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It's not a hiring problem. It's a 'professionalism' problem.
I understand if a person is booked until next year due to the COVID situation and a back up in the requests for contractors to do work. What I don't understand is never returning a phone call. This virtually assures I will not try to call you again (to give you my business and my money). I think this happens because many don't have an office. They answer their own calls, on their cell phones, and have no one to organize their business activities. Maybe they don't need to, though...that was just my thought.
In my neck of the woods, unprofessional/flaky contractors are a real problem. The really good ones are 'taken' by word of mouth. They are always booked and generally work with the 'wealthier' homeowners, or people they have worked with before. Also, except for plumbers and electricians, I believe, no one has to have a license, so you take your chances on the local guys who claim they can do your work.
I feel your pain.
I bought a house in April. It needs work. I'm slowly getting work done on it, but SLOWLY is the operative word there. I have plenty of money set aside to do the work, and I pay promptly. But here's a typical interaction:
I needed to overhaul the sprinkler system. I called 1) the sprinkler company that I generally use, and 2) when they didn't answer and I had to leave a message, I called the company that was the most highly recommended by others. I didn't get a follow up call from either of them. Finally I had to call a company that I had never heard of (they did a great job). They answered the phone and booked the appointment and showed up and it was done in one day - and they charged me a handsome sum which I paid immediately. About a month later, I did get a call back from the second company I called, and the guy acted all butthurt with me because I didn't wait A MONTH for him to call back! He said "Well, I was on vacation with my family." That's fine, but CHECK YOUR VOICE MAILS AND HAVE SOMEONE CALL ME BACK. OR HAVE YOUR CALLS FORWARDED, OR SOMETHING. SOMETHING. I would have waited if I had only heard back from SOMEONE.
It was so irritating.
But the silver lining is that I did find someone good, and I will call them again. The other two companies have lost my business forever.
Same with several other companies. I have a company which does my lawn maintenance. The owner actually came out and looked at my flower beds and landscaping needs and he said "We do patios too" as he looked askance at my patio that someone else had done. I said, "I know but I needed to get a patio done and I told you about this weeks ago and never heard anything from you." So anyway, I need THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF LANDSCAPING DONE. I have the money. He knows this. Two months later, I still haven't heard back from him on anything. So finally, in desperation (I broke my right elbow a few months ago so sorry but I can't do my own landscaping) I attended a landscaping class and the instructor, who knows me and knows I pay promptly, referred me to two other people, while I stood there watching her. She sent my name and contact information directly to two owners, with notes and photos of my landscaping needs. She said "You should hear from them immediately and let me know if you don't, because I refer a lot of people to them." I waited a week. I finally called the first one, who to his credit did call me right back. I said, "The instructor sent my information to you a week ago but I never heard from you so I'm calling you." He too is swamped, going on vacation for two weeks, and says he will call me back and come out the middle of August. We'll see what happens. Sheeze! I need to call the instructor back and tell her my experiences.
I recently had to do a renovation of the master bathroom. Home Advisor, I think it is called, is always sending me emails about projects that my house probably needs so I went there and entered the information about the job to get three contractors to give me estimates. Nothing was said about cost in the information I posted so that wasn't an issue.
One contractor contacted me. Fortunately, he had a lot of great references. I liked the previous work he showed me, and he was very knowledgeable when he came to do the estimate. The company ended up doing a really good job even though this turned into as much of a repair job as a renovation project. He didn't gouge me on the additional costs involved.
I feel like I got lucky. Supposedly, you are to contact three contractors for estimates. I would still be waiting.
Anyone have any tips on getting attention or is it just so busy...
A few days ago I emailed a guy I hired to do some gutters. Did great work a few months back and I want more done. No response yet
I have a tree that needs to trimmed. I get one guy to come out looks at it and says he "has a tree guy" and doesn't call back. Second guy takes a look says "nope" and walks away. The branch is over a porch and you must have insurance. I message two local contractors for quotes probably within a few miles of me. No response. I contact another and he said to send some photos. I sent some photos and a video and was supposed to get back to me today (he didn't). I'm about to contact a 6th landscaping company about a tree trimming in the past three weeks to just give a quote.
I don't get it. Is there a hiring problem?
I think it's been like this for a long time, and I find it rude that they never get back to people, even if they are busy. My fiance does tile and even when he can't take a job, he'd at least let the person know. I contacted a couple of surveyors from Home Advisor, and both never wrote back again after I told them the property size (relatively small). This was before Covid, so I don't think it's anything new that contractors don't respond if they are busy enough not to need the work. They can pick and choose, and that's fine, but they shouldn't leave people hanging.
All I know is that this is the third house I've done extensive work on and the only one during COVID and I've never had any experience like this before.
Anyone have any tips on getting attention or is it just so busy...
A few days ago I emailed a guy I hired to do some gutters. Did great work a few months back and I want more done. No response yet
I have a tree that needs to trimmed. I get one guy to come out looks at it and says he "has a tree guy" and doesn't call back. Second guy takes a look says "nope" and walks away. The branch is over a porch and you must have insurance. I message two local contractors for quotes probably within a few miles of me. No response. I contact another and he said to send some photos. I sent some photos and a video and was supposed to get back to me today (he didn't). I'm about to contact a 6th landscaping company about a tree trimming in the past three weeks to just give a quote.
I don't get it. Is there a hiring problem?
Your job may be too small. They need work that takes up a whole day and occupies a team of 3 or 4 to make it worthwhile. Commuting and work preparation takes up 1-2 hours for each day for each job. It's difficult to do jobs that take a half day since you can't work the rest of the day.
You're also in the busy period where the contractors are doing remodeling for home sales/purchases and the smaller contractors are doing work for HOA architectural inspections. Both have deadlines in September. So they've been booked since June when the listing agreements and HOA letters went out.
Location: Foothills of Maryland Blue Ridge mountains
993 posts, read 766,406 times
Reputation: 3163
I’m in the planning stages of home various home projects. For the contractors with excellent reputations in our community, I’ve waited a week for a call back. And they’ve scheduled appts as fr as 4-6 weeks out just to look at what I want done. Then another one-two weeks for an estimate.
They are slammed. This is what helps….give them a little understanding. Say “I know you’re swamped and I don’t mind waiting, etc.” I knew this going into it, I was warned by various construction pros. They’ve all thanked me and seem to be relieved. They’re getting a lot of grief.
The contractors I want do not take shortcuts and their reputations are literally their livelihood. This busy season will end eventually and they need to come out of it intact. If they lose a few potential impatient customers who can’t wait, it’s no loss to them.
One of my projects is a bath remodel…a full gut job. The contractor I think I’m going with…I still have another estimate outstanding….can’t start my job until next May. And that’s fine with us. He does impeccable work which is more important than getting it done quickly.
I bought a house in April. It needs work. I'm slowly getting work done on it, but SLOWLY is the operative word there. I have plenty of money set aside to do the work, and I pay promptly. But here's a typical interaction:
I needed to overhaul the sprinkler system. I called 1) the sprinkler company that I generally use, and 2) when they didn't answer and I had to leave a message, I called the company that was the most highly recommended by others. I didn't get a follow up call from either of them. Finally I had to call a company that I had never heard of (they did a great job). They answered the phone and booked the appointment and showed up and it was done in one day - and they charged me a handsome sum which I paid immediately. About a month later, I did get a call back from the second company I called, and the guy acted all butthurt with me because I didn't wait A MONTH for him to call back! He said "Well, I was on vacation with my family." That's fine, but CHECK YOUR VOICE MAILS AND HAVE SOMEONE CALL ME BACK. OR HAVE YOUR CALLS FORWARDED, OR SOMETHING. SOMETHING. I would have waited if I had only heard back from SOMEONE.
It was so irritating.
But the silver lining is that I did find someone good, and I will call them again. The other two companies have lost my business forever.
Same with several other companies. I have a company which does my lawn maintenance. The owner actually came out and looked at my flower beds and landscaping needs and he said "We do patios too" as he looked askance at my patio that someone else had done. I said, "I know but I needed to get a patio done and I told you about this weeks ago and never heard anything from you." So anyway, I need THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF LANDSCAPING DONE. I have the money. He knows this. Two months later, I still haven't heard back from him on anything. So finally, in desperation (I broke my right elbow a few months ago so sorry but I can't do my own landscaping) I attended a landscaping class and the instructor, who knows me and knows I pay promptly, referred me to two other people, while I stood there watching her. She sent my name and contact information directly to two owners, with notes and photos of my landscaping needs. She said "You should hear from them immediately and let me know if you don't, because I refer a lot of people to them." I waited a week. I finally called the first one, who to his credit did call me right back. I said, "The instructor sent my information to you a week ago but I never heard from you so I'm calling you." He too is swamped, going on vacation for two weeks, and says he will call me back and come out the middle of August. We'll see what happens. Sheeze! I need to call the instructor back and tell her my experiences.
Yup. Clearly, this is a problem across the country - not just in my neck of the woods.
Agree that the patio guy could have at least left a voice recording that he would be on vacation, but again, I think most of them use their own, private cell phones and don't have any type of admin staff (can't your wife help? hahaha). Oh well. Their loss. And it's the height of chutzpah to think you'd wait indefinitely to hear back from someone. NOT.
I'd tell your instructor, too. If she's referring people who are not following through, she may want to reconsider that. I no longer recommend the one plumber who was involved in my shower repair.
Not showing up, not giving well written quotes for work...happening frequently.
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