What do you look for in a Contractor?

Colmm23

Is it always the price that wins out every time or do farmers look for a realiable professional run operation?

bbam

Price is fine but you need someone you can ring up and have a proper conversation with about what you want done... They need to come and treat the job with respect.

I also hate to see a bunch of kids running round fields getting stuck everywhere... It happened here years ago and they got the gate swiftly from the auld fella...

One contractor wanted to send a 10 year old out to mow fields because he was busy... I kid not !!

reilig

Its rarely price. For me, its reliability. If a man says that he's going to be there on a certain day at a certain time, then he should be - unless something unforseen happens. Also reliability of machines - we used to have a silage contractor that often took up to a week to cut 25 acres of pit silage (early 80's). He broke down almost every hour. The pit would nearly be gone off before you got it covered.

I certainly don't mind paying that small bit extra for a man if he's reliable. In saying that, I don't have to. My contractor bales for €3 per bale, makes great bales and is always there when he says he will be.

whelan1

a reliable guy that doesnt go off mid job to the big guys:rolleyes: also a fella that isnt banging the door down for money just after the pit is covered

Tipp Man

whelan1 wrote: »

a reliable guy that doesnt go off mid job to the big guys:rolleyes: also a fella that isnt banging the door down for money just after the pit is covered

Your hardly small Whelan1 if my memory serves me correctly:D

whelan1

well believe it or not the guy we used to have contracting left our work half done to do the real big guy :eek: and before you start he had been paid. Didnt get him again after that.

locky76

my man is reliable, good gear and near the mark momney wise.
i'd get lads to do my bit a lot cheaper but i can have confidence to let him know the field i want cut and i can go away confident in the knowledge that there'll be 5o bales of silage nicely stacked in the yard when i get back.

Colmm23

whelan1 wrote: »

also a fella that isnt banging the door down for money just after the pit is covered

And do you not pay the supermarket before you take your groceries? Why not give the contractor what he's due when job is finished.( I'm not saying you dont pay your bills whelan, just putting it out there to get opinions).

whelan1

Colmm23 wrote: »

And do you not pay the supermarket before you take your groceries? Why not give the contractor what he's due when job is finished.( I'm not saying you dont pay your bills whelan, just putting it out there to get opinions).

this guy we had actually wanted money before the job was done :eek: also when we wanted our maize sown he came on a saturday evening at 8pm and did 2 runs up the field and then informed me that he doesnt work sundays:eek: it rained sunday , monday , tuesday , wednesday , ground was too wet thursday and friday and a week later he finished it, great service

Colmm23

Actually had a similar conversation with local dealer recently about them looking for payment before the part is even ordered while we have to do all our work before we can even invoice someone.
You were right to give that lad the road whelan1.;)

We would offer what we would think to be a good service and would work into the night to get finished and try not to let anyone down where possible and still all we're been hit with price mostly for silage.( and we're not expensive compared to other guys).

dar31

price followed closely by reliability. probably only pay 5% more for reliability.
there is a good selection of contractors around me, so can be picky,

charityboy

whelan1 wrote: »

a reliable guy that doesnt go off mid job to the big guys:rolleyes: also a fella that isnt banging the door down for money just after the pit is covered

nothing wrong with banging on the door when the job is done ,you can be sure his diesel man is knocking on his and the lads driving the machines would definitly be knocking come the weekend the days of running a contracting business on bank credit are over .if the coop told you they would pay for milk at the end of the year im sure you would be banging on there door

snowman707

charityboy wrote: »

nothing wrong with banging on the door when the job is done ,you can be sure his diesel man is knocking on his and the lads driving the machines would definitly be knocking come the weekend the days of running a contracting business on bank credit are over .if the coop told you they would pay for milk at the end of the year im sure you would be banging on there door

+1000

my contractor told me he has €16K on the books since 2008 and a further €20K outstanding last year, now beginning legal proceedings on some farmers