Okay, I've got some time on my hands this morning. Let's see if I
can articulate a contractor's perspective.

1) The term "contractor" is not interchangeable with "handyman". I
am a general contractor. People call me when the job crosses several
trades. Others are more specific .. ie plumbing contractor, concrete
contractor, etc.

I say contractor to mean the person I'm paying to do get the job done.
Plumber, electrician, drywaller... whomever I hire. I do not mean Uncle Joe
or the "I know a guy"... I mean the person who has the tools and knowhow and
depends on doing this work as part of earning their livelyhood. I guess I
should say "professional", but I've seen too many hacks to use that term
much anymore.

2) I *can* do all the jobs in a given project, but I don't and
won't. My tools are my experience and contacts, my cell phone, and
my bank account (so I can finance projects, so my people get paid
when things are slow, so I don't take on jobs that don't really fit
well just because I need the money).

So, if I hire you, what you would do is bring in the proper workers who
would get my project done.

3) I do remodelling only. I will not build a house for you, I will
not do repair work for you. My "competitive advantage" is the very
high quality of our finishing.

4) I advertise more than most, yet 80% of my work comes from
referrals. On a referral, I have a sixty percent chance of landing
the job. On a call from an ad (what Turtle refers to as a dry call),
there's about a two and a half percent chance of landing the job.

But why advertise if you aren't going to at least try and get the job? As a
new homeowner the advertising is pretty much all I have to work with when
trying to find someone to do a job.

5) For me, a small job is anything under $25 thousand. Doesn't
mean I won't do them; just means they are less economic than larger
projects.

It doesn't make sense to do jobs where you don't make any money. Obviously I
wouldn't talk to you if I needed someone to hang and finish drywall in a
12'x15'room. The problem is finding someone who would.

----
Now, let's talk specifically about "so many lazy contractors out
there" and why "90% of contractors won't return a call" , even though
you have no attitude because you are not stupid.

1) When you call and say
you have omitted the one thing I care most about. Try "Hi, I'm
xxxxx, and YYYY recommended I call you." If you are a friend of a
previous client, or you've been referred by a tradesman, or by a
supplier, you will get my attention. If not, you're just another dry
call
... and I'll get to you when I can. If I can.

As I said, most of my calls are from the yellowpages, so this doesn't help
me at all.

2) Attitude comes through .. whether we know it or nor not, we do
project our attitudes. If you believe contractors are lazy,
crooked, stupid or whatever, it comes through. If you are uptight ..
distrustful ... it will come through. Often in the very first phone
conversation.
Most contractors have been around long enough that their "spidey
sense" tingles. Good ones are busy enough that they don't need the
aggravation.

My posts here are based on experience. I don't have this attitude unless I'm
actually discussing this topic with someone. You can't just one professional
by the actions of another.

3) The marketplace has changed dramatically in the last couple of
decades, but consumers keep getting the same old advice. Here are
some things you've learned, that will not help you very much.

b) Talk the job "down". You'd be amazed how many people try to
trivialize a project -- "Oh, you just open up the wall here ...
extend the joists a bit ... pop in a couple of support posts ... and
you're done." I have no idea why they do this ... maybe they think
if they make it sound simple, it'll keep the price down.

Most folks don't do it on purpose. They just don't understand what's
involved. When I "talk down" a project, it's not to minimalize it, it's to
summarize it.

c) Insist of recent reference and visit current projects.

Damn right! Only good advice I'm used to seeing here. References
and current projects are the best selling tools we've got.

But references and visits only prove that the CAN do good work. It doesn't
mean that they WILL do good work. If only five of twenty projects are any
good it gives the contract enough references and projects to visit. It
doesn't help identify the other 75% of his work.

d) Insist on copies of insurance, compensation, bonding, etc.

Okay ... but I will need copies of your last three bank statements,
your previous year's income tax return and an up to date credit bureau
report. If you don't trust me, why would I trust you?

So you don't take deposits? You don't make contracts? These are why you'd
trust me.

Asking for insurance, etc. proves two things... that you are serious about
your job and that I won't get sued should you fall off my roof, etc.

e) Hover like a hawk. We may try to shortcut or use inferior
materials. Or, you can learn how to do it yourself by watching us
and asking questions. And above all, keep on top of the project,
even though you're paying me to manage it.

I'm a learner. I like to watch to see how it's done. I do my best to stay
out of the way and make sure that whoever is doing the work is happy. I
offer drinks/lunch/etc. and do what I can to make them feel welcome.

f) Contractors don't like DIYers.
What we don't like is picking up the pieces. I won't take over a
job, whether from another contractor or from a homeowner. Rescues are
expensive and seldom profitable.

Rescues are always more costly than the original job. Just price accordingly
and make your money. If the DIYer doesn't like the cost he doesn't have to
hire you.

g) Newsgroups like this are good places to get information and
develop attitudes.

There are some pretty knowledgeable people here, but mostly there are
idiots who 1) offer poor or even dangerous advice and 2) crap on
contractors because they can't find a good one.

Everthing here needs to be taken with a pound of salt. : )

1) Contrary to other views, we don't have grade three educations. I
have degrees in economics and law. My trades are Masters, that's a
minimum five years apprenticeship and then some serious upgrading.
All but one are in their forties.
Most of the serious contractors I know have advanced degrees and
significant business experience.

I expect whomever I hire to have a reasonable education and have emphasis on
what they do. It's great that you have a law degree, but don't expect me to
cover it's costs when remodelling my basement.

3) We do great work, because we do great work. That is what we do.
You do not have to scare or bully us into doing a good job for you,
anymore than you would have to scare or bully a surgeon into getting
the operation right.

I agree. If a person thinks that they need to tell their workers to "do a
good job" they shouldn't have hired that person in the first place.

4). We will treat you openly, honestly and with care. Not because
of a contract, not because you're watching like a hawk, not because
your brother in law is a lawyer .... but because that is how we do
business.

Unfortunately, it's not how "we" do business. You don't know how many times
I had to tell my homebuilder that the trades screwed up on my house.

5) Likes, not opposites, attract. You will attract who you are.

Not always true...