Should / Would you charge for a repair not completed?

[chris watkins]

This seems to becoming more & more of an issue recently, with customers often paying £££££££'s for a repair that has not been repaired !!
I would not make a charge for work carried out by me that did not rectify the problem that I was called there to correct, why would you ?

We are all learning & I accept that it is not possible to get it right every time but why should the customer have to pay because I don't know ??

I can just about understand with something like a PCB which is both none returnable & difficult to be 100% sure that it is the problem but then would you not just charge the cost of the board not the labour if it did not do the trick.

What do you do or charge for ??

 

[jase158]

What other type of business would work like this i.e. pay but I have not fixed the problem ?

Solicitors charge for each hour they talk to you,
Accountants do your accounts but cant guarantee that you wont be investigated
Tesco, dont guarantee the food your eating is the right food
politicians dont guarantee there policy is in your benefit (yet we pay them millions)
Water companies dont guarantee they will provide you water 24/7 365 days a year
electrical companies (dont guarantee they will supply power 24/7 365 days a year)
broadband providers just replace your modem rather then fix it
Phone suppliers dont guarantee to fix your line should it go wrong (actually got told to switch off and back on by virgin and when it doesnt work they will send an engineer out in 2 weeks)
psychologists, marriage counselors and massagers, none of them can guarantee to fix problem.
consultants, only consult, dont fix anything.
My brother is a computer engineer and charges for telling somebody the problem over the phone

As plumbers we are expected to fix things immediately and know everything about ever appliance,

We should all own up if we havent got a clue but we should also be paid for our knowledge as well as our skills

 

[Mike Jackson]

I went to look at two jobs on Saturday, couldn't fix them so didn't charge. They were both boilers beyond economical repair. I'm pricing to swap them but I may not get the jobs but how can I charge to walk in and say it's had it?

 

[R1CKY]

No, I don't charge if I can't fix it. Its risky with boilers, especially those that seem to be showing PCB faults. Its not so bad if breakdowns are your only line of work as you're likely to find a use for a part you've incorrectly diagnosed, but if you're like me and only doing one or two breakdowns a month, your stuck with a part you're likely to never, ever use again!

I'm pretty good on boiler breakdowns, but you always get a job where you're not 100% sure what the problem is, it is at that point I give them the customer a choice to let me go ahead and fit the part or get the manufacturer in to repair it!

 

[michael c]

Im just starting to learn fault finding and repair so i charge a customer 1 hour labour plus parts if i fix as i do take longer to diagnose and fix the problem so not fair for me to charge the same hourly as someone more experienced. If im not 100% i will ask advice and inform the customer that i have done this so they know there is more than 1 opinion on the job.
I'm lucky to have diamond gas helping me at the min though, saved my bum yesterday after i fixed a pilot light and the gas valve failed when i tried to turn back on

 

[hammers4spanner]

Garages charge if they cant fix round my way , well garages that i know !!

Imho there is no money in repairs you turn up spend say hour diagnosing then order part (which will turn out that they ordered wrong one) . Then pick part up next day on occasions return to job and cust never wants to pay much anyways which in turn sucks the life out of installs i am doing .

stuff repairs unless i am doing them for H/A's then i can potter along and still get paid

 

[Rickster123]

Garages charge if they cant fix round my way , well garages that i know !!

Imho there is no money in repairs you turn up spend say hour diagnosing then order part (which will turn out that they ordered wrong one) . Then pick part up next day on occasions return to job and cust never wants to pay much anyways which in turn sucks the life out of installs i am doing .

stuff repairs unless i am doing them for H/A's then i can potter along and still get paid

A good friend of mine works for himself and only does service and breakdowns. He's fantastic at fault finding but that only comes with time. He worked for the council for around 15 years and was able to learn and take chances with parts. He makes a great living and his hands aren't cut to ribbons and his back is still in one piece! If I had my time again I'd like to work with a breakdown guy for half of my apprenticeship.
Try not to walk away from a boiler breakdown as they will often lead to a replacement and regular future servicing.

 

[Millsy 82]

I went to look at two jobs on Saturday, couldn't fix them so didn't charge. They were both boilers beyond economical repair. I'm pricing to swap them but I may not get the jobs but how can I charge to walk in and say it's had it?

Youve gone in there though and have to travel there and then look at the boiler so therefore you should charge them then say if I do the install I will knock it off the price something like that. You have taken the trouble to do it saved them some money and lost yourself some. Makes no sense to me.

 

[Millsy 82]

I went out to a boiler tested it no power getting to fan trace it back found pcb at fault. Swap pcb now got power getting to fan but fan shot. Are you telling me I shouldnt charge for a PCB as that didnt fix the fault but was still faulty.

Every now and then (Not that often though thank god) 1 Part will go and kill another on the way but you have to replace the first to get to the point to test the other.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Youve gone in there though and have to travel there and then look at the boiler so therefore you should charge them then say if I do the install I will knock it off the price something like that. You have taken the trouble to do it saved them some money and lost yourself some. Makes no sense to me.

It's called customer service. If I come in at a slightly higher price on the swaps they may still go for me because they now know that I'm a reasonable person. In reality I've not spent much more time than I would have going round to have a look to price up the boiler swaps anyway.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I agree with millsy you go there at your cost so charge them for it , cant see it making any difference regarding cust service if you have already been there all that happens is that cust will take advantage of your generous nature .Contract works money in bank home by four with ma slippers on

 

[Nostrum]

I went out to a boiler tested it no power getting to fan trace it back found pcb at fault. Swap pcb now got power getting to fan but fan shot. Are you telling me I shouldnt charge for a PCB as that didnt fix the fault but was still faulty.

Every now and then (Not that often though thank god) 1 Part will go and kill another on the way but you have to replace the first to get to the point to test the other.

Thats different, anyway you just forgot to check the fuse on the PCB ... 🙂

 

[chris watkins]

I went out to a boiler tested it no power getting to fan trace it back found pcb at fault. Swap pcb now got power getting to fan but fan shot. Are you telling me I shouldnt charge for a PCB as that didnt fix the fault but was still faulty.

Did you then supply & install a new fan & get the boiler running again ???? If so you charged them for the repair & the cost of the PCB & Fan all good ! Whats the problem ??
It's the people that fit the PCB boiler still not working but then say don't know but I want some money that get me. :frown2:

 

[woodsy]

I went to look at two jobs on Saturday, couldn't fix them so didn't charge. They were both boilers beyond economical repair. I'm pricing to swap them but I may not get the jobs but how can I charge to walk in and say it's had it?

I have to agree that i find the above slightly bizarre as in my neck of the woods you would lose alot of money. Your knowledge and time is a very valuable commodity and to give it away for what ifs is not good practice. I'm all for being fair and giving a good customer service but why not make a charge for the diagnosis with the offer to refund if the work is taken up. loads of people always willing to take up something for nothing.

 

[Mike Jackson]

So I walk in, say your boilers knackered that'll be £50 please do I? I was in the first place for 5 minutes. Second one was an existing customer so I'm more confident in getting the swap. Apart from that a lot of people operate a no fix no fee service so how is this any different?

 

[hammers4spanner]

So I walk in, say your boilers knackered that'll be £50 please do I? I was in the first place for 5 minutes. Second one was an existing customer so I'm more confident in getting the swap. Apart from that a lot of people operate a no fix no fee service so how is this any different?

I would they have paid for your advice on updating a boiler , like you say you can knock it off if you get upgrade if not still earned money.Like i said imo not much money in repairs these days to many have a go heroes round these parts .

 

[chris watkins]

I have to agree that i find the above slightly bizarre as in my neck of the woods you would lose alot of money. Your knowledge and time is a very valuable commodity and to give it away for what ifs is not good practice. I'm all for being fair and giving a good customer service but why not make a charge for the diagnosis with the offer to refund if the work is taken up. loads of people always willing to take up something for nothing.

Who is saying anything about giving it away, if you want my knowledge, skills & experience to diagnose your problems then you will have to pay!, on that you are absolutely correct (unless I am on here & choose to give it away) although walking in & telling them there boiler needs replacing, I think is often used as an excuse for "I don't really know what is wrong" but hay, its getting on a bit, do you know these boilers don't last now days & I really could do with a boiler swop for next week cos it will pay better than this.
This I can deal with to a greater extent, its the pile of parts & still the thing is not working & "oh you are the 2,3,4,5, plumber though has had a look" that gets me & they have paid-up. Amazing !!!!!

 

[hammers4spanner]

I'm moving where you are chris if you get paid for chucking parts at boilers , be lucky to get paid at all in devon!!

 

[cr0ft]

For me, if I misdiagnose a faulty part then that's my problem. If I'm not 100% sure after testing everything I will tell the customer it's one of a few options and start with the cheapest part and work up. It's very rare I'm not sure what part is wrong though.

I've actually stopped doing repairs of taps etc because of this problem. If I am unable to repair a tap (perhaps because it's seized up completely or something) from a business perspective I should charge for this as I have attempted to. I don't feel comfortable doing it though. I also don't feel comfortable working for nothing so I don't do tap repairs, instead I tell the customer I can fit a new one within my minimum labour charge of 1 hour and steer them down that road. If a customer is too tight/poor to replace a tap then sadly they aren't a particularly good business prospect.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Who is saying anything about giving it away, if you want my knowledge, skills & experience to diagnose your problems then you will have to pay!, on that you are absolutely correct (unless I am on here & choose to give it away) although walking in & telling them there boiler needs replacing, I think is often used as an excuse for "I don't really know what is wrong" but hay, its getting on a bit, do you know these boilers don't last now days & I really could do with a boiler swop for next week cos it will pay better than this.
This I can deal with to a greater extent, its the pile of parts & still the thing is not working & "oh you are the 2,3,4,5, plumber though has had a look" that gets me & they have paid-up. Amazing !!!!!

Why does it get you ???? I don't understand your point ! You are providing quality services to your customers according toy your statement , and why you getting bad vibe cos others don't ?

 

[chris watkins]

Why does it get you ???? I don't understand your point ! You are providing quality services to your customers according toy your statement , and why you getting bad vibe cos others don't ?

Now its my turn not to get it ? I think we may have our wires crossed Safe, cos I am sure you would not condone people throwing parts at a boiler break down which do not fix the problem then taking money before leaving !! That has been my point all through the thread.