A typical subcontractor in the residential sector....

So, we have a house to finish and it's almost done.  We've sent the requisite notice to the clients advising them of the date they can inspect the completed works and pay us our final progress claim.

All that's left to do is some external painting.

The painters were supposed to be there on Friday.  They weren't.  The head guy was "sick".

They were supposed to be there on Monday.  They weren't.  The head guy's "car broke down".

Phone calls go unanswered and so do text messages and emails.

The painters were supposed to be there this morning.  They're not.

Again, phone calls go unanswered and so do text messages.

I eventually get in touch with the head guy.  Lovely man - really.  Lovely family, too.  Heart of gold but unorganised to the extreme.

He confesses that he has no money to buy the rest of the paint he needs to finish my job, so he's had to contract himself out at day labour just to bring in some quick cash to buy the paint he needs for my job.

WHAT THE HELL?

I don't get how these people run businesses!?!?

OK...I understand that someone passes you a bum cheque and you were counting on it to pay your own suppliers and because of that you become temporarily stuck.  But all my painter needed was $1000.  That's it.  Just $1000.

Surely, surely these "businesses" have some sort of float they can dip in to?  I don't understand how they can't have one.

So, he's delayed the completion of his work on my house for 4 days because of $1000.

Bless him - he was too embarrassed to tell me the real reason for not showing up, and he was worried that if he asked for a 'start' I may think that he was trying to shaft me (ie: take the money and never show up again - a practice rife in this segment of the industry), but still, we all have a job to complete and it needs to be completed.  It's that simple.

Subbies - please become better business people, and please learn to open your mouth and say something if you have problems.  There are some builders out there who aren't your enemy.


Till next time...