Why is it so hard to get tradespeople to quote??

[TheAngryDog]

I am sick to the back fking teeth of trying to get trades people to come to my house to quote for work. TURN UP ON THE AGREED DATE AT THE AGREED fkING TIME YOU fkING MORON!!!

It is not rocket science is it? If you cannot make it then at least fking call me so that I am not waiting around, or at least answer your ing phone you fking prick!!!

RAGE!!!!

[TheAngryDog]

Eddieslofart said:

Hmmmm, the word might be out on you in Bucks.

It must be I wouldn't mind but I only get angry when I am fked around

[TheAngryDog]

Very valid points.

The latest one is a plasterer. Meant to turn up today to quote. Its 5 walls and a ceiling. A days work which would be paid in full in cash the minute he is done. It's an easy gig for sure. Maybe not the highest paying one, but one to fit in between bigger jobs for some easy beer tokens.

I've had to chase companies for plumbing, a tiler and guttering. Manners cost nothing.

[TheAngryDog]

mike74 said:

I love the way you freely swear and call people morons yet you've still been sufficiently brainwashed by the pc brigrade to refer to them as "tradespeople"

It just shows the power of indoctrination. I recommend you reduce your BBC intake.

How else would you quickly describe people who do this type of work to be instantly recognisable, as per everyone else who posted who didn't reply with a sarcastic tone

Saleen836 said:

TheAngryDog said:

Very valid points.

The latest one is a plasterer. Meant to turn up today to quote. Its 5 walls and a ceiling. A days work which would be paid in full in cash the minute he is done. It's an easy gig for sure. Maybe not the highest paying one, but one to fit in between bigger jobs for some easy beer tokens.

I've had to chase companies for plumbing, a tiler and guttering. Manners cost nothing.

Must be fairly small walls and ceiling for you to think it can be done in a day

It's what I was told by someone who did come to give me a quote. And the room isn't that big,

[TheAngryDog]

Gav147 said:

Saleen836 said:

TheAngryDog said:

Very valid points.

The latest one is a plasterer. Meant to turn up today to quote. Its 5 walls and a ceiling. A days work which would be paid in full in cash the minute he is done. It's an easy gig for sure. Maybe not the highest paying one, but one to fit in between bigger jobs for some easy beer tokens.

I've had to chase companies for plumbing, a tiler and guttering. Manners cost nothing.

Must be fairly small walls and ceiling for you to think it can be done in a day

It's what I was told by someone who did come to give me a quote. And the room isn't that big,

If it's an average size room should be right, shouldn't take more than a day to plaster a room out. Providing it is ready that is!

Wall paper will be stripped, skirting boards will be off as will the radiator. Room will be empty floor covered. I know there will be wall paper paste residue left, any suggestions on what to remove it with?

[TheAngryDog]

mike74 said:

I wasn't disagreeing with your point, it's entirely valid, they are useless pricks when it comes to obtaining quotes or even getting them to actually come and do the work they've quoted for...I was merely making an observation on your use of the word "tradespeople"

Apologies. I guess it's my northern disposition in terms of how people like that are known.

[TheAngryDog]

4x4Tyke said:

Estimating work on vague details is hard and error prone, there are too many unknowns, customers expect quotes to be accurate, but will not provide decent statements of work. If the work/cost overruns, the supplier takes the risk or the customers kick up a stink, it is thankless task.

I see this all the time from the opposite side in IT, can you just give me a 'ball park figure' turns into 'you said X', even when quotes are backup by good scope limits. If this is happening to you a lot, then you are likely the problem. Your easy work/beer token comments sums ups your attitude IMHO.

Edited by 4x4Tyke on Monday 7th August 09:35

Riiiiiight.

So the fact that I want them to come round so that they can look and give me a quote based on what I want from what they can see was lost on you?

And beer tokens is a figure of speech. I aren't expecting this to be done for a pack of fags and 20p. I know it is going to be in the £400 to £500 range and have budgeted accordingly. And easy work? Yes it is, compared to boarding walls and doing a full house. This is 5 walls. A day or two's work which will be a nice little earner as they will be able to rock up, plaster, drink my tea and go home again. But as you know so much about me and my attitude crack on with your thoughts.

To everyone else;

Had 3 quotes up to now. £440, £460 (will be less without the ceiling being done which isn't needed) and £550. Last quote is tonight. I am inclined to go for the £440 as it while it ultimately wont be the cheapest, I have experience of the work he has done before (he did our kitchen before we bought the house and it looks a good job).

[TheAngryDog]

singlecoil said:

TheAngryDog said:

Had 3 quotes up to now. £440, £460 (will be less without the ceiling being done which isn't needed) and £550. Last quote is tonight. I am inclined to go for the £440 as it while it ultimately wont be the cheapest, I have experience of the work he has done before (he did our kitchen before we bought the house and it looks a good job).

I'm hope you won't mind me saying this, but it's actually a good example of why busy tradesmen are reluctant to quote on relatively small private jobs. That's four blokes who have been or will be coming round to estimate for a job only one of them is going to get.

Put that 25% chance against a steady flow of work from full time contractors and you have your answer right there.

Indeed, a valid point, but the 3 companies up to now who have given me a quote were more than happy to, and are smaller companies and are happy to take on the work. While some can and do cherry pick, in a small town like the one I live in, you'd think most would be happy with the work, but c'est la vie.

[TheAngryDog]

singlecoil said:

TheAngryDog said:

singlecoil said:

TheAngryDog said:

Had 3 quotes up to now. £440, £460 (will be less without the ceiling being done which isn't needed) and £550. Last quote is tonight. I am inclined to go for the £440 as it while it ultimately wont be the cheapest, I have experience of the work he has done before (he did our kitchen before we bought the house and it looks a good job).

I'm hope you won't mind me saying this, but it's actually a good example of why busy tradesmen are reluctant to quote on relatively small private jobs. That's four blokes who have been or will be coming round to estimate for a job only one of them is going to get.

Put that 25% chance against a steady flow of work from full time contractors and you have your answer right there.

Indeed, a valid point, but the 3 companies up to now who have given me a quote were more than happy to, and are smaller companies and are happy to take on the work. While some can and do cherry pick, in a small town like the one I live in, you'd think most would be happy with the work, but c'est la vie.

Surely it's you that's doing the cherry picking in the scenario you've described? And as for most being happy with the the work, there's only a 25% chance of getting it in this case.

So you just get one person in regardless of the cost, and choose them? You get a quote that £1k to do a simple job, but you go with them so just not to waste their time? You must have money to burn!!

QuickQuack said:

TheAngryDog said:

Had 3 quotes up to now. £440, £460 (will be less without the ceiling being done which isn't needed) and £550. Last quote is tonight. I am inclined to go for the £440 as it while it ultimately wont be the cheapest, I have experience of the work he has done before (he did our kitchen before we bought the house and it looks a good job).

Why in the name of god are you getting 4 quotes for such a small job?? Just for a single room and sub-£500, I personally wouldn't bother. You're just wasting their time when you full well know you won't be using them. Coming out to your house, looking at the job, going back, working out and putting in writing how much material and labour etc., all take time, the. You do need to factor in fuel, wear and tear on the vehicle and similar things you can't quite see either. Nothing less than a couple of hours, if not more, wasted for 3 people in your case. Going by your standard of 4 quotes for a couple of days' work, they have to waste 1/3rd of their time just doing quotes. That's just not sustainable.

It's not my line of work but I hate wasting my time so I do my utmost to not waste other people's time too.

Typical PH response, but then I imagine as a powerfully built goatee'd director you just get your butler to handle such issues and just pay the first quote, regardless of cost?

And for info, one guy quoted on the spot, the other two took 10 minutes to put a quote together, so wasting a 1/3 of their time is a bit of an exaggeration.

Good old PH.

[TheAngryDog]

singlecoil said:

TheAngryDog said:

Good old PH.

This is starting to come across like a point of view situation. From your point of view there is no reason why four different tradesmen in your area should not want to come and quote on your relatively small job, and from the point of view of some other posters here, there's plenty of reason, and the 25% chance of getting the job is one of the main ones.

But I get the impression that you don't want to hear from those people, and that this is a rant thread, not a genuine enquiry such as one might gather from the thread title.

It is a rant thread, hence the rant in my OP.

However, why should and would I settle for one quote? If I did that I'd be paying £4k to get new guttering, fascia's and soffits.
The people who have been to see me have told me they expect me to get other prices, so I don't see the issue. When I worked in a computer shop I would take calls, put together a quote for a PC and then give it to the client. That DID take time. I expected that they got prices from elsewhere. I guess I just have a different expectation level than others, in that that not everyone wants the first price they get. Do you go to a car sales showroom and buy the first car you see just so that you do not waste the salesman/womans time?

QuickQuack said:

TheAngryDog said:

Typical PH response, but then I imagine as a powerfully built goatee'd director you just get your butler to handle such issues and just pay the first quote, regardless of cost?

And for info, one guy quoted on the spot, the other two took 10 minutes to put a quote together, so wasting a 1/3 of their time is a bit of an exaggeration.

Good old PH.

Not in the least. I just prefer treating other people like I would like to be treated myself. I also work on trust. If someone has been recommended to me, particularly by another tradesman, I find that their work is quite good. A good tradesman won't recommend someone who's rubbish because that would put their own reputation at risk. If I get on with whoever is here to look at a job, they came with a recommendation and it sounds reasonable, I don't bother getting another quote. Why waste time getting more quotes?

It seems to work for me and I never have any problems getting someone in to do anything, however small. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that households also have a favourable or unfavourable reputation amongst tradesmen.

I also do not like having my time wasted, but why go with the first quote you get? I really don't get it, I do not get why you would hamper yourself over something. Do you also buy the first car you see so as not to waste someones time?

None of these people were recommended by other companies.

How do you know what is reasonable? I am not local to the area, never needed plastering doing before since being here, and the last time I did get any plastering done was back up North and large room cost me less than what I am getting quoted for now. So the only way for me to know what is and what isn't reasonable is to get some quotes. Otherwise I could end up paying £1k for a job that another company would have charged me less than half for.

[TheAngryDog]

I'm going to agree to disagree. Yes I can see that some people wouldn't want to quote etc, but just tell me, rather than arranging a time, me leaving work early etc. And yes perhaps 4 quotes is a bit much. I won't be getting any more.

[TheAngryDog]

mcg_ said:

TheAngryDog said:

Had 3 quotes up to now. £440, £460 (will be less without the ceiling being done which isn't needed) and £550. Last quote is tonight. I am inclined to go for the £440 as it while it ultimately wont be the cheapest, I have experience of the work he has done before (he did our kitchen before we bought the house and it looks a good job).

Personally, if I'd had a room done in the house and it was decent, then I'd just get him round again. Especially as it's just 1 room.

Whole house, sure maybe get a few quotes. Again though, if I know someones good I'll normally just use them again. The quality of a job lasts longer than the pain of having to pay out a few more quid.


Did our kitchen recently, the plumber, electrician, kitchen fitter, tiler and plasterer were people who I knew were good/well recommended. Asked them all 6 weeks in advance of the works starting and it all went pretty much to plan. I allowed contingency in timings as things can/do change or go wrong (like having to divert the gas, heating, hot/cold water pipes!)

We didn't know that he had done the kitchen until he came to round and told us as he recognised the house. As an extra, he had just been to the old owners of our house and done some plastering there.

[TheAngryDog]

LeadFarmer said:

Tradesmen are the first to moan when times are lean, with little work. But the rest of the time you just can't get them for love nor money. Ive been waiting for plasterers to get back to me for the last few weeks as I need two rooms re-plastering. Trying to get one to come and quote is impossible, they are all either too busy or they have poor organisational skills. This is why I have little sympathy for them when times are lean.

At least be honest and tell me your too busy, don't say you will come and then never turn up! Bastids!!!

Stop trying to waste their time you cretin!!! (sorry, couldn't resist).

Common courtesy costs nothing. Good luck finding a decent one!