This isn’t going to be a post about what I find annoying about this industry itself. I already cover that base very well. No, this is going to be a post about what I find irritating that comes with this job.
“It’s alright, I’m in engineering”
That is one of those quotes that makes me both cringe and winds me up at the same time. It’s one of those types of sentences that people who work in some sort of engineering or in the building trade reel off when you meet them. I hate it. I feel like saying to them: ‘oh, you’re “in the trade” are you? Then I am clearly wasting my time being here. Here, there is my tape measure, I’ll just sit down while you do my job for me!’
Obviously I can’t say something like that, as it wouldn’t be very professional. But it’s one of those remarks which basically says that you’re only selling to them because the only thing they can’t do is fit them.
Meetings To Arrange Meetings
I have been in many, many meetings in my glazing career so far. And one of the mos telling things that come as a result of these meetings are yet more meetings. I don’t know if it’s just me, but all I seem to hear at meetings are for more to be arranged. A lot of the time very little seems to get done. Which leads me nicely on to my next niggle…
Speed
Or lack of it. Why does it take so long to get things done in this industry? For example, Mark Warren once told me of his frustrations at how long it takes things at the GGF to be done, and for legislation and other changes to be made more widely. I think he told me of some law or change that took 3 years to implement!
This is one of my biggest frustrations, and probably is for a few others as well. We all have things in mind which we want to change, yet it takes so long to do so.
These issues aren’t necessarily the biggest problems in the industry, but they are some of the odd little things to do annoy me. I would be interesting to know what your small but irritating industry issues are. Comments welcome in the section below.
Don’t get me started.
Nosey members of public when trying to work.lol
My favourite one is “what you doing changing the windows”? (blindingly obvious)
“No just taking them out to clean them”
I reply.
Or another when working on empty shop is “what’s it gonna be”?
Sex shop everytime
I love the sex shop reply!
You could add to that those customers that monitor the installation while you are doing it and make comments about it’s not how they expected it to be done or even call the office to ask if the window is being fitted correctly…Excuse me! Do I come to your office and helpfully advise you what to do during your working day. These are the customers that grudge having to employ you in the first place…even though windows and doors are one of the most essential parts of the fabric of their property.
Ah yes, I forgot about that one! We have it too where customers watch over every move of our fitters. It is slightly annoying as it puts them out of their normal working flow and they feel under more pressure than they should.
The “I’m an engineer” one crops up all the time, and is always a red flag for a prize tit who thinks he can measure to within half a millemetre on a B&Q 99p tape measure, as opposed to the “inaccuracy” of a calibrated lazer guide CNC glass cutting machine. If, for fun, you ask who calibrated their tape measure, it’s usually “Me, like I said, I’m an engineer”.
All good fun.
My mate had an Asian guy following him around the house watching his every move.
He sat down when lump hammer was accidently dropped on his big toe
I even had a customer climb the fitters ladder and stood several rungs up chatting and checking as the installer worked……… for hours during the day. I blame the installer because they are trained at the start of the job to inform the customer that he may naturally be interested and concerned, but its best to keep away from the installation area to avoid accidents and not to slow down the work. However,when the first window is installed, he will be shown the finished product and if happy, will install the rest to the same standard. Needless to say, the… Read more »
My niggles are stupid legislation, ridiculous lack of enforcement , pandering to the lowest common demoninator rather than actually raising standards , and the lamest, unscientific and franckly untruthful mess of an industries rating scheme , it all sets a very very bad example all the way down, and I am an optimist :D