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[admin]

Two partners I know well in the building trade told me yesterday that main and general contractors they have done contract work for years are cutting the subcontracted taping and painting work, keeping it inhouse and doing it themselves. Another is offering labour only work using cheaper materials to cut costs. If business is slow this is surely a way of keeping overheads down and their own guys in work?

Does this sound familiar? The question is, do you understand entirely, accept it as a reality in the current financial climate or will you remember it in future if they come back asking you to fix a messed up job?

[TonyM]

They think that they are saving money, but it will come back and bite them in the arse. Especially when They are charged 'big time' by one of us to sort it out.

[amestaper]

A few companies have done this with us and they have dropped down our list of priorities, one has even fell off the scale altogether as they said in no uncertain terms that we had to match or better charity prices to stand a chance. This is probably illegal so I won't mention any names. I would hate to be a painter working on a job that's not been taped properly as I know some guys spend days fixing other peoples f*ckups. I know they will get what they pay for and I probably wont be doing any more for them. If they insisted I were to work for them again, in all honesty I would probably put the prices up.

I've seen all kinds of strange and dishonest business interactions over the last year, also been backstabbed and had work nicked by someone I thought I knew very well. Nothing surprises me anymore.

[the_tapeinator]

This is common now and there is a lot of costcutting and cutbacks to help some struggling companies survive. Short term fixes could do some long term damage specially if the end product there own guys leave is shite. I would go back and fix other peoples mistakes but theres no chance I will do it cheaply.