I’m curious to know how your contractors reacted when you canceled their services.
So far, I’ve had two negative experiences with two contractors: a structural builder and an interior plasterer. The structural builder told others behind my back that I had fooled him, promised him work, and then just ignored him, even though I had clearly told him at the beginning that I had contacted several builders and later informed him in writing that I had chosen someone else. When some acquaintances mentioned this to me, I called the builder again to clarify, and on the phone he said, “No, I never said that.”
The interior plasterer verbally offered me a lime-cement plaster, which I agreed to on the condition that the painter would have a good surface to work on. I spoke with three painters; all said the same or wanted to know how the plaster would turn out in the end. I addressed this with the plasterer, who simply replied, “Then the painters should do the plaster themselves so they can prepare the wall exactly how they want it.”
I inquired about other plaster options and asked the plasterer again if he could do something different for me, because the painters charge quite a lot for the lime-cement plaster. His response was, “I don’t know what to offer you; just look at my construction sites, you’ll see exactly how the layers are built up.”
I thought it over and eventually decided I had had enough, so I canceled with him by phone. He said, “No problem, it’s all good.” A few seconds later, he lost it, hung up on me, and blocked me (don’t worry, he didn’t threaten me with violence, I can handle myself).
I always try to put myself in the other person’s shoes, but can you relate to this? What experiences have you had?
Time is money; customers can sometimes be demanding, but isn’t that part of being a service provider?
Have a great weekend!
So far, I’ve had two negative experiences with two contractors: a structural builder and an interior plasterer. The structural builder told others behind my back that I had fooled him, promised him work, and then just ignored him, even though I had clearly told him at the beginning that I had contacted several builders and later informed him in writing that I had chosen someone else. When some acquaintances mentioned this to me, I called the builder again to clarify, and on the phone he said, “No, I never said that.”
The interior plasterer verbally offered me a lime-cement plaster, which I agreed to on the condition that the painter would have a good surface to work on. I spoke with three painters; all said the same or wanted to know how the plaster would turn out in the end. I addressed this with the plasterer, who simply replied, “Then the painters should do the plaster themselves so they can prepare the wall exactly how they want it.”
I inquired about other plaster options and asked the plasterer again if he could do something different for me, because the painters charge quite a lot for the lime-cement plaster. His response was, “I don’t know what to offer you; just look at my construction sites, you’ll see exactly how the layers are built up.”
I thought it over and eventually decided I had had enough, so I canceled with him by phone. He said, “No problem, it’s all good.” A few seconds later, he lost it, hung up on me, and blocked me (don’t worry, he didn’t threaten me with violence, I can handle myself).
I always try to put myself in the other person’s shoes, but can you relate to this? What experiences have you had?
Time is money; customers can sometimes be demanding, but isn’t that part of being a service provider?
Have a great weekend!
Vicky Pedia4 Apr 2020 19:28Hello @tumaa. You know I work in central Germany. All companies here are very busy, and skilled tradespeople are currently hard to find. Nevertheless, customer satisfaction is our priority. The companies I work with cannot afford such attitudes, and they don’t have them either. If companies behave so uncooperatively, they are not the partners you’re looking for. So, straighten your crown and move on...
Our contractors knew that we had requested quotes from several (2-3) of them. The discussions were always professional. The reasons for rejection were technical issues, price, or scheduling.
There was no hard feelings. You cannot win every project...
Things can get a bit rough on construction sites sometimes. We had two (small) trades where either the supervisor or one of the workers lost their temper. Just a case of hotheads. The only remedy is to stay calm. Later, I requested a private conversation and explained to them what basic manners and business conduct I expect.
At first, he was a bit cheeky and arrogant toward me. I then firmly but calmly put him in his place. After that, interactions were fine.
Of course, this is not necessarily representative of all cases, as I already knew most of the contractors (not the hotheads), and they were happy to work on our project (as a reference).
There was no hard feelings. You cannot win every project...
Things can get a bit rough on construction sites sometimes. We had two (small) trades where either the supervisor or one of the workers lost their temper. Just a case of hotheads. The only remedy is to stay calm. Later, I requested a private conversation and explained to them what basic manners and business conduct I expect.
At first, he was a bit cheeky and arrogant toward me. I then firmly but calmly put him in his place. After that, interactions were fine.
Of course, this is not necessarily representative of all cases, as I already knew most of the contractors (not the hotheads), and they were happy to work on our project (as a reference).
In our region, there is a recurring article in the newspaper and online about a tiler who claims he no longer takes jobs from Siemens employees and teachers... I could get annoyed every time I read it. He says they all don’t know anything and don’t pay their bills.
The reality is: if someone does their work well and is easy to communicate with, they will get paid.
On the other hand, there are tradespeople who wanted to charge 160 euros (about $170) just for the trip to fix defects on a project worth 50,000 euros (about $53,000), calling it a “customer request.”
I simply don’t understand this. You can really talk to us—we are not difficult customers. We just want the quality we paid for, no more and no less.
The reality is: if someone does their work well and is easy to communicate with, they will get paid.
On the other hand, there are tradespeople who wanted to charge 160 euros (about $170) just for the trip to fix defects on a project worth 50,000 euros (about $53,000), calling it a “customer request.”
I simply don’t understand this. You can really talk to us—we are not difficult customers. We just want the quality we paid for, no more and no less.
H
HilfeHilfe5 Apr 2020 18:21Snowy36 schrieb:
In our region, there is repeatedly a great article in the newspaper and online from a tiler who claims he no longer accepts orders from Siemens employees and teachers... I get frustrated every time I read it... he says they all have no idea and don’t pay their bills.
The reality is: those who do their work well and communicate properly will get paid.
On the other hand, there are tradespeople who wanted to charge 160 euros for a trip to fix a defect they then called a “customer request” on a contract worth 50,000 euros.
I simply do not understand that, and we are easy to talk to, we are not difficult customers. We just want the quality we paid for, nothing more and nothing less. It’s called freedom of contract.
H
hampshire5 Apr 2020 18:25Nobody likes having their offer rejected. Of course, that’s no reason to get irritated, but noticing the other person’s disappointment is perfectly normal.
Snowy36 schrieb:You don’t need to get upset about that. Some professions have a reputation for being difficult. If you’re a teacher or a lawyer, you belong to one of these groups and can help break down stereotypes or create positive experiences. Siemens employee was new to me – but I don’t live in Siemens territory either.
from a tiler who claims he no longer takes jobs from Siemens employees and teachers ... I could get upset about it every time ... he says they all have no clue and don’t pay their bills
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