There are some things in life which seem unnecessarily difficult. Nay, even impossible. One is to get a teenager to actually answer the mobile phone you as a parent actually pay for.Then there's trying to get a broadband service to your new house for the day you move in. And finally there's trying to get a good plumber within the same century.
I know these to be facts as I have teenagers who, despite spending literally hours with heir faces lit up by the screen as they watch TikTok or whatever the latest platform is, fail to answer texts, calls or messages. I have a number of messaging apps and have been known to send missives on all of them with no joy. Once I resorted to sending an announcement via our smart speaker to get their attention.
I've just spent an hour trying to sort out broadband for my son with the operator insisting his new home must be a new build (it isn't) and only a call from the operator to the Post Office convinced him we weren't lying.
And trying to get a plumber to investigate and hopefully fix a minor issue which is sadly beyond my husband's DIY capabilities has taken almost TWO YEARS!
Lots of friends recommended plumbers they had used but none of them ever got back to me. In the end I resorted to begging for actual real life plumbers on my local town's Facebook page (more often used for criticising bad drivers and pet owners) to get in touch with me. Not the best method of guaranteeing quality work.
Thankfully more professional plumbers like Bishops Plumbers actually advertise that they are happy and able to sort out all of your plumbing needs, large and small. So whether you need a sink unblocking or a full bathroom refit you know that you will receive fully guaranteed top service and full attention with assistance available 24/7, unlike some plumbers I tried to contact who didn't even have the decency to reply to my texts to say they couldn't help.
I don't understand - the first call out might be for a minor job but whose to say I wouldn't be looking for someone to do a much bigger job down the line?
If you find yourself looking for a plumber I would recommend finding one who doesn't charge call-out fees. (I paid quite a lot of money to be told he couldn't help) and a company who guarantees the work.
In these weird times it's worth checking they are happy to work in a Covid-safe manner unlike the carpet fitter who came to my friend's address to give a quote. She had to turn him away at the door as he refused the wear a mask in her home. Literally days later she heard that he had been diagnosed with Coronavirus.
Some plumbers, including Bishops Plumbers, even offer a video consultation for people shielding or self-isolating and you would expect them to have decent PPE which they are happy to wear.
I would always recommend checking professional qualifications - the site Checkatrade.com is a great place to start looking for a competent qualified tradesperson. You can search by trade or by trader name and by postcode to find local companies.
Once you have found your perfect plumber (or any other tradesperson for that matter) treat them well and hang on to them - they are worth their weight in gold!