Am I too expensive??

[cr0ft]

Been a while since this happened to me, i.e. never! Went round to a quote on a Saturday (last Saturday quote I will ever do, never got one yet for some reason). Guy wanted a tap re-washered and a new utility room sink fitted. The old one had severe corrosion all over it and underneath it (not sure what he had done, claimed some garden chemical had exploded under there lol). The guy wanted to re-use the old corroded waste on his brand new sink. It was a mess.

I gave him a price of £80 including VAT to do both jobs. He laughed at me and said I was the most expensive quote he'd had. Maybe it's sour grapes, but it's got me questioning my prices. Is my price expensive? I worked on a couple of hours labour all in all, bearing in mind I am VAT registered so I would see £64 of the £80.

I also found it unbelievable that if he'd had 2 other quotes like he said that he was wasting his and my time on a Saturday trying to save another £5 or so. Some people are amazing!

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

would charge more. Don't feel bad, he will endup doing it himself at the end

 

[ManchesterGas]

Too cheap I would say!

 

[stoker122]

The usual time waster.
I think I would give him a ball park on the phone then confirm when arriving to do the job (or not if he's already got someone to do it for £20 all in).

 

[Leo21]

Nah! Your not to expensive. That customers a dick. I get things like this occasionally, and you do question yourself. But as others have said, your not over pricing it.

 

[gasmanrob]

I would say your to cheap obviously I haven't seen the job but I'd have been about £30 more expensive then that

 

[michael c]

Not exspensive mate a cheap qoute for a bathroom install in my area is about 450 so to do a sink at 80 quid is about right

 

[Mike Jackson]

£80 is far too cheap in my opinion.

 

[mfgs]

I wouldn't be doing that for £80. I am with gasmanrob, I would have quoted 110-120. I am fast learning that working for yourself you can run around all day long and earn no more than you would do working for a firm. My last tax return was a real eye opener for me and I have adjusted my prices accordingly.

 

[CES]

As above, oh and if anyone laughs in your face about prices, you hit them with a bill for coming out.. (unless of course you had agreed free estimates). That soon wipes the smile off their face!

 

[Barry98]

a 24 carrot prat ring him up tell him you've got a 50 % sale on but only mon-fri when he accepts book him in give him a time sway 10-2 then when he phones @ 2.30 to see where you are say your half way there then when he phones at 5 simply say how did you feel having your day wasted d1ckhead

 

[SafeGasInstall]

tc tc tc Lee

 

[Guest123]

Not too expensive. There are more and more of these nobs around trying to save a few quid and not prepared to pay a tradesman his worth. They usually start the conversation with "It's not really a big job, it shouldn't take long". What they really mean is that "I want it done really cheaply and as quickly as possible". When I hear that I'm not interested.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

It's not the customers it's the other builders and handymans and plumbers and gas fitters , simply they have not for much and they have to lower there going rate as they need to pay bills and put food on the table

 

[SafeGasInstall]

They have not got much .... Sorry I am using my phone

 

[PatchettPlumbing]

I wouldn't say that is expensive at all mate. I'd probably charge a little bit more to be honest.

 

[Whn1]

"It's not really a big job, it shouldn't take long"

Hahah the amount of times I've heard people say that to my guvnor and he's reply being "do it yourself then" before hanging up.

 

[WaterTight]

Fortune cookie say:
Be more expensive.
Lose some jobs.
Make the same amount anyway.
Go down the pub.

 

[Leo21]

Fortune cookie say:
Be more expensive.
Lose some jobs.
Make the same amount anyway.
Go down the pub.

My thoughts exactly, well Confucius words anyway.

 

[REDSAW]

looks like i lost mine, bath tap re-washer, 2 new basin taps fitting, £40-60 and thats a guy i have done 3 recent jobs for and the last call round to repressure his boiler was free!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dannypipe]

This is why I refuse to quote for small jobs like this. I get the brief on the phone, and simply refuse to come over and quote. Instead I say I'll come and do the work at my hourly rate, plus any materials.

It's not worth taking the time out to quote for jobs under £400.

This isn't being bigheaded, but if someone phones me and say's they want their bathroom changed, I'll go round and quote it. If they want their kitchen taps changed (or the like) I just book a day and charge when done.

 

[REDSAW]

i actually went there tools in hand for him to say someone else is quoting for it in 2 days time. you can imagine how i am thinking!!!!!11

 

[hammers4spanner]

£150 plus a go on his wife would have been my fee

 

[stevetheplumber]

i try to quote on phone for small jobs change taps syphons etc sorts out the messers and yes i agree the worst words to hear are "its only a small job" the other one i hate is im a property developer if you do this job cheap i can get you lots of work, lots of cheap work i can live without

 

[cr0ft]

Cheers all. I am going to start quoting on the phone for all jobs that are less than a days work. Everyone has a camera phone now so I'm sure if they are serious they can take a quick photo of the job (i.e. the airing cupboard for a hot water cylinder change) and send it over.

That will be the last quote I do on a Saturday. Every quote I've ever done on a Saturday I've never got and like others have said, I need to wake up and stop working stupidly hard for the extra £60 here or there.

I'm lucky in that business is busy and I don't need these jobs to be honest. I used to take a loss-leader on small jobs like this in the hope I would have a new customer to grow my business but when I've started looking in detail at my accounts most of these jobs never end up materialising in much more work.

 

[REDSAW]

theres no such thing as a loyal customer, they will back stab you for the next lowest price.

 

[Dannypipe]

Sadly on most accounts Red, you're totally right.

 

[TFGplumbing]

I think £80 pounds is a fair price.

 

[peteheat]

My minimum would have been €120.00 for the call out, probably go as high as €200.00 having viewed the job.

Here's my thinking, a married couple can get almost €400.00 per week on the dole plus a shed load of extra benefits.

No verhead maybe rent which if in a council house amounts to less than €20.00.

I get up and leave my comfortable home, drive my loaded van with a small fortune in tools and equipment (forgot diesel, insurance road tax etc)
to provide an insured service that is obviously more than an hours work.

If I was losing jobs like that I would close up and enjoy my early retirement.