Protocol - Treading on toes

mickavalon · Post: # 60661Post **mickavalon** Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:15 am

Anyone got an opinion on putting right other peoples work, when their a rival in an area but you kind of know them. We're currently snagging a job off in Central Birmingham, quite a well to do leafy suburb. We do alot of work in the area and get loads of recommendations, as a result of which we're quite high profile. Yesterday and on Friday last 2 of the neighbours(114 &115 weirdly)
came round to ask us to look at recent Patios they'd had installed, 1 in Black Limestone about 12 month ago and one in Sandstone about 2 years.
Both had been done badly, cracked slabs, levels all over the place, one with no pointing and the other its mainly come out. Their are lots of crumbling Brick steps and loose copings on both and on the older Patio with the loose pointing, the slabs lift easily and theaggregates underneath can be loosened easily with your hands.
Both need completley re-doing, and I've told them so. Thing is the same firm's done both and I know them reasonably well, you know how it is. I'm gonna quote for the work, but this ain't the first time this has happened. I've seen and heard of other bad work. Do I say something to them or just leave it. The Guys seem ok, a bit miffed that I'm not from the area and they are, but ok. Fight clubs not an issue, they don't seem the type, but they might feel I'm taking the piss and have a go another way. Their gaffer has asked in the past why I "poach" work in "their" area and we have had sign boards and a mixer taken off site. No Proof it's them mind, but!!

Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:17 am

when this recession started about 2 years ago , a local builder came over to me on a job and said "this recession will sort the wnackers out"
funny thing is i drive past his house nearly every day and his lorry is almost always parked up :;):
had a few pikeys try "this is our area " in the past but just ignored them and nothing happened
my hoddy looks like he just escaped from somewhere so that helps
but same as you mick we have had low level pilfering and signs stolen
LLL

henpecked · Post: # 60664Post **henpecked** Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:27 am

Hes building himself up by getting your back up, next time hes asks 'why your poaching' say 'theres a lack of quality trades around here so they called me'

If youve only done a bit over there, he must know his days are numbered

Ive done alot of work over that way, good payers and big gardens, problem is you have places like Kingstanding right on the doorstep, so you do get a 'visit' every now and then. We had all the scaffold gates robbed off a site in Sutton, no unusual you might say? It was December -5, 4" of snow and we were on the 4th lift all round the site

Hp

rab1 · Post: # 60677Post **rab1** Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:38 pm

I wouldn't worry about them, if there asking you about poaching "their" work. It means their worried about you as you do a better job and they know it.

Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:18 pm

our job tomorrow is fixing an abortion of a drain connection the nhs approved!! contractor did on this medical centre carpark. they stuck top water into the foul back projecting down the line against the flow and their method of connection was to smash a hole intop of the 4" plastic pipe and concrete it round.

we are sticking a 600mm ic in and moving the pipe so it goes with the run.

we fixed a big footing today that the guy had got a cheaper guy with a 1.5 tonner to feck up, it was all different levels not straight or square and he'd run out of reach to get to good ground.

haggistini · Post: # 60691Post **haggistini** Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:41 pm

any pics of that big'ol footing giles?

mickavalon · Post: # 60696Post **mickavalon** Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:05 pm

Kingstanding, that's were I'm from HP, were are you mate?
Not really worried about any grief, and I know these guys are my competition and yeah it's good to know we do better work, it still feels a bit like your stabbing them in the back, especially as I see them in suppliers etc, know what I mean?

haggistini · Post: # 60699Post **haggistini** Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:17 pm

you have to target these areas to make money and get some nice jobs in. dont worry about it just smile we not here long mick

henpecked · Post: # 60702Post **henpecked** Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:36 pm

mickavalon wrote:Kingstanding, that's were I'm from HP, were are you mate?

Oh god, one of the 'KS crew'

Im in Coventry , do you have a brew down the Yenton on match day? They have a nice rank outside -of meatwagons ( I know its more Wildgreen area ) , thats where the jobs were, off down Birmingham road toward Sutton town. Built Olaf Melburgs place down there.

mickavalon · Post: # 60710Post **mickavalon** Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:13 am

Not my side of town anymorw HP, I'm a Bluenose anyway, so the Yenton's kind of off limits matchdays. Gladly lefty KS years back to keep sane mate.
Haggistini your right chap

henpecked · Post: # 60711Post **henpecked** Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:03 am

mickavalon wrote:Not my side of town anymorw HP, I'm a Bluenose anyway, so the Yenton's kind of off limits matchdays. Gladly lefty KS years back to keep sane mate.
Haggistini your right chap

Good lad,

anybody but the Villa.
We had a few lads from Kingstanding on the site, good laugh and made the day a bit more 'colourful' should we say

Thought Hagi was from Glasgow ?

mickavalon · Post: # 60750Post **mickavalon** Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:47 am

Me too mate, maybe he is and is in denial!!:D