Problem with local workmen

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Allenby
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Re: What would you have done? -- Chung won’t listen.

Post by Allenby »

centermid7 wrote:It occurs to me that if that is the case you would not want them there anyway and the sooner they are gone the better. I would probably help them pack their tools
Excellent! :thumb:

Thank you, "Centermid7".

Next time something like this happens, I will remember your advice, and possibly offer to help them pack their tools.

- Al
Allenby
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Re: What would you have done? -- Chung won’t listen.

Post by Allenby »

STEVE G wrote:The simple answer is that you can pay a lot more money, there are quality craftsmen available in Thailand, ... If you don't do that you're basically going to end up with untrained people working as handymen and not craftsmen.
Your assumption is faulty, because you don't know the amounts I pay.

And that advice is skewed well off topic.
The OP did not ask anything about where to find quality craftsmen.
Rather, my questions here are about how to handle the very, very, common situation where tradesmen won't listen, but go on their merry way doing things any which way they please.

How do you get them to listen to you, and then to follow your requests?

-- Al
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Ratsima
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Re: What would you have done? -- Chung won’t listen.

Post by Ratsima »

STEVE G wrote:
Allenby wrote:
Ratsima wrote: ... a condo in Cha Am. Everywhere I look I see superb workmanship. Everything fits. Measurements are precise. Materials are first class.
I simply don't believe it.
I wonder what you haven't seen yet.

However, the topic here is not shoddy construction -- there are countless stories about that.
The question is, what to do or say in order to simply get things done correctly.

- Al
The simple answer is that you can pay a lot more money, there are quality craftsmen available in Thailand, I've stayed in five star hotels that are immaculately finished but they pay serious money for that type of work, probably on par with what you would expect to pay in the West. If you don't do that you're basically going to end up with untrained people working as handymen and not craftsman men.
Well, I didn't say it was cheap....
Allenby
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Re: What would you have done? -- Chung won’t listen.

Post by Allenby »

Ratsima wrote:Well, I didn't say it was cheap....
You didn't say, but, of course, we all knew that.
"Cheap" and "good quality" never go together, not in Thailand, that's for sure.

One approach I always use for getting workmen to listen is to pay well above the average rate.

First, I ask Thai friends and neighbors for the going rate in that line of work.
Then I pay double or, sometimes, triple that rate.

A specific example:
Several years ago I had exactly the same job done in a different condo where I was living then.
The tradesman was a "weekend handyman" who hired himself out to neighbors and friends on his day off.
It was not his regular job.
Typical rate for that would be around 600-800 baht/day (two years ago).
I offered him 2,000 baht per day.

At first he didn't like it that I specified the fit and finish of the work.
I could see hints of the sullen face and rising indignation.
But then the calculation appeared in his mind of getting 2,000 baht in one day.
Suddenly, he was happy to listen.
And I hired him again for many other jobs.

So, besides paying a lot, what else can be done to get tradesmen to listen to what the customer wants?

- Al
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Bristolian
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Re: Problem with local workmen

Post by Bristolian »

Maybe I have been lucky, I found a very good builder/tradesman when I first came to Hua Hin. We including his wife have become good friends.

He knows my expectations and will charge accordingly, not cheap by Thai standards but far from expensive by western standards.

He can handle most things himself but when he is out of his depths he calls in a specialist to help and supervises the work to my expectations.

As for the original question, of handling a bad tradesman, there is no answer except to let them go and continue to search for one that can do a quality job. Having found one, hold on to them, they are gold dust
"'The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain
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crazy88
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Re: Problem with local workmen

Post by crazy88 »

Have to agree with Steve G apart from it is not a lot more money to get a decent job done. False economy to go for the cheapest option. You would not employ a casual semi skilled labourer on minimum wage to rewire your house, install a new gas boiler and build you a kitchen or a whole house in your own country when that is not their profession so why do it here?

Also bear in mind that whomever is doing your translation and supervision needs to know what they are talking about. Also they need to understand fully how to deal with the staff on a cultural basis. Lose face; cash up front, or behind, they will walk if not handled correctly which will cost you more in the long run. In short employ someone who knows how to deal with such issues is the best option IMHO

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Re: Problem with local workmen

Post by Big Boy »

Bristolian wrote:Maybe I have been lucky, I found a very good builder/tradesman when I first came to Hua Hin. We including his wife have become good friends.

He knows my expectations and will charge accordingly, not cheap by Thai standards but far from expensive by western standards.

He can handle most things himself but when he is out of his depths he calls in a specialist to help and supervises the work to my expectations.
We have a very similar situation. We have found an excellent builder/tradesman, who isn't expensive. I would never recommend him to anybody except very close friends. It would be a disaster if we lost him.

He is very cheap, and I always insist Mrs BB pay him more than he asks for - a few extra Baht is nothing to the average Farang, but it means he is there whenever we need him. Believe me, when your DIY is as good as mine, you need somebody reliable like that. He is literally on call 24/7.
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Bristolian
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Re: Problem with local workmen

Post by Bristolian »

^^ very similar. I would never recommend my guy to someone else... I use him too often

He is now building my second workshop and there is enough work from me to last him the next 3 months. Like your guy, if I have a problem with plumbing or electrics he is basically available 24/7
"'The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." - Mark Twain
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