Getting disillusioned with this game

[Billy Bob Bob]

Trouble is after three years they will all probably be dead,so you are back to square one

mind you you may get some system drain downs,while the house is empty, off the estate 🙁

I get fed up of working for old people ,being called to leaks through ceiling and finding out its caused by incontinence

imho

ah the old age......headwork!!!!!

 

[wnjswozo]

in our game you never know whats round the corner,been self employed 15 yrs,it is hard at moment,but it will pick up,you,ve got to have rainy day/week/month fund.hard not doing work,you get fed up/tired more.

 

[Hottapplumbing]

I set up my business in 2007 for exactly the same reasons. Not to make the fortunes that were bantered around in the papers but because I was working as a plumber on big building sites and had had enough. I then thought that if I retrained as a then Corgi gas engineer I'd be me own boss and make an ok living with the reward of doing a good job and helping people.

Things haven't turned out that way at all.
Now in more debt than I ever have been.

I also had a customer complain at the price to change a syphon on a toilet. This was a Grohe syphon in a designer flat all marble bathroom!! the syphon was a special order. To cut a long story short I made £60 on the job and was there twice!! Once to remove, once to fit.
If you go on E bay there are guys offering £299 on the labour to fit a Vaillant boiler!!!😱

Clients don't seem to get that with reliability and care comes a price and not a mental price.

Hope it picks up for us all soon.
Till then just have to battle though

 

[Blake]

Yeah I love the Ebay ads, £299 labour and most will travel anywhere for the work. What about back up service though? long way to travel back for any issues and will eat into there £299.

Each to there own I guess.

 

[wards]

in our game you never know whats round the corner,been self employed 15 yrs,it is hard at moment,but it will pick up,you,ve got to have rainy day/week/month fund.hard not doing work,you get fed up/tired more.

quietest month i have known,and yes people do shop around to get the cheapest quote,this does not mean they will be happy with the end result,for instance the amount of people who phone and ask; how much to install a cooker?i say £70.00 if a straight forward install,they say;i have already been quoted £35😕do they expect me to pay them😕i know the trade is flooded with cowboys and this is impacting on the work situation,maybe we should contemplate on a trade only supply of gas/plumbing parts/spares to help combat this.whats the trades thoughts on this?😎

 

[Blake]

It's times like this I wish I had an ASBO, 8 kids and a drink habit. At least the rent would be paid and I'd be on benefits up to my eyeballs 🙂

 

[wards]

It's times like this I wish I had an ASBO, 8 kids and a drink habit. At least the rent would be paid and I'd be on benefits up to my eyeballs 🙂

make the most of the time you have,tie up any loose ends sort out the office and the van,stock take and replenish then sit in the garden and chill😎

 

[Blake]

Cant do much mate with a broken wrist 🙂

 

[Hottapplumbing]

make the most of the time you have,tie up any loose ends sort out the office and the van,stock take and replenish then sit in the garden and chill😎

That is the best advice. The sun is out and that is where I'm going.
All accounts are upto date, van is checked.
Might have a megaflow install for friday.😀

Catch you all later.

All the best
🙂

 

[WHPES]

Getting the veg patch dug out, potatoes planted, seeds sown and catching up with accounts. There's all thos small irritating little jobs I've been putting off I can catch up with such as tightening loose taps behind built-in Belfast sinks etc.

Just landed two complete boiler / heating systems but not unitl the customers turn off the heating for the summer so hope it gets warm quickly!

Cant do much mate with a broken wrist

You can use the other wrist !😀😛

 

[Blake]

Luckily I have two boiler swaps also waiting for me once the wrist is fixed. They are existing customers who a happy to wait thank god. 🙂

 

[rob jefkins]

I think another issue with all this is how we are perceived. In places like Germany, gas engineers are held with the same regard to doctors, i.e professional people who are trusted. In their country they can charge what they like for a professional job and no questions asked.
As we all pay into the gas safe subs every year it surely must be their duty to promote people like us and tell Joe Public that this is a highly regulated game to be in and that we, as engineers, are professionals. With this recognition in place we stand a chance. At the moment I know things are tight for all of us. But rather than sitting around being gloomy get up and be a bit pro-active !!!! Get out there and chuck some flyers around etc. I have and it's paying dividends.

Good luck guys

 

[fuzzy]

i have been disillusioned with this game since i started. ive never really liked it, its just a living

 

[rob jefkins]

Thats what I'm saying !!! It shouldn't have to be like that. We pay good money to keep up with regs, training, tickets etc so why shouldn't we pass this on and make a profit at the same time???? Hardly anyone knows how much training and knowledge we have to go round to someones house and give them heating and hot water !!!! I say we should all rise up and make our voices heard !!! We all pay into one organisation who should be doing for us. We don't have unions and all that to back us up!!! Therefore we should all make a stand and demand that we are promoted to everyone as the professionals that we are.
There. Said it.

 

[fuzzy]

Thats what I'm saying !!! It shouldn't have to be like that. We pay good money to keep up with regs, training, tickets etc so why shouldn't we pass this on and make a profit at the same time???? Hardly anyone knows how much training and knowledge we have to go round to someones house and give them heating and hot water !!!! I say we should all rise up and make our voices heard !!! We all pay into one organisation who should be doing for us. We don't have unions and all that to back us up!!! Therefore we should all make a stand and demand that we are promoted to everyone as the professionals that we are.
There. Said it.

who are we aiming our stand at????????

 

[wnjswozo]

gassafe need to do more,they need to have a dedicated website where we should be able to advertise

 

[kirkgas]

i have been disillusioned with this game since i started. ive never really liked it, its just a living

deary me fuzzy that a bit depressing, i honestly enjoy work and if i didnt i would do something else, we spend too long at work not to enjoy it, how long have you been in the game

 

[Puddle]

must admit I looove the trade,if I did'nt,do'nt think I could do it,the hours I used to do when bringing the family up,it would have been to depressing

I know some are forced to do jobs they do not like,would not think this is one of them,with such variety ,do'nt understand how you could not like it
maybe I am just lucky

imho

 

[fuzzy]

deary me fuzzy that a bit depressing, i honestly enjoy work and if i didnt i would do something else, we spend too long at work not to enjoy it, how long have you been in the game

20 years mate. its not that i like or dislike plumbing, its just a job, i would never say i looove it. I love other things that i do for enjoyment, i plumb for a living.
If you think its great and love it then fine, its good that your hobby is your job, what will happen when you retire?

 

[safc]

Agree with fuzzy on this one. I dread every sunday thinking i have a week of crap from boss/customers trating me like dirt, only do it for the money. If i could do another job for the same money i would jump at it,