Loyal customers choosing someone else to do boiler upgrade

[SafeGasInstall]

just did a conversion from open vent to combi last weekend .job done and paid for ! recommended electrician to the job some one i know very well and he has done many many full rewiring jobs ....customer accepted his quoted then hired some one cheaper )))
i am just waiting now as it will take two weeks for the rewire to see how things will end up

 

[fuzzy]

it dont matter how long youve been a plumber for em, tey get it ceaper youll be dropped. your own a good as your last game, or your price..............

 

[easyt]

I can't see the merit in pushing aside some one whose work you have been happy with in order to make a small saving. I used my regular firm last year to do some work for me. Two visits as I had a bathroom and toilet to redo and some of the work fitted around this and my provision of a new concrete base, plinth and firewall for a replacement oil tank.The total price (from memory) was about £1750. I had a comparison quote from another outfit that was about £150 cheaper. In the event I went with the usual firm. I told their boss that he was a bit dearer but that I preferred to stay with him. When they were about to start I asked them to price for some additional work. 4no 40mm holes through cavity wall and 3no through interior brick wall as they had better gear than me. I also asked them to fit fire rated boarding to 4m of eaves and soffit as my arthritis was playing me up. They threw the extra work in with their original price, gave me a few plumbing tips and also gave me a masterclass on soldering joints as I had not done any for over 20 years. I reckon then that the extras were worth at least half of the money I would have saved and a bunch of nice guys as well. Bargain.


On a similar note I had a new exhaust fitted to OH's car early this year. Checked prices and then went to my usual tyre and exhaust fitter. After he finished and I was about to pay the bill I mentioned that I could have saved £20 but would rather deal with him. Without being asked and totally to my surprise he knocked £20 off the bill.

 

[obseen16]

normally in these circumstances (only had a few) i will help them put right the cowboys wrongs. but in one or two cases if the customer is being a "You know what" ill be just as unpleasant back.

example:
had one very regular customer who got her boiler done by another company, in the winter its condensate pipe froze. i went and sorted it out for her and charged her accordingly. she got us in to do a garage conversion into a laundry room and also install a new radiator. plus shes passed our name onto a few other people.

the other customer of ours:
a landlord/builder (medium sized company) weve done a few jobs for him in the past and every single one has been a nightmare. i hated every minute of working for him. he wanted things doing there and then (did a boiler swap the day after boxing day as tenants were moving in the day after as no one else would do it). we did the job and got everything up and running, stayed till 10pm to get it running in time, he met us at the house the next morning to sign paperwork, he didnt even say thanks and didnt even smile. since then weve done a couple of other jobs for him hes always been miserable and ungreatful at the lengths weve gone to help him out, most recent one was a couple of weeks ago. he wanted the new build house finishing off (supposed to be an 8week project..... 12 months later it was still not ready for us to finish) he rang us out the blue and wanted it finishing by tomorrow, i said sorry but im on another job which is at least 2 weeks long. he replied "i dont care about your other jobs get it done by tomorrow" since then i havent answered the phone to him but i have completed the plumbing side of the job, havent told him that yet tho. im letting him sweat a little since hes to lazy and arrogant to drive down there and have a look. hes by far the worst i have ever worked for and once i get paid the last installment for this newbuild i will NEVER work for him again. even the other bloke i work with refuses to have anything to do with him. in all my years ive never met anyone who can rub me and the rest of the world up the wrong way like he can. a PRIZE (you know what) comes to mind

 

[tackleburger]

A friend of my wife moved into her new 5 bedroom house at the turn of the year and I got a call from the wife asking me to go and look at her boiler. Got there looked like the thermocouple had gone had to go to the local shed got one, turned out it was the gas valve so went dow to my lock up picked one of an old boiler fitted it got it going (old mexico). They were intending on changing it along with the kitchen and bathrooms and adding a third bathroom. Hence the used part. Took £70 quid of them 8pm at night.

She asked about the heating etc so I gave her brochures on Viessmann & Vaillant 5 year warranties etc best with a nice 250l unvented give me a shout and I'll give you a quote. Never even got asked.

 

[tackleburger]

I did work for a local bloke but he kept adding wee bits in here and there. Last winter went to start a bathroom for him and when I got there all the rads in the house had been taken off and the pipes were to get shifted under the floor extra work but no warning and not priced and a full days work. Then the big freeze happened and the client had freeze ups galore in the garage fixed three bursts one day then another two later. I never got asked back to do the other two bathrooms I think I got the blame for the bursts which were nothing to do with me and everything to do with not having a garage door fitted in minus 20!! (once a temporary door was fitted problem solved) although the lead feed in the bathroom we did froze underground. He has never used me since but I know he'll call one day and the answer will be guess what.!

 

[tamz]

She asked about the heating etc so I gave her brochures on Viessmann & Vaillant 5 year warranties etc best with a nice 250l unvented give me a shout and I'll give you a quote. Never even got asked.

Probably thought you robbed her and you should have did it for nothing or £20 because she knew your wife.

I've got mine warned never to give my number to anyone unless it is a serious enquiry.