How do you spot time wasters?

[Millsy 82]

I would love to see these people in tesco. I bet when they get to the till they say can I have a breakdown in price on that steak please.

 

[Masood]

I used to be married to one of them.

Feck me, that's the first thought that popped into my head when I read Steve's post. We think WAAAAY too much alike!

 

[WaterTight]

Sometimes I can't help but feel this forum functions too often as a means to take comfort in consensus.

There's so rarely any attempt to truly sympathise with the customers.

I don't give a **** you understand. Just can't help but notice.

 

[Phil]

On that diynot forum, 1st on the list on trade talk there is a woman in her 60's complaining she has had 5 quotes to get her bathroom done and nobody ever turns up to do the work after she has accepted the quote. She is so frustrated.

Her husband (no longer around) was a builder etc so she was used to him doing all the work.
I'm the most patient guy you will ever meet and always get on well with customers most guys would run a mile from but I met a similar woman to her last year and she could not be pleased whatever you did. I didn't do her bathroom but just fixed her shower after two other guys 'failed'.

She was behind me the whole time stressing out and was like "you cant do it can you!? you said you could do it" getting all nasty with me! For about an hour and a half she was pecking at me, thinking about it now I should have just stormed out but I just wanted to get the water back on and get out of there.

I've never been so angry but I kept my cool, I could have lost it and got right up in her face and called her every name under the sun but the type of woman she was she would have ruined me. In the end I fixed it but I was a nervous wreak.

I bet that was the same woman or one similar.

She was one vindictive cow and to any guys on here saying they would have done X or Y she would not rest till you were all over the papers and internet as a cowboy.

 

[Best]

On the other hand, I had the misfortune to work for a woman who was impatient, nasty, know it all, extremely fussy woman. I kept my cool and eventually fixed her old toilet that frankly very few plumbers would or could have.
Discovered from a friend of hers that she has OCD and doesn't realise how rude and over the top she is.
Sometimes the folk are okay and just have a problem

 

[WaterTight]

On the other hand, I had the misfortune to work for a woman who was impatient, nasty, know it all, extremely fussy woman. I kept my cool and eventually fixed her old toilet that frankly very few plumbers would or could have.
Discovered from a friend of hers that she has OCD and doesn't realise how rude and over the top she is.
Sometimes the folk are okay and just have a problem

I worked for and with a plumber with OCD. He has a tough time. Not the best job for it. Mind you don't know what would be.

 

[Best]

I worked for and with a plumber with OCD. He has a tough time. Not the best job for it. Mind you don't know what would be.

Maybe if a boxer had OCD, it would probably help them in their profession to be more nasty? :grin:

 

[plumben]

On that diynot forum, 1st on the list on trade talk there is a woman in her 60's complaining she has had 5 quotes to get her bathroom done and nobody ever turns up to do the work after she has accepted the quote. She is so frustrated.

Her husband (no longer around) was a builder etc so she was used to him doing all the work.
I'm the most patient guy you will ever meet and always get on well with customers most guys would run a mile from but I met a similar woman to her last year and she could not be pleased whatever you did. I didn't do her bathroom but just fixed her shower after two other guys 'failed'.

She was behind me the whole time stressing out and was like "you cant do it can you!? you said you could do it" getting all nasty with me! For about an hour and a half she was pecking at me, thinking about it now I should have just stormed out but I just wanted to get the water back on and get out of there.

I've never been so angry but I kept my cool, I could have lost it and got right up in her face and called her every name under the sun but the type of woman she was she would have ruined me. In the end I fixed it but I was a nervous wreak.

I bet that was the same woman or one similar.

She was one vindictive cow and to any guys on here saying they would have done X or Y she would not rest till you were all over the papers and internet as a cowboy.

I hate customers that watch you, when your trying to fix something, let alone telling you that you can't do it,

Should of just asked her politely to let you get on with it

 

[Best]

I hate customers that watch you, when your trying to fix something, let alone telling you that you can't do it,

Should of just asked her politely to let you get on with it

But there is NO polite way of getting someone in their OWN home to remove themselves from near you! :smile:
Except if you say, - " Be careful getting close to me as I have got a serious virus!"

 

[Masood]

Sometimes I can't help but feel this forum functions too often as a means to take comfort in consensus.

There's so rarely any attempt to truly sympathise with the customers.

I don't give a **** you understand. Just can't help but notice.

Well, yeah. It's an environment where we've all shared similar experiences. But as for sympathising with customers, we are equally condemning of cowboy tradesmen and shoddy work, no??

 

[stevetheplumber]

customer who get to close get a close shave with the hot end of the blowlamp that keeps them a bit further away

 

[plumben]

But there is NO polite way of getting someone in their OWN home to remove themselves from near you! :smile:
Except if you say, - " Be careful getting close to me as I have got a serious virus!"

Ive used the
I'd love a culpa tea
Or there might be a bit of water squirting out ill have to shut the door
Or just Fart really loud and say ohh that curry last night was a bad idea (that's a last resort)
Or go the van to get something and pretend to be on the phone and hope the get bored

But I have used the I work a lot faster when I'm left to it, they usually leave me in piece then

Although some customer are good and will have a chat but leave you be at the same time

 

[WaterTight]

Ive used the
I'd love a culpa tea
Or there might be a bit of water squirting out ill have to shut the door
Or just Fart really loud and say ohh that curry last night was a bad idea (that's a last resort)
Or go the van to get something and pretend to be on the phone and hope the get bored

But I have used the I work a lot faster when I'm left to it, they usually leave me in piece then

Although some customer are good and will have a chat but leave you be at the same time

I actually for the first time ever told a customer to make themselves scarce the other day. Had just cut into a pipe after freezing it and he appears wanting to gobble on. I just said, "I need to be left to concentrate while working on a frozen live feed I'm afraid." He got the message immediately. Maybe it's easy to tell people to go away whilst all the while maintaining total politeness afterall.

 

[Ray Stafford]

"I think that one of these pipes may be connected to live power. Could you just hold this, and let me know if you get a mains jolt? Oh - you don't have a pacemaker do you?"

 

[Millsy 82]

Talking about time wasters I went out and priced a job didn't get it as I was too expensive, last weekend he phoned up and said he didn't like what the other bloke had done how much would it cost for me to do labour only so gave him the price and he said I will get back to you, not heard a thing and now he has just text me asking for me to call him! I can't really be bothered to call him back.

 

[Riley]

I just can't get over this culture of everything having to be done at the cheapest possible option. I would never contemplate gettin a sparks or a spread into my place and saying will it be cheaper if I get all the bits. It's just out and out tight. I'm all for haggling on price if I think something is overpriced like buying a used car for example, but in terms of contracting and the skills people bring their price is their price. I don't entertain those people that say oh would you do the job for xx amount less than your quote. What's the point in me quoting as you obviously have a figure in mind

 

[Leo21]

Thing is when your buying a box telly, car, microwave, whatever. You can price match, online in store, whatever.
What customers don't get is the quality of workmanship, back up if any faults arise. They just see a Vaillant/Baxi/Worcestor white box on there wall.
Most of my customers are over 50, people who appreciate good will and back up.

 

[Riley]

True enough Leo. People just don't look past the end of there own nose

 

[tomplumb83]

I just can't get over this culture of everything having to be done at the cheapest possible option. I would never contemplate gettin a sparks or a spread into my place and saying will it be cheaper if I get all the bits. It's just out and out tight. I'm all for haggling on price if I think something is overpriced like buying a used car for example, but in terms of contracting and the skills people bring their price is their price. I don't entertain those people that say oh would you do the job for xx amount less than your quote. What's the point in me quoting as you obviously have a figure in mind

Everyones different. Ive said it before, there are a lot of people, 'academics' if you will, who not only have no idea about whats involved with the work but genuinely believe a tradesman should be earning a pittance. They cant comprehend paying the same as what they might earn.

Ive never met a customer whos payed peanuts for a job and will admit that's why it was bodged. 'I paid a lot of money'. When in reality they paid a pittance
If that makes sense...
They believe they've been hard done by.

 

[Riley]

Yeah agreed. I did a job for a couple of university professors. Just ignored the fact that their bathroom floor was rotten because of a leaking shower called me in to fix shower but couldn't understand why I said they'd need to replace the floor too. Thought I was trying to fleece them

 

[hammers4spanner]

Yeah agreed. I did a job for a couple of university professors. Just ignored the fact that their bathroom floor was rotten because of a leaking shower called me in to fix shower but couldn't understand why I said they'd need to replace the floor too. Thought I was trying to fleece them

Should have been tested for dry rot they will soon be back to you if they have a future probe

 

[Riley]

I won't be back there mate. Both idiots and couldn't even work an ISO when they had a flood a year or so ago

 

[rpm]

I won't be back there mate. Both idiots and couldn't even work an ISO when they had a flood a year or so ago

Sometimes that is the crux of the matter, what is the bleeding obvious to us is rocket science to customers, at end of the day it's each to their own.

 

[Riley]

Sometimes that is the crux of the matter, what is the bleeding obvious to us is rocket science to customers, at end of the day it's each to their own.

You are right but I was talking them through it on the phone to mitigate damage as they were 45 mins away. Don't think they even knew which end of the screwdriver to use

 

[rpm]

You are right but I was talking them through it on the phone to mitigate damage as they were 45 mins away. Don't think they even knew which end of the screwdriver to use

Remember an uncle who super intelligent in his choosen field but couldn't boil an egg.