How do you make sure tradesmen turn up????

Beesknees · Post by **Beesknees** » 4th May, '10, 10:27

Aaaarrrrgh.

OK two days after we moved into our flat the aircon in the bedroom broke down. Since then we've had about 4 different lots of aircon people at various times. Sometimes they don't turn up the first time and sometimes they don't turn up the second time either. One one occasion the same people turned up as different contractors ! Our landlord seems to be intent on getting the cheapest people to do the job.

Our agent knows that now I am very peed off and yesterday Daikon themselves arrived (on time!). They promised to be back here between 0900 and 0930 today and now at 1030 they are still not here.

What the hell do I do ? They don't even have the manners to give me a call.

PS Bye the way - they all have different theories on what is wrong.

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 4th May, '10, 10:32

Welcome to Singapore.

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 4th May, '10, 10:41

ditto baloo.

If it's important, give the landlord/agent a deadline. If it's not fixed by then, do it yourself (using a good contractor that has been suggested here before) and take the money off the rent. There *sometimes* is a clause in the rental agreement which will allow you to do just that.

Other option is to give a key to the landlord/agent and let them hang around for them. All depends on how much you trust them....but they probably have a key anyhow!

Fresh Mint · Post by **Fresh Mint** » 4th May, '10, 11:19

Aircon people in Singapore are notoriously late.

Beesknees · Post by **Beesknees** » 4th May, '10, 11:30

The agent has told me there was a misunderstanding (another one!) and they will be here on Thursday between 1000 and 1030 to replace our outside condensor. It's not Daikon though - it's somebody else. Soon I will have met all the Air CON men in Singapore (if they turn up that is)

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 4th May, '10, 11:41

Someone thought your air-conditioner was a radish ?

BoD · Post by **BoD** » 4th May, '10, 13:12

I've actually found more of a problem with people ( aircon/pest control/delivery etc) turning up early rather than late. If I arrange to leave work so that I can be at home at 5 it doesn't really help when they call at 4 asking why nobody is in.

Beesknees · Post by **Beesknees** » 4th May, '10, 13:29

BoD wrote:I've actually found more of a problem with people ( aircon/pest control/delivery etc) turning up early rather than late. If I arrange to leave work so that I can be at home at 5 it doesn't really help when they call at 4 asking why nobody is in.

Ha ha. I had a medical appt for 1030 and was sitting in a cafe outside at 1000 when the receptionist asked me if I could arrive "now". When I said my appt was for 1030 she then asked what time I would be arriving. Errrrr....1030.

Scrummy Mummy · Post by **Scrummy Mummy** » 4th May, '10, 13:40

When we interviewed maids everyone was either hours too early or hours too late.......

Lichtgestalt · Post by **Lichtgestalt** » 4th May, '10, 13:51

Beesknees wrote:
BoD wrote:I've actually found more of a problem with people ( aircon/pest control/delivery etc) turning up early rather than late. If I arrange to leave work so that I can be at home at 5 it doesn't really help when they call at 4 asking why nobody is in.
Ha ha. I had a medical appt for 1030 and was sitting in a cafe outside at 1000 when the receptionist asked me if I could arrive "now". When I said my appt was for 1030 she then asked what time I would be arriving. Errrrr....1030.

Yeah, those expat wives really are busy...

slinky · Post by **slinky** » 4th May, '10, 14:38

Lichtgestalt wrote:
Beesknees wrote:
Ha ha. I had a medical appt for 1030 and was sitting in a cafe outside at 1000 when the receptionist asked me if I could arrive "now". When I said my appt was for 1030 she then asked what time I would be arriving. Errrrr....1030.
Yeah, those expat wives really are busy...

Ahhh, Lichty, at least you're consistent

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 4th May, '10, 15:56

We need to compile a list of reliable tradesmen for newbies such as Beesknees.

Our aircon people were very reliable. Sure I've mentioned them here somewhere, can't recall the name right now.

Yes, the turning up early is even worse than late, IMHO. In Singapore I used to get irate calls because I wasn't in 2 hours before the agreed time. I think they expect everyone to have maids.

Our termite man in Oz turns up early every time, as does the gardener - so much so that we now assume they will and plan accordingly.

BoD · Post by **BoD** » 4th May, '10, 17:29

Did you know that the total weight of all the termites in the world is greater than the total weight of all the humans. That's one @&€¥# of a lot of termites

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 4th May, '10, 21:27

And a friggin huge scale.

Morrolan · Post by **Morrolan** » 5th May, '10, 08:13

we have found that in Australia it is more a matter of tradesmen showing up at all instead of either early (never) or late (often).

in Singapore it's more or less expected for people to be late, it took me seceral weeks to convince everyone in my office that 5 minutes early for a meeting with a client is 10 minutes late.

Possum · Post by **Possum** » 5th May, '10, 09:08

...sorry couldn't help myself

Beesknees · Post by **Beesknees** » 5th May, '10, 09:15

Kooky wrote:We need to compile a list of reliable tradesmen for newbies such as Beesknees.

Our aircon people were very reliable. Sure I've mentioned them here somewhere, can't recall the name right now.

Yes, the turning up early is even worse than late, IMHO. In Singapore I used to get irate calls because I wasn't in 2 hours before the agreed time. I think they expect everyone to have maids.

Our termite man in Oz turns up early every time, as does the gardener - so much so that we now assume they will and plan accordingly.

Oh I'd love to have a list like this. As you know we have to take out a contract for the air con and so far there is nobody from all the companies that have been here that I'd want to have back in the flat again. The worst was a guy who kept leaning against our newly painted white walls with his dirty overalls on. Even after I asked him not to - he just kept doing it. Aaaarrrrgh. Then when he left I found big black handprints on the walls all around the unit

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 5th May, '10, 09:29

do a search in the forum and there are quite a few recommendations for aircon and handymen

Spike · Post by **Spike** » 5th May, '10, 10:31

I've used Aircon Design for the past 9 years and had no major probems.

sundaymorningstaple · Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » 5th May, '10, 10:55

Once you all have a list of dependable ones (1?) who can be recommended, I'll add them to my links page. Might be a welcome addition. Name / Contact number and/or website if any will suffice.

cromasaig · Post by **cromasaig** » 5th May, '10, 14:18

At the recommendation of our fantastic agent SJ, we used a company called Swee Leng for aircon servicing. Not the cheapest (c$700 pa for five units), but they were thorough and reliable - called me every quarter to remind me that the service was due and the same very pleasant guy turned up on time every time. On the occasions you can find efficiency in Sing, it's worth paying more for!

Batwoman · Post by **Batwoman** » 11th May, '10, 14:07

I can beat that my air-con servicing appointment booked for "between" 2-3 last Saturday resulted in a phone call to moi at 12.30 with the guy going we are early can we come now...no sorry I am in town but I can finish what I am doing and be back for 1.30pm...no that's not good, okay we come at 2 as arranged.....3.45 they eventually showed after me calling (it sounded like I woke him up from his kip in the van) asking where the fuck they were!

Pinklepurr · Post by **Pinklepurr** » 11th May, '10, 19:35

Hey Crom, we used Swee Leng as well, it was through our landlord but I would have used them if we were organising it they always came on time and were efficient. They even rang if running late/early to check and waited if I wasn't there to let them in. They were ultra reliable, and we had the same guy servicing our aircons for 4 years. He would also help out cleaning our lounge room ceiling fan that was so high up none of us could reach it, but he always happily did it when he had the ladder in to reach the aircon. He also gave me some excellent parking tips when he saw me checking out maps on the computer!

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How do you make sure tradesmen turn up????

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