Tradies you gotta love them

Yes Mick, I agree that clients too can be a pain in the derrier but, the tradie still have the long end of the stick as he can enforce the contract, as you said.
What I am complaining about is those ones who have no respect for other peoples' time.
The client pays for the tradie's time and the tradie doesn't give a hoot what it is costing the client in wasted waiting time.
That said, I should not tar all of them with the same brush there are decent ones around but, they are few and far between.
Still friends???
Wolffie
BTW, we are in the process of fitting the lazy susan and we worked it out just fine.

Sorry to continue the derail abouth Andy's trench, but there is a DIY solution you might want to try. I wanted to dig a basin for a water feature, 8m long, 1.8 wide, .4 deep and found out to my dismay that the compacted clay after the prolonged drought was the consistency of brick. And if Andy is no spring chicken, I am definitely a wintery one.

Solution: taken the head of a small garden spade (pointy, about 8" wide) and fitted it by means of a bush made drilling a 3" length of 1" steel rod to the bit for the trusty Ozito hammer drill.

Like woodcarving with a large gouge.:D

Tradies, I need them. Without them I would have nothing to fix.


Sorry Mick :D

Sometimes it makes you wonder how the old timers use to do it with the invention of bobcats and excavators.

And how they use to chop sugar cane by hand.

Glad I wasn't born back in thoes days.

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Originally Posted by Andy Mac

:D:D:D

Now I've got 5 kids at home on holidays (3 of mine & 2 cousins) bored as usual, so at 11 (note to self, lunchtime is 12) I walked them up the back fence, flew a kite for half an hour, before returning to make sandwiches and await the trenching guy. No show, so I ring him...answered with "I've already called in and no one was home"!!!:~

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Andy Mac
Now there is your problem/solution 5 kids, all bored! "hey, dig this small ditch for me and I'll shout movies ... and popcorn!":D
You only have to throw in the popcorn if you feel a movie isn't quite enough.
bargain:U

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Yes. And when their is a downturn in the economy, they are the first to squeal.

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Thats why I buy overseas :U
No one gives a crap. Theres always one whingin bitch :U

Plumbers and Leccies are so busy they dont give a crap because you dont give crap. They weren't born yesterday. They can read your attitudes like a book.

Yeah its called the non-preferred contractor database. *pfft*

Your fighting yourself not the trades. You'll have none left at this rate.

My mobile bill was $432 last month. Thats why tradies don't ring back.

I only do quotes after 5pm because I don't make money designing peoples projects for them for free so they can get 15 quotes.

Do 9-10 hours, home have a shower, quote, then home to do paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. :C

You know what clients are exactly the same.

You think the trade situation is bad now. Have a think back in 5 years time.

Ive got Rangers, Council compliance officers, Worksafe Officers, Unions, Builders liability contracts, and every MOFO tellin me how to do my job. Someones justifying their position.

don't ring me, Ill be in a desk job with you.

Everyone knows what their paid, but they don't know what they cost a business and their productivity rate.

If you have been waiting all day. Ring the trades person and ask where they are "if" you have an appointed time. If they don't answer after 3 rings. Lock the house and go where you were goin.

End of rant

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And then they wonder why so many people are DIY

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Yeah there the ones that get you round to design their retaining wall then get the husband to do it. then in 3 weeks time ring back asking you to finish the wall because their husbands in hospital in spinal traction.

Problem is many trades make it look too easy.

You are right, you can pick clients you want to work for straight up, ones that I am iffy about have the PITA tax applied to their quote, complete DH's just don't get a quote.

I got caught out once and as the saying goes, once bitten twice shy. Visit this clown four times, redesigning and quoting a rock lined pond for him. Each time it was too expensive and "he would do it himself except he had a bad back" so he kept asking for cheaper options until we get down to a basic lined pond. I drive to another job the other side of town to take photos of a similar pond to show how you can see the liner and show him these. He aggrees to the quote, I do the work and then he refuses to pay saying he does not like it as you can see the liner. Luckily I had received two payments from him already so my costs were covered. Guy abuses me and tells me he will never pay and will see me in court. So I go down to the small claims tribunal and lodge a claim for bad debt - costs me around $100 to lodge and time but this guy has raised my ire.

Two months later we appear before the magistrate, magistrate tells him he does not believe that he did not see the photos beforehand and he must pay. Gives him a $200 discount because there was a change to the contract that we agreed on and I did not document it in an addendum. I didn't care because I got all the satisfaction in the world when he complained to the magistrate that he had had ambulance chaser lawyers and accountants ringing him because he was now included on the bad dbt register. My reply was "well you said you wanted to see me in court and that is the only way to get you here":U

There is the other foot though, I will not contract tradies myself that I have not had reffered to me or I have not worked with. On the few occasions I have I don't choose the cheapest quote but the one I got along with the best and gave the best advice when they came out. That is the best advice you will get.

Ive only had two clients mess me around. Both Doctors and both in Dalkeith.

Note*Doctors in Dalkeith on non-preferred client database :)

Oh you got the dude whos just watched backyard blitz :D

Better you than me :D

Just picked up a job in an office. What a difference. I don't know what to do with me self when I get home now.

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Yes. And when their is a downturn in the economy, they are the first to squeal.

Then, they will wonder why some are put on a personal ban list, " Never to be called again. "

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Its always the "supply and demand" line when supply exceeds demand.

Then when theres a lack of trades their all makin too much money. Go figure.

And then they wonder why they cant get good trades anymore.

The whole culture. It amazes me. The hate. The hate. Screw the tradie, screw the tradie.

The bureaucracy, The legislation, The business costs, The bull****

Hang on, where have all the trades all gone. :)

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Originally Posted by Wolffie

Yes Mick, I agree that clients too can be a pain in the derrier but, the tradie still have the long end of the stick as he can enforce the contract, as you said.........

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Yeah but in a lot of cases you just let it go because it's not worth all the aggravation. In this particular case she owed me more than $5k so I was not going to let it go. If it's under $1k you start to ask yourself whether you mightn't be better off letting it go and going to work and making money.

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Originally Posted by Wolffie

..........Still friends???.

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Hell yeah, wasn't directing my post at you, just showing the other side of the coin.

Mick

Whinge whinge bitch bitch,

I am always on time and always ring if I'm running late.
If you guys knew the number of times a tradie goes out to give a quote and the client dosent turn up,
Or they'll try to be smart and trick you over to look at a $50 job and then say they call you after easter.
half of a tradies hourly rate is to make up for the time wasters and smart a rses.

Astrid

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Or they'll try to be smart and trick you over to look at a $50 job and then say they call you after easter.

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Can you give me a break down on that so I can DYI it cuz I don't know what I need.

Can you "Just" do this as well while your here.

Oh by the way want all those power cables and the pipe built in as well.

Get there now, oh hang on the truck hasn't turned up.

Whinge whinge, bitch bitch. I dhate to turn up to Wolfies place. Another 2 hours advice , $10 worth of mobile calls and $20 worth of fuel wasted.

Hi there,
Regards digging that trench by hand, Nah! my back wouldn't take that for long:(. Already dug the hole to locate existing septic pipe, which was 600mm under (the tank itself was buried by 300mm) and that wore me down!! Didn't think of hiring a Dingo trencher, but might give that a go when I get to water supply and stormwater drainage. We are spoiled now...did anyone see that "Worst jobs" series, about railway construction workers digging cuttings by shovel and barrow! Next they'll tell me people put screws in without a battery drill!:rolleyes:
Anyway, some faith restored since yesterday's bleat. I got onto another earthworks contractor who happened to be heading home (in this direction) because he was rained out on the other side of Toowoomba. Barely a sprinkle here. He started digging the 10m trench by 2pm so I got onto the electrician, who baulked at first but decided to give it a go. Laid the conduit as the bobcat was still digging and then post holing...bit of drama there because he had to cross the trench via blocks of timber. Managed to dig up 1 watertank overflow pipe, one disconnected 3phase powerline (this place used to be a farm with a shed that's now on neighbour's property), one unknown irrigation polypipe, and an empty Telstra conduit!! Bobcat gone in 3 hrs; electricians worked untill 7, and because its a removal house, checked earths on every powerpoint and light, run through rcd's and repair a couple of things. Still have a problem with feed to electric stove, but basically the extension is fully powered!:) (means I can get a warming mat for the home brew!) Gave the guys a beer despite the youngster getting mobile calls from his girlfriend, "Where are ya, I've been worried...".

Now for the plumbing...autogenous, you interested?:D

Cheers,

"Next they'll tell me people put screws in without a battery drill!"

Real easy ter do Andy, first find a big hammer .....