Don't call Mr. Fix It

I sometimes need to hire someone to do carpentry, plumbing, electrical or painting either at my own home or rental property. Here is a big clue for you if you are looking for those services: Forget it. Just forget it. Or, at least forget getting good customer service and respect.
Five weeks ago a carpenter promised to begin repairs the following day. He showed up yesterday---only 5 weeks late. Not a phone call to let me know he was delayed.... nothing. I had finally located someone else to do the job (after calling the first guy once to ask when he might start and being very patient for four weeks and 5 days) then they both showed up on the same morning! No problem. I have plenty of work to be done so I put them both to work. No....wait a minute....I put me "to wait" again. Wait on one to go check another job, wait on the other one to find materials, wait, wait.
I hired a painter several months ago. He disappears for weeks at a time. You might say, "you should just hire someone else". Well, you believe they will show up when they say they will. Then, when they don't, you call and they tell you they "will be there Thursday", so you wait til Thursday when they also don't show up. The painter already has the paint you paid for, so you if you hired someone else you may be buying paint again. On and on and on.
One week ago I entered into a signed contract with someone to do some brick work. The contract specifically stated the work and payment terms. Three days later, he's calling me asking for $150. "Not in the contract, sorry," I told him. He wasn't too happy, but I was not handing over any money.
My husband and I have one very solid, very wonderful carpenter who is brilliant. He shows up when he says he will. He charges a fair price. He cleans up after the job. He can do anything. There's only one problem: he is so busy we have to wait in line. And, no, I will not give you his name and number:)
If you call Mr. Fix It, here's my advice: enter into a signed contract no matter how simple the job; don't part with a dime until a satisfactory phase of the job is completed; include a timeframe on completion of the work and make payment dependent on meeting that timeframe; if timeframe is not met, include a penalty fee; and if the timeframe is met and the work is satisfactory, provide a bonus.
"Good work ethic" has gone to hell in a hand basket.