Should Have Known Better Pt. 1000

Go And Get A Cup Of Tea - I can feel a rant coming on. 

I'm back on my favouritest ever topic: German Tradesmen.

For anyone out there who thinks that the legendary efficiency of German companies is something that actually exists, it is my task to, sadly, disabuse you of this notion.  It seems every shoddy cowboy lives in Hessen.  Specifically around Wiesbaden.  Or perhaps there is some conspiracy among them that whenever ANY company gets an order from us, they have to subcontract it to Arschlöcher GmbH.

We decided that we wanted solar panels installed.  Wiesbaden is running a special campaign to encourage more people to have solar panels installed.  Definitely something to be applauded.  So went to the the office, chatted to the nice woman, arranged a consultation, and decided yep, this was definitely a Good Idea.

We asked for a recommendation.  They weren't allowed to recommend anyone in particular but gave us a list of companies that provide this installation service.

We got quotes from three.  And we didn't go with the cheapest.

They were lovely.  Ever so helpful.  And so we said let's do this.

They were supposed to be here today, build the scaffold, install the panels, take the scaffold down, connect up the electrics in the house and that would be them done.

That was the plan that we signed up to.

In reality what happens is that when you sign you go from Priority 1 to being just another Arschloch.

They were supposed to be here at 8 this morning.  G phoned hte company at 9 to ask where they were.  They replied "We'll be right with you."

They turned up at 10.

They built the scaffold.  Put a couple of hooks and rails on the roof.  And that's that.

The panels, G was told, would be here later.  Oh and the electrician can't come until tomorrow afternoon.  So, see yah tomorrow.

The panels did arrive.  They were in a pretty shonky looking van.  Being driven by a tiny old bloke - he must have been at least 70. 

The tailgate was about 4 feet off the ground and the van didn't have one of those fancy electric tailgates that you can raise and lower.  Not did it have a dinky fork lift truck.  It had a 70 year old dude who was about a foot taller than the tailgate.

He was supposed to unload all the panels by himself, because obviously the other blokes had long since pissed off.  G had to help him because otherwise he would still have been there.

The forecast for tomorrow is pissing rain. 

Do I really want these Pimmelköpfe (that may be a neologism) doing anything to our roof when the weather is going to be so shit? 

Do I actually think that they will actually finish tomorrow?

The answer to both questions is NO.

I remain optimistic that one day we'll deal with a fair and honest company of tradesmen. They'll probably be the undertakers for my funeral and I'll know nothing about it.