# Would you leave a tradesman alone in your house?



## DTR (9 Feb 2012)

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?


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## marcros (9 Feb 2012)

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.


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## Harbo (9 Feb 2012)

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

Rod


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## Digit (9 Feb 2012)

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

Roy.


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## Karl (9 Feb 2012)

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.


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## Digit (9 Feb 2012)

> 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.


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## Lons (9 Feb 2012)

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


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## Digit (9 Feb 2012)

That's how I worked as well.

Roy.


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## petermillard (9 Feb 2012)

Karl":3c9ruj5s said:


> 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??


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## mailee (9 Feb 2012)

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:


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## AndyT (9 Feb 2012)

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.


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## Blister (9 Feb 2012)

No


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## Dibs-h (9 Feb 2012)

Not unless known and trusted.

Dibs


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## No skills (9 Feb 2012)

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).


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## tomatwark (9 Feb 2012)

Lons":uk9p31zb said:


> 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


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## Hitch (9 Feb 2012)

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!


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## mailee (9 Feb 2012)

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


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## DTR (9 Feb 2012)

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.


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## Lons (9 Feb 2012)

tomatwark":1p134om9 said:


> 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 silly person. 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:


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## doorframe (10 Feb 2012)

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

You must be joking!!!!!

Roy


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## DTR (10 Feb 2012)

doorframe":7oe0mwgw said:


> In BASILDON?????????????????????
> 
> You must be joking!!!!!
> 
> Roy



I am only a mere stone's throw away :roll:


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## maltrout512 (10 Feb 2012)

I get given keys to quite a few customers houses as they are away early in the morning. I personally don't like it but you have to get the work done. My thoughts when I am in their house is to act as if there is a camera (hidden) watching your every move. So I just get on with the job in hand.


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## Benchwayze (12 Feb 2012)

Karl":gfl1lbsn said:


> 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.



Then there was the case of the missing five-pound note. 

A woman had occasion to ask the Police to attend at her house. 
After the officer had gone, the woman discovered there was a five-pound note missing from the top of the sideboard. She rang the Police again, and accused the officer who had attended of stealing. The guy was arrested, interviewed, and of course suspended from duty. 

Three or four days later the lady found the note behind the sideboard. We never established whether or not the note had been there all the time, and the woman had not realised sooner it had 'gone'. 

So on balance, it's difficult. Unless the customer sits over you like a hawk, it doesn't make much difference, if you are alone in house or just in the room where you are working. :?


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## Lons (13 Feb 2012)

There will always be somebody wanting to point the finger :roll: 

Some 25 years ago a close mate was a sales rep for a jewellery wholesaler calling on small jewellery shops. A very honest guy, he had worked for the company for a number of years and was a trusted employee. He had to be as his sample cases were worth upwards of £20,000.

Following a sales visit to a small shop, his employers got a phone call from the Turkish owner accusing him of stealing a £50 ring and demanding damages or he would go to the police. My mates employer gave them short shrift and asked for more detail so he could talk to the police himself but the shop owner backed off immediately. Found out later that this guy had tried the same trick previously with other companies :shock:

My mate was so shocked by the accusation he lost all confidence and eventually left the industry all due to some dishonest prett trying a blackmail scam!


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## Hudson Carpentry (13 Feb 2012)

I quite often get given keys or left keys and alarm codes. Like said many couldn't have the work done without leaving tradesmen. Personally I do prefer someone there. If anything goes wrong or a change needs to be made or a decision made. Not over my shoulder as that is annoying although I can cope with it.

In my own house, yes as long as I know I can trust them!


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## PMK54 (13 Feb 2012)

If the guys are established professionals then it's probably OK. I have regretted leaving builders in the past though because they have guessed what we wanted and got it wrong (only small stuff though), or forgotten instructions. But I don't have any 'valuable possessions' that might be an irresistable temptation.


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## Digit (13 Feb 2012)

It will be a bad day when we can't trust tradesmen in our homes.

Roy.


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## Lons (13 Feb 2012)

Digit":3q7z0mf8 said:


> It will be a bad day when we can't trust tradesmen in our homes. Roy.


 =D> =D> 
I agree Roy but I think "tradesmen" is probably the right word. Someone who owns / runs a small business will either be a one man band or will employ trusted staff who tend to stay with the company. Can't afford to do otherwise really!

If the customers do their homework, chooses for the right reasons and not just on price then they are unlikely to get a cowboy. If they want the job done for nowt and don't bother to get references or recommendation then they are taking a risk.

Todays world unfortunately and buyer beware applies to services as well as purchased goods. I won't go back to harping on about nobody bothering to lock their doors in the old days. :roll: 

Bob


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## wobblycogs (14 Feb 2012)

I work from home so whenever we have tradesmen in I'm invariably here anyway but I work up on the top floor and they are normally downstairs (certainly in a different part of the house) if they were intent on stealing something I'd be no more aware of it than if I had been out to work.

In reality though I've found almost everyone we've employed to be honest and hard working. Some of the labourers we've had working here have been, shall we say, rough diamonds but there's only been one guy that I didn't care for much. He was a scaffolder that I caught wandering around the house after letting himself in. Apparently he was looking for the bathroom but I didn't buy it.


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## PMK54 (14 Feb 2012)

That's funny, I tend to trust the rough diamonds more than the smooth operators!


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