Incompetent or Dis-Interested Sparks of Today.

Hmm I would be getting a red-flag feeling about this customer if that many people had been before me. Either wants the job doing for nothing, unrealistic time frame or bad payer history. There is nothing wrong with cherry picking jobs when factors like that are to be considered, especially if there is plenty of work out there. To label modern (I'm guessing its more 'younger' you really mean) as incompetent, lazy or useless sounds a bit cynical older generation to me. Without talking to the 5 previous people involved with the job, and getting all the facts, you can hardly form a fair judgement on them or there reasons for not wanting the job

Agreed.

One such enquiry I got.

I was recommended by a landlord I had worked on several properties for over the years.

1/ Basically this Landlord B rang me an said Landlord A had given my name and contact details - OK.

2/ I need a consumer unit change at a property because I am moving a tenant in the property in 10 days - Oh.

3/ I do not want to pay silly money!

4/ I know for a fact that the consumer unit can be bought from B & Q for about £50.

5/ I happen to know it takes 45 minutes to change a consumer unit because I have seen that done!

Of course my first instinct was to think "Oh get lost you twit" but stronger words.

I gave advice - some insp & testing is appropriate, maybe a Periodic/EICR first.

Remedials might need undertaking first - Often is the case.

Consumer units for such cost more than £50.

Works will be certified and registered (Part P) upon completion.

If you ask any electrician to commit to attending to do the work within such a timescale you might wonder why they could attend so rapidly.

for 30+ years my standard answer has been - lead time for commencement of such planned jobs is often around 3 to 4 weeks, but again often it can be double that figure. My maximum lead time has been 13 weeks pretty constant for about 18 months a while back but is currently approx 5 weeks. 

His reply was "Ho, I really want you to do this job and if you can complete it with 14 days from now then you can have it!".

I politely declined.

I have had a few such as " I have booked a week off work next week I want you to come and fit an electric shower" .

I recently visited a customer at her home to investigate an R.C.D. tripping. The problem turned out to be burnt crumbs in a toaster shorting to earth.

Whilst there I was asked to visited her cafe, where I had done work before. Her partner wanted a double socket changed as one switch was not working correctly. I said that I could do it there and then, it would take about 10 to 15 minutes. There were just two customers in the cafe as it was late afternoon. My offer was declined. I was asked to call back another day before 8.00 a.m. or after 4.00 p.m. I have had other work on and have not been able to return. I have had two phone calls from them about this matter. They should have used me when I offered to do the job before. They are now seeking another sparks to change a double 13 Amp. socket. Sometimes people are their own worst enemies.

Z.

I was recommended by a plumber friend of mine to the owner of the business premises. My friend did work there and was paid promptly.

I am beginning to think that the gods are with me.

Would others have noticed an unvented hot water heater in the kitchen at the business premises that has a pressure relief valve on top but no pipework to the outside?

Would others have noticed 13 Amp sockets wired in flex? Would others have picked up the fact that an 8kW electric shower was supplied in 2.5mmT&E cable and had no local isolator/functional switch?

Yep the gods are with me.......one day when I arrived at the premises to start work I could smell gas. I could not identify its source. But after a while I concluded that it was coming from inside my work vehicle. Immediately after I drove a few yards to park up in the road, but I found that the driver's window would not close and stayed half open. Was this the gods forcing a necessary ventilation of my vehicle. The gas must have been coming from a leaking Gaz canister or a lost blow lamp.

When I had finished work and entered the vehicle to drive home the window mysteriously started to operate normally again.

Z.

I was recommended by a plumber friend of mine to the owner of the business premises. My friend did work there and was paid promptly.

I am beginning to think that the gods are with me.

Would others have noticed an unvented hot water heater in the kitchen at the business premises that has a pressure relief valve on top but no pipework to the outside?

Would others have noticed 13 Amp sockets wired in flex? Would others have picked up the fact that an 8kW electric shower was supplied in 2.5mmT&E cable and had no local isolator/functional switch?

Yep the gods are with me.......one day when I arrived at the premises to start work I could smell gas. I could not identify its source. But after a while I concluded that it was coming from inside my work vehicle. Immediately after I drove a few yards to park up in the road, but I found that the driver's window would not close and stayed half open. Was this the gods forcing a necessary ventilation of my vehicle. The gas must have been coming from a leaking Gaz canister or a lost blow lamp.

When I had finished work and entered the vehicle to drive home the window mysteriously started to operate normally again.

Z.