How do you deal with really rude builder?
Discussion
I had a drive laid a couple of years ago. The builder had a 5 month waiting list and excellent check a trade score ( 9.7 I think). A couple of weeks before he was due to start we changed our minds on the brick so he gave us a previous customers address so went to have a look and happened to speak with the owner of the property. She said he hadn’t laid it but done some other work and would not recommend him. I didn’t want to wait months more so let him start. He had no plans and made it up as he went along. When I complained he would have to start again. The finish is average and I am not convinced it will last (it is already shifting). I paid £15k and had a much better job done at our old house at 20% of the cost (50% smaller drive). I had some heated conversations with him and at the end was glad to see the back of him. I did t leave a review as I did t want the hassle. Maybe that’s what most people do and others have low standards.
Pretty standard as so many are literally stupid, shortsighted and cant see beyond the day they are in. Need to get back by 3pm for the pub and complain about how hard it is.
It really isn't hard to be polite, answer questions and do what you said you were going to do. Now i will say i have had a few idiot customers and i think over the years 1 pushed me over the edge, i told him to keep his money and i didn't want a penny as he was obviously so desperate to trip me up and i wouldn't be finishing, he was a professional a
hole 
He did actually talk me down and paid in full and was happy
It amazes me though tbh, do what you said you will do, be polite, do a good job, go above and beyond and you will always have work and zero aggro.
It really isn't hard to be polite, answer questions and do what you said you were going to do. Now i will say i have had a few idiot customers and i think over the years 1 pushed me over the edge, i told him to keep his money and i didn't want a penny as he was obviously so desperate to trip me up and i wouldn't be finishing, he was a professional a
hole He did actually talk me down and paid in full and was happy It amazes me though tbh, do what you said you will do, be polite, do a good job, go above and beyond and you will always have work and zero aggro.
bmwmike said:
Everyone needs to know that checkatrade are a scam and utterly useless for verifying the integrity of builders.
Always go with your gut IMO. Easier said than done I know.
That is my experience of checkatrade.Always go with your gut IMO. Easier said than done I know.
Years ago I employed some builder via checkatrade to do about £5k worth of work. They were rude and quality was awful. I asked them to correct various things which they did under pressure from me. They refused to provide any of the legal paperwork for the electrics or correct some problems so I refused the final payment of about £2k if I remember. I ended up with them squaring up to me on my own doorstep and threatening me. Eventually the paperwork turned up but the corrective work didn't but I paid up as I didn't really want them in my house again. I tried to leave a negative checkatrade and couldn't. I spoke to checkatrade and they refused to help me saying they couldn't verify I had work done by these people despite having invoice to prove it. It is impossible to leave a negative response on checkatrade. Scam.
breamster said:
That is my experience of checkatrade.
Years ago I employed some builder via checkatrade to do about £5k worth of work. They were rude and quality was awful. I asked them to correct various things which they did under pressure from me. They refused to provide any of the legal paperwork for the electrics or correct some problems so I refused the final payment of about £2k if I remember. I ended up with them squaring up to me on my own doorstep and threatening me. Eventually the paperwork turned up but the corrective work didn't but I paid up as I didn't really want them in my house again. I tried to leave a negative checkatrade and couldn't. I spoke to checkatrade and they refused to help me saying they couldn't verify I had work done by these people despite having invoice to prove it. It is impossible to leave a negative response on checkatrade. Scam.
From a tradespersons point of view, they are expensive, wrong expectations and are used by those desperate for business. Years ago I employed some builder via checkatrade to do about £5k worth of work. They were rude and quality was awful. I asked them to correct various things which they did under pressure from me. They refused to provide any of the legal paperwork for the electrics or correct some problems so I refused the final payment of about £2k if I remember. I ended up with them squaring up to me on my own doorstep and threatening me. Eventually the paperwork turned up but the corrective work didn't but I paid up as I didn't really want them in my house again. I tried to leave a negative checkatrade and couldn't. I spoke to checkatrade and they refused to help me saying they couldn't verify I had work done by these people despite having invoice to prove it. It is impossible to leave a negative response on checkatrade. Scam.
Decent ones work by word of mouth and personal recommendations and have a years work scheduled.
m3jappa said:
Pretty standard as so many are literally stupid, shortsighted and cant see beyond the day they are in. Need to get back by 3pm for the pub and complain about how hard it is.
It really isn't hard to be polite, answer questions and do what you said you were going to do. Now i will say i have had a few idiot customers and i think over the years 1 pushed me over the edge, i told him to keep his money and i didn't want a penny as he was obviously so desperate to trip me up and i wouldn't be finishing, he was a professional ahole He did actually talk me down and paid in full and was happy
It amazes me though tbh, do what you said you will do, be polite, do a good job, go above and beyond and you will always have work and zero aggro.
We have a lot of excellent people round here and the bad ones normally reveal themselves before they’ve even turned up by needing you to mother them with regards how diaries and clocks work and those that get through that test will often reveal their sIt really isn't hard to be polite, answer questions and do what you said you were going to do. Now i will say i have had a few idiot customers and i think over the years 1 pushed me over the edge, i told him to keep his money and i didn't want a penny as he was obviously so desperate to trip me up and i wouldn't be finishing, he was a professional a
hole He did actually talk me down and paid in full and was happy It amazes me though tbh, do what you said you will do, be polite, do a good job, go above and beyond and you will always have work and zero aggro.
teness by quoting based on the address rather than the job, with the intermediate test being their manners and ability to converse with another adult without tripping into a ‘pub loser who knows everything’ routine. The big thing that comes up a lot on PH is the fact that as clients we are actually pretty proficient at spotting an incompetent bit then we fall down on not doing what we know we should which is politely helping them back into their mobility van and letting them get back to their pub landlord/daytime carer. The number of stories that come up which start with ‘I suspected he was on day release from Wethwrspoons’ and then proceed to hire them anyway seems quite high. I guess it’s a function of just not having the time to interview endlessly until you find a professional as much as anything.
When we were doing a small barn conversion a couple of years back we had three builders, one was the stereotypical cocky tard who made it very clear from just his walk across the drive that he would be a hazard to have on site, the second was a recommended local who came over as very good but we opted for the third firm as they turned up exactly on time after just one phone conversation and had a list of local clients who had said they would be happy to give references. I spoke to a couple and that was enough. They were the most expensive but were on site all summer without you knowing they were there, starting at exactly the same time each morning and using the last half hour of every day to tidy up. They finished a few days early and we’ve had zero snagging.
Our plummer is ex Navy and it shows. Always smart, always on time, always polite and always fair, as are his sons.
Took a while to find a roofer as most just made up numbers after seeing the house but we now have a really good local chap courtesy of our handyman who introduced him.
The big problem has been flooring people. They seem to all smoke vast amounts of drugs as they just aren’t able to function without a carer and have no basic comprehension of how zeros work and how many to use at one time.
The long and short is that as customers we should listen to ourselves more and not settle on a tradesman that isn’t instilling is with confidence as we all know there are some total muppets out there that we have to sift through to reach the professionals.
What domestics don’t seem to understand, is the internet has made you all an expert in the required field.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling ahole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.
Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling a
hole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
Aluminati said:
What domestics don’t seem to understand, is the internet has made you all an expert in the required field.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling ahole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.
Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
You wouldn't get a job on my house.It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling a
hole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
ive used it before the bloke that turned up didn't have a clue, plumbling, ended up making worse and had to call an emergency one.
i try and choose ones that are family owned and have history outside the website. the roofer i had was great and charged less than the conmen i had before( got money back off them).
i try and choose ones that are family owned and have history outside the website. the roofer i had was great and charged less than the conmen i had before( got money back off them).
Mercky said:
Aluminati said:
What domestics don’t seem to understand, is the internet has made you all an expert in the required field.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling ahole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.
Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
You wouldn't get a job on my house.It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling a
hole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
Mercky said:
Aluminati said:
What domestics don’t seem to understand, is the internet has made you all an expert in the required field.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling ahole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.
Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
You wouldn't get a job on my house.It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling a
hole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
I stopped doing domestic and came ‘off the tools’ long ago, the domestic element because people want a Rolls Royce for the price of a Wartburg.
You lose a job on cost, 2 months later, “Can you come and put this right? “ Of course, but unpicking the s
t you have paid for because it was cheap will now cost more. Makes the proper tradesman the bad guy, never the idiot that was to tight to pay for quality in the first place.It never cease to amaze me people still hand over their hard earned based on a checkatrade review.
Aluminati said:
What domestics don’t seem to understand, is the internet has made you all an expert in the required field.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling ahole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.
Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
Case in point. It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling a
hole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
Evolved said:
Case in point.
Yet he couldn't actully fix the roof and charged quite a lot.I would hazard a guess he didn't do a leak test or even take photos of the roof and work done.
My roofer did, even gave him a tip at end of the job, said to call him if it leaked again, never mentioned review, which i left. You can tell cowboys they always say the same stuff, the first roofer was.
Edited by Thesprucegoose on Friday 13th December 20:31
vaud said:
There is a balance between a conversation each day about "what have you got planned for today" (and verifying any key measurements / locations of stuff) and "I think you should do it like this"
No, there isn’t. This is what you are paying for, this is how long it will take, these are the products we are using.Your property will be left in a clean and tidy condition, and we shall minimise the impact our works has on your property.
You and your family shall be treated with respect at all times, all exactly how i would like a tradesman to treat me and mine. But...insult us and it is disrespectful. Because we’re good at what we do, and when you insult someone that takes pride in what they do, it’s annoying.
Evolved said:
Aluminati said:
What domestics don’t seem to understand, is the internet has made you all an expert in the required field.
It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling ahole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.
Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
Case in point. It’s a basic requisite that you treat people and their property with respect.
Do the job right, and you do it once. However, when you have spent 30 years doing something, very well, and some googling a
hole decides to tell you how it should be, then the fuse is lit.Then you are a disrespectful prick, and shall pay the price accordingly.
The bloke that did my loft conversion could barely write English in any meaningful way , rarely answered his phone and sometimes didn't turn up when he said he would '100pc be there'
But to be fair to him whilst I thought he was a bit of a thicko when I first met him, he was extremely good at what he did, worked quickly and did the job in the time frame he said it would be completed in. his admin was shocking though and I only got the completion certificate after a year!
He was initially a bit suspicious when I was asking about how things were done and sometimes I watched them work which they didn't initially like, but when he realised I was only asking/watching because I was genuinely interested and was not trying to catch him out or be difficult we developed a good relationship in the end and I now am his go to show loft, and he's always offering to do odd jobs for me for nothing in return.
His contract and terms and conditions were so woeful I actually took pity on him and redrafted them for him which he was grateful for.
But to be fair to him whilst I thought he was a bit of a thicko when I first met him, he was extremely good at what he did, worked quickly and did the job in the time frame he said it would be completed in. his admin was shocking though and I only got the completion certificate after a year!
He was initially a bit suspicious when I was asking about how things were done and sometimes I watched them work which they didn't initially like, but when he realised I was only asking/watching because I was genuinely interested and was not trying to catch him out or be difficult we developed a good relationship in the end and I now am his go to show loft, and he's always offering to do odd jobs for me for nothing in return.
His contract and terms and conditions were so woeful I actually took pity on him and redrafted them for him which he was grateful for.
Aluminati said:
No, there isn’t. This is what you are paying for, this is how long it will take, these are the products we are using.
Your property will be left in a clean and tidy condition, and we shall minimise the impact our works has on your property.
You and your family shall be treated with respect at all times, all exactly how i would like a tradesman to treat me and mine. But...insult us and it is disrespectful. Because we’re good at what we do, and when you insult someone that takes pride in what they do, it’s annoying.
Sure but 5 mins over a cup of tea can avoid ambiguity. SOME trades would rather fYour property will be left in a clean and tidy condition, and we shall minimise the impact our works has on your property.
You and your family shall be treated with respect at all times, all exactly how i would like a tradesman to treat me and mine. But...insult us and it is disrespectful. Because we’re good at what we do, and when you insult someone that takes pride in what they do, it’s annoying.
k up than ask for clarification where there is ambiguity. A friendly chat can flush out ambiguities. I don't want to know HOW you will do it, but a few mins over plans and double checking what we all think they mean saves everyone hassle in the long run... This one is specifically for v8rx7.
You say you have dealt with builders and done the work,also bear in mind generally they are not the brightest,educationally speaking. etc etc etc.
You have never had a builder walk away but have thrown a few off site and picked up the pieces etc etc
All I can say is , are you for real or is it holiday time at the primary school.
You say you have dealt with builders and done the work,also bear in mind generally they are not the brightest,educationally speaking. etc etc etc.
You have never had a builder walk away but have thrown a few off site and picked up the pieces etc etc
All I can say is , are you for real or is it holiday time at the primary school.
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