Lee scaffolding.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Another of these 'don't use' posts.

Was quite impressed with them when they used Google to look at the back of my house to give a quote for scaffolding, to paint the outside. (have a very non standard large window on the second floor, and a conservatory underneath)

Proper quote duly arrived by email, and today was agreed for erection. All done last week.

Was up at the crack of dawn and reserved a space ouside for their truck.

15:00. Get a call saying they were delayed, and would be round on Monday.

Told them to take their longest scaffold pole and stick it where the sun doesn't shine.

Got this email later.

'Apologies for the delay but we didn't specify a time slot for the job and you didn't tell us you were going to wait either.'

Perhaps their idea of a time slot goes in days rather than hours. And HTF were they going to get access to the rear of the house if no one was in?

[Brian Gaff]

Pole vault over the house I expect. The next thing you usually get is an irate neighbour with a cracked patio where some clown either put the leg of the scaffolding ordropped it off the roof by accident.

Brian

[michael adams]

So they spell that out when a customer books.

Customer: Hello I want scaffolding

Anyother Scaffolding Co: no problem sir. We've a set currently in use at no* **** Rd. 10 miles away from you. Which we expect to be free around the 12th. Weather and other circumstances permitting, of course. This will take us a day to take down (given we only have one lorry and employ three men.) On the morning we start dismantling we'll give you a call and you'll have the option of making a firm appointment for the next day, or the day after that. The fact that it will be sitting on the lorry for a day is no problem given we'll probably leave it on your house for a week after the job is finished,

Indeed.

They started trading on 29 September 2010

and have already changed the company name four times/ Previous company names Previous company names Name Period LEE SCAFFOLDING (LNDN) LTD 20 Sep 2012 - 22 Jul 2014 LEE & SON SCAFFOLDING LIMITED 22 Oct 2010 - 20 Sep 2012 SCAFFOLDING (LNDN) LIMITED 29 Sep 2010 - 22 Oct 2010

Not that their "customer services" and frequent changes of name are in any way connected, of course.

michael adams

...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Then they could have phoned me as soon as this was apparent. Not 3 in the afternoon. And I very much doubt a firm of this size relies on moving scaffolding from one job to the next. Their yard, which I pass often enough is stuffed with it.

Really? This one has at least two people in the office.

Good luck climbing over the door between the two houses. And it is locked, not bolted.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Interesting. Their yard has been there for a long time. But can't say I ever noticed the name on it.

I did have the number for the scaffolder I used last time. Just a mobile number, which no longer worked.

A house just up the street has scaffold up for an attic conversion. so I phoned them. Two guys came round at the end of their day and gave me a quote there and then. 200 quid less than Lee. Going up next Tuesday.

[Adrian Caspersz]

Scaffolding is all the rage around here, multiple properties are getting involved.

No, it's not neighbours sharing the expense, and adding bling.

Someone (may be 'him', pictured) has an development interest in all three properties and their expansion into flats.

London :(

[michael adams]

I only looked them up because I thought there might be some connection with Lee Electrical (Lighting) the firm who ISTR had a near monopoly of film lighting at one time, which was often the source of stories in Private Eye. Presumably lighting rigs could use lots of scaffolding, and maybe they had set up another member of the family, and they sound eminently South London even is they're not.

michael adams

...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes. But Lee Lighting was North London based, at least originally. And IIRC is no longer owned by the Lee family.

But I did connect the name too. Lee were often referred to as cowboys. ;-) Not sure why, though.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Well, they were 10 minutes late. ;-) Interestingly they use a small truck

- Transit sized - so they can park easily. So did the front first with 4 blokes, and are doing the back now with 6.