Why are some trades people so rubbish at keeping appointments.

I mean, you call them up, they sound interested in the job and they will say something like "I'll call you back later to discuss" but you know what… they don't call back.

I called Rod Coles Plumbing & Heating (from Caterton) a few weeks ago. Nice chap on the phone said he would pop over to my house to look at the job in a few days. Two weeks later he phones and asks if the job is still on.

Same again with Mark Pipkin Plumber, said he would call back weeks ago and haven't heard from him since.

I was also looking for a builder for a building project and I approached quite a few. In six months I approached 38 builders and firms and got 9 replies.

These are the ones that blankly ignored me, others asked to send in drawings (which I did):

Not all were bad, Four guys came out to price the job but only three actually sent in a quote. Oaktree Building Company had the decency to decline the job.

I don't get it. Why don't they want my business?

Am I a problem customer? How do they know this? (PS I'm not).

I can only conclude that these people and firms have far too much easy money business to bother with a piffling little project like mine. Perhaps they can't make enough money out of it. Perhaps…Perhaps…Perhaps.

BUT. There is a silver lining on this cloud. I found a firm of Plumbers that are:

• Effective
• Tidy
• On time
• Good Value

They are EcoHeat from London. They are headed up by a fellow called Joe (the plumber) who is the oracle on anything heating and plumbing. Very impressed and would heartily recommend to anyone.

My contact was a friend called Enzo. He can be reached on 07775 851173.

In conclusion, the TV would have you believe the building and service trades are a treacherous place. Full of sharks ready to rip you off at a seconds notice. My experience is the opposite. The sharks just ignored me, presumably they have bigger fish to hunt.