Client says I'm too pricey...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- A boring rant about a querying client.
Contains naughty words and little of actual interest.
Link to that blog post: www.dses.co.uk...
Sorry again for the audio problems. I splashed out on some decent wireless microphones which, as it turns out, each hog a channel in stereo mode, so when only one is in use I need to select Mono mode. Now fixed, so Nigel and I should be clear as a bell in future vids!
As for this client, I will be writing to her tonight explaining why the invoice is what it is, and that I won't be doing any more work for her unless she's happy with my explanation and settles the bill in full.
*Update*
She accepted my explanation and has paid in full. Despite my expired ale hangover, I attended site to fit her bathroom fan and RCD spur so Phil could tick it all off his to-do list. I emailed over the invoice and certificate for that work and it was paid without question straight away so all's well that ends well.
Couldn’t agree more David, I must have done over 100 free small jobs around the village I grew up in and it got me a good name and loads of work, and they pay you for your experience to fix a problem quickly not a time clock watching
Went to fit an alarm for someone the other day and ended up re-wiring the hedge trimmer they just cut the lead off lol. Customer was happier about the hedge trimmer than the main job lol
it's a fair price dave, what I say to customers if they ever question cost vs time taken is " it's not the hour you are paying for, it's the 30 years experience I have behind me so I can complete it in the hour. great vids keep them coming
Exactly this!
They never believe me when I say this. Might be because I'm 27
fucking spot on
@@shanginadildo 😂😂😂
@@shanginadildo I'm over 30, Commercial GasSafe and Approved NICEIC registered and I still get people telling me "you're having a laugh kid you don't know what you're on about"
If that's a rant, you're the most chilled tradesman I've ever seen!
ha ha ha ! SO true!
I think beer matures & mellows with age.
Unlike moaning customers who want the job done NOW! but don't want to pay for it. It sounds like she's gone off...
I'd turn up to "check something" & reinstall the old box after having written inside it, and underneath it on the woodchip, "DOESN'T PAY!".
She'll have to call in other sparkies who'll all suddenly pack up & walk off the job for no apparent reason! 😆
I’m surprised your even considering doing another job for her. Your pricing is 100% fair.
F*ck her! Steer clear.
It's only because Phil is doing her bathroom and I don't want to let him down.
@@dsesuk you won't be letting him down if you explain that you don't feel comfortable doing any more work for this particular (ex)customer.
At the end of the day, you are losing out on income despite your experience, lengthy training and expensive tooling.
Hope you and Phil don't end up falling out over this.
@@ashmanelectricalservices4318 Nah, Phil knows the score. When we do fall out, it'll be over something else entirely!
Spot on David.
£60 is a fair price.
@jesus jones That escalated quickly.
@jesus jones Capitalism is freedom.
@@BurtMeister “There is no such thing as freedom (though it is the most important condition of human life, after humility, which does not exist either).
There is only slavery (walls around one) and absence of slavery (ability to walk in any direction, or to remain still).”
@jesus jones So what's your alternative to Capitalism then, is it Socialism?
£60 pound way too cheap.
I've lost count of how many times I've encountered clients like her. I'm so done with clients who only look at how long you're at the job and completely ignore the fact that you've had years of training and experience, spent £1000's on specialist tools and equipment, insurance etc, etc and either think you work the love of it alone. You're clearly a decent, honest, highly skilled and experienced guy. £60 is a more than fair and reasonable price.
I live in Germany. Long story short: we had a water leak and I was on an overseas business trip. My teenage son called in a panic to say there was water dripping out of the breaker panel (domestic unit) in our flat. There’s a circuit breaker downstairs in the basement but it’s a bit of a job to find it. I called a local electrician who came straight away, found the right switch to cut the power and also helped to turn the water supply to the building off, since the leak was before the valve that leads into our flat (so turning this off wouldn’t have stopped the leak). For that he charged €60. I went and paid him in cash the next day and thanked him in person for the quick response.
Think the early warning signs were when she made you wait 20 minutes before you could get at the job, obviously had no care or understanding how valuable a skilled tradesman's time is.
Nige had time for three cigarettes while we were waiting, so that's fifteen minutes off his life!
The Graybeard engineer retired and a few weeks later the Big Machine broke down, which was essential to the company’s revenue. The Manager couldn’t get the machine to work again so the company called in Graybeard as an independent consultant.
Graybeard agrees. He walks into the factory, takes a look at the Big Machine, grabs a sledge hammer, and whacks the machine once whereupon the machine starts right up. Graybeard leaves and the company is making money again.
The next day Manager receives a bill from Graybeard for $5,000. Manager is furious at the price and refuses to pay. Graybeard assures him that it’s a fair price. Manager retorts that if it’s a fair price Graybeard won’t mind itemizing the bill. Graybeard agrees that this is a fair request and complies.
The new, itemized bill reads….
Hammer: $5
Knowing where to hit the machine with hammer: $4995
Ursus Maritimus have you been talking to my dad because he told me this story the other day 😂
I've heard this story loads of time before in different variations... All of them are about trying to be saving money...
He didn't retire, he was made redundant when the company thought a job by job charge would be cheaper. ... They didn't think about all those undocumented repairs he was doing.... The quick five minute favours etc otw to the shop etc.
Before they called Graybeard in... they called about 10 other companies who couldn't fix it.
After failing and losing so much money (paying for investigations etc and bring told it is a replacement job by all of the other company's) they reluctantly asked him to come in.
Jokes 😁
Customers mind set, they think youv'e just been beamed there, no thought of travel time, derv, tax, insurance ect.
You’re always worth listening too David
If only I could convince the wife of that...
😂😂😂
Absolutely hit the nail on the head regarding finding a fault quickly and charging for the whole amount. You have got good enough to do this quickly and properly so kudos :)
Good Rant Dave, She would have miffed me off as well. These people have got to learn value when they see it.
I've had the "while your passing " then get arsey when I've not called in for a week because hey I haven't "passed by" yet.
As I've asked clients before please book or I can't get to you for weeks as you know Dave time flies by like light speed with a well filled diary.
£60 is a fair price😊
Diagnostic fault finding is a double edged sword as the client likes to see the energy of you lifting floors and testing with beeps from impressive tech BUT take a switch off and refit a loose wire and charge an hour they threaten to film a watchdog series just on you🙄😄
Love your rant and you’re so true. Red flags always go up when customers try saving money buying their own parts too. Takes a bite out of the bill. Mark the bathroom job up to pay for your pain and suffering (beer money). Cheers 🥂
Spot on David.People don't appreciate time,skill and knowledge.👍
You get what you pay for. I'd rather pay for a decent fair going price from someone who can do the job right, first time who had pride in their work.
Interesting and honest video! She wasn’t happy, you explained it to her and she paid. Good people skills - especially when you’re pissed off. Respect !
The ones calling your prices expensive are usually the same ones who spend a few thousand on a handbag without complaining or they buy a chandelier for £500 weighing 60 KG and want to pay you 20 quid to put it up
So true, it's normally the ones with designer shit that complain
You're bang on David... How can she be happy to pay £40 for a diagnosis but quibble about £60 to have it resolved, this doesn't make any sense.
she doesn't want to splash out £100 in total. she wants Dave to swap the unit for £20, i mean its only a few wires after all (Sarcasm). Customers like this are a joke, Its obvious that she is a cheapskate as she didn't get the guy who diagnosed it to replace the unit. She even thought she could save a few bob by buying the Timer herself.
@@ashcroft13 Truth be known, she probably fell out with the other electrician over price and he told her to find someone else.
@@ashmanelectricalservices4318 Most definitely!
You are absolutely 100% in the right. £60 is an absolute steal for a "call out" at short notice. Added to the fact she messed you about waiting for her to finish her shopping.
I used to take this sort of thing personally. Especially when iv gone out of my way to be accommodating. Now I just this “meh you can’t please everyone”. I used to to a lot of work for a guy who owns a kebab shop, he would constantly haggle on price. Now, if he rings me (if I can be bothered to answer him) I just quote him ridiculous prices.
That's a good way to get rid of troublesome clients.
It can backfire when they say yes.
If you're too pricey you're doing it right!
The joy of working for yourself is picking your customers. I got great pleasure in telling one client never to ring me again. The satisfaction was worth more than the couple of bills I'd submitted and been paid for, maybe 200. Even now writing this I get a warm glow remembering the conversation.... remember I said never to call me again.....
Thankfully in the 13 years I have been self employed I think I have only had to do this three or four times. I remember a very nasty a job a few years back where I was actually reduced to tears. He wasn't happy about paying £150 for a new hard drive (it was a very long and complicated job due to software issues) and by that point I had made less than £10 an hour on the job. In the end I took the drive back and put his failing one back in and used the drive one of my own systems for a few years.
Human beings as a whole David feel ripped off if you don’t spend time onsite , shame but most people just do maths this way. You are totally spot on with your rate. Keep at it , you’ll get these folk sadly , just life 👍
I took a watch with a broken link to a local guy with a little booth in my town. One of the pins and come out and was a little bent. Asked him if he could replace the pin and fix it. Doesn't need replacing he said after having a quick look at it. Gave it a few little taps with a tiny hammer to straighten it out and used a tool to pop it back in and all done in less than 2 minutes. How much do I owe you? I asked. Don't worry about it was his reply. But I've got to give you something mate. Seriously he said, don't worry about it. I put a fiver on his desk and told him to get himself a pint. I love that watch.
She probably has no problem paying the window cleaner £15 for 15 minutes work.
Totally agree with everything you said. I think your pricing was spot on.
Ahhh hello Sussex’s finest electrician!
I charged £60 for every and any visit! No matter what I was visiting a site to do. I closed my business and became a construction manager for a gas company of all things. Towards the end I began to hate customers (not all some were really nice) it’s always to much, someone else can do it cheaper, “while your here” or “can you just “ when can you do it “I need it sooner” “how much for an EICR?.??” “I’ve bought the parts, can you fit this?” Plus my knees were always killing me (ex Army) Good luck to you mate, if you’re still enjoying it.
Recently I went to an old ladys house in Chichester city centre where I live. Chichester is a fairly nice part of the country and the house was worth easily in excess of a million pounds. It was well kept and full of antiques, you get the picture.
Anyway, she had a burned out IP rated socket in the garden which needed changing. I had a replacement in the van and proceeded to change it.
When I was finished she asked what she owed me. It took me about 45 mins to do the job which included entering the job, finding the problem, getting tools in, doing the job, clearing up and getting all tools and gear back in the van (also had to park in a car park down the road), as I had been asked to go round there by a director who we do a lot of work for I thought id do her a favour and it would get back to him and he would appreciate it. When I said “just give me £20” her reply was “GOODNESS ME!! £20!!”
I left shaking my head saying “dont worry about it”
I got in the van and as I was driving off she flagged me down to give me £3.50 in loose change. I declined this………🤦🏻♂️
Oh, that's annoying. When you throw someone a bone and they spit it back into your face, it really hurts. Those who don't recognise a favour when they're dealt it are those who will one day come a cropper when they really need something and a decent chap such as yourself will cold-shoulder them.
I’d definitely pay £60 for that face.
Hand over the cash and it's all yours!
Only hes to cheap for his good work. Hes worth more, perhaps up it a bit? N Walsh, Magnetech Solid Solutions Ltd
I’d pay another £60 for the face to leave again.
When you spoke to her about replacing it, didn't you say how much it would be? In 1996, I broke off from a job to fix a fuse for a landlord's tenant, I sent a bill for £20 and got a cheque by return of post for £10, along with a letter from the landlady saying in her opinion it was not worth more.
I wonder how she would feel if her tenants adopted the same attitude lol
100% agree with all you said. Your only saying what we're all thinking David. Great vid, Keep em coming!
You make a fare point David. She obviously doesn’t see the bigger picture
A couple of years back I had to call out the local pipe bender as I had an issue with a leak from a shower outlet. I had taken it apart, put fresh PTFE tape on the joint and wrenched it back up, but alas, twas still dribbling. He came out the next day, had it apart, replaced both olives and put some plumber's mate around the threads and the problem was solved. He stuck in a bill for 1 hour which came to £80 which I was quite willing to pay to know the shower was no longer leaking and more importantly the stud work behind was bone dry. Money well spent I say.
Absolutely 100% right with your stance with this woman. Your pricing structure is honest and fair especially considering your level of expertise. Sounds to me like you need to tell this customer where to jog to, no doubt she’ll continue to piss balls about when it comes to paying. Keep up the good work mate!! 👍🏻
Ta.
I'm from Australia and want to say keep up the good work and think about doing stand up as I find myself laughing from your humour a lot. Enjoy the day off.
Totally with you on this one. I tell the customer I have a minimum charge (65£) some moan and I say” have a little ring round and if you cannot get anyone call me back”. 9 times out of 10 they do.
I had to bloody get up to find my iPad as I haven’t worked out how to comment from the TV. I thought I’d start with a rant LOL. All good points and I can’t disagree with any of that content as investing in tools and education and therefore time has to be paid for. I would’ve thought that would’ve been plus VAT on top of that. I thought it was a totally reasonable price given you’ve dropped one to go to another. I changed one myself this week as a heating engineer, bought from CEF and compatible with a Horstman which you were waving in the video. They switch but don’t rotate as you say the timer mechanism is u/s. Timeguards Eco 7 timer says it’s compatible but only if you rip the back box and start again as it’s a different design and doesn’t use spade connectors. I guess it was about 25 quid cheaper though I think. Keep up the good work.
That is a very fair and cheap price. In London we charge £80 hour minimum and people are more than happy to pay. Your skills and experience you have acquired throughout the many years is priceless, not everyone can achieve this.
Good Rant !! Right on all counts.
I used to think customers were doing me a favour giving me their work.
Now I reckon I''m doing them a favour by fixing things for them - for which they must pay or find someone else.
Just as well she didn't ask a Barrister for advice (£300.00+ an hour ?!?)
Some people just have no idea how to value a tradesman and will always quibble no matter how much or little you ask for.
Move on and find other work.
Finally, I've long believed that the problem is not so often "Cowboy Tradesmen" but "Cowboy Customers"
Quite true. Seasoned business owners know that the customer isn't always right, as some customers are downright unreasonable at which point their custom is no longer desired!
When i needed a barristers opinion cost me just shy of £2K
I appreciate your Gratis sentiment.
I sometimes find myself offering more free time during an initial survey than the actual (simple) job.
Rant justified, some people are just too tight to know when they are getting a good deal.
£60, I would palm-out in a heartbeat. Cheers !!!
Help build confidence and good word of mouth if the customer thinks you are listening to them.
Don’t let the idiot customer get in your head mate ! Fair price & great vid as usual.Must of been a full moon recently lol , I just had the same thing happen to me & just lost a long time customer of 5 yrs for charging £25.00 per hour & telling me that some of the work should not have took so long !! Thanks Paul
That's another peeve being told how long something should take by someone who doesn't actually know what's involved!
That does p**s me off when someone tells you what your rates are.
I’m not a sparky but work in computer repairs. Similarly I have years of experience and have to spend countless hours and money keeping up to date on knowledge of current and past technology.
Like you David, I’ll decide my rates thank you!
Great posts btw.
Whatever the field, there's always someone who wants owt for nowt outta you!
Bang on! I once got told a story of a man who’s lorry wouldn’t start and he had 10 people look at it and they all couldn’t fix it and had spend £1500 in the process, a old man got recommended to him but he said it was £2000 the guy accepted, after opening car and getting out with a hammer and a whack in the right spot it started! Customer moaned about price but the old man said it’s not the hammer your paying for it’s the knowledge of where to hit it!
Seems cheap to change that unit. No way would i do any more work for her... give her the 2 finger salute and let her find someone else who will do it for less.....your videos are class.
£60 is a very fair price - very fair. I would happily pay £90 for a man of your raw experience.
Totally agree with everything you say David, I have had this situation before and it's a bloody pain in the arse. I now make sure they know the costs prior to attending.
couldn't agree more with you david, we were on a job & the neighbour opposite left her hand brake off & her car ran across the road & knocked some of the boundary wall down, I was told to build the wall back up by her at her expense, this was in Feb, she asked my men when they were rebuilding the wall why they took it down to the bottom, they informed her that the wall had been broken along the joint & had to be re built as it was unsafe...…. my ears hear alarm bells, this was in Feb still not a cent & will not even answer my letters, they watch all the customer rights programs & play the games!! WTF maybe we should get together & commission a programme "customers from hell" by the same token one dog turd in a field does not spoil all the grass, you seem a genuine guy keep up the good work.
Crikey. If it were me, I think I go kick the wall back down!
@@dsesuk The problem is that the wall belongs to my customers at the time who were great, its not even the old bags property who asked me to do it, lesson learned, don't do work on other peoples property by instruction of another party, if I go through small claims they will chuck it out, at least we can learn on you tube by each others mistakes...… keep on posting David
Total reasonable price.
As I often have to remind customers. You’re getting a skilled trades person so you’re paying for what I know, not necessarily what I’ve done!!!!
Your always going to get those that think everyone’s worth a fiver an hour put her on the don’t answer her call list
I've had this more often than not actually. They're happy for me to spend my time to investigate a fault and explain what it would take to fix it. Disregard the the various methods I may have used in coming to a conclusion, rather than guessing. Then quoted to fix. Not given the job, only to find out that Fred two doors down, who's a dab hand at general work, a general handy man, has done it instead!
Well where the F* was he before I arrived!
The best part, that call to say they had someone else out and the problem still persists and could I drop everything and rush over at the quickest possible speed, to fix it! Oh yes......certainly madam!!
Some people assume you're sat around twiddling your thumbs just waiting for their call!
Ah, the sweet tones of Mr S. ranting softly directly into my right earole... But seriously, had this problem too. Thankfully, I've also got some sweet customers who actually insist on full rate when I've tried to cut them a favour, saying 'I'm paying for your knowledge, not your time' - so refreshing.
Some client's are absolute gems one way or another. The bad ones makes the best rants though!
@@dsesuk True, and we love 'em!
We're a fairly new start up and had this the other day. Customer knocking our call out charge down and after watching this I'm thinking we need to increase it. Some of them are great, others think we are a free public service.
Pricing is one of those things you never feel you've got right. You've got to decide what your charges are going to be based on the market around you and it has to be enough to justify getting out of bed in the morning so you're not bustin' your gut just to break even. Once you have your numbers, stick to 'em. In this case, it was miscommunication as I didn't expressly tell her beforehand what the charge would be, but nonetheless she had to expect a charge, and this price for a same day call out isn't unreasonable, quite the opposite in fact. I once did a quick Friday afternoon job for someone, and called it in at half the price I should have charged, but the next time the guy called me in I charged full price which pissed him right off. You think you're doing people a favour, but it sets expectations which is why I set and publish fixed-hourly prices these days to try and avoid surprises. Anyway, all the best with your new venture, I hope it works out!
I had this. Price agreed for 4 weeks work. Including supplies, customer then decided after the work was done the price was too much and wanted a reduction. When I said you agreed to the price, I got the you may need to review your prices bollocks. She basically took on more than she could afford and didn’t plan her budget for it. Don’t always believe the customer is always right, sometimes they try and guilt trip or make out things aren’t right so they want a reduction when the truth is it’s fine and when you offer to come back to have a look at what they’re not 100% happy with they just say they want money off instead. Only had it once. Every other customer has given me 5* ratings and paid in full within hours
That's infuriating. They're telling you after accepting the estimate and having the work done that they now find the price to be unacceptable?! Absolute chancers. Probably the sort with a flash BMW on the driveway too.
I wouldn’t have pulled two blokes off a job an hour early and charged any less. She clearly didn’t respect or value your time. 👍🏻
We made more by attending this job (if she pays) as the rewire we clocked off early from is charged at a lower man-hour rate than this job was. If she doesn't pay or only partially pays, then it wasn't worth the effort.
Spot on Sir. Always makes me laugh that people know nothing about an electrical problem so they call an electrician but they always seem to know how long the job should take. Another benefit of experience is being able to tell when a potential customer is gonna be a pain in the arse so a swerve is the order of the day. Keep up the good work sir.
I thank you. Some duff customers you can spot coming, others take you by surprise like the effects of too many bottles of expired London Pride...
Basically pricing a job is like putting a revelover to your head and spinning that one bullet around.
Except that most jobs in domestic work have all sorts of hidden snags that lead to the builder doing extra work at the same price.
£60 is a very fair price. We install and repair gas boilers and most customers are great people, some are absolute diamonds, but you will always find the odd one who moans unjustifiably. I have all the moaners from the last 17 years logged into my mobile with a very brief description of their moan at the day. When they call I either don't answer and press the 'Fuck off button' or sometimes I answer and fuck them about. In the terrible winter of 2010 I had one previous knob who called me to fix his broken down boiler. I made an appointment with him and kept knocking him back for a later date. All gasmen were so busy, including me, that I know he couldn't get anyone. I strung him out for over 6 days before finally calling and advising him to use a company I'd pulled from Yellow Pages who I knew would charge £90 plus Vat just for the call out and the repair would be extra. The temperature that winter dipped to -20 some nights. I bet his electric bill was massive.
£60 isn't even an unreasonable rate for skilled work. period.
£60 for you to drive there install the part is reasonable. Some customers don't understand it's your time and you're running a business.
As a fellow electrician round Leamington i have been following your videos with great interest and have to say i love them... very honest and entertaining! I can confirm your pricing in my opinion is about spot on... don't let and un skilled arse hole tell you different
Thanks Adam. Are you self employed or with one of the big-boys like S&J, C&L, B&W or another with an ampersand in the name??! If you're ever in one of the wholesalers (or Greggs/McDonalds/Hungry Horse), be sure to say hello or tell me I'm a twat or something!
@@dsesuk 😂... I would love to see your face if i just walked up to you and called you a massive twat!.. coming from a total stranger!.
I've been self employed now for over 11 years. Done my full apprenticeship with Steane electrical in warwick. I go by the name of AC Electrical Services, not to be confused with the other 89 electricians around Leamington with AC in the title. You may remember seeing my old sign written silver Vivaro going round town. Haven't bothered getting the new van sigh written as i have enough regular builders and commercial work to keep me going. Not to mention all the shit jobs in between where mrs Scoggins moans when you send her a £60 invoice for a full rewire including materials! Wankers!!
Before i do any work i always go and look at the job, meet the client and tell them in person how much it will cost. I won't do the job unless they agree to that price. If they think it's too expensive or give me the old we'll give you a phone etc. fair enough, but i always get them to agree first.
I've had a few customers moan about the prices afterwards. But if they agree to the price before any work is carried out then they have no grounds for complaint in my opinion.
You wouldn't go into a shop to buy something, see the price buy it and then complain to the manager afterwards because you think it's too dear.
If she knew the price in advance and the job was done satisfactorily she is obliged to pay without question. A contract is a contract even if it's a verbal contract, so if she wants to haggle she should have done it before making the contract.
I've had a few of these incidents over the years (always landlords). Every time I've said, if you think it's too much then don't pay me anything and forget about it but don't ever call me again. Only once did someone take me up on the offer and they did call me 6 months later saying they needed an electrician and couldn't get anyone else to come out.
I just laughed at him 😂
The bad payers always come back asking for more in my experience, and there's nothing more satisfying than telling them to sod off and leaving them to the sharks.
@@dsesuk I PAT tested in a school, didn't get paid after a week of work, a year later I get a call from their maintenance dept asking me if I could come back to PAT test as they have an OFSTED inspection, I told them to find another MUG
Hi David, to start with I can’t understand why you think you have to justify your price and why you charge it!! It’s listed on your website and I’ll be honest that’s a spot on price for the work you have done
Everybody else does. Or do you just accept any old amount thrown up at you by a tradie?
Agree totally. I have had some really odd electronics faults to sort over the years and can lie in bed at night going through it all in my head thinking 'what could it be?' Finally something suddenly comes to mind that is way out of the ordinary and you trot over and fix the problem in minutes. The 'client', usually a friend, cannot understand how 'easy it must have been as it only took minutes'! How would you even charge for the time spent 'off site' puzzling it out! I must admit part of the 'pay out' is actually finding the fault and fixing it when others have given up!
Luckily I’ve been in Business 28 years now and almost rarely get asked how much. Most just tell me what they want done and then pay when I’m finished. It’s wildly know that I’m expensive but my work is top notch and I can be trusted in the house without being watched. Many times nobody is home. My minimum is $125. Doesn’t matter if it only takes 5 minutes. $ 250 for emergency fee is added for 1 hour service.
Thanks Gene, it's good to have a reputation where people appreciate your skill over the purse-strings.
She is quarrelling over £60? Sixty bloody quid! I bet she spent £15 on some Scallops form Tesco for her tea.
Remarkably (or so it may seem), as a house owner I totally agree with your thoughts in this vlog. As a UK citizen, I recently bought a new house in Northern Europe and when I approached the Professionals (plumbers and electricians) we never discussed price. The question was always 'what needs doing?', or 'I advise you to do the following...'. The reason? Skilled professionals in this area are dependent on their insurance company coverage, and 'professional associations' for their accreditation. The prices charged are 'competitive', but they are not 'cheap', but 'hey', I get great service, I must pay 'promptly', but the guy is happy to come back and deal with my next issue. The 'Gas Boiler' guy came around when I called them to say I had taken over the service contract. Why? He wanted to show me the work they had been doing on their 'service' of the heating system (for the previous owner), explain how long the boiler is expected to last, how it operates, and make sure I had a 'gas key' in case of emergencies. His incentive? I call him next time (which I will certainly do.). Your work ethic, and professional approach would be very well matched to the guys who work around here. Keep doing your 'thing', it is entirely worth it.
I'll always provide a fully costed estimate before taking on major work, but if someone needs something simple quickly then that's why I have my modular pricing as you can get an idea of what the per-hour charging is likely to be even if you don't quite know how many hours something is likely to take (assuming jobs like this where you know it's going to be inside of one day).
@@dsesuk Following my experience in Northern Europe, I would be very happy to work with you in the UK. You exude the professionalism I meet here, and completely exceed the attitude of the 'sparks' I engaged at home, even those I once employed in a business I owned! I really love the vlog, and I am learning something every time I watch. (PS Scandinavia has long nights, guest stay too long, and I am finishing the Rose off and it is 'p*ss'. Never mind 'out of date' London Pride', just never try 'out of date' Marston's Pedigree, the finest things never last. Keep having fun.
Price absolutely fair, cannot believe customer was quibbling over this. Seen yourself off to help a customer and then they shit in you, I can understand your frustration.
Met people like this on my travels fortunately only a few. In her mind she's being asked to pay £100 plus the cost of the timer(which she had to spend her time buying for YOU!), regardless that two people have attended the job! I'd get payment from the lady and avoid her like the plague in future. One other point, from my own experience, is I'd never fit parts purchased by an unknown client.
Yes, parts supplied is a bit of a no-no, but then my warranty terms are such that if I haven't supplied them, then I don't want to know if it goes wrong. The danger is that I may be accused of incorrect installation, but the onus would be on the client to prove that.... I think...
And another thing I think customers sometimes forget for the little jobs is the fuel and van wear, wear and tear on tools, expertise, little things such as fixings etc and the extras I normally throw in at the end, I.e if someone says I’ve got a few pictures, do you mind hanging them? I normally do that free. I’m a handyman and my rate is £60 an hour also including fixings, time for picking up supplies, and I bring a laborer with me as well. I think that’s fair as my jobs are within a 20 mile radius from home and I always guarantee next day appointments even if that means coming late so I could end up travelling 40 miles from 1 job to the next then back home so potentially a 60 mile job. I also have online booking now as well so my customers can book work in themselves, I.e quotes, small jobs, half a day, gardening services and most recently garden taps. My customers love the reinvestment I make to improve my services but it wouldn’t be possible without the prices I charge which I think are fair given the 24/7 call approach and my willingness to accommodate, plus my skills and knowledge to not do diy style work but proper work that meets building regs in some cases and is neat and perfectly finished. I’ll never leave a job not looking perfect and if the customer wants small modifications to things I come back to do the adjustments for free in my evening on those larger jobs
dont think agreeing a price in advance guarantees a smooth transaction. met a sparky on site years back wiring an extension at a millionaires home in north leeds. £3000 price,nearing completion the git said he'd only pay £2000 take it or leave it-poor sparky was taking it just to recover his costs-not fancying his chances in court against a barrister.some real bastards about
As a customer, £60 seems reasonable. spot on about your charge reflects the expertise, training, costs and not just the time spent
Same with mowing grass. I've got a big mower and it doesn't take as long as a small mower but still charge the same. Sometimes they think the longer it takes the better the job. I hate people, but they pay my wage so I have a Disney smile and just be nice to them.
I know what you mean, people don't always understand that they're paying for an outcome and just because you have the experience and the equipment to do it faster than someone less equipped doesn't mean you should be cheaper!
people like that piss me off, firstly she takes you from a current job, and doesn't even ask for prices so its on her head anyway, second she cant even turn up on time (and I can guarantee she's the type who'd complain if you was 5 minutes late) and then complains about your pricing which she didn't even have the smarts to ask about before taking you on, what does she expect, £60 isn't bad really for a rushed call-out and pissing off your sparky by been late with you shopping because you cant keep your own timeslots.
Seems reasonable to me. Fair and honest. You will probably do the job because you are a good man and work to your usual standard for the same reason. A pleasant rant.....
Thanks Peter.
When I started in my business as an IT consultant, I worked out what I was worth per hour based on the salary I left behind. It worked out to be twice the rate most others charging, and I charged 2 hours minimum and travel time was also charged at the full rate. You are 100% correct when you say only you can determine what you're worth, and once you have that figure worked out, you carry an air of "That's my price, not negotiable" which the good customers then accept. The shit customers gasp or whatever, so you know to stay away from them. There are always those customers who will pay for quality and don't define their lives by how much they can "save" by buying "cheap".
In the case of this woman who is whinging about a few quid when she is paying for a bathroom renovation, well, I'd ring her and ensure she knows you're doing it on your day off as a favour, and secondly make sure she has cash to pay the current bill and the new one before you leave the site.
When you visit friends and family, do you ever get bugged with questions about why their computer/printer etc. aren't working??
@@dsesuk Ha!! All the bloody time. I've been retired for 8 years now and still it happens :) And, because my dad was a sparky, they want me to fix their power points and stuff as well.... if it's really simple I'll do it, but these days here in Victoria, Australia it can be risky to use any unlicensed tradie for anything (other than IT).
i know what you mean by a client saying that your to pricey i had the same i was sitting at home on a sunday morning got a phone call from a landlady saying she had an urgent job her tennants reported smoke in the conservatory and a funny noise .I finally traced it down to a panel pin on wood flooring trim that had gone through a wire which was arcing which was what the noise was i spent an hour there getting it all sorted and safe for the tennants .I put my invoice in to the landlady i charged £50 for my 1 hour there to sort it all she payed it but said to me that is expensive for just 1 hours work . I ended up wishing i had not gone to the job and saying i was busy admittedly not everyone is like that alot of people do appreciate it.
🤣 @ 10 mins, I totally agree. Perhaps you should point her to a dedicated 'smack arse' reactive maintenance firm next time charging something like £150....that's if they turn up (like her!). As always, eloquently put, but just proper real old school entertainment to listen to echos of our own experiences!
Charge a late fee too as she sounds a real time waster
I may have to incorporate an 'arsehole tax' into my pricing...
@@dsesuk An argument..........er........ I mean an augmented tax.
Twat tax.
Good man ! People do not understand the cost of our time ! Your price was spot on !
That’s the trouble with getting 3 ppl involved. You are likely to have to pay 3 ppl.
totally agree with you chap. This whole "customer is never wrong" thing is bullshit. I always treat my customers with respect, courtesy and with a smile, but if they start playing the raw prawn I will not hesitate to point out why they are a prick. I remember years ago I was the repair engineer at a telephone shop and when a component was replaced, we used to put the faulty part in a little placcy bag and clip it to the docket. Had this one cordless with a faulty capacitor on the mic circuit which meant no audio from them. Replaced and clipped to the ticket as usual, totl bill £7 I think (very reasonable for 30 mins diagnostic and work. When he picked it up he came the whole "I know what that is (the electrolytic cap) and they are pennies"... I'm afraid I lost it at that point and did the whole "who the f**k are you to decide that my time is free and you should end up with a bill for 3p?" twat. Told the sales person who called me through to answer for my 'crimes' to the customer that he was her customer and to deal with according to her training, the bill was clear and she should do her job and let me do mine. Twat paid and then this sales women came through with the whole "how dare you this" and "you arsehole that" coz I had 'embarrassed' her - I wound her up and dobbed her to the manager - he ripped her a new arsehole and told her that if she does anything like that again she's out on her ear'ole. Customers... I love them but when they are unreasonable - twats that think they are always right - I let rip. In my time, I have let several customers know we wouldn't be working for them again. One tit had me out to run a huge extension on Good Friday, then moaned about the bill. I removed a run of wire enough to make it all useless, refunded in full and told him not to call us again... he was always phoning up asking for use to go and spec out some work, had his brother come up pleading... never did another cent with him - as promised. He really didn't think that when I said "never again" that I meant it. If they've been a twat once, am not going to give them the chance to screw me over again.
The whole 'customer is always right' thing is a misnomer. At the point where their custom is causing you to break even, lose money, or become stressed out trying to meet their needs, then they lose the right to be in the right.... andf they can jolly well fuck right off!
A customer rang me today asking how much I would charge to fix some lights he had connected up wrongly and a couple of socket that weren't working. I gave him my rate for fault finding and estimated that it would likely take a couple of hours to locate and resolve. His response was "That's a bit expensive, could you do it any cheaper?". I asked him weather he'd had any other quotes, to which he replied "No". So I asked him how could he say my rates were too expensive when he has nothing to compare them to. Needless to say, I stuck to my guns and he agreed for me to carry out the work.
Good on you Alvin, it's not worth short changing yourself. At the end of each day, you have to go home happy that you've made enough to cover your business day, otherwise why even get out of bed??!
@@dsesuk You wouldn't go to the supermarket and haggle over price at the till, so what makes the public think they can haggle over the price of a job.
The first red light was when you said the customer sourced the parts. I know that type of cheapskate. 60 QUID, blimey, that's bloody cheap.
The blokes who charge £40 are the type who's toolkit consists of 2 screwdrivers and a pair of pliers/cutters/hammer from Wilko
Never underestimate the stupidity of the general public.... in any trade or occupation..
It really is infuriating, been in that situation many times. I try and tell new customers my prices very early on in conversations to avoid this, although not always possible. As you say, some people are more than happy to pay to get the job done efficiently, paying for your knowledge!
And they blindly pay £70 an hour for the creature who can't face a customer in the mercedes dealership.
Clients never ever respect "emergency call outs" THis is why its 100% important to stress the cost and are they happy to accept etc .Also a good reason to use a card payment device so you can take payment at the job. Its amazing how demanding they are when its a "emergency" . But it all goes funny when the bill arrives .£100 is the min for a call out ,cover up to one hour .They can fuck off if they dont accept . Its about "TERMS" they have to be explained and the best way is to copy and paste them. send them via a phone and ask them to confirm . all before leaving to do the job
I wouldnt charge anything less than 2hrs personally. To take into account of travel time etc. She wouldnt of been happy even if the job was free.
Rant justified, perfectly reasonable price . In much the same way as tradesmen can be subjected to “reviews” on various websites, it’s high time there was a similar facility whereby nightmare customers ( including whinging sods) can be named and shamed . “Sorry madam , I can’t accommodate your request as you’ve got a one star rating emanating from being a stand over the shoulder late paying type “ .
You’re absolutely justified in feeling pissed off. She’s certainly got a nerve asking you to do more work for her.
I was told about a locksmith once who had a call. He went to someones apartment who was locked out and got him in. Took him about 10 min i think. The bill was about 40 pounds if i remember correctly. The customer was very angry and said it was to high becouse of the "short" time it took and demanded to see a detailed bill. The locksmith said "sure", and wrote on the bill.
Opening the lock: 10%
Knowing how to open the lock: 90%
David I have my own prices and all the other electricans has there own prices and I do agree with you mate and you amazing guy and all other Sparks has their Own rates
Does anyone understand this?
Iv had this happen a few times ( only out of my time for 3 years ) and I feel tou handled it perfectly. £60 is more than fair and I dont know if I'd even consider going back to do work for this client, even if it is for your mate
60.00 is fair. I paid 50.00 for a plumber as I had an emergency where the main stopcock failed whilst I was trying to change a washing machine. He came and sorted it in 10 mins, probably the easiest 50.00 he ever earned, I was happy to pay it as he’d basically dropped everything to get to my house. She’s an idiot.
She strikes me as a bit of an unsavory customer, who may, in future need to be an un-savery customer. £60 is more than reasonable given the pretext of an emergency call-out, followed by said client then not being present to let you in. Given that circumstance alone, if I were in that situation, I would have billed her the amount I'd have brought in on the two man hours remaining of the job I was called away from.
The other electrician was probably in the area that day and was only on site for 15 to 20 minutes. I have said in the past I am quite happy to put it all back as it was.