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Smug and Richer.

View the thread, titled "Smug and Richer." which is posted in UK Plumbers Forums on UK Plumbers Forums.

SimonG

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Did a Warmflow warranty job last year, rep said it just needed a control box. So I travelled 25 mins at 4.30 on a Friday night to swap it. Four hours to dig the boiler out as it had not been set up right.

Anyway I did alright as there was other work that came from it. Centramag filter and a couple of outside taps. Also priced up for an extra zone in the basement that was going to be converted into a gym. Never heard back on that one though.

So Saturday afternoon I gets a message at about 4 from the same people. Thought not likely I'll phone Monday morning.

Phoned Monday morning (hoping they would have sorted it), but no it's still goosed and has been since Thursday. Right I said, I'll call up mid afternoon to have a look.

Gets there at about half two. Bloke working on the boiler. wtf, garage door open and he's working away. Just about to turn to the van for the invoice book for a wasted trip charge when the bloke comes out. Glad you are here can you have a look. Well what about the bloke working on it? Oh he's gone as far as he can go and with that he picks his tools up and foxtrot oscars.

Well whats the deal then. Well it broke down on Thursday and wouldn't start. We got this bloke out because we couldn't find your number. He said it needed a nozzle and couldn't get one till Monday. It's a 0.65 x 60 ES. HWOS is literally a 7 minute drive away. He's changed the nozzle and cleaned the centramag but cant get it to fire. They had been in touch with Warmflow and the boiler was still under warranty, yeah righty o.

At this point I was quite happy to leave a bill and do one, but his girlfriend is nipped.

Out with the tools and see what the score is.

Pressure gauge in, photo cell out, oh and look its as black as the ace of spades. Quick wipe. Oils there, pressures all over but it fires. Quick look round to the flue and it's like a second world war battleship making smoke.

So out with the burner to find that when he's changed the nozzle he didn't brace the fixing and it loosened the connection inside the burner to the nozzle assembly.

Strip the whole boiler down and clean it, all back together and spark her up. Oil pressure good, smoke good once it burned off the excess, CO2 spot on, job done. Re did ev as it was as heavy as a bag of spuds. The boilers purring like a kitten.




Invoice book out and I was heavy with the ink. Tells them that all it needed was a service and the other bloke needs his tools taking off him. Also noticed the extra zone had been done but no zone valve or means of control. Asked what the other guy had charged £110, for two visits, a nozzle and destroying the boiler. So I got heavier with the ink, told them that it didn't come under warranty and walked off very smug and with a pocket of cash. Oh including tip 🙂
 
Its nice to read a good outcome once in a while, you must have luck on your side sime if it was me I'd probably end up in a fight with the bloke already there. nicked and accused of his crap workmanship..
 
£150 which tbh I did feel just a weeny bit guilty (for about 1/2 second) but he gave me £160 and told me to get a drink.

So it's cost him nearly £300 for what should have been a simple service and nozzle.

I don't often get the chance to feel smug these days, but then it's been a bit like buses, twice in a matter of days. New customer wanted a new electric shower, then decided that they wanted a price off me to strip out the bath and install tray, enclosure and wall panels. They accepted the price and I was going through my material list when I realised I'd added in an extra full days labour in error. If it goes to plan I might split the difference with them.
 
Its nice to read a good outcome once in a while, you must have luck on your side sime if it was me I'd probably end up in a fight with the bloke already there. nicked and accused of his crap workmanship..

I did say to them that I really fancied just doing one and then once I realised what he had done/not done I brought them back to the boiler to give them the score before sorting it all.
 
I spend most of the time disliking customers, Then you get a nice reasonable one who appreciates what your actually doing for them and i melt back into thinking "there are nice people out there" untill the next door knock...
 
We could all do with one of these jobs once in a while ..hard to remember last one for me though...regards Turnpin:yesnod:
 

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