Sanitop macerator blocked. Do I attempt the job? Possible nightmare customer.

[armyash]

Hi guys, Had a phone call today from a customer who said his macerator is blocked, I popped round there about an hour ago. First thing he asked me on the phone was do I charge a call out rate, I said no - will lose the job straight away probably. Anyway I get there and he flushes the toilet and it starts backing up immediately. So a blockage is obvious, I said I wont start messing with it tonight as it was already gone 6 (and I'm not 100% sure how long it was going to take). I said £35 p/h. That is more than reasonable seeing as it's going to be evening time, he said that is too much, he said the most he will pay is £50 in total "but it has to be working". I said I will happily come back tomorrow night but I can't guarantee how long it will take, the blockage might not be in the macerator itself it could be further along. He started telling me how it should only take an hour (so he is hoping to have it done for £35 obviously). When I was going out on weekends to get experience we had a similar job, turns out it needed new waste pipe re-routed as no amount of unblocking and trying to flush through would clear it. We ended up back there for half a day doing it and I also seem to remember that the guy I was going out with told me he ended up changing the macerator a few months later anyway!. I'm probably not going to go back, I am trying to build up my own customer base and I'm not exactly rolling in it but this could turn in to a nightmare of a job and I know he will not pay more than £50. I might get lucky and it could be the macerator just needs clearing and it works straight away but if not and it needs more work I doubt I will get a penny due to the "it must be working" comment. How do I go about this? I would like to do the job but where do I draw the line?

 

[armyash]

Sanitop Macerator 550W | Macerators | NoLinkingToThis Looked like this.

 

[jase158]

Walk away!! I charge 2 hours minimum for this job! 1 hour taking apart and putting back together, 1 hour cleaning up after!!

 

[Dotty]

Tell him to do one. If a custard starts dictating how much you're going to earn you know they're going to be a bad payer.

Go with your gut.

 

[zeebeedee]

Ask him if he fancies digging around in months of your **** for £50. Your the one doing the job your the one who decides how much and how long simples

 

[kris]

Hi Army,
As soon as he said its too much , i wouldve said see ya, You havent charged a call out and folks like that are the bone in our arses,
You cant put a price on a fix like that as you rightly said you dont know how long it will take and your probably better off away from grippit people like that

 

[armyash]

Walk away!! I charge 2 hours minimum for this job! 1 hour taking apart and putting back together, 1 hour cleaning up after!!

I told him I would be allowing 2 hours for the same reasons you suggested so I said looking at approximately £70 which is where his £50 max came from.

 

[armyash]

Ask him if he fancies digging around in months of your **** for £50. Your the one doing the job your the one who decides how much and how long simples

lol said the same thing to my girlfriend, told her i'll take the lid off and offer him £35 to mess with it.

 

[Dotty]

The good news is that you're starting to spot the wrong'uns!

 

[townfanjon]

Walk !!!

 

[rpm]

Wouldn`t bother mate for that sort of money if you don`t know what your doing. I`ve been helping another member for a little while now and he`s averaging between 2 - 4hrs. Really doubt he will get anyone at that money.

 

[Millsy 82]

I wouldn't go near one but for £50 he can go f himself!

If somebody dictates a price to me I send them to dyno rod etc.

Walk away, don't waste your time.

 

[rpm]

Just seen the "It must be working bit". The odds are 90% to 10% AGAINST!

 

[SimonG]

If a cust tells me how much it will be then my response isnt fit even for the arms.

Sometimes you cant even slap the daft out of some people.

 

[armyash]

I will send him a message in the morning to say that I will come and have a look and clear the macerator for £50 but if the blockage is further or that doesn't solve it then more will need to be done at extra cost. If he agrees to that then ok but if he says no then it's his loss.

 

[rpm]

You like long odds against don`t yer! Wish you luck and hope its only wet wipes then.

 

[armyash]

You like long odds against don`t yer! Wish you luck and hope its only wet wipes then.

I wouldn't be surprised if he says thanks but no thanks but the experience I will get from jobs like this can pay off in the future.

 

[Destroyer2813]

I will send him a message in the morning to say that I will come and have a look and clear the macerator for £50 but if the blockage is further or that doesn't solve it then more will need to be done at extra cost. If he agrees to that then ok but if he says no then it's his loss.

Won't bother mate just file him in your phone under bell -end

 

[rpm]

Just make certain the thing is turned off first and for gods sake don`t cut yourself on those sharp blades if you haven`t had your jabs.

 

[lambchop]

I wouldn't be surprised if he says thanks but no thanks but the experience I will get from jobs like this can pay off in the future.

respect to to you ash, you seem willing to take it on. Tbh is it the sort of "experience" you want, over 12 years I have turned down 3 jobs involving a macerator, one of which was a new install. It took time but I'm still earning without being a skilled macerator cleaner outer.

i will pay £5 for the DVD of this custard solving his macerator problem within 60 minutes, hopefully the rest of the lads will do the same and the custard will be rolling in it