Why you may have had trouble with your tiler

[Colour Republic]

A good read and I agree with most of it...


It was written by Jim Olsztynski who is editorial director of Plumbing & Mechanical and editor of Supply House Times magazines (in the States).


It was a pleasant dinner party, hosted by the president of the company that employed my wife. He had an elegant home in a plush Chicago suburb. But the backyard was not very spacious, so the 50 or so guests mingled elbow-to-elbow on a sultry July evening while enjoying outdoor winkietails. This led to more interactions than you normally find at this kind of business-social event. Instead of spending all their time chatting with their spouse and one or two of the closest co-workers, people found themselves packed so tightly they would have been embarrassed not to make conversation with folks they were close enough to kiss.

So it occurred that at one point about 10 of us were crowded in a somewhat circular array when the chit-chat turned to a subject everyone in this affluent crowd could identify with — remodelling projects. One after another told a contractor horror story.

One lady’s tale was of a sloppy painter who used the underside of new carpeting to blot up spills. Everyone else thought the story a bit funny, but the teller never smiled. Then there was the couple who were left cold by their new hot tub that took forever to fill because, I surmised, the installer connected it to the existing ½-inch supply piping. A professional plumber worthy of the term would know to increase the pipe size. Of course, that would add quite a bit to the cost of the project, so whether it was an amateur who didn’t know any better or a pro who just decided to keep his mouth shut out of fear of a sticker shock reaction, a customer ended up poorly served.
Gripes abounded of escalating costs, of promises broken, of phone calls not returned. Someone said in an exasperated tone, “What is it with all these contractors?”

The wailing and gnashing grew continuously meaner and more unreasonable. Finally, it reached a point where I felt compelled to share my hard-won wisdom, as well as stick up for my trade buddies. Here, approximately, is what I had to say.

Cause and Effect:

“I’ve heard enough. I write for contractor magazines and have visited hundreds of construction and remodelling jobs. Let me tell you what caused all of your bad experiences.

“Competitive bidding, that’s what.

“Everybody wants a first class job, but nobody wants to pay a first class price. Instead, everyone blindly follows that silly old rule about getting at least three quotes, and taking the one in the middle.” (Several heads nodded.)

“That’s preposterous. Contractors have learned that the only way they can win a job is to quote a price so low they can’t possibly make any money. So that’s what they do. Then once they land the job, they cut corners or pile on extras in order to make a quid or two. Actually, they wait for the customer to pile on extras and make changes, which happens on virtually every job. Then they make their profit doing what the customer wants.

“If you insist on taking bids, don’t take the one in the middle like everyone tells you to do. Most of the time you’d be better off going with the highest bidder. He’s probably the only one who’s built enough into the price to do the job right.

“Better yet, don’t even shop for quotes. Ask around, do some background checking, inspect some projects, but find yourself a contractor you have confidence in and let him name his price. If it’s more than you can pay, ask what can be done to bring it down. But don’t expect someone else to give you the same job at a lower price and then expect top-notch quality.
“You’ve all heard the expression, ‘You get what you pay for.’ None of you would go shopping for fine china in a bargain basement store. But that’s what everyone seems to do when it comes to home remodelling.

“I know a lot of contractors, and as a group they are no more dishonest or incompetent than any other businessmen. It’s just that competitive bidding forces them to play games even when they want to do right by the customer.

[user123]

I'll have to read all this tomorrow, Rob, can't hack it tonight.. ni-ight...

[whitebeam]

That made good reading and alot of sense.

[jay]

hit the nail on the head

[GaryS]

Really well said I couldnt agree more people dont want to pay for quality but still expect you to finish the job to the highest standards.

[Stewart]

It almost exactly the same thing I tell my customers and it hits the nail on the head. If only we could convince the general public to think the same way then our job would be much easier.

[aph257]

If only clients could understand that we'd all be satisified.

[easyt]

Before I ask for quotes I research the work and discuss it with the guy giving the quote. That is where the internet and sites like this are useful. For example if you know about the need for tanking in a shower or the advantages of particular grout types it is easier to specify what you want. If the prospective contractor thinks for example that tanking is not necessary or no need to deal with existing painted surfaces I would tend to pass him by.

I have never gone for the cheapest quote necessarily and never accepted a quote from someone I didn't like the 'feel' of. When I have received a quote I have looked at it and , if anything was unclear or I felt something was missed off I would contact the guy to discuss it (if was interested in him doing the work) to clarify. I have then amended or clarified the work content in his quote and given him the option to adjust his price if he felt it necessary.

I have never had work done that I have been dissatisfied with. I may have called someone back to rectify something but have always managed a good relationship. The more you are able to understand the requirements of the work the better able to obtain a solid quote.

Having been used to getting quotes for Highway works I have a habit of rough pricing materials, estimating time for carrying out the work and getting a ball park figure of what I expect as a price for the elements that I know need doing. Makes it easier to judge a price.

[Alan.P]

Exactly right, and it's also why we see a lot of people posting on here that have had bodge jobs done, the biggest problem I used to find ( with privates ) was the lack of willingness to have the prep done right, the I was told it would be ok attitude, that coupled with the pricing war doesn't help.

[easyt]

@ Alan P. The number of times I have read on here about tiles coming off and water getting behind in shower areas. No one in their right mind would have a shower left un-tanked to save £150 or so on a £3K - £7K bathroom refit.