The Renowned Company of Bodge'it and Scarper Ltd.........

[Last Plumber]

I suspect that the two original proprietors of said company are now deceased.

Their prowess does however continue to this day via their descendant workforce.

I personally feel that the workforce of the above is expanding at an alarming rate of knots.

I come across more and more poor quality workmanship.

Does anyone else find this, if so, what is the cause in your opinion?

 

[Welder]

Where does one begin? As they say on 'I'm a celebrity' etc, in no particular order...

• School. Kids are not taught 'practical' skills as we were. They have no idea how things are made or how to use tools. When my 14 yr old was looking at high school we visited many. In one we saw the 'tech' teacher. I thought he was a pupil! Anyway in this classroom was a shaping machine, a milling machine and a lath along with 3D printer and a laser cutter. I asked said child whether they used the first three. Patronisingly he told me they were no longer needed... ****! So, I lifted the lid of the laser cutter and asked it how the main shaft was formed? "What do you mean?" it said. SO I pointed out the round nature of the shaft and the keyway machined into it. "Oh! Don't know" he bleated. I then took great delight in explaining very simply to teh rest of teh gathered audience how it was the machines 'no longer needed' that made it possible...
• Manufacturers. Few make anything repairable these days. This means most today simply do not know how stuff works, They have never pulled it aprt to fix it and in doing so gleaned shed loads they later call upon often subconsciously.
• Manufacturers Mk 2. THey treat people like dummies. Their MIs used to require you to think now they frighten the life out of people so no one experiments or tests anymore. I see it all the time on here. MIs are quoted like some kind of God like communication when much is shockingly poor from an engineering perspective.
• Consumers. Every bu66er wants it for nothing. So it's bash it in in order to make a living. Few sit and think about the consequences of what they do on the things connected to.
• Society. Do do anything not writtten down cos I might be sued! What a load of tosh. I've stood in court enough to know teh law is NOT stupid. Doing it just because it says so is NO excuse in teh eyes of the law if you should (experience wise) have known better.

Best stop before my blood boils over

 

[Last Plumber]

An excellent response. We are on the same wavelength.

 

[Welder]

I'll be honest here tho. There are jobs out there that in a perfect world I'd go back, rip out & start again. Perhaps you've come across them

 

[Deleted member 7121]

Have to agree with all posted, common sense is no longer common !

 

[Harvest Fields]

Have to agree with all posted, common sense is no longer common !

I agree also.

 

[SimonG]

Another one for the old farts club. I thought my standards were just too high!

 

[townfanjon]

Gaud help the next generation when we have gone .

 

[townfanjon]

I don’t actually think this is just related to”hands on “ skills.
I am having a nightmare at the moment with my local council and a housing association.
Everytime I ring or email , either nobody replies , say they will ring back , and if they do its a week or a fortnights wait , absolutely fed up at the moment.

The best thing that could happen in all work places is the mobile phone should be banned in works time. How can anybody concentrate on their job if they are constantly on facebook or texting all day .

 

[Welder]

I don’t actually think this is just related to”hands on “ skills.

The best thing that could happen in all work places is the mobile phone should be banned in works time. How can anybody concentrate on their job if they are constantly on facebook or texting all day .

This, IMHO, is all OUR fault. Yes the very MISOGS (miserable old gits) who complain (he says looking in the mirror) are the root cause of the problem...

What we have failed to do, through being over protective, is teach our kids that empathy is at the heart of good relationships and so good society. So, todays kids are narcissistic (think of themselves only). They are simply unaware of anyone else's existance.

Further, Social Media is the least social of any activity we can can engage in. Research has shown that genuine lonliness has risen in parallel with social media use and has reached epidemic proportions. The number of 'friends/followers' etc has zero bearing on an individual's lonliness status.

 

[SimonG]

Life is **** at the minute.

kids on rampage, cops blame parents. Parents try and discipline kids and are arrested for assault by cops.

where did this all go wrong?

I'll set the scene, hovis music playing in the background, when I was a lad and you stepped out of line then local beat bobby would give you a clout round the lugs. Not happy then let's take you home and father give you another one.

I was no angel growing up and had a few good hidings, but I deserved them. Boundaries and respect were awash.

Today. There's no respect. Not able to enforce boundaries. I should know, daughter at 14 run out the house at 11pm. Went looking, found her and tried to put her in the car and take her home. This was midnight and she was kicking and screaming and I thought what does this look like. So she ran off and I phoned cops. Two hours later I was arrested for assault for trying to get her in the car and take her home. Thankfully nothing came of it and it was 12 years ago.

So much to say the youth of today, and I'm going back 15 to 20 years, has no respect for authority and hence the chuck it in and foxtrot Oscar.

When I work in somebody's house then the work has to be as good as though I am doing it in my own house. Otherwise I'm not happy and will do it again.

I just cannot understand how these people can just chuck it in, get their money and do one.

I couldn't sleep at night.

Is that wrong? Personally I don't think so.

I will continue my high standards, put other muppets work right and sleep soundly.

As for the problem of bodget and scarper I think it is seated much deeper in the society we live in.

Time for bed.

 

[townfanjon]

We can all rant, but the main problem, (ok I know its obviously not just one ) is down to the growing amount of dogooding libtards who have created a country full of pathetic snowflakes that cant take a bollocking and their lifes revolve around a bloody mobile .

 

[Welder]

I'm aware of how this will sound but I'm going to say it anyway.

Just like dogs, kids need to know that if they step out of line there are 'consequences' that will be unpleasant. Think about the word respect. To me it the very first rung on tbe ladder of fear. If you disrespect someone or thing, there are consequences.

I went to school in Brixton in tbe late 60s and the old bill were bastords. They treated everyone with contempt no matter your race colour or creed.

That all chaged to the point that today all authority is 'wrong' and to be blamed for everything, individuals blame every other bu99er but themselves and we all consider ourselves 'victims' in one form or other, claim your ppi off the naughty banks etc.

It was indeed bleeding heart libralism but the real culprit is a lack of people with balls to stand up and say enough is enough. Of course the rise of political correctness had a further negative impact cos at that time becoming a politician was seen as a cushy number so no one wanted to rock the boat.

FWIW, I think it may come back. This tactic by the old bill of knocking the little fockers off is 100% the right thing to do. It's damaging one person to protect many more so just like war tactics. Lets just hope our politicians develop some balls in other aspects of patheticness in everyday life such as the health service. I for one feel these how call an ambulance for a papercut should have a significant sum like £200 taken direct from their salaries. Similarly, those who get **** faced regularly should pay for care after the first instance...

 

[Last Plumber]

Well I have to say to all of the above, this is like reading my own thoughts word for word or listening to my own rants.

Society has changed massively over time and there are a million and one reasons for that, some of which you have collectively mentioned.

In asking the question I was wondering whether you would focus on the issue of poor workmanship or see it as a wider societal issue.

The things you mention are of utmost importance in the contribution toward the results we see from people in every day life. Discipline and respect for others play a major role. The poor quality workmanship we see more and more often, is a symptom of a larger societal problem. As Townfanjon indicates, this is not just in trades. It is in every walk of life. Attitudes are changing. I notice more and more when dealing with people, that as long as they smile and say all the right things, it does not seem to matter if they do not actually do what they're supposed to do. If you dare to be annoyed by their lack of competence, you will be labelled as 'aggressive'. This in turn gives them the right to refuse to interact with you in order to protect themselves from harm. That is a fairly new development I think, or am I just getting older?

 

[townfanjon]

@Last Plumber @YorkshireDave , we are all on the same wavelength guys do you fancy joining forces and running this country. Piece of Sod !!!!
“ up the Town “

 

[Last Plumber]

@Last Plumber @YorkshireDave , we are all on the same wavelength guys do you fancy joining forces and running this country. Piece of **** !!!!
“ up the Town “

Yes.
There will be changes!
Many will disapprove.
Many will cower in the face of adversity.
Many will fall by the wayside.
Yet we will emerge victorious and the nation will grow strong once more.
A nation lead by Plumbers!

 

[Welder]

The poor quality workmanship we see more and more often, is a symptom of a larger societal problem. As Townfanjon indicates, this is not just in trades.

I notice more and more when dealing with people, that as long as they smile and say all the right things, it does not seem to matter if they do not actually do what they're supposed to do. If you dare to be annoyed by their lack of competence, you will be labelled as 'aggressive'. This in turn gives them the right to refuse to interact with you...

That is a fairly new development I think, or am I just getting older?

Point 1.
I believe the poor workmanship is because so few have anything better to measure against! Manus produce sh1te so we simply get used to sh1te. People, in my view, have largly either forgotten what quality means, simply given up or, more likely, been convinced by media that either no such thing exists anymore or that it is beyond the reach of all by the hyper rich. We know that to be untrue.

Point 2.
This is because they have not been taught to empathise. To put themselves in your shoes and to feel what its like to be let down. Companies have talked about service since the early 70's but what they have always really meant is ticking boxes. They NEVER take into account how they leave people feeling and its how we are left 'feeling' that determines whether we return as customers.

Point 3.
As one grows older one certainly becomes both far less tolerant and a little more wise in that one understands what is really important. The trouble is that the younger generation think we fit for nothing but the knackers yard

 

[Welder]

Time for a beer chaps?

 

[Last Plumber]

I believe the poor workmanship is because so few have anything better to measure against!

Is that in part due to self employment being popular? i.e. most apprentices only work alongside one or two people whilst learning as opposed to times past when there were fewer companies but they employed many more. That meant you would work with many and experience different standards.
Maybe it is to do with the sectioning of the trade? I know for example through witnessing it, that people can obtain Gas qualifications now that 'enable' them to go and work on say, a Hospital Gas installation. That would be laughable years ago but now it's easy done, I have seen it.
In less than a week you're a 'competent Commercial Gas fitter'. Personally I think that's wrong, dangerous and a large risk. It takes years to gain the knowledge and skill to be 'competent' at that kind of work.

This is because they have not been taught to empathise. To put themselves in your shoes and to feel what its like to be let down.

I agree. It is also because they hardly ever suffer the consequences of failure or disappointment. It is like the 'every kid gets a trophy day' on the Simpsons.

The trouble is that the younger generation think we fit for nothing but the knackers yard

That's because they know everything lol.

 

[Welder]

Thing is, when you're young you're invincible. We have all said to ourselves when our elders explain things, "silly old sod what do you know!" However, as you age you realise that you are not the oasis of knowledge you thought you were. You realise that the more you know, the more you realise you know nowt (in the scheme of things).

I suppose it takes a little of the wisdom of age to understand how vast knowledge is and how, as much as anyone can experience, we represent but a single drip in an ocean of understanding.

IMHO a lot of this is due to no one having succession planning - that thing where you work with someone who's done the job and who passes on their collective knowledge.

By simply dumping that accumalated knowledge (cos it costs too much!!) it means that every new person has to start literally from scratch. Every single new person goes through an identical learning curve which is, ironically, extrememly wasteful, ineffecient and stressful and therefore far more expensive than succession planning could ever be.

The most wasteful aspect of it is that, over time, historic knowledge gets lost which of itself means that things like product developments end up cycling too. Seen and experienced that!

All in all, to not put too finer point on it, it's an absolute crock of sh1te and bosses need their bloody heads banging together. As a shareholder, I'd be holding them to account and demanding to know why they never ever learn from what has gone before, from previous lessons? That might make the wassocks sit up and review!

 

[hammers4spanner]

Exactly that Dave everything cycles and yet no one ever learns

 

[SimonG]

Cracking thread


Best read on this forum in years

 

[WaterTight]

Anyone now a cheap source of flexis?