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Which Jobs will you turn down/ suggest something worth a bit more.

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jase158

Hi I have been To quite a few customers who say that they had 2-3 Plumber who all said that they would need a complete new bathroom, For a leaking Bathroom tap??

Now I was taught at college to maintain rather then replace,

So my question is Which jobs would you point blank refuse and which ones would you suggest a complete refurbish instead of just maintenance.

For me it has to be toilet, I hate them, They are so flimsey and not put together very well at all. The rubbers have to be in the exact right place or they leak like mad. Had a couple toilets flush down on the floor, Thank goodness for my wet vac. I always make sure the wet vac is ready when doing toilets now. Just in case.

And as for maintenance, I always try to maintain rather then replace, seems like the fair thing to do, Although, sometimes time spent repairing can be spent installing new and actually saving money.
Went to a macerator the other day, Was shovelling in their feaces for an hour, just to get a glove out, saved them £200 but was disgusting, will definetly not be doing that again.
 
Don't change bath taps , job always trouble. Unless its a customer I like
 
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changin bath taps is murder yes but i tend not to knock back jobs, as long as i get paid at the end i dont care really what it is if its a smelly number then a gas mask may be required lol
 
I know but sometimes its better to knock back a few jobs. You want to be servicing boilers, installing systems that kinda thing not scratching around making life hard for yourself. I think its down to advertising yourself for that sort of thing and not having advert like no job to big or small because then all your going to get is NO SWEARING ringing you up about a dripping tap etc
 
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im trying to advertise myself as a heating specialist, to try and get as much boiler/central heating jobs as possible as i prefer this type of work and more money. But i also advertise for everything plumbing/gas related really
 
I know sometime though when the phone stops ringing you take what you can get it, all depends on the timing of the call lol
 
I refused a job for a landlord the other day. Was a big job too. Terraced house divided into bedsits.Rip out ancient vented system that was housed in a cupboard, and install a combi in the bathroom. Also run bigger 22mm pipe from meter.
Problem was, the place was minging. Think the carpets were alive, and the room where the old system was stank to high heaven. Not room to swing a cat, as every room was tennanted, so crammed with beds, cupboards, clothes. Trying to put the boiler in the bathroom would mean starting late because the bathroom would be busy in the morning, and people would be in and out meaning having to stop work regularly. I would have needed overalls and a face mask. Place hadn't been cleaned or decorated for decades. Also, being a landlord, and the old system was kaput, would have meant he wanted the job done yesterday and haggled on the price.

Sometimes when a job is going to be all aggro, its worth leaving to someone else. Too many nice old ladies who always have the kettle on needing my services anyway!
 
Where do I start, Cp12s for tight landlords who then refuse to belive me when Ive AR thier boiler "because the other bloke passsed it for the last 13yrs" then struggling to get the money off him as he thinks that as its failed I don t need paying?.

A one off service for a friend of a friend on a boiler that hasnt been serviced for 17yrs that they think will fix the intermittant problem that they havent told you about beforehand , Its filthy,corroded and every seal disintergrates as it finaly comes apart, all for the £40 you "agreed on the phone".

Finishing off peoples Diy bathrooms that teyve started and not had the skill to finish.

"Ill do all the rads and pipe work and even hang the boiler" and you just connect the gas, CHEERS, BUT NO THANKS ON THAT ONE.

"Can we knock some off for labour if I take the week off work and help you" work,.

"I used to be a hydrolics engineer at the turnip factory back in the 1970s, therefore I know all about plumbing and Iam going to watch everything you do" work.

"Ive got the boiler from B and Q weve had a quote from daves brother in laws mate to fit it for £10, so can you fit it wednesday" work.

Any gas fires new or old.

Aspestos.

Dirty houses.


Shall I continue.........
 
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Shall I continue.........


Yeh go for it

thought you were just getting started,I was just getting wound up with you there Blackcatgas and you stopped....feel cheated

😉🙂
 
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i would do pretty much any job, unless i thought they might not pay.
if i aint too keen on a job i give them a higher quote than normal then if i do get it im happy to do it
 
Where do I start, Cp12s for tight landlords who then refuse to belive me when Ive AR thier boiler "because the other bloke passsed it for the last 13yrs" then struggling to get the money off him as he thinks that as its failed I don t need paying?.

A one off service for a friend of a friend on a boiler that hasnt been serviced for 17yrs that they think will fix the intermittant problem that they havent told you about beforehand , Its filthy,corroded and every seal disintergrates as it finaly comes apart, all for the £40 you "agreed on the phone".

Finishing off peoples Diy bathrooms that teyve started and not had the skill to finish.

"Ill do all the rads and pipe work and even hang the boiler" and you just connect the gas, CHEERS, BUT NO THANKS ON THAT ONE.

"Can we knock some off for labour if I take the week off work and help you" work,.

"I used to be a hydrolics engineer at the turnip factory back in the 1970s, therefore I know all about plumbing and Iam going to watch everything you do" work.

"Ive got the boiler from B and Q weve had a quote from daves brother in laws mate to fit it for £10, so can you fit it wednesday" work.

Any gas fires new or old.

Aspestos.

Dirty houses.


Shall I continue.........

I can not stop laughing brilliant that

ps not had a bad day have you
 
Like the list Blackcat...suprised about gas fires...any reason? Do you not have a ticket for gas fires? Ask as I'm thinking of doing mine soon, but I don't touch fires as I'm not qualified to, just boilers, and cookers.

Anyhow, turned down first bit of work in ages the other day....broken macerator.

I have repaired these in the past and it's been a component in the circuit board that needed replacing (nice clean work).

On this occasion it was a mate who told me the mrs had been flushing baby wipes....no ta.
 
gents can i ask you do you get more calls for gas work or general plumbing, as i dont have my gas and are just starting out.as a wet plumber
 
I get a mixture of gas, oil, and wet plumbing...more gas work through the winter, boiler repairs...mainly.
 
i would do pretty much any job, unless i thought they might not pay.
if i aint too keen on a job i give them a higher quote than normal then if i do get it im happy to do it

Have to agree, turn very little down unless it's a timing issue. Walk away from anybody that "definitely wants me to do the jpb, but the price isn't quite what we budgeted", if they want to haggle before you start what will it be like getting the money off them at the end.
 
Where do I start, Cp12s for tight landlords who then refuse to belive me when Ive AR thier boiler "because the other bloke passsed it for the last 13yrs" then struggling to get the money off him as he thinks that as its failed I don t need paying?.

A one off service for a friend of a friend on a boiler that hasnt been serviced for 17yrs that they think will fix the intermittant problem that they havent told you about beforehand , Its filthy,corroded and every seal disintergrates as it finaly comes apart, all for the £40 you "agreed on the phone".


Finishing off peoples Diy bathrooms that teyve started and not had the skill to finish.

"Ill do all the rads and pipe work and even hang the boiler" and you just connect the gas, CHEERS, BUT NO THANKS ON THAT ONE.

"Can we knock some off for labour if I take the week off work and help you" work,.

"I used to be a hydrolics engineer at the turnip factory back in the 1970s, therefore I know all about plumbing and Iam going to watch everything you do" work.

"Ive got the boiler from B and Q weve had a quote from daves brother in laws mate to fit it for £10, so can you fit it wednesday" work.

Any gas fires new or old.

Aspestos.

Dirty houses.


Shall I continue.........
Yeah come on Blackcat you had me in stiches there give us some more:

What about these for a start (real conversations i have had)

" I need a new WC had a quote for £40 if I supply the toilet, beat that and the job is yours"

" Had two plumbers round to fix my syphon none of them came back but both said they'd do it for £30- £40 but need a part how much will you charge?" Answer £100 ex VAT as they haven't went back for a reason- boxed in or rusty wingnuts come to mind.

"Can you work in an advisory capacty to help me with my new bathroom?"

"I just need someone to do this and that and I'll do the rest"

"The joiner has fitted the bath can you do the WC and basin the pipes are in for you"

I avoid landlords now too much grief with overflows and rubbish that is on it's last legs needing repaired for peanuts. In fact I turn away far more now than I ever did and I am not that fussy to be honest just want to ensure when I go I can do it right with no comebacks and I can make decent money if it passes that criteria I'll do it.
 
Does it involve a very high ladder and going on the roof? I'll give you a number of someone who's a 'specialist' at fitting vertical flues and weathering them through the roof!
 
I used to hold out for heating jobs, boiler swap, full installs etc which meant turning down the little jobs like changing a washer in a tap etc... I find nowadays that 4 decent quick jobs a day at 40 quid a pop gives me the 750 a week I need. If Ive got a full install on.... then I always line up a 20 mins 40 quid job for on the way home...

With regards to suggesting something worth a bit more... For me its all about integrity (kharma, I think if your ripping people off then you deserve component failure/leaks... I would prefer suggesting new technology thats green, more efficient etc
 
customers who have a non urgent job like fitting an outside tap but wont wait for it. yes i can do that, "oh great when can you come?" hmm well im fully booked for 3 weeks. "oh no i cant wait that long i was hoping you could come tomorrow" (i had this one in january no need for an outside tap in winter other than repairing the ones that burst). impatient customers are my pet peeve. or landlords that call you and say my gas safety certs expire tomorrow can you come and do them today. ive been meaning to call you all week.
 
I love it when you agree an hourly rate plus parts over the phone
when the job has taken longer and turns out to be a complete nightmare the
customer wants to pay you for one hours work bless them all...
 
job i had this week i would have loved to turn down looked like a mushroom farm with fungus growing out of skirting board room was like steptoes yard kids running round tenant moaning about landlord mugs where no t bag was needed and as for the smell lol all because of a leaking w/m valve and not venting the tumble drier as it was to cold to open a window
 
Still I picked up a crappy job a few months back....to descale the worse WC I've ever clapped eyes on.

Told the customer that really they could do with a suite change, and a water softener....fast forward a few months, I've just recieved the deposit of £5000 worth of work from them.

So occasionally the crap jobs do turn into nice work.

My general rule of thumb is to not to turn work away, but I've got to the point now where we're going to be so flat out I will have too. There are three plumbers working and two aprentices, and we still can't keep up. Hope it continues.
 
i can't afford to turn down anything at the moment. i even swapped a thermo shower for the guy who wipes his rse on his shower curtain when he runs out of bog roll.

i was doing a thermocouple change on a gas fire on friday as part of my gas portfolio and the gasman i work with answered his phone and then said oh its one of those jobs i can't be bothered doin. when i asked him what it was he said "hanging a rad" i couldn't beleive it!! but apparently he prefers the more lucrative gas work. (i'm hanging his rad on wednesday lol)


KJ
 
Don't worry Kay J, its often the famine or the feast....especially in the early days. Once you get established customers...they will reccomend you to friends and the work will start to find you.

I've only got these extra guys workinh for me as sub contractors because I could easily find myself just down to bits and bobs again in the blink of an eye.

I used to say to people, I'll never turn anything down. I'm still willing to travel a long way to find work (as long as I'm paid for travel).

Work hard, treat every customer as an important individual and before long you'll be pulling your hair out wondering how you'll get everything done.

Oh and its not all a bed of roses. I fitted a rainwater harvesting unit last week. All the money went to the ground workers. I mean all of it. I under estimated it, didn't get them to price it, and worked all of last week for bugger all.
 
Oh and its not all a bed of roses. I fitted a rainwater harvesting unit last week. All the money went to the ground workers. I mean all of it. I under estimated it, didn't get them to price it, and worked all of last week for bugger all.

Ouch,I bet that hurt Danny.

And that kind of thing can happen quite easily,I'm still in my early days of self-employment and I've dropped a few clangers with pricing,you just have to take it on the chin and learn from it.

I tend to specialise in heating really,my trading name implies that and I do find that that is the sort of work that comes my way. I've had 20 years in the trade and so have built up a network locally in that time,recommendation is the source of the best quality work generally,and with a good customer base it's easier to pick and choose what you take on. If I had a choice,I wouldn't do bathrooms,I passed one on to a friend last week,but it all depends how much you need the work.

However,I will NOT work on macerators🙂
 
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