Workmen don't show up??? (Rant)

**forHISglory** · 03-05-2008, 12:38 PM

I don't get easily upset or angry. But this has been eating at me for a while. We like to do as much for ourselves as possible, but sometimes we need to call in someone who is more of an expert than we are. We are finding that workman work ethics seem to be lacking. They might say, "I'll be there on Monday," so we take Monday off (when we were still working), or we drop all appointments on Monday so as to be here, and the workman doesn't show up. There's no phone call, nothing. So then we debate whether or not to go to work on Tuesday or plan anything. We decide to go to work or appointments, and the workman shows up. Since we aren't there, he leaves. And phone calls that we make go unanswered.

Now, I honestly don't know how workmen plan their schedules. Maybe they have perfectly good reasons to do this. But it escapes me. What is so difficult about staying in contact with customers? It's not as if I have the luxury of sitting around for days just waiting for the workman to show up. It's not just one workman; it's the plumber, the electrician, the carpenter, the.......... (fill in the blank).

At one time, I said to Hubby, "The workmen must be independently wealthy, because they sure don't seem to need the work!" Again, probably not true, but again, I don't understand the ethic of not showing up.

Does this happen in your neck of the woods? How do you handle this unreliable workman ethic?

**Cricketlegs** · 03-05-2008, 12:43 PM

I think given the nature of their work they often have to work longer on jobs than they plan for but I am with you...pick up a phone and CALL the person and let them know.

**shoiji** · 03-05-2008, 12:45 PM

I can understand your annoyance. Personally, I am like a kid when I have to wait for someone to show up. It is very hard to stay calm about waiting for them to show up. I would basically be ballistic about a no show. Anyway, I would try and get references for workmen. Don't think this is very professional on their part.

**luv-my-lexi** · 03-05-2008, 12:48 PM

I'm not sure of the size of the town you live in but when we were in Houston......you couldn't rely on anyone to show up when they said they would. We now live in a very small town and when you call for something they might end up there before you even get home!!! Maybe we have just been lucky here ~ but from the electrician to plumbing to air conditioner to a contractor that has been re-modeling my parents house they bought here.....we have had ABSOLUTELY no problem. I truly think that in a small town there is so much "word of mouth" that if someone was un-reliable they wouldn't stay in business very long.

**pkellyc** · 03-05-2008, 02:47 PM

It happens in CT also. Makes me mad too! I had my bathroom remodeled, floors, walls, everything and we never knew when they were going to be here. I would not recommend them to anyone and people have asked. Less business for them.
Now I need a second layer of roofing and just the thought of dealing with the roofers is enough to make me put it off as long as I can.

**StaceyS** · 03-05-2008, 02:56 PM

We have the same problem here. I now a lot of contractors personally and I wouldn't use them just from what I've heard from others! I don't know one that actually comes when he says (judging from work done for my boss).

**prairiewife** · 03-05-2008, 03:09 PM

After 20 years my parents finally had a small kitchen redo. New cabinets, some plumbing work and painting. Their stories of the remodel are histerical, the way they tell the story you have to laugh but, I can't believe what they went through. I felt so sorry for them they had saved for quite a while for this. My mom says never again.

Not only did it take much longer than anticipated. He would leave several times during the day because he forgot things or needed something more and not come back for hours. He even ended up borrowing some of my Dads tools! Needless to say my dad ended up having to do much of the finish work because the work that was done was not right.

The one thing they did reluctantly do was go to the home improvement store that recommened this guy and talk with them about the problems they had. Maybe someone else won't have to go through this. Mom said they didn't want to bad mouth him as this is his livelyhood, but thought the company that recommended him should know about his poor work.

Sorry you are going through this and hope things turn out well.

**Missy** · 03-05-2008, 03:55 PM

Aw! That sucks, I am so sorry you have had these experiences. My family is the other side of that conversation. He's a hardwood flooring installer. It really depends on the contractor themselves. DH is persnickety about being on time. He's been late a few times from being turned around and lost going out to all these off the beaten path homes out here. But otherwise he cannot stand being late. We make darned sure our guys are there on time. If I have to shove coffee down their throats myself to get them to their destinations on time I will do it. (Very often they all meet here and plan out the "attack plan" for the floors on the docket.) DH will not stand for it. Being late is not an option...although when it comes to getting home on time, he's late all the time, putting in extra time with a job to get it just right.

**M55FF** · 03-05-2008, 04:01 PM

good help is hard to find, so is a good doctor ( even for those with good insurance)...
but I want to say here that I am dearly grateful for all the late, rude, abnoxious repair people I've run across in my life ( roofers, plumbers etc) because it encouraged me to try to fix things on my own and I found I'm better at it than most of them are.
It started with a garbage disposal breaking and led to bigger things.
I won't attempt to rewire my house or put a roof on but my philosophy now is:
I have the money and the power...

if you dont want to come, do the work and do it right, someone else will.
I also have learned to carefully inspect things and negotiate a contract for work...
and held back money for a poor or sloppy job and also for using materials not agreed upon ( one time a guy used treated wood instead of the cedar for a fence that we argreed upon ).

you are the one with the power, your paying...
if they don't show up or are super late...
trust me call someone else as there are a hundred of those guys now starving for work.

**AprilP** · 03-06-2008, 12:57 PM

Ergh. I just had the same thing happen to me. I hired a plumber to install the new sink I bought for our bathroom. Took the day off work, sat around waiting, and he never showed. I called every 2 hours checking on him, and finally she told me "well, it's storming here, so he'll have to re-schedule."

Um, excuse me???? Storming??? It was sprinkling at most.

The next day, he was once again more than 2 hours past the time he was scheduled. Finally I got fed up, called his dispatch and cancelled altogether, and ended up installing the thing myself.

**Autumn1102** · 03-06-2008, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by pkellyc

It happens in CT also. Makes me mad too! I had my bathroom remodeled, floors, walls, everything and we never knew when they were going to be here. I would not recommend them to anyone and people have asked. Less business for them.
Now I need a second layer of roofing and just the thought of dealing with the roofers is enough to make me put it off as long as I can.

LOL My husband is a roofer.

But if he says he is going to be somewhere, he's there. LOL

**Holly** · 03-06-2008, 01:19 PM

Thank goodness I don't have that problem.
My fiance is a certified eletrican and plummer.
He also owned his own garage at one time so he does the auto work also.
We will be doing our own roofing this summer..
I would hate if we had to wait on others.