Do you have to be mentally ill to be a site agent?

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Do you have to be mentally ill to be a site agent?

Discuss Do you have to be mentally ill to be a site agent? in the UK Tiling Forum area at TilersForums.com.

T

The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP

Yes Mike, good to have you back. I used to like the old style site agents, ex tradesmen who knew the job inside out.

I worked with a ex joiner (Archie) a good Scot and a great site agent, typical example, we were doing Aldi stores up and down the country.

1100m2 each store, power vibration system, on Archies job we had a problem with the steel on a dock leveler. 30mm out of level.

I go to Archie and explain the situation he asks me "what would you suggest Phil?) I say " we can blind the floor in so you will not see the difference in the steel and tiles, save you having to rip all your steel out" Archie says " that will do for me" job gets done, decision made 10 minutes.

Next job we are faced with a young site agent, a spotty 23yr old fresh out of college, with letters behind his name, but no experience.

We have the same problem with the dock leveler, steel work out, I explain to the young guy, we have come across this before, and can sort it. He stops the job, sends a fax to his boss, boss sends a fax to the architect, who then sends a fax to the client.

We come off the job, 7 days later I was asked to attend a site meeting, with all parties present. Client asks me "Phil what would you suggest?" I tell him the same as I told the clever young blood, client says " do it".

Come back Archie.:mad2:
 
P

Pebbs

turnip said:
Or are they trained to act that way. Came out of a meeting, looked at phone, 14 calls in succession from Mr angry, as if I am waiting all day to answer the phone to him! Given up answering the phone now, steam must be coming out his ears!:lol:

Any tips on how to deal with inconsolable site agents appreciated, apart from a smack in t'chops of course?
Click to expand...

A smack in the chops is always an option but I know from exp this doesnt work. Neither does being polite to them, because then they think your a push over. I normally stare them out and give them the silent treatment works, then I give them an answer. If you are getting a blasting down the phone from them (and this is normally because they are showing off in front of the architect or client or both) let them have their rant, and if they start swearing, I tell them I am terminating this conversation until they are in a proper frame of mind to talk sense.

We all know this new batch are failed chippies, who talk the talk but cant walk the walk.

Lynn
 
D

doug boardley

Pebbs said:
A smack in the chops is always an option but I know from exp this doesnt work. Neither does being polite to them, because then they think your a push over. I normally stare them out and give them the silent treatment works, then I give them an answer. If you are getting a blasting down the phone from them (and this is normally because they are showing off in front of the architect or client or both) let them have their rant, and if they start swearing, I tell them I am terminating this conversation until they are in a proper frame of mind to talk sense.

We all know this new batch are failed chippies, who talk the talk but cant walk the walk.

Lynn
Click to expand...
I was expecting something a bit more...errrr....belligerent, from you Lynn:smilewinkgrin::thumbsup:
 
M

mikethetile

Oi you lot, less of the Failed chippies, I did get the job as Im qualified as a joiner/carpenter. the reason being a lot of the skills on measuring, setting out etc are transferable plus a chippie has a lot of knowledge from liasing with other trades. problems start with the gaps in knowledge. Phil is absolutly spot on and true tradesmen are a god send to a site agent as they recognise that we are all working in the same direction, get job done and get paid, so dont mind being asked and will give valuable advice. an ex tools site agent knows he doesnt have the depth of knowledge in each trade and also hates being told how to do his own trade by a pillock so approaches tradesmen with all this in mind. when you go into a progress meeting with the client, architect etc, you are looking to get as much work signed off as possible to enable your firm to invoice, you also need to bring up extras caused by their delays and changes to spec etc, these also need to be agreed and invoiced for. so going in and telling them you have saved them money and the job is on schedule despite their messing about goes a long way in you achieving your goal of getting work signed off. this can go the other way if there are problems and extra expense. if the client has issues they may well withhold payment and you have to meet with your boss to explain why you have messed up. this is where you get extremely stressed site agents shouting the odds. their necks are on the line

I was actually employed as assitant site agent and did this for two years, I learnt a lot from the site agent on day to day running of the job but I was always good cop to his bad cop as I understood the otherside and would side with the trades. he was unhappy and several times threatened to get me sacked for undermining him . one day I turned up and had to open the job as he wasnt there , I recieved a phone call telling me to step in as acting site agent as he had gone sick, fortunatly for me he was well organised to the point of ocd so all information was there. I finished that project and was given the next as a full site agent. I did make mistakes but was mentored by my boss. he had a heart attack and took immediate retirement and one of the finance directors took over, everything changed and after a particularily stupid meeting I went back to my office and wrote a letter of resignation and went back on the tools
 
P

Pebbs

Mike,
My comments were in no way directed at you. You are old school, you sort out the crap and get the job running. I am talking about the numpties, that give them a title and they are thinking they know everything about every trade and are always right. There are more and more of these 'jellyheads' a point in case is Nybors post a few weeks ago, a nightmare site and someone in charge who sounds like he will get clumped before long. Turnips post was spot on, you start a contract and an 'novice' site agent is put on there to manage, he does this by constantly calling you on the phone, calling you onto site, screaming and swearing at you when you dare disagree with his way of thinking. My first phone call was at 7.20am this morning made by such a 'numpty' demanding that I go onto site today to do a full survey so I could get the construction drawings done. Anyone with any bit of common sense would know, this cant be done until the strip out has been done, and because it hasnt I wont be going down on site today because it makes no sense, to be amending every drawing down the line.

I dont lose my temper these days, (well not recently) I am fully aware I am working with stupidheads, and wont rise to the bait.

Lynn
 
T

turnip

TF
Arms
3
493
an emotive subject, to be honest I/we get on well with most builders and their agents, it just seems that some of them seem to have been sent on the same course in how to be an idiot. I am not 100% squeeky, I bin taught some great ways of how to wind-up a bad agent esp when theyre getting aggresive, but I'm trying to keep things level headed since $$$$$ are in the balance.
Oh, and theyre always used to be a spread/brickie/groundworker/whatever but you can tell by the nice soft hands that they never picked up a tool in their life.
 
R

Rob Z

Phil Hobson said:
Bang on Rob, but best not let some of these fresh out of college guys find out( project superintendant) sounds far more grand than site agent, wouldn't want to inflate their ego's any more.:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Phil, this is why we refer to them as the "Project Stupidintendent" if they are really a dumbarse, and if they are really clueless we call them a "Project Stuporintendent".:smilewinkgrin:
 
G

Gazzer

"Do you have to be mentally ill to be a site agent?"

No, but if you are it helps !

On another hand, I know both kind of site agent, The know it all and do as I say kind and the " you are the tiler, do it the best way you feel " I think both are under pressure to meet deadlines, those that can handle it tend to be the good site agents, those that panic are so stressed they see everything as a problem and need to try and push the job too fast.
 
mz30

mz30

TF
Arms
9
513
liverpool
I find the best way to approach a site agent on a job is to ask them a question on the first day that only someone with experience would know and when you start a job theres always a question or two,site agents i am dealing with at the moment are one ex-plasterer,one ex multi-skilled finisher and an ex window fitter,basically people who have no idea about our trade.

The ex plasterer site agent wanted to know why i left tiles out on a boxing in around a soil stack and didnt get the fact that the joiner/boarder had basically cut a u-shape out of the board and there was nothing to fix my tiles to under the stack and still didnt get it after i told him
 

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