On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:
I dread every time I have to try and get something done.

I'm on both sides of the fence. I was a tradesman all my working life.
Now I'm an OAP who needs tradesmen.

Firstly, I have to say that personal recommendation is the way to go. A
good tradesman will know this. I relied on it entirely. I never advertised.

The fact is that the trades are busy at the moment because lockdown is
giving people ideas about getting the house fixed. So if the guy says he
won't be able to do the job for a few weeks, accept it, but ask if he
can pop in and have a look within a few days.

I think a lot of this comes down to people skills; both the ability to
understand the other person and also to know how to behave towards them.
Remember that in this climate you have to advertise yourself as a good
customer. Be friendly but not silly about it. Be prepared to chat. Build
a relationship. This sounds cynical but actually I do find other
people's stories interesting, and I enjoy chatting with tradesmen. It's
really nice as well to build up a relationship that can last years and
make future jobs much easier.

I admit I have the advantage that having been a tradesman myself I can
see the other man's point of view, and that helps a lot.

If you go into the thing with the attitude that it's 'them and us' you
are doomed to fail. It isn't 'them and us', it's two people with aims
that should combine rather than clash. Tradespeople are human beings.

Above all, be reasonable about things. Everybody has off-days. Everybody
has things on their mind sometimes. Everybody makes mistakes. Don't
nit-pick.

Bill