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Building Fences

Written by
Paul Hassing

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09
Mar

Three adjoining homes need fences and gates. Will this plum fencing job go begging?

You may think fence builders are too busy building fences to read blogs.

Having recently learned to challenge my assumptions, I’m not sure.

This post is designed to attract a fencing contractor.

Job

My two neighbours and I need new fences and gates.

We’re 3 km from the CBD, close to a freeway exit, and there are two wood yards up the road.

That’s three jobs, in one hit, with materials to hand.

Even better, we all want the same picket design. Such economies of scale!

Background

Last Monday, a nice council man told my neighbour she had 48 hours to demolish her front wall.

Somebody (not me) had complained about the bricks’ dangerous lean.

The spectacle of her whacking away with a sledgehammer drew a crowd.

For the first time, the owners of Numbers 8, 10 and 12 met in the street for a chat.

We realised we all needed fences, and figured that by offering three jobs as one, the work would appear more attractive.

Do you think this assumption is correct?

Terms

There won’t be any trouble with payment, as you can always find me here.

The sole condition is that I report your progress on these pages.

Do a great job and your fame will span the globe.

Do a crap job (or give me grief like the last bloke) and you’re toast!

Caveats

Parking can be tricky in our area, but we all have cars we can move to let you get near.

Do NOT leave your laptop anywhere visible, or it’ll go.

Our homes are built on volcanic soil, which reacts dramatically with water. In the course of a year, our structures can shift a centimetre or two in any direction.

Yet they’re still standing after 120 years, so this is more an annoyance than a problem.

The thing is, we need fences that ‘keep up’ with our homes. They must be flexible.

Promotion

In addition to loading this blog post with SEO-friendly terms, I’m going to broadcast it on Twitter and ask my online friends to spread the word.

I may also leave links at relevant industry sites.

I might even word up SourceBottle.

If you’re Web 2.0 savvy, you should hear of this gig one way or another.

Even if you decide not to take it, your comments on this experiment would be fascinating.

If all I hear are crickets, I’ll know that tradies and social media don’t mix.

Administration

Post a question in the comment box below and I (or one of our readers) will promptly answer it.

I work from home, so can let you in for a look-see any time.

My neighbours are concurrently seeking a good, friendly, reliable tradesperson through traditional channels.

It remains to be seen whether my online approach will prove faster or better.

Well, I’ve nailed my colours to the mast.

I hope we cement a relationship soon.

Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire

blog, building fences

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What others are saying

Author

Paul Hassing

March 9, 2010 at 9:49 am

My Tweet below. The hashtags (#) denote keywords. If there are builders online with search profiles that include these words, my tweet should reach them.

‘Are fence #builders too busy #building #fences to read a #fence blog post? http://bit.ly/bUcd88
3 minutes ago via TweetDeck’

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

March 9, 2010 at 10:01 am

Megan has just ReTweeted (RTed) my Tweet to her followers.

‘RT @PaulHassing: Are fence #builders too busy #building #fences to read a #fence blog post? http://bit.ly/bUcd88‘

If some of Megan’s followers RT this to their followers, we may get an exponential conga line.

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

March 9, 2010 at 10:02 am

PS: TweetDeck is the free, downloadable program I (and many others) use to handle Twitter. It’s many times easier to operate than the online interface at http://www.twitter.com

Reply
Author

Adam Finlay

March 9, 2010 at 11:04 am

Great test case Paul. Building bridges between professional worlds! (You can use the fence rubble on the bridge foundations to boot.) If I still had my Twitter account, I’d retweet in a flash. Perhaps a sandwich board in the street instead??

Be very interested in the outcome …

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 9, 2010 at 11:05 am

Thank you, Adam. Alas, if you put anything down in our street, the denizens descend, denude and depart. A barrage balloon could be safer …

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Author

malcolm owens

March 9, 2010 at 11:17 am

Good luck with that matey!

I find tradespersons a strange breed. Turn up late, complain about the job and want to see the colour of your money up front. Usually acting like they are doing you a huge favour by being there.

I have a list of tradespeople that I would recommend only as foundation material to be covered over in concrete.

What other profession gets $80 just for turning up late?

Retweet that!

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

March 9, 2010 at 11:42 am

Sounds like you’ve been burned, Malcolm! The trouble with your theory would be finding a good concreter!

But yes, getting good help seems to be a perennial problem. I’m hoping we can find some switched-on, Nu-Skool Gen Y tradies to break this horrid old mould.

Thank you for sharing.

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Author

Stephen Glanville

March 9, 2010 at 2:40 pm

Hi Guys

Geez! Talk about the ‘in crowd’…is it just us?

I just love it when Malcolm spits it… ;-P Nice one Cobba…and yes, I’m agreeing yet again

And Adam…I can’t wait to see some piccies of you in that ‘Sammidge-Board’ mate ;-P

And Paul – Trust you to come up with something like this mate…excellent!

Do you reckon we’ll be seeing this on ‘Front-Yard Blitz’? How to renovate your home with a Blog?

I can hear the sound of screeching ‘Rodeo’ tyres and the building of concrete bunkers from here…

Done my Twitter-bit…shifting into ‘Lurker’ mode…

Cheers

Stephen G

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 9, 2010 at 2:49 pm

Many thanks for your response and retweet, Stephen.

I’ve been exhorting Malcolm to do a rant blog. He’d have a book deal in seconds.

If all my limbs fall off, both dogs die and a new tectonic rift opens beneath my home, I may be eligible for a reality TV rescue.

Otherwise, I think I’m on my own.

Lurk my words.

Reply
Author

Michael

March 17, 2010 at 11:56 am

Malcolm, it appears that you are one who has both been burned but also maybe you stood in hte puddle of petrol with a match alight.
Everyone complains about bad tradesmen but we are judged by what we charge, not by what we save you or deliver. If you are able to do better for less I am happy to move on somewhere else but please educate yourself not on cost alone. Every transaction is an investment of sort. I bet you ask questions before you buy a car, tv etc. If you choose the wrong one it is who’s responsibility???????????

Sometimes you really should pay for quality and experience.

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Great to get your dissenting view, Michael.

Last month I spent two hours doing a quote for a prospect. Never heard back and no reply to my emails. Sure gave me the pip.

Could tradies’ $80 Rock Up (Late?) Fee actually be a fair thing?

Over to you, Malcolm …

Play nice.

Reply
Author

Malcolm Owens

March 17, 2010 at 12:36 pm

My comments are based on multiple experiences over a long period of time with many different trades. I have no problem in paying for good service and the key point here is ‘good’.

I go out of my way to seek fully qualified and experienced tradespeople that have the necessary experience. I ‘educate’ myself on who to use and what is required. I never look for the lowest cost provider for anything. I always speak to the tradesperson first. Perhaps my failing is that I expect people to actually follow through on what they say?

If it was a once off or occasional issue I would put it down to bad luck. It is a consistent trend and I refuse to pay premium prices for inferior service. If I’m told that a tradesman will be there at 9.00am, I expect them to be there. Not turn up at 2.00pm in the afternoon. They have a phone so why not call ahead?

Clearly in trade school they do not teach basic business skills and if they do it doesn’t get through. It is very simple – if anyone in business makes a commitment to be somewhere and do something then quite simply I expect them to honour that obligation.

There are of course good tradespeople out there. I recently had a digital aerial installed and the guy was brilliant. On time, good job, cleaned up and made sure everything worked. I had no problem paying him and also referring him to several of my friends.
Unfortunately this is the exception rather than the rule.

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 17, 2010 at 12:58 pm

Thanks Malcolm.

Isn’t it amazing how this ‘broken promise’ theme permeates so many of our discussions?

We don’t mind being shafted absolutely (e.g. fast food) but we HATE being shafted relatively (e.g. waiting in vain for the courier/taxi/tradie/anyone who promises one thing but does another).

There could be a thesis in this.

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Author

Stephen Glanville

March 17, 2010 at 2:30 pm

Whoo hoo! Now that’s blogging!

Well done Michael. It’s great to see the genuine article with enough ‘Canastas’ to step into the ring…commendable. I wish there were more like you. Oh! And of course I just love it when anyone launches into Malcolm…hehe ;-P

And as usual, dear Malcolm you didn’t disappoint. Another fine, unassailable and almost instant riposte…

And folks wonder I write more here than on my own blog? You can’t buy this stuff or make it up…excellent!

Thanks and Cheers

Stephen G

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 17, 2010 at 2:36 pm

Glad you’re digging the scene, Stephen.

We just need an Ombudsman, a great grandmother, a fried canary, a council representative and a Today Tonight ‘reporter’.

Then we’ll have the whole set!

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Author

Stephen Glanville

March 17, 2010 at 2:43 pm

Hehe! You forgot retired CIA Division Head… ;-P

Cheers

Stephen G

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Author

Paul Hassing

March 17, 2010 at 2:50 pm

SHE’S the great grandmother!

Observe the flowerbeds!

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/CIA_New_HQ_Entrance.jpg[/img]

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Author

Stephen Glanville

March 17, 2010 at 2:54 pm

Oh! My mistake…Hehe

Nice one Cobba! LOL

Cheers

Stephen G

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