Some funny customers.

Rental property, the oven exploded (glass door shattered)  Can I fit a new oven.  So I phone Howdens for some prices (they are local and have them in stock) Give the price to the letting agent.  Reply comes back "they are too cheap, the landlord wants something better"  So i send the LL to Howdens to choose. He picks a top model for £480 (he could have had a basic fan oven for £180)

So I fit the oven and it's the most complicated thing you can imagine.  The tenant would have much preferred the simple cheaper one.

Other job, I am doing some simple work for a bathroom re fit.  Just removing stuff for the joiner, put it back later, new downlights etc.  Joiner gives me a nod, "go and have a look at their callender in the kitchen"  Last week when I was there is says "Electrician 30 minutes, joiner 4 hours, plumber 45 minutes"

So they are going to expect to be billed by the minute and if it's over they will complain.  I thought they seemed to be a bit grumpy.  I can see this one being trouble. They clearly want us to see the "logged hours"

Ooooh  I'm looking forward to this one Dave  .     I've had that sort  in the past  ...I'd log every minute if I were you .    

And be prepared for for some nasties  at the end .......

ProDave said:

Other job, I am doing some simple work for a bathroom re fit.  Just removing stuff for the joiner, put it back later, new downlights etc.  Joiner gives me a nod, "go and have a look at their calender's in the kitchen"  Last week when I was there is says "Electrician 30 minutes, joiner 4 hours, plumber 45 minutes"

So they are going to expect to be billed by the minute and if it's over they will complain.  I thought they seemed to be a bit grumpy.  I can see this one being trouble. They clearly want us to see the "logged hours"

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Did you provide a quote or estimate? 

How are they going to log your time at the wholesalers? doing the paperwork? 

That said the Scots can have short arms and deep pockets

No quote asked for or provided.

I don't know whether to charge the usual 1 hour for the 30 minute day and argue it out, or charge 30 minutes but up my hourly rate.

There will be some sort of problem  , bet your life ,  up the rate a bit .     And don't do 'em any favours . 

Evans Electric said:

There will be some sort of problem  , bet your life ,  up the rate a bit .     And don't do 'em any favours . 

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so you must charge a certain plumbing companies rates and I interpret Deke’s suggestion as don’t go back to finish job! :C  

ProDave said:

No quote asked for or provided.

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If you sense trouble heading your way - then provide an estimate / quote before its too late?

Murdoch said:

If you sense trouble heading your way - then provide an estimate / quote before its too late?

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That s a good idea TBH   .....make it an "Estimate "     not a Quote .      Do it reasonable  and if they whinge    ..bale out .  

Evans Electric said:

.....make it an "Estimate "     not a Quote .     

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i never give anyone a quote, its always an estimate. rarely charge different to the estimate, but still gives some room for additional costs (or in some cases, less) depending how the job goes

Mine are always estimates and list exactly what I am going to,do. So when it all goes Holly Wiloughby I can prove that I hadn't included for "supplying the hot tub"

Likewise, I’ve never given a quote, always estimates and I would say that only 1 in 30 is wrong, needing additional costs. And such costs would have been identified and confirmed by email as the job progressed ..

Too late for an estimate if you are thinking of the distance selling regs, you need an estimate and a 14 day cooling off period.

This is only a small job so if it goes tongs up it's not a disaster. My guess is they will just try and negotiate the price down, so I will "negotiate" it up a bit to cover that eventuality.

The Joiner and plumber were both on the verge of walking off the job today.  So certainly not a happy job to be on.

ProDave said:

Too late for an estimate if you are thinking of the distance selling regs, you need an estimate and a 14 day cooling off period.

This is only a small job so if it goes tongs up it's not a disaster. My guess is they will just try and negotiate the price down, so I will "negotiate" it up a bit to cover that eventuality.

The Joiner and plumber were both on the verge of walking off the job today.  So certainly not a happy job to be on.

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Sod the distance selling laws, you need to tell them how much it's going to cost .....

ProDave said:

The Joiner and plumber were both on the verge of walking off the job today.  So certainly not a happy job to be on.

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I think you are being set up to fail !

be careful out there.......list everything you are doing as you do it just in case

Murdoch said:

Likewise, I’ve never given a quote, always estimates a

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My last employed job was  Supervising & estimating   ...but  99%  went out as quotations  as that was stipulated by  the various bodies  like West Mids. County Council ,    Barclays Bank ,  Aston University  ,  B,ham City Council  ,  NHS  etc .    Hence I generally submit Quotes .     However some jobs  you can only estimate .  

One of the biggest pitfalls I found was / is  copping for unforeseen extra site visits  ,  often due to idiot main contractors  who struggle to factor in electrical work  properly .  

A builder would NEVER tell the plasterer that he will have to pull off  site  because of this or that  for a week say ......   but to Sparks , plumber , heating eng .  it would be  you'll have to leave that now as we're not ready for you ......or you can first fix upstairs  although there,s  no flooring down yet   .....yeah  right !.  

Most cases  like Dave's  have been domestic jobs .      One customer  produced their solicitor son at the end of a rewire to demand a reduction due to the  terrible mess  and not installing a plug in the hall. 

We'd discussed this socket , it was agreed they didn't want it , would we put an extra one in another room instead , which we did.  

The  "terrible mess "  was  the ends of some    bits of  2.5  Red & black  which had shot off out of the sidecutters   during 2nd fix  and gone under a chair .

The solicitor son intimated he would speaking to HMRC  because they were paying cash   ( normal then)   I offered to supply my UTR  & N I   numbers  , dragged the tools back in and nailed a socket in the hall rather than argue about it ...which left 4 or 5  bits of cable  half inch long  to argue about. 

Evil pair of bastards .   

Job finished today, invoice going in tomorrow.

I was there for 2 hours today.  Only the children present in the house.  After I had been there an hour and a half, I heard the daughter on the phone "The electrician is here just now, he's not been here very long"

I will let you know........

Sounds like a set up Dave, don’t add them to your Christmas list!! 

I wait with baited breath...I sense an issue in the making

ProDave said:

Job finished today, invoice going in tomorrow.

I was there for 2 hours today.  Only the children present in the house.  After I had been there an hour and a half, I heard the daughter on the phone "The electrician is here just now, he's not been here very long"

I will let you know........

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How weird is that !!!  

I was talking to my plasterer friend today.  He told me of a job where every day the customer would offer them tea or coffee and a bacon butty.  they thought she was a nice customer.

Then when they submitted the bill, she got out a bit of paper and read from it "30 cups of coffee and 15 bacon butties, that's £30 off the bill."