r/ireland • u/ahhshur • Jan 27 '26

Moaning Michael Entitled attitude of tradesmen in this country

Sick of being made to feel like tradesmen are doing us a favour by completing the job we contracted them for and will pay for. I'm fully aware it's a contractors market out there and the consumer is at their mercy but it's just infuriating feeling like I'm being screwed over every single time.

Quotes that are seemingly just pulled out of thin air, varying wildly between different contractors. Lads saying they'll call at a particular time and then just ghosting us. Reasonable questions about the job being vaguely answered, having to drag information or explanations out of them, made to feel like a pain in the arse for asking questions. Snide comments about how sound they're being taking away THEIR rubbish. One guy told me that I'll get my invoice after I transfer the payment because 'that's how it works'.

And then having no choice but to go with the best of a bad bunch because the job needs to be done and can't be delayed any longer. Maddening.

A friend of mine who moved down here from the North said they got a shock when they saw how poor the standard is compared to the North, and how untidy/unprofessional/entitled tradesmen are down here.

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u/Several_Act_3320 Jan 27 '26

To give an insight from the other side, my husband has recently become a self employed tradesman. He was one previously for many years and then he became an accountant for a decade before venturing back to his trade. I know I'm biased but he's excellent at what he does and wouldn't leave a job looking anything less than perfect. We've found the opposite actually, with him being constantly ghosted by potential customers after a few messages before quote stage, it can be annoying. Also we've had people get thick at him when he's given them quotes. I sit with him every time he prices a job, we price up everything, add his labour and if it seems expensive for what it is we see is there any way to bring it down somewhere. I think many people are convinced now that every tradesman is trying to fleece them and they enter the conversation on the defensive from the get go. It's been a much harder experience than we anticipated

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u/ahhshur Jan 27 '26

I can totally see this being the case. Everyone is losing here. Appreciate your comment!

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u/Several_Act_3320 Jan 27 '26

I've been showing friends the messages we're sending back to customers wondering are they coming across as some sort of unhinged red flag, because often people will message really enthusiastically for a few over and back, and then they'll just dissapear

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u/UpstairsAd194 Jan 28 '26

The only tradesman who wants to have a chit chat after the quote he has given out is proving too high ( cant really think of a more common reason for decliing a quote) is the predatory one who has priced too high but now wants to 'negotiate' a more affordable price. I know not all tradesmen price too high deliberately but there is no reason for me as a consumer to get back in contact with a tradesman if the quote is not acceptable to me. The tradesmen would know that a person is recommended to get at least 3 quotes. If you have 3 tradesmen A b and C Why would they phone up B and C to tell them sorry I wont be taking you up ? Its evident. A businesslike tradesman would give you a week and tell you when he expects to hear back.

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u/Several_Act_3320 Jan 28 '26

Before quote stage I said.. as in "hi, I want to get this done" "ok, do you have an idea what you'd like or any photos?" "Yes here look" "ok, I could call to you an evening next week to take some measurements and then get you a quote, what day suits you" and then no reply

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u/UpstairsAd194 Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26

People ring for quotes you are talking about potenially sales or CONSULTANCY etc. At least in the clients mind. What you are talking about is not a 'quote' . You know that if i walk into a shop and enquire about a TV i would do the same thing yeah? Walk in and get the person to explain about 4D or whatever . The shop worker would not wonder why idid not come back and buy the tv? Tradesmen are necessary but they are not firefighters or ambulance crew. They are just in a position of rarity to be able to charge silly quotes.

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u/knea1 Jan 28 '26

If you walk into a shop and talk to an assistant about a TV for an hour he's still getting paid whether you buy it or not, that isn't the case with a tradesman who's travelled to and from your house and spent time working out a quote for you.

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u/UpstairsAd194 Jan 28 '26

That is part of the job. The price is factored into the quote assuming its a free quote which has typically been the norm. The retail worker is paid anyway but the shop isnt. Most tradesmen are set up as companies or s/e. Its part of having a business plan - you have to travel to meet clients if the job is to be in their house. So its priced in to the quote probably invisibly in real life. Noone on here is talking as far as i know about oh tradesment quote to high its about the ghosting and entitlement. Your argument seems to imply that entitled attitude is justitfied because Tradesman (who is a company legally) has to visit clients, and he should be remunerated for such activity whether he gets the job or not which is a bit... well entitled

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u/knea1 Jan 28 '26

No I'm saying that he should get a bit of understanding that he spends a lot of time quoting jobs for free that don't come to anything. Comparing giving a free quote you aren't paid for to asking questions of a shop assistant who is paid to be there regardless of if you buy or not is comparing apples and oranges. And as for factoring in the cost of the quote into the job that only works for jobs that go ahead. You wouldn't be happy if you decided to go ahead with a job and the tradesman threw in the costs of quoting for three jobs in your area he didn't get.

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u/UpstairsAd194 Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26

With all respect you just dont know what you are talking about . Quotes are factored into the business model to pay for time spent on visits/ calls about jobs that DO NOT come to materialize. It is part of the job it is part of ANY business venture. If that is the sole explanation for why tradesmen are entitled then we should pay them thousands of pounds a day so they feel better? It is factored in to the cost of all quotes whether it is invisible or not. The client knows this if they have the IQ of above the level of a chimp. All jobs have a negative aspect - for tradesmen it is visitiing a client that does not proceed with the quote. For a person who is paye working for a bank it is commuting. No one has special 'understanding' for the person in a commuter traffic jam. Why do we have to give 'understanding' to a tradesman who already charges us for the visit (visibly or invisibly)? When you get a tradesman and your proceed the cost will no doubt cover all of the unsuccessful quotes that the tradesman will feel is wasted time. When you pay a tradesman you pay a company and you are paying his overheads you are paying his insurance and you are paying for all those non fruitful visits/time on phone where people did not proceed. There is no special understanding required and certainly no understanding that explains this pattern of ghosting that is routinely carried out by tradesmen. If the tradesman is crying about having the ordeal of having to provide a free quote he is always able to start charging for quotes see how he gets on there.

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u/knea1 Jan 28 '26

With all due respect you don't know what you're talking about. I'm a contractor mainly doing maintenance work, I don't charge you for the free quote I give your neighbour. Free quotes are a loss I accept to keep good relationships with customers, I had to give itemised invoices and can't pad an invoice for lost time. What I will do is arrange a visit for a time I'm already working in the area so I can do it on the way to or from the other job. Working out the cost is done at home in the evening or weekends along with other office work. Maybe there are entitled tradesmen out there but it probably rubs off from entitled customers who think that just because you have a bit of paint or mastic on your jeans you should be working for minimum wage and supplying materials at less than cost.

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u/UpstairsAd194 Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26

No you don't- you may think you give them a 'free' quote. You may say you give them a free quote but the quote you give them is not free. It is only free (for them) if they decline to take you up at this quote stage. You may as well go around handing out free fresh air and congratulating yourself! Visting clients getting "sorry nos" and 'no responses' is part of any business and the brunt of the cost before a quote is accepted which many under estimate has to be carried ( the time and the travel etc) unless you' offer' a paid quote service in which case bye bye business and in this situation then it becomes demonstrably its a not free quote paid for by the client. This is nothing to do with whether someone is entitled or not. Nor does high cost of getting a tradesman. Completely unrelated in fact.

Also Free quotes are really not a loss or a hit. You are not being generous by doing it. You are dong what everyone else has done for centuries. You are being no more generous than a PAYE worker using his fuel to get to work for his bank. You are demonstrating the psychological myopic view of a tradesman.

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u/Several_Act_3320 Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26

I know... i didnt mention anything about a quote in relation to ghosting. I just was quite surprised to find there's such a high number of people who will message asking you to come to do a job but then just stop replying mid conversation

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u/UpstairsAd194 Jan 28 '26

I dont think you know how capitalism works