Are there no honorable people left?

[DizBelle]

This is long but I am FRUSTRATED...

I am just getting fed up with contractors. We've sought out and hired "reputable" contractors - licensed, insured, good reviews but we've gotten crap service.

Landscapers - process started in April. We've paid THOUSANDS of dollars. The job is maybe 60% - 70% complete and we haven't heard from them in a month. Are they even going to come finish the job?!?!?

Air Conditioner service - our thermostat is having a problem. Whenever we have power "blinks" (which we have often enough), sometimes the thermostat doesn't start up and stays dead until we remove it from the wall and put it back on. It's a fancy LCD screen thermostat. Keep in mind we got a WHOLE NEW SYSTEM only a year ago. This system and the thermostat is only a year old. It should be more reliable than this. The first time it went dead, a tech came out and removed it from the wall, put it back, and it booted up and all seemed good. It happened again a few more times and we removed it from the wall and put it back to get things started again. However, if this happens when we are out of town on day 2 of a 10 day trip, then our house (and our pets) could be left without air conditioning when it is over 100 degrees outside. NOT good. We think this is a problem with the thermostat itself as it is a high end piece of equipment and should be able to start up when the power returns. The second time a tech came out, they did a bunch of troubleshooting and decided to replace the thermostat but they had to order it. 7-10 days later a tech shows up to (I think) simply replace the thermostat. He does a bunch of troubleshooting, spending 2 hours doing I don't know what. In the end, he doesn't replace the thermostat (he did have a replacement with him) and proceeds to tell me that this is just the way the system works and if it goes dead and we just remove the thermostat from the wall then we risk damaging our entire system. So, whenever it goes dead, we'll have to just call them to come out and deal with it. WTH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? That's a blatant LIE. I told the guy about the potential scenario of the pets being left alone when we are out of town (I don't think we can ask the pet sitter to deal with the thermostat) and if he would risk the health and life of his pets like this. His response was "I don't have pets". He was just standing there like a nimrod nodding his head. I said "We're done" and basically kicked him out of our house. He was useless. Fortunately, the next tech that came out actually replaced the thermostat and told us that they fired that last guy.

Gutter service - we had a gutter service come out to put additional gutters on the house and to install gutter guards on all of the gutters. They did the new gutters wrong and had to come back out to do it again. AND they left sheet metal screws on our driveway that have ruined one 2 week old $550 tire on DH's car and now I have a screw in my tire as well that will hopefully be repaired (if it can be). DH's tire damage was not patchable. And DH found another screw in the driveway. Just irresponsible. We haven't actually paid them yet. And we don't plan to. We think we're even. $1100 worth of gutter work and $1100 worth of tires punctured.

 

[kamik86]

This is long but I am FRUSTRATED...

I am just getting fed up with contractors. We've sought out and hired "reputable" contractors - licensed, insured, good reviews but we've gotten crap service.

Landscapers - process started in April. We've paid THOUSANDS of dollars. The job is maybe 60% - 70% complete and we haven't heard from them in a month. Are they even going to come finish the job?!?!?

Air Conditioner service - our thermostat is having a problem. Whenever we have power "blinks" (which we have often enough), sometimes the thermostat doesn't start up and stays dead until we remove it from the wall and put it back on. It's a fancy LCD screen thermostat. Keep in mind we got a WHOLE NEW SYSTEM only a year ago. This system and the thermostat is only a year old. It should be more reliable than this. The first time it went dead, a tech came out and removed it from the wall, put it back, and it booted up and all seemed good. It happened again a few more times and we removed it from the wall and put it back to get things started again. However, if this happens when we are out of town on day 2 of a 10 day trip, then our house (and our pets) could be left without air conditioning when it is over 100 degrees outside. NOT good. We think this is a problem with the thermostat itself as it is a high end piece of equipment and should be able to start up when the power returns. The second time a tech came out, they did a bunch of troubleshooting and decided to replace the thermostat but they had to order it. 7-10 days later a tech shows up to (I think) simply replace the thermostat. He does a bunch of troubleshooting, spending 2 hours doing I don't know what. In the end, he doesn't replace the thermostat (he did have a replacement with him) and proceeds to tell me that this is just the way the system works and if it goes dead and we just remove the thermostat from the wall then we risk damaging our entire system. So, whenever it goes dead, we'll have to just call them to come out and deal with it. WTH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? That's a blatant LIE. I told the guy about the potential scenario of the pets being left alone when we are out of town (I don't think we can ask the pet sitter to deal with the thermostat) and if he would risk the health and life of his pets like this. His response was "I don't have pets". He was just standing there like a nimrod nodding his head. I said "We're done" and basically kicked him out of our house. He was useless. Fortunately, the next tech that came out actually replaced the thermostat and told us that they fired that last guy.

Gutter service - we had a gutter service come out to put additional gutters on the house and to install gutter guards on all of the gutters. They did the new gutters wrong and had to come back out to do it again. AND they left sheet metal screws on our driveway that have ruined one 2 week old $550 tire on DH's car and now I have a screw in my tire as well that will hopefully be repaired (if it can be). DH's tire damage was not patchable. And DH found another screw in the driveway. Just irresponsible. We haven't actually paid them yet. And we don't plan to. We think we're even. $1100 worth of gutter work and $1100 worth of tires punctured.

This I think is part of the current culture of always going with cheapest prices. Even if you aren't doing that so many people are that businesses no longer train people, no longer pay higher wages to hire better people etc.

Example. DH works at Target. I am generally against raising the min wage because I believe the world should work that if they can't hire people for min wage they will have to raise the wage. Well when Target realized they couldn't get enough bodies in the store for that wage due to most that applied failing the drug test they didn't raise the wage to get non-druggies that could do the job. They dropped the drug test requirement. So all the people that were failing can be hired and they will have bodies in teh store.

 

[MariMama]

This I think is part of the current culture of always going with cheapest prices. Even if you aren't doing that so many people are that businesses no longer train people, no longer pay higher wages to hire better people etc.

Example. DH works at Target. I am generally against raising the min wage because I believe the world should work that if they can't hire people for min wage they will have to raise the wage. Well when Target realized they couldn't get enough bodies in the store for that wage due to most that applied failing the drug test they didn't raise the wage to get non-druggies that could do the job. They dropped the drug test requirement. So all the people that were failing can be hired and they will have bodies in teh store.

I'll have to re-think shopping at Target.

 

[nd5056]

...We've paid THOUSANDS of dollars. The job is maybe 60% - 70% complete and we haven't heard from them in a month. Are they even going to come finish the job?!?!?...

Never pay in Full before the job is completed.

But If you act as you state in your Sig....

 

[brooke789]

We hired a handy man type person to pressure wash our house and clean the gutters. We found out a few months later (when DH was putting up Christmas lights) that he only did about half the gutters. He has called us for years wanting to know if we have more work...We just ignore his calls.

 

[DizBelle]

This I think is part of the current culture of always going with cheapest prices. Even if you aren't doing that so many people are that businesses no longer train people, no longer pay higher wages to hire better people etc.

Example. DH works at Target. I am generally against raising the min wage because I believe the world should work that if they can't hire people for min wage they will have to raise the wage. Well when Target realized they couldn't get enough bodies in the store for that wage due to most that applied failing the drug test they didn't raise the wage to get non-druggies that could do the job. They dropped the drug test requirement. So all the people that were failing can be hired and they will have bodies in teh store.

Believe me, we are not paying the cheapest prices we could have.

 

[usnuzuloose]

After working as a manager and having to hire , I find that most of the younger ones want to get a paycheck for the least amount of work. And if you get on to them , to talk to them or write them they take it as a personal attack. You can't win for losing. I do one thing and one thing only before hiring anyone to do work. And wait for an answer. I think anymore no matter the wage, most people think they are entitled to get a paycheck for nothing or very little work. I had one employee who thought it was okay to do there homework on the job and not do the job they were hired to do. I even had one parent call, and the person was 21. I told them I can't talk to them and for the employee to come to me. I see terrible service coming from the younger generation. I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. It can be very frustrating.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

Dear OP,

This won't make you feel better, but you are not alone. I have lost count of how many times I've done my research, gone with licensed, reliable, well reviewed (fill in the blank). I rarely go with the least expensive option, because it was once true that you get what you pay for. But lately, I'm not getting that no matter how much I pay. It's very discouraging, and I hope that you're able to have a positive experience in the near future. I think they still exist. I'm just not sure how to find them.

 

[mamamary]

About a month ago my neighbor was having some trees trimmed/taken down/yard debris hauled away. We thought this is perfect because we needed to have alot of yard waste taken away. So he came and gave us a great estimate. Said he'd be here the next Sat. early. Saturday comes and goes and he never showed and we didn't get his number. About a week later he is mowing neighbors yard and he sees my husband and tells him some story of why he couldn't come and truthfully he didn't have our number either. So we set up another day, exchange phone numbers and wait again. The time comes and goes so we call him. He said he has a flat and may not make it. If he doesn't make it he will come the next day. As you can prob. guess we haven't seen him since. Now I did see him mowing neighbors yard a few days ago so he is still around. We wrote him off but in the meantime we have to start again to find somebody.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Heck, I can't even get people to give me an estimate! I'm trying to get a bathroom redone and some other work around the house, have had four contractors come out and look and none of them have even called back or emailed me an estimate. I have no idea why. I guess everyone already has so much work they don't need more?

 

[DizBelle]

Never pay in Full before the job is completed.

But If you act as you state in your Sig....

Believe me, I know. DH has been pretty much handling the landscaping and I don't think we've paid "in full". I think we've paid 90% for 60%-70%. of the job We paid half at the start. When DH told me he paid another big chunk, I flipped my lid and asked him what in the world he was thinking. Now he doesn't want me to mention it as he knows he messed up by paying another big chunk. I was ADAMANT in the beginning that we watch carefully when we pay them. Apparently, that didn't stick with him.

 

[MariMama]

Heck, I can't even get people to give me an estimate! I'm trying to get a bathroom redone and some other work around the house, have had four contractors come out and look and none of them have even called back or emailed me an estimate. I have no idea why. I guess everyone already has so much work they don't need more?

We're having the same problem. We are trying to find a vacation property and we can't get any realtors to return our calls? Seriously? It has been a very frustrating experience.

 

[design_mom]

I am so sorry for your experience. I, too, have had that trouble. Last year, we had a third garage bay added to our house. The six week time estimate turned into six MONTHS... and the contractor was terrible about returning calls. Wouldn't show up when he said he would... and there was always an excuse when we finally got ahold of him. (I swear his grandmother died three times in that six months.)

Last week, we had new tile installed in our kitchen/foyer/laundry room and half bath. We called five different well-reviewed tile guys for estimates. Only two even returned our calls. We went with the more expensive of the two, because we got a better feeling from him... but after our garage project I was running scared.

However, this contractor did a REALLY good job. Great communication. Showed up when he said he would, etc. As part of the job, he pulled the sink and toilet out of the half bath and reinstalled them after the tile was laid. The sink started leaking after he re-installed it. By then we'd paid in full. However, we called him and he came the next morning and fixed it. Then, he called last night just to check that everything was OK. Apparently he's going out of town for the weekend and just wanted to make sure there weren't any issues before he left town and we couldn't get ahold of him. I was kind of shocked, in a pleasant way.

So they're not ALL terrible, but I agree it's really hard to find a good one. (I'm definitely keeping this tile guy's number though.)

 

[firecracker725]

My in-laws hired a contractor to oversee the construction of a pool, outdoor kitchen, etc. in their backyard, and though he completed the work, the project was several months overdue and way over budget. When they decided to build a vacation cottage, they hired the same contractor. He promised it would be done by the end of June. Now it probably won't even be done by the end of August, and it is ridiculously over budget. You cannot tell them anything though because "he is so nice". I bet he's nice, with all the money he's suckering them out of. I have to leave the room when the guy comes around.

 

[mnrose]

Just a shout out to the reputable contractors out there. We had the "unfinished" 1/2 of our lower level done recently. Spoke to the contractor at the end of April, had a signed proposal within 3 days, they started the next Monday (signed on Thursday) and finished within the promised 4 weeks. Bang up job. Cost us EXACTLY what they said it would cost. Love it.

So, to answer the question, absolutely yes there are still honest, trustworthy, reliable contractors out there.

That being said, I do think people who live in high cost of living areas are having a hard time of it....for a good reason....the tradespeople they need can't afford to live in the area. People in those areas are creating their own problem. We have a VERY hard time finding people at a reasonable price in Northern California. No problem at all here in Minnesota. Having an economy that allows all levels of people to live and work in an area is pretty important.

 

[China Expat]

On a related note about workers' attitudes in businesses, I have been quite appalled about the dismissive, apathetic and downright unpleasant service I have received in stores, doctor's offices, and restaurants in the four weeks I have been home in the states this summer.Having spent ten days in Thailand in late June, the contrast in work and service ethic in east Asia versus here is huge.

 

[georgina]

There are good contractors, but they are extremely busy. We have been using the same business for 20 years (was owned by the father and now the son runs it). They have done 6 projects for us over the years, ranging from small remodel to an addition and a major kitchen remodel. I hear so many horror stories that I just always call them; I know they will show up and do the job and clean up after themselves and respond to any issues that arise after the job is completed.

I have had trouble with landscapers and am now dreading hiring someone to replace the roof, as the contractor we use subcontracts out their roof work so they don't provide that service.

 

[jam217]

I am having the same problem and I also didn't go with the cheapest contractor. I wanted my bathroom remodeled and enlarged. I used the same contractor who did my kitchen addition (some delays there attributed to the weather). I very clearly and repeatedly told the contractor that I wanted the work done while I was off of school for the summer (11 weeks) because I didn't want to be without a bathroom once school started. He said no problem and suggested a June 1st start date. When I told him I wasn't out of school, he set a start date of June 15 with the construction being completed mid August. The day before he sends me an email saying that the cabinet won't in until the end of June so they will start end of June/beginning of July. I'm fine with that. Now we're here at that date and I get another email that they won't be here until the end of July or beginning of August. To say I'm annoyed would be an understatement.

 

[tvguy]

I did a complete remodel 3 years ago with a reputable contractor and his standard contract was the first clue he was reputable. In California they can't ask for more than 10% of the total project price before work begins. His contract was back loaded. Small payments were required at certain points in the project..... passing rough inspection, installation of cabinets. The final 25% wasn't due until after the entire project passed final inspection and all punch list items had been complete.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

We had storm damage a few yeArs ago and had a general contractor. Roof needed replacing and interior leaks fixed and repainted. Two story open concept so lots of painting. Insurance paid.

Replacing of roof was great, good quality work and no issues. Different persons to do interior estimated 10 days to paint. Not kidding TWO MONTHS later he is done. We called him Eldon like painter from Murphy Brown. He did decent job, but lived an hour away so would come a few hours a day and not everyday! He did put up a couple light fixtures and ceiling fan at our cost but he was a meticulous painter! Sent us a Christmas card that year!

I can't imagine having the issues so many are posting. Guess an Eldon isn't that bad: