work hours,

[woodytheplumber]

when doing domestics i find a lot of customers want me to turn up after 9? they get a shock when i tell them 7.45! if you start at 9 by the time you have unloaded the van got set up and cracked on its allready 10 just wondered what you guys do..

 

[JAP&H]

Depends on customer, if they have school run to complete and don't want me there until after 9am then that's when I'll show up, late start.

If they are happy with me starting earlier that's fine too.

Some customers will insist that they don't get in from their work until after 6pm, could I do the work then? Usual answer is no, but I have been known to work Saturday's if they really can't take any time off during week to 'supervise' me.

 

[stevetheplumber]

its \strange its normallly the grottyy flats where your worried you might take something home that want to supervise you and the mansions with works of art around that throw you the key to get on with it

 

[woodytheplumber]

i usually try get there just befor the school run, and i often work saturdays and sundays too had one today customer was conplaining 3 rooms wernt hot enough sized them up and radiators were half what was needed so a nice mornings work for me on a sat but late nights are usually booked up for the kitchen fitters and tilers i know

 

[dontknowitall]

NB: The "You" in this post is not aimed at anyone in particular!!

Remember you're serving the customer, not the other way around.

If this is inconvenient to you then perhaps you're more suited to employment as opposed to self employment. The main marketing niche the self employed and small businesses have is that they are flexible (in this case with their timetables). Large companies (and the state) are not able to be flexible, no matter how much they try.

 

[woodytheplumber]

i know what you mean and occasionally i will start late but i allways try to start early that way you can have a good run on it befor having to break off

 

[GQuigley67]

depends on what kind of job im doing, if its a heating system then 8am start, advise customer to go out for day for health and safety reasons, hate it when they decide to stay in and wander around its all down to trust at the end of the day, i appreciate it is their home but it becomes a workplace when we are in it with alot of dangers they should just go out for the day instead of following you around with a brush and pan !

 

[woodytheplumber]

oo while that floors up let me vacume the whole voids oh yeah i will just take a hour in the van while you do just that

 

[SimonG]

Can handle a later start now and again, I just make them the 2nd job of the day.

 

[grahamgas]

Always start as early as possible.
Normally after nine if school runs need to be completed etc.
I have been known in the past to have new boiler on the wall, flue cored out and drill packed back in the van by 8 am.

As already said, I am as flexible as they come.

 

[Barry98]

start at 8 , anything after 5pm and its extras £

 

[secret squirrel]

I try to be flexible but if you start too late then you loose out on another job,

if you start at 8am then half a day is 12 start at 10.30 then its 2.30 your cutting your working hours.

Most people are flexible and understand, they leave a key or arrange for someone to be there.

If I have to start after 5.30 - 6pm then they get charged more. If the customer doesn't like it then they can go somewhere else. That may sound flippant in this climate but if you don't have your own hours you end up starting at 10am finish at 12.30 (or whatever) then your next job is at 6pm.

If plumbers want to work like that, then they have will have the edge over me! I agree that being self employed you need to be more flexible but doesn't mean your everyones dogs body.

'can't please everyone all of the time'

 

[AWheating]

i had a wierd one on thursday...... went to property to extend boiler flue for rendering work. Tenant asks how long does it take, i say around an hour. She says ok carry on. So i isolated the boiler and open it up, start to remove the flue. While outside on the steps she comes out and say's im just going to get the kids from school and off she goes. I then try to go back inside and shes locked the door . I had to wait 45mins until she came back.

she was not happy when i told her the flue had a problem and i disconnected the boiler......... she should not have locked me out LOL.

 

[Barry98]

employed people who work 9-5 , after 5 are generally on time and half same for saturdays and double for sundays. my way of looking at it is why should i be any different

 

[tamz]

I have been known in the past to have new boiler on the wall, flue cored out and drill packed back in the van by 8 am.

The neighbours just love that one :lol:
An hour in the morning is worth 2 in the afternoon.

 

[SimonG]

employed people who work 9-5 , after 5 are generally on time and half same for saturdays and double for sundays. my way of looking at it is why should i be any different

I would like to think I'm pretty flexible, but it does my head in when I get a call at 7.30 in the morning my boilers bust can you come and fix it. I'm going to work and won't be back home till 6.30 - 7.00. That's when I use the 'that's funny, I'll be at home at that time too'. If I had nowt on then yes I would do it, but while it's busy and I'm working from 8 til 5 or 6 anyway I don't need it.

 

[stevetheplumber]

The neighbours just love that one :lol:
An hour in the morning is worth 2 in the afternoon.

that is one of the truest sayings start late and your late all day whilst i can be flexible im no bodies dog i appreciate other people have to work but we have to stay home for appointments so should they the best one is
do you do free estimate when you say yes its usually well my boilers not working and my friend whose a plumber said its only needing a service and can you come tonight after seven but dont be late as i have another plumber coming at 7 15
yes mate no problem ill be there just hold yer breath

 

[James Bathrooms]

I start at 8am sharp and work til 6pm and tell the customer from day one, If i got there after 9 id be stuck in nasty traffic!

 

[Helpfulplumber]

I leave my house a 9.15 miss all the traffic, no queues at the plumber merchant rock up 9.45 get my work done and do evening appointments and Saturday's, the only day I don't work is Sunday because I am worshipping at the foot oof the Stella god.

 

[Guest123]

I start on the job at 8.30am and normally work until 5.00pm, but depends on the customer as well.

 

[freeman1986]

im on site for 7 every morning, and usually do 12 hour days. the joys of working on commercial instead of domestic lol

 

[gornsgorns]

Am i the only lazy bar steward that starts between half 8 and 9 o'clock? I did a bit a commercial work a few months back and the half 7 starts killed me, could never do that all the time. I'd much rather start later and finish later than have an alarm clock going off at 6 in the morning!

 

[Mike Jackson]

If I don't get started until 9 I'm so unproductive, I just can't get going. If I need to go to the merchants I get there as they open at 7.30 and I aim to be at the job by 8. I'm normally up around 5 anyway so that I get time to walk the dogs before work.

 

[grahamgas]

The neighbours just love that one :lol:
An hour in the morning is worth 2 in the afternoon.

Obviously it was not an in the town job.
It was way out in the sticks.

It does make me laugh though, when on some jobs you get the neighbours looking at you all indignantly, when you go back to the van, because you have had the cheek to dril two 6mm holes for fixing a pipe up, at ten in the morning.

 

[royston]

I prefer to leave at 9am missing all the school traffic. Like to get home for 5pm for tea and the chaser !......if possible.

 

[tamz]

Obviously it was not an in the town job.
It was way out in the sticks.

It does make me laugh though, when on some jobs you get the neighbours looking at you all indignantly, when you go back to the van, because you have had the cheek to dril two 6mm holes for fixing a pipe up, at ten in the morning.

It wouldn't bother me if it was in a block of flats, i'd still drill it :smile:

 

[Barry98]

I prefer to leave at 9am missing all the school traffic. Like to get home for 5pm for tea and the chaser !......if possible.

Part timer lol