They couldn't do enough. nothing was to much trouble

I booked Craig's services as a single person who struggles to get families' assistance with manual tasks for a vaiety of reasons, and needed to get someone to move me quickly and efficently from one end of town to the other. I enlisted his help on Sat 27th July, having first requested 25th July. This was first slight disappointment but ok, reasonable price, didn't grumble. I'd had whole week off to pack / arrange so was pretty exhausted by the time he came and was ready for matters to be taken out of my hands and dealt with within a couple of hours. It was not like this at all.
Firstly Craig made no contact with me between accepting the quote and coming to the house - i contacted him twice and first time he sounded almost surprised to hear from me, which was a little disconcerting. Second time was to check he was definetley coming the next day as I'd expected some sort of personal confirmation - maybe even a text message - to let me know all was still ok. Bare in mind I am a single mum with a 7 year old I need to know things are happening or I get very stressed!
Craig arrived 40 minutes late, calling at around the 20 min mark to tell me the move before had taken longer than expected but he was now on his way. The heavens opened and I started to get a bad feeling.
He then turned up with the smallest van I have ever seen, and just himself. I asked if it was just him because I am only 7 stone and cannot help with many things, he said 'We'll do our best.' Immediately the expectation was that this was going to be a collaborative exercise.
Craig then went about his business without a word which I also found very disconcerting. I was full of nerves on the day of moving house and yet he didn't seem able to respond to polite conversation. All very awkward. He then asked where we were going! And said he didn't know the area of town at all!
After unloading the first round of things he said not surprisingly that he would need to 'call his back up' who 'wouldn't be very happy.' He went back to the old property at about 3.30 and I eventually saw him again at around 6pm. He rang when on the way back telling me he'll have to finish the job tomorrow but he's got the rest of the large goods. Actually there were still some to collect Sunday morning. Craig said then that he 'had to get back to his proper job' and appeared to almost blame me for the inconvenience; I felt extremely uncomfortable at this point.
Had to meet him and his father (the back up!!) on the Sunday who also said very little, at old house. They had left things in a mess in the kitchen and craig had left some contents of fridge out to defrost in the heat overnight, including meat which I had to throw away. I didn't say anything as just wanted it over with. I then make myself a cup of tea and pour the remainder down the sink as they carry on. Craig has left pipe open at the bottom after taking out my washing machine day before, so tea goes all over the floor.
At this point i just want the job finished. Very last insult is that he failed to plumb my washing machine in properly, leaving the taps off, so the thing nearly imploded with pressure when I first put it on. So seven stone me had to move it and repair this late at night when discovered, or I would not have been able to sleep.
I should have paid him less due to the stress but thought I would just warn you all here... He is no good and please pay the extra money for a decent job,
Katharine.

SW2013 (36) replied:

I turned up to what was a complete disaster of a job, the lady wasn't organised at all everything that she and her son owned was packed in plastic shopping bags which took up one trip in itself and wasn't on the job sheet, and in fact their was twice the amount of belongings that was not put down. also it was stated that nothing needed to be dissembled which wasn't true as their would of been no other way of getting the furniture down the stairs. Had she of helped like discussed then it could well of been done In a reasonable time however she felt the need to hide and shy away from it all and was expecting the earth but yet prepared to pay as little as possible and as my offer was half of the amount of the next bid I don't think she could complain, considering the mess I was expected to move. And I know for a fact that most people would of either charged her more or simply walked away from the job, but as I'm a single parent just like her but with 3 young sons and trying to hold down 2 jobs, I did sympathise with her and wanted to help, but little did I know that this individual was going to be so spiteful. Never mind you live and learn.

Craig arrived on time as arranged and was very careful, helpful and courteous. However, he arrived on his own and we had to assist with the loading and unloading of a few bulky items e.g. fridge/freezer, washing machine, wall unit, double mattress. Craig explained his usual assistant had unfortunately had a motorcycle accident and was incapacitated at present, and his temporary helper was not available on the day we moved 26th July. Had we moved a week earlier, I would not have been able to help as I had been wearing a neck brace following spinal surgery in early May, and my movements have been somewhat limited until this week. We wonder how Craig would have coped without our physical assistance, but in the event the move was completed with no problems within 4 hours, and involved 2 journeys between the 2 properties which are just over a mile apart.

SW2013 (36) replied:

At no point was it ever mentioned that they required 2 porters, so please don't just assume.

Craig was very friendly and professional, and the removal was done in one hour!