Traders with too much work to care.

A lack of skilled people and people having cash to do renovations is what I think is causing some problems. My GS has work stretching into next year and says customers are very frustrated they are having to wait for him to get round to them. He already works on Saturdays to try to fit in as much as he can but refuses to ‘hurry’ jobs and do a less than perfect finish. He tried taking on an extra person but they weren’t up to his good standard, it takes lots of time to price and do estimates of jobs which he now does after he’s spent time with his young daughter in the evenings and quite frankly he looks exhausted most of the time. I’m not saying feel sorry for trades people but there’s more to running a business than just one job.

We’re in the same club - it’s impossible to get work done, despite the size of the project. (Have had an estimate for a new roof but it’s now beyond the proposed time.) A friend who is a tradesman tells us jobs are put on back burners until it suits. It’s so frustrating.

We've been trying to get a carpenter to re-do our back door steps for months. Living in a smaller, remote town there aren't that many available. One has given us a quote, but says he can't source cedar needed. Actually wanted my husband to phone around and find some. good grief! We have told ourselves that this year is a write-off, and we should start looking again next year.

Well I wouldn’t use him that’s for sure why don’t you go through age concern they have recommendations and they wouldn’t speak to you like that for risk of getting a bad review

Regrettably good tradesmen are so busy they can pick and choose customers, they feel they are doing you a favour by doing the work.
I’m not sure if it works for bathrooms but it’s better to buy a fitted kitchen off a company inclusive of fitting, rather than buying the units then finding a fitter

A bad attitude before he starts :
get someone else !

Back in 2018 I had great difficulty in getting an electrician, though eventually I found a very good one, self-employed. He sorted out the initial problem quickly. As a result I discussed with him an upgrade and he did that and various other jobs for me, and did it all excellently, clearly having an ethos of doing a good job and providing good customer service.

Before finding him though, I rang one and he had an answerphone and although I rang on several days I never got any response, so I gave up.

Another one was a "We have electricians in your area" one rung at just after 9 am and they quickly booked me in for an electrician to arrive by 1 pm.

They rang back at around 10 am very apologetic. It appears that they did not "have" electricians, they had independent contractors on their list. Apparently the man lived some distance from me, and had taken the line that, for the job, which was basically small, he wasn't willing to travel that distance.

Another one was a business advertised under electricians and I rang and a man answered. What did I want doing? I explained, in detail. He said "I'll ask the electricians to see if they want to do it". "Aren't you an electrician?" "No, I'm a plumber, I just answered the phone as I was nearby". I heard no more from them.

Another one, advertised on the web as something like "You know how some electricians let you down, we don't" and so I rang them. "Oh we don't do your area anymore."

But as I say, I found a good one and he came promptly.

He also got other work as someone I know asked if I knew of a good electrician.