interested in your experiences paying for tradespeople

[stuartpaul]

One thing clear about this thread - people seem to get the tradespeople they deserve. :lol:

Agreed,

+1

What utter cobblers! I fail to see how you can draw such a conclusion from such limited information.

Jacob, - you are as usual just a wind up merchant.

 

[DrPhill]

........Make no mistake, the guy was checking you out as much as the reverse.......

You know I had never thought of it from that angle, but it makes sense. The initial meetings were actually quite fun because there were a couple of challenges needing solutions and we went back-and-forth until we found acceptable answers. I learned a lot just from that.

 

[Geoff_S]

The job - 14 x 50w down lighters, 2 dimmer switches rated at 400w max, 7 down lighters per switch.

Me : Mr Electrician, can you install these 14 down lighters with these 2 dimmer switches, 7 down lighters per switch? Will that be OK?

Mr E : Of course, no problem.

Some time later all installed.

Mr E : All done

Me : Great, but tell me why is this switch so hot?

Mr E : That's normal.

Me : Could it be that you've wired up 9 of the 50w down lighters to this hot switch and only 5 to the other?

Mr E : Why do you think that?

Me : Because when I turn this hot switch off, 9 of the lights go out.

Mr E : Oh yeh, but that's OK.

Me : So, I can leave this switch on that gets hot, and my house is in no danger of burning down?

Mr E : Of course you can, the fuse would trip on the board before that happens.

Roars of laughter from the audience =D> =D> =D> Unfortunately this is a true story. There are many more.

 

[Jacob]

Well nobody is perfect! How did he resolve it?

 

[Geoff_S]

Well nobody is perfect! How did he resolve it?

Well, I suggested that he rewire it. Apparently that was a problem because of the positioning of the RSJ that had been installed where the wall had been taken down. When I asked him where he thought the RSJ should have been placed, he got a bit lost.

OK, I then suggested that he replace the 50w GU10 bulbs with 7w GU10 LED. Apparently there is no such thing.

So, I went down to the electric shop and bought some of these non existent 7w GU10 LED bulbs.

And I put them in, that much I can do, and the switch didn't heat up.

 

[Lons]

One thing clear about this thread - people seem to get the tradespeople they deserve. :lol:

Jacob, - you are as usual just a wind up merchant.

Hi Stuartpaul

The reason I agreed with Jacob was because he didn't suggest that forum members got what they deserve but rather the public in general, at least that's the way I read it, and I have personally seen many examples during the 20 years in business where that applied.

I have had several potential customers whos' jobs I turned down come to me later for help and advice on how to put right the work they got done on the cheap or where they wouldn't accept original advice against specific materials or methods. A couple of these were pretty serious as well.

Although I rarely agree with Jacob I find myself in that position on this issue and I stand by that as my experience certainly isn't limited.

cheers
Bob

 

[Jacob]

... jobs I turned down come to me later for help and advice on how to put right the work they got done on the cheap or where they wouldn't accept original advice against specific materials or methods. A couple of these were pretty serious as well.....

Me too. Has happened several times. Last time I offered to visit, survey, take photos, write report etc - days work plus travel £200. They'd spent £15k on windows and other stuff, all rubbish. They thought my survey was too expensive.
From quoting for the job I already had detailed info about the original stuff they were replacing, which now meant only I knew how it should have been done (period restoration etc.)
Soddem!

 

[RobinBHM]

I get that sinking feeling when I go round to visit a potential customer and their first words are 'we are on a really tight budget, so we want your cheapest quote'.

I have no issue with enquiries where people dont know if their budget is in the somewhere close to the cost of the job or not. What I dont like is the expectation I will drop my price to suit their budget.

Or the dreamers, that want 17 different options quoting, or the job keeps expanding, but is way beyond the budget. These sort of issues are perhaps less likely with builders as usually the planning, building regs, structural calcs ptocess usually weeds these out.

 

[Matt@]

so back on subject

I find gas safe guys the most tricky to handle. Have dealt with some lovely people but also some horrors. Dealing with these people can be truly expensive but I have come to the conclusion that its better to pay a higher price in return for a fast and efficient service.

 

[RobinBHM]

Increasing regulations, building regs, testing etc etc, has meant that the cost of electrics and plumbing has increased significantly.

Electrics for example, any work means one or more circuits need testing. That could take up quite a bit of time.

 

[Matt@]

I got no issue with regulation but if someone is going to be regulated and charge a premium price as a result of that then make sure we consumers get what we pay for. I had an aged combi break down 4 yrs ago. Got a gas safe guy out, he said boiler was scrap and quoted me £1K (all in) to replace with an Ideal so I snapped his hand off then had a think, postponed and got someone else in for a second opinion who put in new expansion vessel for £200 and the boiler lasted another 4 yrs. Well £1K to replace a combi is stupidity itself so dont know what was going through the guys head at all :? We've just had another one done which cost £1900 and the guys were in and out within 4 hrs so a good earner for them but although I winced at the quote didnt mind as they quoted and installed within 48 hrs in the middle of winter which kind of cemented in my mind that its better to pay good money to someone who runs their business efficiently, communicates and does a great job.

 

[Robbo3]

What really amuses me is the "Icthys" symbol on his van. :lol:

Put your glasses on Phil. That was the guys selling rotten wet fish.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... how I wish I had been a central heating boiler engineer, thats all I can say :?

I was in hospital with guy four years ago who charged £80 a boiler service .......... he could do eight on a good day. £640 per day ain't bad money in my book.

 

[Geoff_S]

... how I wish I had been a central heating boiler engineer, thats all I can say :?

I was in hospital with guy four years ago who charged £80 a boiler service .......... he could do eight on a good day. £640 per day ain't bad money in my book.

It's not bad is it. Mind you, at that rate he'd have been VAT registered, a 40% tax payer and if employed by his own limited company he might have actually taken home £267 of that.

Then there is the matter of professional fees for his accountant, his certification fees and the cost of his van, diesel, tax, insurance, oh and public liability insurance and then regular course fees to keep his certification current and then of course his tools.

Then there is also the probability that he might like to take 4 weeks holiday a year like normal people, and the 8 days bank holiday and maybe he might need to go sick now and again.

Then there is of course the issue of him having to keep himself fully employed all of the time.

So that's going to hit that £267 per day as well.

As a general rule of thumb, if you run your business legally and you hit VAT registration levels, which is easier than some think, assume that you are going to lose at least 67% of the labour rate you charge for a ball park working figure, the bulk of which goes to the Treasury.

Unless it's all cash then there are other calculations that could be made.

 

[Jacob]

... how I wish I had been a central heating boiler engineer, thats all I can say :?

I was in hospital with guy four years ago who charged £80 a boiler service .......... he could do eight on a good day. £640 per day ain't bad money in my book.

But would it make up for the bad days?
A lot of cosily salaried people do this same calculation and conveniently forgot all the benefits of a "proper job".

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Two or three bad days aweek and he'd still earn way more than most people.

 

[Jacob]

But probably not if projected over a lifetime, compared to a steady salaried job with all the benefits and security.

 

[Lons]

But probably not if projected over a lifetime, compared to a steady salaried job with all the benefits and security.

Especially if unlucky enough to have an accident, lengthy illness or your major tools or vehicle stolen where in a decent salaried job you'd be ok but self employed likely to be disastrous.

When I started on my own I really missed the guaranteed good salary, expense allowances, company car, business trips abroad and 8 weeks holiday not to mention the 40 hour working week with no weekends. All that goes out of the window.

 

[mr edd]

Some of my strangest interactions with customers.

Customer (tweed jacket and blowing pipe smoke all over me) ''do you think your capable of taking the door off and getting it to fit back properly again, it was a very expensive door don't cha know, i suppose you charge the earth as well, next door had the window and door surgeon chappie round, perhaps i ought to give him a call?? he got surgeon written on his van, your van looks very clean, got too much free time on your hands i should think, well don't keep me here all day, do you thinks you can manage to do the job or not? ''
Me '' to tell you the truth i'm not a very good joiner, would you like me to google the surgeons number for you and save you the trouble''
Customer ''wait there i'll get a pen''
I got in the van and drove off

Joinery repair job
Customer ''you are going to use tanalised (pressure treated) timber for the repairs and replacement sashes aren't you?''
Me ''no i'm afraid not, it will be Douglas fir for the sashes and oak for the cills''
Customer ''oh well i always used to use it at my other houses, i think you should be using it here''
Me ''well if you want me to use a non joinery grade timber stored outside, covered in grit which will ruin the machine blades, sopping wet and god knows what effect the preservative leaking out of it will have on the glue joints and finish then i will not be offended if you would like to find someone else''

Standard outside job
Customer ''your not coming because its raining''
Me ''sorry i can't paint or repair in the rain''
Customer ''Well its going to be dry until 10am''

and the best one, a job 25 miles from where i live
Customer'' i would like you to do the job, but i only want you in the house when i'm there, i have important documents''
1st day, on the job,
Customer ''Right so today you can work from 8 am until 10 am as i'm going out so you have to leave before 10 am but i'll be back at 4.30 pm so you can carry on then until 5.30 pm''


Customer just back from holiday abroad ''I'm very happy with the work that you have done but i'm not paying you''
Me ''why?''
Customer ''I cant afford it at the moment, you will have to wait a few months i have bills coming out''

Customer '' my husband would have done it if he had the time''
Me ''what spend 15 years as joiner and machinist and study for a degree in building survey as well?''

I have had so many good clients who are understanding, trust me to do the very best job i possible can or that can be done, be clear in what they require, pay on time, do not mind waiting for me complete someone else's work before i get to them,
but it only takes a few rude, insulting, undermining or just downright daft clients to make you a lot more cautious and maybe i'm too sensitive but it ruins my day having dealt with one of the above.

 

[dzj]

A recent interaction.

Customer "Why didn't you make the display/ checkout counter split level?"
Me "Because the drawings you gave me were all single level"
Customer "I don't have time to look at drawings"

Such a boring place the world would be without the nouveau riche.