Grabbed By The Balls

[Killy Bing]

Ive picked up work where the previous companies work was crap, where they became to expensive, where they were dishonest and also where they died! It hasn't got to be about the previous contractor throwing in the towel.

true! I should have expanded on that part to be fair 🙂

 

[Andyswad]

Too many eggs in one basket etc..

I can understand you walking away, I personally don't want too big jobs or contracts, Small jobs, quick payment or invoices.
I do work for a letting agent and do all their work but do get paid every month but when the invoice reaches £1000 I get nervous, that's my mortgage I cannot afford to loose that much.
£200 for PCB's is my biggest outlay any more than that and I get customer to buy or pay upfront, I do not hold merchant credit accounts just cash accounts. No bills at end of month to worry about then, buying boilers and waiting for payment is not for me

 

[woodsy]

As much as I like to agree with a fellow tradesman, I can see the issue from the Landlords point of view as well.

If I had a large portfolio of properties, I would know that I have a good thing to offer someone who is capable of doing the work. I would also want to be certain that I was getting this large amount of potential work done at the best price possible. Owning property is a business not a hobby and you do it to make money. I don’t suppose you shop at more expensive wholesalers unless you have a good history and relationship with them.

I would want to know that the stranger I am asking to do my work is not going to take the pish out of me, and if that meant that I wanted to buy the materials and only be charged for labour then so be it. I’m sure that after a few jobs you could have built up a good working relationship with potentially a large amount of work, and if it didn’t work out, you would not have lost anything either – other than maybe a few days where you may have earnt a bit more elsewhere.

Being a self employed gas engineer is also a business and paying a gas engineer / business the equivalent of £ 15 per hour is taking the p@@s. It's a two way street in my opinion, the landlord gives plenty of work for which if he pays a fair rate and gets in return an engineer who jumps through hoops and is reliable allowing BOTH to make money. The old adage, of you pay peanuts you get monkeys spring to mind.

 

[village idiot]

I have been to TOO MANY landlord jobs where things went wrong. Can you guess why? Because they wanted to get it done at the cheapest price??? As has been said, and as I keep reminding them: Pay cheap, pay twice.

I am 100% convinced I made the right decision.

Some would argue that this thread should not be in the open forum as landlords will see it? I'd say it is better in the Open Forum so they can access how we feel about the work we do for them and how we would like to be appreciated and compensated for the work we do.

I am all for tradesmen/women doing work ''on the cheap'' if they so desire. But one thing you need to realise is this: If after doing the job, there was a leak, etc, the customer will not consider that you were paid peanuts. He would be on your case asking that you rectify the situation. In this regard, I will always charge a ''Fair'' daily or hourly rate, and as a result, do a decent job and not rush things or be grumpy as I would be thinking I could be on another job, earning a better wage.

 

[Ermintrude]

Had one today paid £10,030 invoice was £10,035. So shall invoice for the £5 tomorrow.
Another Asked for a price to do a bbu to flombay, told them on spot she hummed and made noises , so how much to fit then. Sorry supply and fit or do one. Started parping on, got in van and shouted bye!

 

[emergencyman]

I've had landlords saying I have 100s of properties can you do me a deal?

Of course I will, I reply, Its only fair that someone putting a lot of work my way gets looked after.

(Landlord smiles nodding his head).

This is how it woks, I say, I charge you the first ten jobs/hours at my usual rate, then you get the 11th free.

(Landlord looks confused)

Like at Subway,I reply

 

[village idiot]

Had one today paid £10,030 invoice was £10,035. So shall invoice for the £5 tomorrow.
Another Asked for a price to do a bbu to flombay, told them on spot she hummed and made noises , so how much to fit then. Sorry supply and fit or do one. Started parping on, got in van and shouted bye!

When he gets balance of bill and pays up, drive round there at your convenience and hand him over a £4.99 bottle of wine from Asda, saying: 'this is just a courtesy call as I was in the area and just stopped by to see if everything is ok?'
Now, that will leave him very confused!!!!

 

[emergencyman]

By the way Village idiot, I think you did the right thing.
I very rarely work for landlords, simple reason is this.

Custard: Its his home and first and foremost is to get the job sorted to high standard, cost is an issue but not too important.

Landlord : It`s just a game. Object of the game is to collect as much as possible and spend as little as possible, even if that means treading on a few toes along the way. By working for a landlord you become part of his game.

 

[oz-plumber]

Landlord : It`s just a game. Object of the game is to collect as much as possible and spend as little as possible, even if that means treading on a few toes along the way. By working for a landlord you become part of his game.

Is this not the game we all play?
We try and charge customers as much as we can - spend as little as we can on materials.
The world wouldn't rotate financially if this 'game' was not played.

Oh - by the way - this game is not a new thing -!!!

 

[village idiot]

Landlord : It`s just a game. Object of the game is to collect as much as possible and spend as little as possible, even if that means treading on a few toes along the way. By working for a landlord you become part of his game.

Is this not the game we all play?
We try and charge customers as much as we can - spend as little as we can on materials.
The world wouldn't rotate financially if this 'game' was not played.

Oh - by the way - this game is not a new thing -!!!

If that be the case, why is Ray giving away things for free?

 

[Ray Stafford]

If that be the case, why is Ray giving away things for free?

Option a) Because I am a generous soul, who believes in charity and goodwill to all men OR

Option b) Because it is in my commercial interests to persuade product manufacturers that it is in their commercial interests to give me product, which I then distribute for free in order to generate reviews for the manufacturer, and drive traffic to my website. Incidentally, this is also in the commercial interests of those who get the freebie (obviously) AND those who read the reviews, thereby gaining free information from a source which they trust. A rare case of win-win-win.

Its one of the above. Damned if I can work out which. 🙂

 

[Heith]

Well after waiting 11 weeks for £250 which was only paid today after a threat of a small claims court, I can personally guarantee I won't touch another letting/estate agent with a large pointy :nono: stick again

 

[Ray Stafford]

Well after waiting 11 weeks for £250 which was only paid today after a threat of a small claims court, I can personally guarantee I won't touch another letting/estate agent with a large pointy :nono: stick again

Virtually every bad debt we have ever suffered has been from a plumber.

By that logic, we would stop dealing with plumbers!

If your bad debtor had been (for example) an accountant, would you stop dealing with all accountants? 🙂

 

[Heith]

Virtually every bad debt we have ever suffered has been from a plumber.

By that logic, we would stop dealing with plumbers!

If your bad debtor had been (for example) an accountant, would you stop dealing with all accountants? 🙂

No but I'd make sure I was paid in cash before touching the job! - please don't try and defend the undefendsable!

 

[SimonG]

Option a) Because I am a generous soul, who believes in charity and goodwill to all men OR

Option b) Because it is in my commercial interests to persuade product manufacturers that it is in their commercial interests to give me product, which I then distribute for free in order to generate reviews for the manufacturer, and drive traffic to my website. Incidentally, this is also in the commercial interests of those who get the freebie (obviously) AND those who read the reviews, thereby gaining free information from a source which they trust. A rare case of win-win-win.

Its one of the above. Damned if I can work out which. 🙂

Well I can work out which one.

Grrrrrr.

I find it amazing in my neck of the woods that i can order a white hopper, down pipe and fittings one day and get it delivered less than 24 hrs later from a company, Williams, at the other end of the country when all the merchants around here are quoting me 3 to 4 working days delivery.

VI, have you ordered anything from Williams?

Hats off to Williams again. Cheers Ray.

 

[oz-plumber]

Well after waiting 11 weeks for £250 which was only paid today after a threat of a small claims court, I can personally guarantee I won't touch another letting/estate agent with a large pointy :nono: stick again

Narrow minded attitude in my books.

 

[oz-plumber]

If that be the case, why is Ray giving away things for free?

Does that really need explaining?

It's not because he is a nice guy and thinks that Plumbers need a break every now and then.

 

[village idiot]

Well I can work out which one.

Grrrrrr.

I find it amazing in my neck of the woods that i can order a white hopper, down pipe and fittings one day and get it delivered less than 24 hrs later from a company, Williams, at the other end of the country when all the merchants around here are quoting me 3 to 4 working days delivery.

VI, have you ordered anything from Williams?

Hats off to Williams again. Cheers Ray.

No Simon, I have not ordered anything from Williams but have bought above counter. Would have ordered when the £20 voucher was on but shower panel I needed was not one they stock. As it happens, it was only delivered yesterday???? 10 days after it was ordered? I was told two working days. Madness.

I am going to my local branch on Monday to buy some chrome pipes and fittings. As for the freebies on here, I genuinely wish all those who win my regards, but as for myself, I hold no hope of getting one. Please, no need for anyone to start calling me names. I know I will not be ''fast'' enough to get through, so have no intention of trying.

Ray, I prefer to collect most of my stuff from branch. My worry is, when I need summat delivered at a work address, it might be declined as your website says first order must be to home (registered) address. May be I should order something to be delivered at home just to be on the safe side.

 

[village idiot]

No have not heard from him yet, so I'm hoping he has decided to let go if my 'balls' -🙂.
i did advice him to get quotes from other plumbers as it's highly unlikely I will be doing the jobs. But, at the back of my mind,

I can just envisage him sending me an email on Monday or Tuesday saying: 'All materials you requested have been delivered to address, so can you please arrange a date for replacing boiler with tenant?' Now, that will really pizz me off. But as said, my mind is made up. I'm not going to do any job for him regardless.

Very strange things happen. I have just received an email informing me that everything is at address and tenant is expecting a call from me to say what day I can replace the boiler?
Strange, very strange. All this while, and he still is grabbing at my balls? Amazing

 

[armyash]

What are you going to do?

I would go and do that job, see if all materials you need have been sorted correctly then see what he's like paying and take it from there.

 

[Ray Stafford]

No but I'd make sure I was paid in cash before touching the job! - please don't try and defend the undefendsable!

I'm not trying to defend the indefensible.

If Mr Smith pays badly, it makes Mr Smith a bad payer. It doesn't make everyone in his road a bad payer, it doesn't make everyone called "smith" a bad payer, and it doesn't make anyone who shares his occupation a bad payer.

The only way to be sure you never get a bad debt is to never give credit. Thats a business decision that will work for some people and not for others. If there was only one "perfect" business model for all plumbers, there would only be one plumbing company, and we would all work for them. 🙂

 

[Ray Stafford]

Ray, I prefer to collect most of my stuff from branch. My worry is, when I need summat delivered at a work address, it might be declined as your website says first order must be to home (registered) address. May be I should order something to be delivered at home just to be on the safe side.

Hi VI.
Don't worry about that - the "first order must go to home address" is just a security measure to make sure that the user isn't taking a stolen credit card for a walk.

It may trigger a security call, but if you mention that you are known in the branch, and Alan or Abby vouch for you, we will work round it.

 

[aligorgon]

i am a landlord and a plumber

can i have a credit account please ray ???

😛

 

[Ray Stafford]

i am a landlord and a plumber

can i have a credit account please ray ???

😛

Fill in the form dear boy, and we will judge you on your merits! 🙂

 

[aligorgon]

I am just taking a look now Ray 🙂

 

[oz-plumber]

Very strange things happen. I have just received an email informing me that everything is at address and tenant is expecting a call from me to say what day I can replace the boiler?
Strange, very strange. All this while, and he still is grabbing at my balls? Amazing

Now is your chance......grab him by the balls.
Just like chess...dangle the carrot...just have some 2 or 3 moves up your sleeve.

Pretend you are going to do him a favour...and crucify him.
How you do or manage this is up to you..
The ball is in your court now!!!

 

[leelister6]

Do the job and keep all the paperwork till he pays up. No money, no papers, no warranty. You've only lost time if he doesn't pay then you'll know if your instincts were right. With customers I don't know, I always work like this (on larger jobs) Let them supply the gear and charge a day rate that you both can agree on then get paid before you do the next job or no more workee mistah landlawdee!

 

[Ermintrude]

Do job commission then remove gas valve and wait till your paid.