and the hassle of finding another person who may be worse or have no idea what he's doing?

These days when someone calls and say story can't make it for whatever reason, I don't bother asking, I don't bother getting upset, I don t get annoyed, I just have come to accept it. It's almost these sort of issues are part of being a worker in this industry

Maybe this attitude of mine is indirectly encouraging them to be like this


How do you experienced ones handle this sort of situations

 

[jim1964]

Its called be there on time,the agreed day.............or i will find someone else.Simple!

 

[D.T.]

Find some good ones, set your expectations, and stick with them every time you do up another house if they're good. And recommend them to others helps build loyalty because they want that to keep happening.

Are you paying them per day or a total for the job? Perhaps this might influence whether they want to turn up or not.

In any case, I'd never choose by price. I'd get quotes to find out the price, but then choose them by how non retarded they seem.

I had the same dramas getting tradies to do stuff to my PPOR.

 

[jim1964]

but then choose them by how non retarded they seem.

This would be a major job by itself.

 

[boeman]

Don't bother cold calling or using trades that advertise, good tradesmen are never out of work and do not need to rely on finding work, it finds them.

Drive around new housing estates or residential construction sites, find trades who have presentable vehicles and tools (a sign of pride and good earnings) and strike up a conversation with them. You will know within 5mins if they are organised and reliable.

Odds are, the best ones will tell you they are busy for at least the next month. Wait and book them in, they will be your best bet for a good job and being reliable. Plus you can view their work prior to them starting.

Don't be surprised if they are a day or so late, weather and materials deliveries are the 2 biggest variables in a tradesman's life.

What you have described above is not a tradesman anyway. Don't generalise the industry based on the ones you have met so far, as the industry has a lot of very hard working, dedicated and professional people, it is just the part time renovator doesn't meet them since they don't have the contacts.

 

[T.G]

I have worked with hundreds of tradies over the years and have found the majority to be unreliable idiots. The good ones are great but old school craftmanship and the ability to turn up and do a fair days work for a fair days pay is becoming all to rare.

My 6 year old asked me the other day what should he be so he can be rich.
I told him a tradie that cleans up after himself, does a good a job and calls if he's running late or won't be turning up ...

 

[Scott No Mates]

Don't bother trying to get a tradie today as they're all at Harbord Diggers getting their cpd points.

 

[ZachAnSel]

Is it possible to add clause money will be transferred full after :
Subject to quality and timely manner satisfaction?

 

[Jamie M]

I'm extremely fortunate to have some excellent tradies on side. I have two builders who've carried out a lot of work on my PPOR. I trust them with everything - they co-ordinate all the other trades.

Both are from the old school - they do great work, charge a fair price and are great guys to be around.

I'm leaving them with the keys to my place while I'm overseas for a month so they can reno a bathroom. The hardest part is going to be getting them to understand/use skype

Cheers

Jamie

 

[boeman]

Pro-tip - If you have used a lot of trades in your time and still find there are no good ones that meet your expectations, the issue is probably not the trade, and rather a lack of understanding about the construction industry.

 

[nhg]

Don't bother cold calling or using trades that advertise, good tradesmen are never out of work and do not need to rely on finding work, it finds them.

+1!

I have unfortunately cycled through quite a few tradies when I first started. You find them over time, trial and error.

Unless I have to, I go by word of mouth referrals from people I trust (some on this forum), the really good ones have a set customer base and it is hard to get them to work for you unless you've had a long relationship with them as a customer who pays on time etc.

(The reverse, they don't want to work with you unless you have a good reputation as someone who pays on time).

It sounds harsh but as the business is developing, and am at a place where I can turn down work, there are certain suburbs (or attitudes) I refuse to work in/with.

 

[woz]

This is coming from the point of view of a plumber.

I dont advertise and never have. All my work is from word of mouth (which is the best form of advertising). Thing is with trades there are so many things that come up which make it so difficult to set certain times and dates.

Say I currently have 3 renos going at the same time with a couple of new houses.

1. If one day im roughing in the new house this normally goes straight forward and do it in a day.
2. The next day i i have a reno booked in to change a shower or move a toilet.
3. A reno booked in the day after that one.

If 1 goes fine and finish in the day all good
If 2 runs into a drama and takes 3 days the 3 gets pushed back 3 days.

If 1 the weather is awful and rains all day, 1 isnt available to work its pushes the whole line out a day.

If that happens 3 could be already out a week from 1 rain day.
And there u are saying my plumber is so unreliable he hasnt turned up for a week im never going to get this done, oh i cant believe i chose this plumber

If a builder I do plenty of work for calls and says he needs some thing do, i go and do it because i get plenty of work off him.

Pushes everything behind.

The moral is, it doesnt take much at all to throw a schedule out the window. I will always be in contact though and explain whats going on to keep u in the loop.

This isnt just plumbing but i would have to say all trades. there are so many factors people dont take into consideration.

In saying all this though as many have explained there are complete drop kicks who wouldnt be able to spell their own name and want a beer at 9am. surely you can pick these blokes from a mile and stay the hell away from them.

 

[woz]

People always say good tradesman are hard to find. Its because they have their network of clients who are loyal and dont look for work. They build good relationships etc.

Majority of the ones advertising and always chasing work are the ones left on the scrap heap

 

[D.T.]

. I will always be in contact though and explain whats going on to keep u in the loop.
.

Great post Woz. I think the part i quoted is the important bit. If they all did this then we wouldnt be wondering where they are.

 

[sanj]

Pro-tip - If you have used a lot of trades in your time and still find there are no good ones that meet your expectations, the issue is probably not the trade, and rather a lack of understanding about the construction industry.

Don't bother cold calling or using trades that advertise, good tradesmen are never out of work and do not need to rely on finding work, it finds them.

Drive around new housing estates or residential construction sites, find trades who have presentable vehicles and tools (a sign of pride and good earnings) and strike up a conversation with them. You will know within 5mins if they are organised and reliable.

Odds are, the best ones will tell you they are busy for at least the next month. Wait and book them in, they will be your best bet for a good job and being reliable. Plus you can view their work prior to them starting.

Don't be surprised if they are a day or so late, weather and materials deliveries are the 2 biggest variables in a tradesman's life.

What you have described above is not a tradesman anyway. Don't generalise the industry based on the ones you have met so far, as the industry has a lot of very hard working, dedicated and professional people, it is just the part time renovator doesn't meet them since they don't have the contacts.

both excellent posts, kudos.

 

[TMNT]

Pro-tip - If you have used a lot of trades in your time and still find there are no good ones that meet your expectations, the issue is probably not the trade, and rather a lack of understanding about the construction industry.

I must admit, when I say tradies, plumbers and electricians are usually quite good,

its the handymen, builders and carpenters that seem to be the problem,

maybe its because these guys seem to have too many fingers in the pie

that being said, my expectations I doubt are too high,

turn up on time, turn up, dont quote a job and then complain about how you arent making a profit on it

thats all I ask for

and my pet hate is "dont quote a job, half way through the job after being paid 50% walk out saying its too hard!"
and yes it does happen!

 

[T.G]

I'm ok with delays as long as you ring me, it;s the no shows or the people who disappear that pi$$ me off.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I completely understand delays due to weather, emergencies, others jobs, etc.

What I don't understand is why so many tradies seem to come and start a job, then go away for a while, then come back and do some more, than go away again, then... Well, you get the picture.

On a recent pergola build the carpenter (and his team of 3!) came and went 5 times across the period of a week. All they had to do was construct the wood frame. The slab was done, the materials already on site. They didn't have to paint, do electrical, etc.

Unbelievable.

Then there's the attitude so many of them have. They don't call, they don't turn up, there's always some excuse usually delivered in indignant tones.

That said, I do have a few good tradies I use for ongoing work. They seem to have figured out that if you deal with me sensibly and do what they claim that I pay cash on the day.

 

[JenJen]

Hi TMNT

I have recently had to coordinate a minor renovation from a distance. To cut a long story short, my IP had tenant and water damage, and needed carpets replaced, walls and doors painted, doors re-hung, cupboards re-fitted, landscaping etc.

Having been told by the managing agent, after the property had sat idly for 17 days, that they couldn't just generate instant quotes, and 'these things take time', I decided to coordinate it myself.

I have to say, I used hipages.com.au and was very impressed with the speed at which I was able to obtain quotes and get work done. I week - multiple quotes and all work completed. I received multiple quotes on most jobs, and found that the tradies that respond to requests are available for the times you nominate, or they don't respond and don't get the job. Regardless of their qualifications, experience etc, all tradies experience down time between jobs, and you have the opportunity to pick up on this and get some speedy results. The ones that responded to my ads were extremely prompt and reliable, which gave me an indication of their availability and professionalism. Generally, they were very professional operators, who went out of their way to assist.

I now have a new tenant in place and ready to move in. I am very happy with the result, and would definitely recommend the tradies to others.

Cheers

Jen

 

[Scott No Mates]

I have to say, I used hipages.com.au and was very impressed with the speed at which I was able to obtain quotes and get work done.

I can vouch for Hipages too. I have used them on 5 projects - several respondents, all came to site and most were extremely competitive and competent. In all cases they had to work around existing tenants or in tight time frames - they came, they quoted, they worked and got more work out of it.