The Phone Call

Song Dog

Ben Franklin Plumbing
HO-How much do you charge an hour?
Ben-We don't charge per hour, its by the repair. Yadayada and so on.
HO- I called someone and they said $55 an hour. I installed my sisters tub, stool, and ped. The trap through the floor went into galvi through the floor and I can't get it together. It had a rubber connector and it slipped when I took it off. All, I need is about a 5" piece of pvc and someone to help my put it together.
Ben- We would send sommeone out to inspect the problem and he will be able to give you a price what it would take to do the repair.
HO- It will only take an hour with my help. I just don't want to get down on the dirt of the crawl space.
Ben-Well, sir, It will be more than $55 to complete the repair. Since we don't do the T&M there will be a limmited access charge for the crawl. (His demeaner prompted me to say this, so he would look elsewhere)
HO-Never mind, bye.

Has this hapened to you
Should have got the address and have an inspector drop by, but when things go south, he will realize. Man, I should have had someone specialized and lics'd to do this.
I kinda felt like it was a kick in the face. HO(thinking)-I did all this work and I want someone else to get under the crawl and pay him nothing for his knowledge and lisc.
It makes me laugh
Its not the true professional way to take care of it, but it cracks me up.
People (some) think that since we have the profession as plumber we are nothing.
The main reason I am posting this is, is basically to vent.

In Christ,

Song Dog

Putty Truck

Yeah, it happens.

I just tell the ho it will cost him 45.00 for us to give him the price. If he persists past that point, I ask him for his name and number and I will call him right back and I never even write the number down.

I don't try to sell or persuade over the phone on a first call. I will not argue or defend myself. They either want the service or not, it makes no difference to me.

(It could be your competitor busting on you, too. That happens when it gets slow and the losers get frustrated. Just get the name and number and forget about it.)

mdshunk

That fits in with this email I just got at 4:15 today:

Yeah, I'll jump right on that.

KillerToiletSpider

This is why I am glad we do not work for homeowners.

__________________
A flush is better than a full house.

Putty Truck

Yet....

KillerToiletSpider

We haven't for twenty seven years, why start now?

__________________
A flush is better than a full house.

MechanicalDVR

So who do you work for?

__________________
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" mlk
100% Union and Proud of It

KillerToiletSpider

GC's, we are strictly sub contractors.

__________________
A flush is better than a full house.

Bjd

I will say thay yea I get them from time to time, " Kicking Tires" for better pricing.
Almost 90% of my business is comm so this really does not affect me to much, however giving prices over the phone without even knowing what one may be up against.... well too me thats kinda of a crap shoot.

Yea flate rate my have its applactions, you know for the most common repairs

But when it comes to pricing out for say a complete bath remodel, how in the world do you know without looking at a crystal ball what your looking at.

I have a buddy that is a flate rates guy, he gave someone a price over the phone for a replacement water heater and got the job.

The only draw back was he priced it and then found out the house was over 50 miles away, again he wan the battle and lost the war.

BJD

Crawdad

And I thought that only us lawn guys are expected to work for cash (cheat on taxes) so the homeowner can save money...
I get people every spring, think they can get a better deal with cash. Like I want to look under the rock every week, hoping the money is there. Even the paperboy doesn't do that any more.

mahlere

that's not how you are supposed to run a flat rate service company...anyone he sells that system, or teaches it, will tell you to never quote anything but a basic trip charge or diagnostic fee over the phone...you never, ever, ever, ever, ever...ever, price the job over the phone...that's not flat rate, that's silly....

Song Dog

This call was about an hour away.
We only quote the svc / diagnostic fee, then quote them a price to cure their problem after we look at it. Saves time and frustration.
The only reason I mentioned that we would be more is the way his behavior was over the phone. With some people, if you charge them nothing at all they will say that you still cost too much.
I could see that call unfold over the phone. Drive an hour and get nowhere.

In Christ,

Song Dog

mahlere

sorry...i was referring to bjd's post.....

Song Dog

I knew that

In Christ,

Song Dog

Alan Mesmer

I have had H.O.s call and want me to quote excavating jobs over the phone! I won't even bother taking the time to go check out the job in situations like this. Most are just tire kickers that really don't care about the quality of workmanship, proper qualifications, and insurances, etc. They only use your quote for a benchmark to get the next guy lower than your bid. If someone calls and insists on getting your hourly rate it is always trouble!

When possible I try to quote jobs as a bid and not time and materials for the following reasons:
I used to explain to the H.O.'s how I set my hourly rates including the size of machines and how different sizes of machines are worth different rates, how some cheaper priced contractors try to get jobs with low hourly rates only to run up the hours to double where they should be. How contractors that don't carry insurances can do things cheaper, how inferior materials naturally are going to cost less money. I would tell them what materials I would use to do their job but that also backfired as I was basically writing the specs. for the homeowner to give to the next bidder. I would be the first one out to look at a job and the first one back with a quote. This isn't the best thing to do for sure.
What have I learned over the years: Tire kickers care only about the PRICE and nothing else plain and simple! Our job as Quality contractors are to sort out this type of consumer and let others give them what they are willing to pay for.

Alan