We've all been there. Chasing after the tradesperson as they leave your house, demanding they accept payment for work they've just done while they steadfastly refuse to do so.
No? Just here, then. As unlikely as this scenario sounds, it's just happened today, for the second time in not too long. The first time, a plumber who spent around an hour sorting a leaky sink described it as 'nothing' and wouldn't take any money. We had to buy his drinks for him for weeks afterwards to get the money to him somehow.
Now, we've just had a couple of window/roofing specialists round. We have three skylights on the top floor of the house, and with constant rain lately, just as I understand has been the case back home, we've been noticing very small puddles of water below each of them. Clearly they're leaking.
Not being able to tell if they just needed resealing or the whole things had to be replaced – as they've been there since the house was built and we've discovered several, shall we say 'eccentricities' in its construction over the years, it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility that they had to come out completely – we just asked these chaps to come over to have a look and offer us an opinion. They were due yesterday at 4pm, but didn't show. A quick phone call ascertained that they'd simply forgotten, so they came today at the same time instead. (This is something that also happens with great frequency here – somebody may forget at first but whoever it is, they show up later full of apologies and then do the work for next to nothing).
So they show up today and we ask them to have a look. Do they just need resealing or are we going to have to cough up for new skylights? A few minutes later we start hearing the noises of work going on upstairs. They've just started sealing them – all it'll need, they reckon. Half an hour later it's done and they're getting into the van, getting ready to go. Didn't have to do it right now, lads. Thanks so much. How much is it? They won't say. Nothing. It was less than an hour's work, not going to charge us for something so small.
Now we know these guys' faces of course, but they're not friends of ours. It's not a couple of good mates we've asked to do us a favour – this is their livelihood and, not for the first time, tradespeople here seem to be giving their time away for free. You have to wonder at what point the job does become large enough for them to actually contemplate taking money for it. A person of low morality and high window numbers may be tempted to test where that boundary is, see how far they could get without paying for it. In our case, it looks like it's two more people we'll have to look out for in the bar and try go pay for their drinks before they do – something which is increasingly becoming a habit.
