who to trust??

[gaspastemania]

Rrecent events for me just proves you cant trust anyone in this trade even from so called friends.
Have had a couple plumbers working for me of late as have been very busy and thought i wont turn any work down so be good idea to make bit extra from a couple subbies .
1st subbie whom i have worked with before and is a good plumber turned out to be a nightmare , not turning up , constant phone calls to me ,leaving early and the customers complaints of bad attitude ,,,,,cheers!!!!

2nd subbie ,(also so called friend)
Had a phone call from him saying he has no work so said i can keep him ongoing with work , firstly he wanted £150 a day and wanted to know my prices and about builders etc. I said no £100 a day but no stress just give me decent job and try to get no leaks.The minute i let him loose he is asking the builders i had him working for about my prices and how he can beat them and he shouyld price this work.
Promptly the builder phones me up and drops my plumber (so called mate) in it, after speaking to this plumber he denies all knowledge and says all bull,i then i tell my plumber he's gone wont use him again and he then goes phones builder up gobbing off calling him all the names under the sun.On top of that the work i asked this plumber to do he has manged to mess it up as have a call back on his work .

after this episode it makes you wonder if it is ever actually worth expanding because my experience is that its just nothing but hassle.

 

[quality]

I know where your coming from good lads cost good brass that's what I have found out in the past

 

[mikimac]

That's why guys like this will always be going round in circles looking for work. :cuss:

 

[SimonG]

That's why it's just me. I know I'll never make millions 🙂 on my own, but I only have to sort things for myself and don't have to worry about somebody else screwing up my reputation.

 

[Barry98]

had same thing in the summer , i think i even put on here that one of them had , had no work for 3 week and thats the thanks i get when he tried to shfat me.

 

[so-solar]

Mates and business are a bad bad combination, I always use subbies that other lads i know use, i never get friendly with them, I try to be as fair as possible. I have also found that if they are willing to work for peanuts they are usually monkeys. I retain 10% of there invoice total for any remedial work needed but once i have been paid for the completed job and the customer is happy i will pay the subby the retention straight away. As for talking to customers and builders regarding price etc, this is something that is impossible to combat.

 

[kirkgas]

be like me, trust nobody except your mammie, everyone else wants a bit of you its that simple

 

[SimonG]

Well I don't even trust my mother!

 

[fuzzy]

i had a tutor when i was at college who also run his own business. he paid them £450 a week whether they worked or not, this is 2o years ago, we thought that was a fortune, he said they are good workers and i look after them, in turn they do a great job and i get the work

if i ever employ people i will use the same philosophy

 

[gaspastemania]

Tried paying higher wages and that wasn't a success either found higher wages breeds greed. Learn from your mistakes as they say now just gonna stick to my own thing less hassle.

 

[Resolute]

Pity your so far from me GPM I'd work for £100 a day, no probs, no stress, no hassle!

Would it be worth taking on a plumbers mate who could ease the pressure, help speed things up but you'd still be able to keep an eye on?

 

[Puddle]

Well I don't even trust my mother!

Hey, come on now, that shop lifting and assault and battery charge was 7 years ago now, time to forgive, move on and built bridges !!


I have also had it the other way ,were a long term regular good customer was always saying to me, I should expand and get people working for me,when I did,I sent a lad to replace her shower tray and before he unpacked his tools ,she was trying to get him to work for her direct for a cheaper price !!

 

[mfgs]

When I used to work for people, I often had customers asking if I would do it for cheaper one evening or weekend. I always told them no, you dont bite the hand that feeds you.

Now I work on my own I would be fuming if I had someone working for me and they were trying to undercut me.

 

[GQuigley67]

wouldnt an apprentice be the best option then, at least you can teach him your way of working and you will be supervising him for 4 years or so before letting him loose on his own.

 

[stevetheplumber]

unfortunately thats the way the building trade works weve all gained work from contacts made whilst working for other people if they can undercut your price and still get more than your paying them it probably means your profit margin is to wide

 

[gaspastemania]

thats the best of it i'm quite competative with my pricing and he would only have earned another 100 more but now ended up with nothing lol.
serves them right !!!