Would you leave a tradesman alone in your house?

[DTR]

Title says it all really. The wife thinks it's fine to leave tradesmen (two or three electricians in our case) alone in the house for a few hours. I'm not that trusting. What do the good people of ukworkshop think?

 

[marcros]

no. I don't think it is very fair to do so. If you misplace something, the natural assumption is that somebody took it , and leaving them alone puts them in an awkward a position as you.

 

[Harbo]

Not if you don't know them?
I've occasionally left our Plumber alone but have known him for many years.

Rod

 

[Digit]

Must be my honest face, I've been given the key and asked to leave it with a neighbour on occasion.

Roy.

 

[Karl]

I've been left alone many a time by customers - some have even left me after meeting me for just 5 mins. I prefer it when they get out of the way and leave me to do my job - nothing worse than a nosy customer constantly asking questions and checking on what you're doing!

I'd be a bit miffed if a customer said that they didn't want to leave me alone in their house.

 

[Digit]

nothing worse than a nosy customer constantly asking questions and checking on what you're doing!

That never bothered me, but my son hates it!
I'm reminded of a story an old time sparks once told from back in the days when Britain was being 'electrified'. An elderly lady wanted to know all about the installation that was taking place in her home and was much worried about electrocution, then suggested that it was much over stated, pointing to a Starling sitting on top of a power line and pointing out that it wasn't killed.
The sparks replied, having had enough of her questions', 'It would Madam if it put it's other foot on the ground!'

Roy.

 

[Lons]

I'm with Karl.
I hate someone peering over my shoulder. I've nothing to hide but it seriously slows me up.
I very often am left alone and surprising how many times I have a key in advance and until the end of the job. One regular even leaves the key under the milk box for me.
It's one of the reasons I get work as customers want to be able to go to work or wherever knowing they can trust me 100%. It helps that my work is totally word of mouth recommendation and it's a two way thing as I usually only accept work if I have been recommended by an existing customer. I get a hell of a lot of repeat business.

Bob

 

[Digit]

That's how I worked as well.

Roy.

 

[petermillard]

I'd be a bit miffed if a customer said that they didn't want to leave me alone in their house.

Quite. I'm almost always 'left to it' - keys to the house (and often the family car if it needs to be moved) alarm codes, everything. How else would anyone get any work done otherwise??

 

[mailee]

Same here as with Bob and Karl I am often left in the house to get on with the work. Most of the work has been repeat work so the customer knows me but one left me alone after half an hour. I do prefer it that way too so I can get on with the job in hand and get finished. :wink:

 

[AndyT]

I certainly have left tradesmen alone in the house - and given them a key. Anyone who goes out to work is going to have to do that, aren't they?

I've never had any reason to regret that the people I trusted to do a good job were trustable in the wider sense.

 

[Blister]

No

 

[Dibs-h]

Not unless known and trusted.

Dibs

 

[No skills]

Nope, never.

On the flip side I have done work for people (ex work colleagues) and have been left alone, but these were people that knew me for a while (months/years).

 

[tomatwark]

I very often am left alone and surprising how many times I have a key in advance and until the end of the job. One regular even leaves the key under the milk box for me.

Bob

I have customers leave me a key, quite a lot over the years.

One occasion a regular left the back door key in the regular place, my apprentice at that time unlocked the door and went in, the next thing the burglar alarm goes off, the customer had gone out the front door and set the alarm without thinking.

Then the police turned up as it was a monitored system, it was a good job that I knew one of them as he was a customer.


I had a rather red faced customer come home a little while later.

Tom

 

[Hitch]

Unless it was one I knew well, id sooner have someone there while they are.
Not watching over their shoulder though, just there to boil the kettle and fry some bacon!

 

[mailee]

Oh that's cruel Hitch, frying bacon who can resist that? always makes my stomach grumble.....I hate the taste though. :roll:

 

[DTR]

A mixed back of opinions there. Thanks for the replies.

In our case we won't know the people turning up. We've only met the gaffer but we don't know if he'll be there himself.

 

[Lons]

One occasion a regular left the back door key in the regular place, my apprentice at that time unlocked the door and went in, the next thing the burglar alarm goes off, the customer had gone out the front door and set the alarm without thinking.
Then the police turned up as it was a monitored system, it was a good job that I knew one of them as he was a customer.
I had a rather red faced customer come home a little while later. Tom

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I had a similar event.
I do commercial work only very rarely but rather a lot ofver the years for I guy who has become a close friend. he owns quite a large hair & beauty products distribution and cash & carry business and a lot of the work has to be done at a weekend when he's closed so he gives me the keys in advance to let myself in. A lot of trust as he has £350k of stock :shock:

So a Saturday 8am, 2 of us, I let us in and unset the alarm but after 15 minutes the internal alarms went off. I know they're monitored and my mate's away so I'm on the pmobile to his "keyholder" whos still in bed :roll: when a PC plod peers at me through the locked front doors. Couldn't let him in cos the keys are in the back door where my van is parked - it's a large building and the copper was rightly suspicious so by the time he got to the back he was ready I think to arrest us.

Luckily the keyholder a nice young lady reasured him I was cosher even if an idiot. I had unset a redundant alarm panel by mistake had to let my mate win our next game of golf and buy him lunch to compensate :lol: :lol:

Bob

There is a benefit to working locally and for people I trust and that's I always get paid, and quickly. I often say that if I do a poor job they know where I live so can come and put my windows out but if they don't pay me, i'll stick their names in the local shop window :lol:

 

[doorframe]

In BASILDON?????????????????????

You must be joking!!!!!

Roy