Why are so many people such soft touches?

Never forgive, never forget!

Because we are conditioned to believe that businesses and business people are somehow owed a living by us, exist on an exclusive plain of greatness and that it’s ok…we saw it during covid…and for a long time before covid…

I’ve been that way myself but less inclined to let em away with it…too selfless is too careless, don’t be a soft touch… get pushed over, push and punch back.

Has anyone else noticed the deterioration in service since covid hit? A lot of businesses have switched to a 'pick and choose model' - one pack of shysters actually told me they were happy with their existing customer base and if I wanted to buy from them I'd have to open an account with a massive annual minimum spend, whereas before you could just walk in and buy stuff

Other stuff would include

*Not answering the phone

*So-and-so is working from home, they'll get back to you (usually they don't)

*Pre-booking only, no walk ins, book online, pay by card in advance when before you could just land up

*Massively reduced catalogue of products

*Creating a false sense of high demand - hotels and restaurants are big offenders of this - run at a massively reduced capacity, far less than any covid restriction demands & absolutely fleece the few customers who insist on going in

As regards trades people… my Dad always says get someone you know or someone you know who knows someone and who has had work done by a person to do your job..not a randomer from the golden pages or online……

Dad got a gem of a neighbour he got on with from the house opposite to build him a garage, a professional builder… garage standing 50 years later…it was built so well it has great insulation…and the same roof… my great aunt always joked about coming home from England to live there in it… I reminded them of that recently and laughed they said… “she wasn’t joking” ..

You work hard for money so get value for it wherever you spend it.

after dealing with the public in retail and in a customer facing technical role, accumulating over 9 years face to face experience....

people are ****

I do find some people can feel disheartened when it comes to reporting crimes/chasing things up and they just feel it's not worth the hassle or effort.

Change nothing tho. Get shafted by a tradesmen and report it to a guard? Nothing happens. Even if a cowboy tradesmen got a rep he'd just have to change his business name.

Yeah, the Gardai don't respond to stuff like that. They'll say it's a civil matter. There's a significant element of trust involved in hiring someone to work in your home. If someone is good recommend them to others and give them repeat business.

There were neighbours getting some work done on a driveway and the lads had a small digger. I wanted a wall knocked and new one built along with some minor digging in the garden. We agreed €450. He was start on a Monday and was leaving his digger in the garden so he didn't need to transport it. He started on Saturday when I wasn't there. When I came home I was surprised to see him and "team" working.

Anyway they started laying tarmac under where I was putting a stone slab path. Had to get them to dig it up which they weren't happy about. Then they start trying to get me to do the whole driveway and I literally had to stop them breaking it up. Won't go into all the BS they were trying but they were determined to see my back garden for some reason. I show them another small piece of work and they guy says it will be €750. It was about 30 mins work with a con saw if even. Then he claimed I owed him €4500 for the work he did. I said he better leave so as I was not paying him that. Argument in sues and I said you can leave. He doesn't for some unknown reason and continues but no chance of being finished that day. He comes back the next day and I ask him to leave again. Threatens to knock everything down with his digger etc...

Still he is "working" although not really just looking like he is. He insists I owe him €4.5k. I called the Gardai who arrive 2 hours later but not from my call but his call to a different Gardai station. The gardai proceed to say it is a civil matter but I pointed out that threatening to kill somebody, refusing to leave a property and threatening to destroy property were all illegal and you could throw in extortion. They say they won't do anything without me filing a formal complaint. So I do that. This happened in October, got a call yesterday to say that they have done nothing because the Gardai who took the complaint was out sick. I doubt anything will come of it but the Gardai were useless and very opinionated. As I told them what happened they kept asking why did I not do one thing or another. There job is to take a statement not tell you what they would have done nor question why I didn't do one thing or another. My recommendation would be to video anytime you give a statement from now on.

My wife was worried they would come back for weeks so caused a lot of distress and she would have paid them some amount more than original for peace of mind. I don't really understand the mentality of these native "tradesmen" where they try to overcharge so much and don't get paid anything as a result. The job they did was poor but I was planning on doing it myself anyway which I did have to do again anyway but the digger saved me a ton of time and effort.

Its the layer of skin and fatty tissue around the body, this is what makes people a soft touch