The Craftsman Saga Part I Can't Remember

Siggggghhhh. 

People who have been reading this Blip for a while know that we've not had the best of experiences with "craftsmen" or indeed anyone purporting to be a "expert tradesman".  And I haven't even gotten round to Customer Service yet.

And so the story :- we employed a firm to install a new bathroom.  An expert firm according to the person who recommended them.  From the beginning to the end - everything ran like clockwork for them and other people they know who have used this firm.

They came, they measured, they made an offer to do the work and we were happy to proceed.  They said that before work started we should order the tiles for the floor and the walls (you can tell where this is going).  And they told us that we'd have to buy x of one size and y of the other size.  And because they are the experts, we bought x & y quantities of the tiles.

Tiles that you have to order in advance (it takes a week) and when they are in the shop, you have to pick them up and store them in your house.  All 350 kilos of them.

So imagine, if you will, the reaction when Herr I-Shall-Ignore-The-Fact-You-Asked-Me-Not-To-Smoke-In-Your House announced 10 minutes before knocking off for the day that there were not enough tiles to finish the floor.

So Herr-Expert Arschloch, that wasn't obvious to a man of your training and experience long before you got to the last box?

Of course it wasn't.

So G phoned the Tile Company (you can only order these tiles from one company in Wiesbaden). 

G: "Have you got any more of this kind of tile?"
TerriblyHelpfulCompany: "If you'd called 2 hours earlier, I could have gotten some off our delivery lorry that was here."
G: "Super.  So I have to order them? How long will that take?"
TerriblyHelpfulCompany:"If you order today, they'll be here either next Thursday or Friday."
G: "Is there a store nearby where I could go and just buy some?"
TerriblyHelpfulCompany:"You could get them in the store in Gera."  (A mere 3 and a half hours away)
G: "Could they courier some to you?"
TerriblyHelpfulCompany:"We'd have to have them sent by DHL and that goes by weight so it would cost an extra 50 Euro and they'll be here either or Tuesday or Wednesday.."
G: "We'll not bother with that then, thanks"
TerriblyHelpfulCompany:"We've got some of those tiles but in a completely different colour, would that be OK?"
G: "Thanks, but no thanks.  Please order us the tiles in the colour we have."

Tomorrow was meant to be tha last day of the project.  A nice shiny new bathroom. 

At the moment, they still have to: grout all the tiles, install the loo, shower and sink, paint the walls and ceiling & build the top of the wall on the shower.  Oh yeah and the mirror needs remounted. 

They also have to clean up after themselves.

And come back sometime either at the end of next week or the week after to finish the bloody floor.

My list grows ever longer.  Still not a single entry on the plus side.

Here endeth the rant.