out of hours calls

[gmac]

Whats the latest call you've had for a non emergency job, just had woman calling at 2050 (sunday) looking set of taps fitted this week, do customers not think we're entitled to a day of rest every now and then

 

[SimonG]

About 11.30 one saturday, left a message about new kitchen sink tap. Phoned back at half one when I got back from the pub.

 

[gmac]

should've went straight round and charged accordingly for out of hours emergency lol

 

[md68]

Best emergency call out that i've had was for desperate chap who need a new loo seat @ 2.45am one morning. He was so frightened of his wife he paid me to change it before she got home the next morning.

 

[kirkgas]

did socail housing on call plumbing and gas for donkeys years, it is so obvious they dont pay for the call out when you turn up to a choked whb or a dripping tap at 11pm, only when we started doing private work did you see the real difference, they only called you out when it WAS an emergency as they were paying for it, got into trouble many years ago when i refused to go out on Christmas morning to someone who had a downstairs loo which was overflowing ( from the cistern, into the pan, not the drain) asked them on the phone how long it had been dripping and when they said only a couple of weeks i said why wait till christmas morning to report it as an emergency, she said we dont get many days off work so dont want to waste it waiting in for the plumber, so i said you have no chance of me turning out today to fix it then as it isnt an emergency so she reported me after the hols haha

 

[gaspastemania]

Got one a few months ago midweek just shy of midnight asking how much to fit a washing machine thought it was a joke but turned out it wasn't , spent the rest of the week with holding my number and crank calling them at all hours .

 

[villa_tom]

did socail housing on call plumbing and gas for donkeys years, it is so obvious they dont pay for the call out when you turn up to a choked whb or a dripping tap at 11pm, only when we started doing private work did you see the real difference, they only called you out when it WAS an emergency as they were paying for it, got into trouble many years ago when i refused to go out on Christmas morning to someone who had a downstairs loo which was overflowing ( from the cistern, into the pan, not the drain) asked them on the phone how long it had been dripping and when they said only a couple of weeks i said why wait till christmas morning to report it as an emergency, she said we dont get many days off work so dont want to waste it waiting in for the plumber, so i said you have no chance of me turning out today to fix it then as it isnt an emergency so she reported me after the hols haha

I know what you mean - I worked in social housing for 4 years before being self employed. Got a call just after midnight one friday night from the call centre - was told it was a breakdown. Being so late I phoned the tenant to say I'd be an hour or so as I was miles away, but told them being so late if it turned out not to be an emergency they would be charged (your allowed little white lies when your tired!!) anyway just setting out in the van and the phone rings again, the lady then admitted that it was only the rad in the kitchen that was not working!!!

They where going to let me get there and say it started working again when I got there then get me to look at the rad. Some people are mental especially when they are not paying for call outs etc.

It amazes me what problems people put up with when they have to pay for things to be sorted

 

[dontknowitall]

I was phoned at 12:30am by an insurance company to go to a town 45 minutes away and fix a WC syphon. I reckoned I'd return at around 3:30am if all went okay. How much? I said minimum of £150 if up to 2 hours. They said they were hoping for £50 including parts.

Another was a call at Friday 11:30pm. I missed it and tried 1471. No answer, so I waited up. 12:30am phone rang - could I fix a kitchen tap leak in the morning? Went round and was cartridge ... temporarily fixed from continuous dribble to a drip every 1/2 minute or so, charged £40 and arranged to fit new tap at their convenience. (Their second house.)

3 weeks later, phoned 3-4 times on weekday morning. Returned call at lunch. Could I renew tap tomorrow as guests arriving on Saturday?
Yes, but it will cost.
How much?
£60 for tap, £90 labour okay?
Yes!!
Fixed next day and took an hour; happy customer who paid by post that evening.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

out of hours calls have two answers yes it will be big bucks and my most used line which ends in off and click

 

[WaterTight]

I need to learn to be thick skinned and manly. I'm too polite. Someone could phone me at a ridiculous hour about something trivial and I'd take them to pieces, curse them to high heavens and go through the finer points of how inconsiderate they've been. But I'd do all of that to myself after a polite and friendly conversation had already ended.

 

[darren-]

Got a phone call about 5 weeks ago at 3am for a choked toilet. Got there and the toilet was flushing fine, then i noticed the big soggy nappy sitting in the corner. The genius tried to flush it to save him going out to the bin.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i once had a call for a quote for a bathroom suite at 2.30 in the morning so i made an appoint ment for two days time then rang him at 3.30 the next morning to tell him i couldnt make it

 

[Dannypipe]

Never had anyone crazy enough to call me regarding something trivial, like a dodgy tap at 2am. Personally I would guess they're the type of people who call 999 to ask how to start their lawn mowers etc. Morons basically.

That aside, I'm always happy to answer a genuine late call out. Good money, no traffic, and normally a very grateful customer.

 

[farqueue]

HOLD ON guys!

You are assuming that everyone knows you work from home? I repair domestic appliances and learnt my lesson when I had a call at 2am from a guy who needed a simple repair, I thought it was an urgent family illness call and ripped his ears off for calling me at such a ridiculous time.

Turns out the guy worked shifts and had just got home, this call was on his list of things to do and he assumed we were a shop and therefor didn't for a second expect anyone to answer - he thought he would just leave a message.

I apolagised .....and booked the call LOL! That was the moment we decided to install a different 'phone line into our home office and when we don't want to be bothered we just switch the ringer off. Our friends & family have our home number to call in case of emegency at 2am!

Ha.....got you thinking? OH and I exect loads of thanks for this excellent post by the way hehehehehe

 

[alex]

The most bizarre was a bloke who called me at 5.30am to ask if i could fit an electric shower that afternoon, he was worried that if he waited any later i might get booked up. As it happened i did manage to fit him in and he did pay more than he would have if he had called at 8am. People who wait until 6.30 on a Sunday and say they have had the problem "for some months now" seem to be becoming an increasingly common annoyance, think that's just the way society is going customers think of plumbers as businesses not people. Its fine by me, a jobs a job and out of hours money is good!