I don't have any responsibility........

[secret squirrel]

I am going to put up this post and not check the replies because I expect a few huffs and puffs and REALLY! (ok, I will jump on and check your views)

So, this post is in general terms and can be applied to many walks of life and every day situations.

I've been flicking (hope this is the correct term) through a few posts and there is a general theme from a few disgruntled customers about being over charged for labour and parts. We all go tut tut! shouldn't be allowed etc etc. We never have all the information regarding the problem and 100% of the time we never hear from the plumber.

If your car needs a set of brake pads you can call your garage and say how much for a set of brake pads. They''ll say £***. If you ask "i've got an electrical problem sometimes the lights go off then back on"

This is a different kettle of fish: the answer will be our hourly rate is £XX plus vat plus parts. The problem could be anywhere. We'll start off with the cheap fixes but it may go further"

The choice is now yours as the customer.

You can phone around and check with other garages etc but once you settle for the garage you now have to suffer the cost that is until you pull the plug.

Why is this industry any different?

Surely, the customer has some responibilty to check prices, how long the engineer/plumber expects to be there? cost of parts, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating ripping customers off because you can or overcharging but I do get a little annoyed when I read posts from customers that "bleet" about pricing.

If your not happy about an engineers rate phone around and check. If your not happy about your quote for a new boiler then don't have it, again, phone around.

Here's an example that happened this week:

A customer called me after phoning somone else, the problem was a leaking washing machine valve. She could see it leaking, my price all in £45, the other plumber £115!

Having said that, it was classed as an emergency(!) short notice I want it sorted out now (we've all had them)

Point being 2 phone calls = sensible price, if she took the £115, surely, she can't jump onto a forum and complain..........

 

[WHPES]

Trouble is some guys strip something down, clean it up and replace all seals etc whereas some just tighten it up a bit to stop leaking, but sometimes the customer just looks at the price.

 

[easyt]

The difference is that in some garages the chap knows his trade and is likely to think the problem through rather that repeatedly replacing components.

I had a chap from a local heating firm come out to sort my oil boiler. My analysis was it needed a new coil set. After he had spent half an hour fiddling I said that the coil normally goes after about 5 years, It is due to go so you may as well replace it for starters. He faffed about for 2 hours trying to adjust settings and then said 'I think it needs a new coil set, I haven't got one, I left it in the other van but will call back tomorrow.' I paid his firm for his 2 hours faffing and the coil but not for the return visit and adjustment.

 

[steosman]

Good point secret squirrel, but you know how it is customers hate paying for unforeseen problems. You just can't please some customers. I had a call out a few weeks back with a Vokera boiler that had frozen and she needed a new towel warmer. The brackets for the old towel warmer were off centre from day one and she wanted to reuse them, She did not want new holes in tiles. I installed new towel warmer and had to wait on part for boiler, new heat exchanger flexi hose but i did a temporary fix to keep heat on. I called back to fit flexi hose and she said she was not happy with towel warmer as brackets were off and they were not like that with old towel warmer, I never moved the brackets so it must have been a gremlin in the night. The bit that got to me was, she said she'd prefer to get someone that new what they were doing. I kept my cool and said to her if you want it done right i'll drill tiles but, oh no she wouldn't let me do that. I still kept my cool and told her i'd fix boiler and just charge her for that. To cut a long story short she wanted to pay me for 15 minutes to fit flexi hose. I told her i had to collect it but she was having none of it, so i told her i'd accept half an hour and thats my final offer, i just wanted to get something for my time. No it was getting paid for 15 minutes or nothing so i put boiler back to the way i found it, took all my parts back and walked out. She couldn't believe i was walking out, i can guarantee it cost her four times what i was charging her to get it fixed. Customers don't realize how much time we put into some jobs and don't even get paid. We have to feed the kids and pay the mortgage. Sorry for the big rant but i was really angry after putting six hours into a job and trying to be diplomatic and in the end getting nothing for it. But there's always the few beers at the weekend to ease the pain.

 

[secret squirrel]

Trouble is some guys strip something down, clean it up and replace all seals etc whereas some just tighten it up a bit to stop leaking, but sometimes the customer just looks at the price.

Totally agree

 

[secret squirrel]

The difference is that in some garages the chap knows his trade and is likely to think the problem through rather that repeatedly replacing components.

I had a chap from a local heating firm come out to sort my oil boiler. My analysis was it needed a new coil set. After he had spent half an hour fiddling I said that the coil normally goes after about 5 years, It is due to go so you may as well replace it for starters. He faffed about for 2 hours trying to adjust settings and then said 'I think it needs a new coil set, I haven't got one, I left it in the other van but will call back tomorrow.' I paid his firm for his 2 hours faffing and the coil but not for the return visit and adjustment.

This is my point entirely, you called in a company and were not 100% happy. You dealt with the problem immediately with the company. You didn't continue to pay and then complain to anyone who'd listen.

Thanks for the response

 

[gaspastemania]

I know sometimes plumbers put in a stupid quote as they dont want the job or work for one of those firms like react fast who take a third of the money .
Either way the public are on the squeeze with prices wether job done correct or not .

 

[secret squirrel]

Good point secret squirrel, but you know how it is customers hate paying for unforeseen problems. You just can't please some customers. I had a call out a few weeks back with a Vokera boiler that had frozen and she needed a new towel warmer. The brackets for the old towel warmer were off centre from day one and she wanted to reuse them, She did not want new holes in tiles. I installed new towel warmer and had to wait on part for boiler, new heat exchanger flexi hose but i did a temporary fix to keep heat on. I called back to fit flexi hose and she said she was not happy with towel warmer as brackets were off and they were not like that with old towel warmer, I never moved the brackets so it must have been a gremlin in the night. The bit that got to me was, she said she'd prefer to get someone that new what they were doing. I kept my cool and said to her if you want it done right i'll drill tiles but, oh no she wouldn't let me do that. I still kept my cool and told her i'd fix boiler and just charge her for that. To cut a long story short she wanted to pay me for 15 minutes to fit flexi hose. I told her i had to collect it but she was having none of it, so i told her i'd accept half an hour and thats my final offer, i just wanted to get something for my time. No it was getting paid for 15 minutes or nothing so i put boiler back to the way i found it, took all my parts back and walked out. She couldn't believe i was walking out, i can guarantee it cost her four times what i was charging her to get it fixed. Customers don't realize how much time we put into some jobs and don't even get paid. We have to feed the kids and pay the mortgage. Sorry for the big rant but i was really angry after putting six hours into a job and trying to be diplomatic and in the end getting nothing for it. But there's always the few beers at the weekend to ease the pain.

Again, agree with what you have said. Some customers you'll never please.

There are probably more dodgy customers than there are dodgy plumbers......... give it a week or so and I may feel another thread coming on....

 

[obseen16]

i had a fuel leak on my van last month, i asked a few people if they knew a good mechanic, the same guy was mentioned by a couple of folk, took the van to him, he said ill order the part in tomorrow, i popped it back in the morning he fixed the new bits on the fuel line, he called me up and told me it was all fixed, grand total £40. him paid, me well chuffed, asked him to book me in again to change the timing belt.

word of mouth is the way to go,

hmmm have i gone off subject???

 

[easyt]

Again, agree with what you have said. Some customers you'll never please.

There are probably more dodgy customers than there are dodgy plumbers......... give it a week or so and I may feel another thread coming on....

I don't think that this is true but ............. most customers meet half a dozen plumbers in an adult life time. Plumbers meet (hopefully) hundreds of customers in a year. I suspect the percentage of good and bad is the same.

I have tipped trades on a number of occasions for various reasons. Usually because they have underestimated the work or have gone the extra mile or I felt they were underpricing and were still trying to give good service. On one occasion some 10 years ago I picked the lowest quote to do a boiler replacement, flush radiators and fit thermostatic valves. I picked him not because he was the cheapest but because I felt he was not full of false promises, was happy to detail the work and seemed a good guy. There was more work in it than he realised (coring a 150mm hole through a reinforced concrete slab too a while for one). After the first day I renegotiated the price upwards. I initiated it as I did not want him to feel the need to cut corners and wanted to be sure he could give me a good job and earn a fair return. Hell if a guy is good you want him back if needed in the future.

 

[CES]

Wish I had more customers like you EasyT.

 

[steosman]

spot on