Wanted: A Reliable Contractor

Becoming a homeowner has made me wonder, do reliable contractors exist? Of course there are a few, but how do you find a the needles in a haystack? In no other industry could you run a business the way most contractors do: "I'll be there between 8am and 5pm" or "Between 8am and 1pm." If I told my clients that, I wouldn't be employed so how can contractors be so laid back and people tolerate it? I understand things can come up, but how often does a contractor call when they are running late? As bad as airlines can be, they provide some updates when there are delays.

They are often providing a specialized service that someone needs or some emergency with the furnace, plumbing, electrical that a typical homeowner can't fix on their own. So we often have to tolerate the lack of professionalism, unpredictable schedules and even being overcharged b/c it's an urgent problem. Why do we allow it? Even more amazing is contractors coming inside with muddy shoes, leaving lights on when they leave, turning up your heat, making a mess and not cleaning up or even eating your food. Everything just mentioned has happended to me, but I'm sure some of this is not uncommon.

If a contractor was reliable and showed up when said they would in range of 1-2 hours (and guaranteed it), treated the homeowner's house like their own and responsive to phone calls, they would have people waiting in line for them.....and cost becomes a minor issue. Until then, I've decided to inform future contractors I expect them to show up when they are supposed to or I'll deduct money from their bill given I'm having to take time off. I might irritate quite a few people in the process, but eventually I'll find a reliable contractor.