Too late now anyway I think as I'm off to work soon. If he picthed up now then it'd be alright, but he'd probably take another 30mins if I rang him now.
I think it's a horsey thing all around for professionals to keep you waiting - my farrier was punctual until the last time he was about 2 hours late - didn't even apologise either
Ha, well he was both, which is why we arnt together anymore, damn boy, but he was always dining away at dinnertimes...chin up chick, do you have to be there to hold them when he comes
The longest I have waited was 3 hours!! Seems to be a trait with farriers in the north east of Scotland. But then I've been at a yard where a person booked him for one horse, then another 3 decided they wanted done once he was there, so u can see why they are late sometimes.
I'd say call him and see what's happened - he could just be running late due to traffic or an emergency. If he does turn up I would politely ask him to let you know in future if he's going to be more than say 30/45 minutes late.
Funny isn't it, we seem to expect vets to be late and don't mind too much - I wonder what it is about farriers being late that always makes us mad.
Everyone round here has this problem too...I am sure they are not all the same but I think they should include another module on their apprentice training course...CUSTOMER CARE!!!! With emphasis on how to use a phone to tell your clients you will be late!!! Sorry for the sarcasm but it does annoy me terribly.
I have an excellant farrier but occasionally he goes through a phase of lateness...like over an hour. If I did that to my clients I would have lost the work before even having the opportunity to apologise!
But round here farriers are so few and far between that you dare not say anything and getting another is not an option...after all...who needs who more?!
I used to make appointments first thing with my previous farrier and he still turned up late. I would ring him to see where he was after having already been half an hour late and he would say...sorry I am just leaving now! One time he had not even got out of bed and that was for a 9am appointment!!!
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My vet practice I've found are always on time though.
[/ QUOTE ] Mine have never managed to be less than an hour and a half late - fortunately (frantically touches wood) I haven't needed them too often.
On the other hand, my farriers time keeping is very good, he's never normally more than 15/20 minutes late at most, any more and he does phone because he insists on the owner or a competant hander being available to hold the horse.
I think it helps that he's not one of those who's trying to cram in 20 horses a day at 20 minutes a time - we have plenty of those round here and they often leave people standing about waiting, if they turn up at all.
I do think that it can be very difficult for them to be bang on time during the day. You just never know what's going to crop up. Difficult horses - can you just pop this shoe back on?, traffic etc. all go to making accuracy on time pretty difficult.
My farrier is pretty good - but there are ocassions when he is horrendously late. I know that it's just one of those things and accept it.
If I want to be sure of an exact time - I always book the first appointment of the day - 8.30
my new farrier is usually early - i'm usually running about getting the horse in apologising loads for being crap!
i take aran to my vet - its easier and means that i don't have to wait about for them being disorganised!
Hmmm, my 'always on time' fab farrier is on holiday too......
my boy pulled a shoe this week, so i texted him to request emergency treatment, to which he replied ' Bugger, i'm in Oz!' I felt very bad
Chloe had her first farrier visit today - much in need of it. They were very loud, but when it came to Chloe they were amazing! They even brought in another horse just so she could have company while they were shoeing her. Chuffed with the results.
They said I could pay them whenever I was ready to part with it - NEVER mwahahaha
I don't know what it is...the vets are on time, the feed man is on time, the instructor is on time...the farrier...who knows!
Mine always had an excuse..too hot, too cold, too wet, dog on fire, too many horses, too few horses, didn't like the colour of the cheque. Of course, with cell phones, they can contact us in an instant to let us know they're late...Oh wait! they don't do that either.
I've a great farrier now, he's on time, the horses love and trust him, and his wife makes sure he returns calls (get on the wife's side, it works).