A fine film of dust seems to be present on everything at the moment, as a direct result of us having had plasterers in the last few days.
In addition, a fine red mist is also occasionally before my eyes, as I’m not particularly happy with the way things have gone with the work. Suffice it to say, I’ll not be recommending them. But I suppose I’m getting beaten up quite badly with the reality stick right now, thinking that many jobbing workmen are anything close to professional in their treatment of customers or they way they go about working.
Why the frustration? Well, before I go into that I should make it clear that they’ve actually done a reasonable job on the actual plastering itself. It took a might longer than expected for two reasons. The boss-chappy had forgotten (despite it being on the quote) that the seating area ceiling was to be stripped and plastered (he’d actually been the person to point out to us it was papered in the first place). So he was on the back foot on day one.
Secondly, they’d quoted to take off the expanded polystyrene roof covering in our front room, and re-plaster that (the glue needed to attach polystyrene is vicious stuff). Turns out that the underlying plaster was very weak, and didn’t support another layer, and started falling away. So they had to strip it back to the plasterboard, which took time. Of course, that’s all fair and square (although we have a potential dispute about the additional cost of that), but what’s bugging me now is that they made no attempt to put down sheeting in the front room to catch the drips. So the floorboards are riddled with dust, rubbish and globs (’boogers’, seems to be the technical term) of plaster that have taken three sweepings, and a mopping to even identify. I now have to go over the room with a metal brush to get it all up. We’ve about – at a guess – a half (metric) tonne of wood flooring arriving tomorrow, which will make it difficult to get done before the flooring is installed later this month.
Our dispute over the cost of the extra cost for stripping the roof of the plaster was further insulted by the offer of a rounded figure (that makes no sense when you do the maths) of ‘cash in hand’. Now I hate the whole cash-in-hand business, because it is – to me – tax evasion pure and simple. It’s bandied up as “saving you VAT”, but it’s also saving him paying corporation tax on profits that go through the books, and means he can pay off workers without paying their NI contributions. We’ve done the maths on the quote given to us when we approved the extra, and it’s not actually saving us any money either. It’s unprofessional in my view, and this is the first workman to even offer it, but it doesn’t surprise me given the way I feel we’ve been treated.
Ah well. We knew this would be the low-point in proceedings. The mess and the dust will get resolved, and things will be wonderful once it’s all done. I just dislike being messed about by workmen, supposedly professional ones at that. Watch this space for more.
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March 8th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
we had problems with plasterers as well – and ours even had a website (http://www.hgplastering.com/). The work they did was not of a particularly high standard (the decorator pointed out many places where the wall was not flat, especially approaching the floor where it curved out slightly) they didn’t do all the work they quoted for (skimmed ceilings instead of replacing them…although they charged for replacing). But worst of all, when they realized they had (presumably) given an unrealistic quote to do the kitchen at short notice, they just didn’t turn up. No phone call, no apology (and they didn’t take our calls) so with a kitchen due to be delivered in less than a week we had to try and find another plasterer.
Also did the cash in hand, which seemed like a deal at the time, but of course with no receipt, there is no redress.
June 24th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
[...] One of the projects I’ve had “on the go” for far too long, has been putting new skirting boards in downstairs, since the old ones were pulled off as part of the plastering work we had done in March (it was that long ago! eeek!). [...]
February 10th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
I would have been more expensive i bet, But all areas would have been sheeted, dust kept to a minimum, and a proper quote and no cash, all our work through books, oh, a genuine guarantee too !. cheepest is not usually best !
February 14th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Good coment by ron im a plasterer myself on a few occasion’s iv priced jobs
and the customer has gone with the cheapest qoute and a week later they ring me back cause the quality of work is poor and the house has been left a mess and work needs re-doing and ends up costing them more
March 17th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
ABOUT HG PLASTERING.
THE MOST OUTSTANDING PROFFESIONAL PLASTERERS BY FAR I HAVE SEEN.AS THE CLIENT I AM OVER THE MOON ASWELL AS MY DECORATOR.MATT AS ABOVE MUST HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE PLASTERERS,BECAUSE I WONT GO ELSEWHERE.
ADAM BARNES
DULWICH
March 30th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Dear All who view this posting
As all can see from a posting dated 8/3/2006 by Matt ?.
This is a bogus posting from a rival plastering company.This posting should be removed immediately from this website as I have just lost a major contract because if it.This so called Matt has no evidence of my company carrying out any work at his home.I never work for cash in hand and always have legal/lawful accounts done and audited.I challenge Matt to provide evidence by way of document of photographic evidence of us carrying out works.If this posting is not removed I will be seeking legal advice.This has happened on several of these blog sites and I am sure its a rival.Maybe I should write false negative postings about every rival plastering company in London and see what happens,they wont be happy.I urge you to remove it or ask Matt to send in proof of bad workmanship.We work for thousands of people every year and all are happy.
Regards
Lindsay
March 31st, 2008 at 11:21 am
Lindsay, I am the wife of Matt and I can confirm that we are NOT a rival firm but genuinely dissatisfied customers who I believe are entitled to write fair comment about our dealings with you. If you had spoken to us during our repeated attempts to contact you perhaps we could have resolved issues amicably and Matt wouldn’t have felt the need to complain about your work on a blog. You are right we have no quote or receipt (the work was done 4 years ago) and no photos of you onsite (at your request we left the premises whilst you worked as it was a big job and I was 8.5 months pregnant) but it was you who did the work. After having plastered/skimmed the majority of our house you were due to return to plaster our kitchen before it was fitted. You simply failed to turn up on the day and failed to return calls for several days leaving us in a real mess as we had to cancel the kitchen fitting and were fined heavily for that. This delay in finding new plasters at the last minute meant that I then had a newborn baby and toddler in our house for three months with no kitchen whatsoever and no water downstairs. You may remember that eventually you answered your mobile to my Dads mobile as you didn’t realise it was us contacting you – you then said you had been ill and couldn’t do the work and hung up which we doubt as this doesn’t explain why your team also hadn’t turned up and why you had made no attempt whatsoever to contact us. Whilst renovating several houses we have learnt many lessons but I have to say in terms of bad timing and inconvenience you letting us down in this way was perhaps the worst thing that has happened to us.
You were recommended to us by a friend who was satisfied with your work and everyone has different experiences with people but it is how you deal with things when they go wrong that marks out a true professional. Honesty is always the best policy and if you felt you had under quoted for the work, or you were ill or there was a problem with your staff you should have contacted us and let us know before hand or even on the day so that we could have had a chance to negotiate or employ a different plasterer. Instead you just let us down.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Matt and Liz
You are not a dissatisfied customers you are a rival company.I never work for cash jobs and as stated I have accounts done to prove this.Can you prove that work was done for you(probably not because you are bogus).You should be ashamed of yourself using all kinds of guilt tactics with your post,please stop.As stated my company works for thousands of customers per year,legitimately and professionaly and I can produce letters of recomendation to prove it.A note to all viewing this please’this person /company who is posting this is one of my competitors not a former client please ignore any comments made by these losers.’
Lindsay
April 1st, 2008 at 7:08 am
Lindsay, we can say absolutely with our hands on our hearts that we speak only the truth. These are not guilt “tactics” but genuine and at the time your actions made my life hell. You may have very many happy customers but be aware of a tradesman who claims to have thousands of satisfied customers and not one dissasatisfied customer. We do not wish to discuss this any further we have made our point. Liz and Matt
April 1st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Matt and Lizz AKA Rival Plasterers
I am glad this is your last post and your proverbs are in vain.The facts are that I do have thousands of satisfied customers and I can prove it ,yes we are only human and do have minor snags from time to time,I expect your plastering company does aswell.I have had my office staff look through all of our quotations and invoices for the last 5 years so I guess you succeeded in wasting my time.We have never worked for a Matt and Liz so please stop making false accusations.To all readers of this post please be sure to take no notice even if these sickos pull at your heart strings.
Lindsay
April 1st, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Doth the plasterer protest too much, methinks?
Some blog author points, for the record.
Matt and Liz are good friends of mine. I’ve known Matt for over 11 years. Readers of my website are, I’m sure, more than capable of judging for themselves who to believe in this exchange. I can certainly verify (not least from the e-mail addresses I, as site owner, can see) that this Matt is no rival plasterer and these comments originate from a friend.
On the subject of, er, the origins of some posts, the IP address used to make the comments from Lindsay is the same as “ADAM BARNES” back in March. I suppose it’s perfectly possible that it was a friend borrowing a laptop, or wifi connection, but there may be other explanations that, for now at least, allude me. Where’s a Unix systems administrator when you need one?
Mr Barnes’ comment had been destined for the delete button, but I thought if I’m going to allow the more recent posts through, I should go back and revisit it, and allow it through. For balance.
Ironically, this particular post didn’t previously get much traffic at all. I spend an unhealthy amount of time staring at my web server stats to know this. Indeed, it didn’t even feature on, er, relevant search engine results. At least, that was, until this thread kicked off this week. Ms Streisand may be worth referring to.
Finally, a general point: My website is largely open for all comers to post comments to. I try to only reject comments that are offensive, irrelevant or spam in nature. I’m hoping all that needs to be said has, therefore, now been said, and that anybody who comes across this discussion can take it in the spirit it was intended by all of the posters.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 am
‘friends’
This seems even more interesting,I see you decided not to post my last comment.Anyway Mr Barnes is an electrician who I have come across on many occasions he has worked at my house and is a reliable source I will speak to him today.Any readers of your website/blog must be able to see that your comments throw weight behind the ‘my friends theory’.A shame it seems to be unbalanced now.As I have always stated Matt and Liz are for sure rivals,I have asked for evidence to be provided of works done by my company,none has been provided.Any more readers of this post ,if you decide to post my comments, will see what I have requested and will see that no supporting eveidence to these awful claims can be given.I hope you do post this so readers can see all that needs to be said has been said.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 am
Oh, Lindsay. Take a deep breath, and put the shovel down. I’ve not moderated out any of your comments. You clearly care about this matter, but I don’t think you’re doing yourself any favours.
You are also setting up a straw man. Their chief complaint is that you didn’t show up to complete a part of a job, and consequently caused them hassles and stress.
Quite how you take a picture of that, I don’t know.
Answers on a post card please.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Shouldn’t it be really easy for Lindsay to provide details of this rival firm he claims Matt & Liz work for?
Certainly a lot easier to do that than to provide evidence of a job that wasn’t done!
As I see it, Matt & Liz are within their rights to talk about a company as they find them (within certain legal boundaries obviously) and Lindsay has the right to respond to any complaints. He seems hell bent on throwing further accusations rather than actually tackling the ones thrown at him.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Ok guys this blog has never effected my company until now even if it is only one job.My point from the begining was that there is no proof of my company undertaking any work or any proposed work at ‘MAT AND LIZ’S ‘house.I believe that a competitor( i dont know who) is trying to discredit my company even if it is on a small scale, nevertheless you must agree that anyones livelihood could be effected by false allegations on a blog site and this could happen to anyone.I think it is very wrong to post comments that cannot be backed up with proof of contract if requested by the accused especially when it has effected my company already.Some readers who want to throw more speculation into the ring may want to question who is the moderator/owner of this site,maybe he/she is friends with the rival plastering company trying to discredit my company (who knows),and that is why there is unbalance within the comments made.I understand that some readers of my comments will think I ‘m going into a bit to much but I’m only trying to defend my company.no straw men here
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Lindsay, you’re really not doing yourself any favours.
Many people visiting and commenting here know Richard personally, or by reputation. Your insinuations about him and this “rival plastering company” are ridiculous. Your reply to Liz, referring to her as a “sicko”, disgusts me.
You are probably a nice enough person, but you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Try re-reading your comments here, and imagine how they would seem to someone who knows Richard personally, and knows 100% he is not a rival of yours. Have you even looked at his site?
Frankly, the best thing you could do now would be to apologise to all concerned, try to work out what went wrong with Matt and Liz’s job, and improve your company so that it doesn’t happen again.
Welcome to the information age. Try not to wash your own dirty linen in public, m’kay?
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Hi Ivan
I am too busy to go further with this however to feed you,I will say I have never worked or have ever quoted to do work for Mat and Liz.There is a rival behind this nonsense.