Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Chatting on the Plot => Topic started by: AlaninCarlisle on September 22, 2020, 16:08
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Or just can't be arsed to return phone calls?
I'm referring to the situation in N Cumbria and around Carlisle but wondered if it's like this elsewhere. Briefly both the plumber and the gas-engineer who'd looked after our needs for donkey's years retired this year so I had to find new ones as I live in a large old house with constant problems. Went on-line and found dozens. Only problem is that their phones are never answered when I call so I had to leave a message and to-date less than 50% could be bothered to call me back.
Like this where you live?
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We are on the South coast. Had someone visit twice with a view to drawing up plans for an extension, that was July and he seems to have vanished from the face of the earth. No money changed hands! Eventually got someone else but he's been quiet so have my doubts. Did get the tv aerial sorted without problem.
What infuriates me is that with all this technology making communication easy people are so bad mannered. If they don't want the work why don't they just say.
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Got my gas boiler fixed by the usual man, within a few days - no problem:)
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Just received information that my grocery order can't be delivered as the driver has had to go home with suspected coronavirus, and our planned survey and quote for windows and guttering has been postponed for the same reason.
We have a service book for the beginning of October for the central heating, so I just hope that goes as planned. Meanwhile I hope that the two working guys that may have Covid-19 are both ok, shopping is being delivered tomorrow instead, and we can wait for the windows and guttering until our other man is either hopefully tested as negative, or is back at work.
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We have our septic tank (mechanised) "seen to" twice a year, and as they were pretty poor at doing the business the last time, I got down in there and did it myself. Got a credit note too, after a huge moan!
It's £130.00 a pop, and not worth the money, but I want to keep the service going in case something happens to me and Mrs Growster has to deal with the problem on her own, which I wouldn't want.
Now you mention it, I'll cancel the next service and clean the thing myself!
Mrs Growster would like a new hat, and £130.00 might just fill the ticket!
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Remember to buy her hat from a local Milliner, Growster. Got to support those local tradesmen somehow.
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Or just can't be arsed to return phone calls?
I'm referring to the situation in N Cumbria and around Carlisle but wondered if it's like this elsewhere. Briefly both the plumber and the gas-engineer who'd looked after our needs for donkey's years retired this year so I had to find new ones as I live in a large old house with constant problems. Went on-line and found dozens. Only problem is that their phones are never answered when I call so I had to leave a message and to-date less than 50% could be bothered to call me back.
Like this where you live?
Yes, just the same down south. And we know our plumber and builder well. They’ve done work for us for years. They have been so busy recently because of lockdown that their waiting lists are huge.
Beware of the ones who can do your work immediately. They’re probably not the best :ohmy:
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My local fix everything man lives with me lol so I do know how fortunate we are. Having said that there a few jobs that need doing that haven’t got done as he was resting (of sorts- built himself another! 3 d printer) this summer after spending 7 months since last October gutting our son’s new house (with son). He’s now started on daughters refurbishment & alterations of the downstairs of their house. So my downstairs cloakroom refit, front door repaint,ensuite worktop replacement & repolish of dining table are on hold :ohmy: :wacko: :)
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We are trying to find an electrician to do a quote, but no replies yet.
But did have someone say the could plaster the outside of my house, told them I needed to repoint it first
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It is the same around here. Hopefully, I have two men coming next Tuesday to replace my back roof. Put in a replacement Velux Window, and make the hole bigger for a new one in the bathroom. It has taken me 3 years to get this far. It is a big job, so I hope they have lots of tarpaulins ::) Mrs Bouquet
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One interesting take on getting a plumber round, is that many of these firms, or sole traders, prefer work to boilers etc., rather than basic shower fitting or replacing taps! We've had three small jobs at home over the past few years, and they've all told us the same story!
I don't have a problem with that really, because I sometimes wish I'd taken on that particular trade, but they deserve every job they can get, simply because most citizens won't touch it, unlike a bit of carpentry or decoration!
We have a local man who has fitted two great shower jobs for chums, and when we asked him if he could see to ours sometime, he was charming and friendly, but put us on a waiting list for well after the New Year has started! Luckily, we can wait that sort of time (hopefully the old one will last until then)...
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Almost the same thing in socially rented housing - what with not being allowed in due to the virus putting them behind with things like the annual boiler check and their workmen being anti indoor work due to the virus things can be a bit slow unless it's an emergency.
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Good point, Christine!
When our hot water ceased to be, because of a busted thermostat, we called our usual electrician, and the charming lady on the reception mentioned that they could only do emergency work, then admitted that this was indeed an emergency, so Bill (local firm Mum and Aunt Sally), came out that afternoon and fixed it easily!
Great firm for Kent work, and looking at their website, they manage multi-million schemes as well!
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The second guy we approached has not been in contact but a chance remark in the queue at the papershop resulted in a visit yesterday afternoon by a builder with his architect. We explained what we wanted, they counteracted with some ideas. Rough drawing on the back of an envelope, two follow up phone calls early evening.
Were not building the Taj Mahal, it's an extension to include a replacement garage, an extra bathroom and a utility room.
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That's a useful way to get business GraciesGran!
Architects aren't having a good time at the moment, as work has just dried up for larger, commercial clients, although housing people may be OK for a while.
A great architect chum has just been made redundant, and immediately got going with his own private work, and this may well be a trend for the foreseeable future!
I'm not sure where in E.Sussex you are, but years ago, I used to know them all here, as I was trying to get business with them, as well as giving them some! Ringmer was a hive of industry then...
'But I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now'! (Bob Dylan, 'My Back pages')!