Blocked toilet

[rocketmanbkk]

7.30 am phone buzzes, I'm up so answer it, blocked toilet, local to me.

Ok, it's £45 first hour then £20 per half

All ok, get to job 10.30, nice house, need to take boots off, flush toilet, water rises to rim. Plunge 3/4 times & clears, custard looks at me & raises eyebrows. Wait a min & flush again, all lovely. 5 min job.

Get downstairs & he asks how much, I said just £45 as agreed earlier, raises eyebrows. Gets his wallet, oh, I've only got £20.

Well you owe me £25 then, drop it to my house later, I trust you.

You haven't been here long.

Here we go...

It's £45 mate, if I was her an hour it would still be £45.

Right, right, how about £25

No, it's £45.

He gets the money.

What do you do? Discount it & maybe you get another job one day?

I need a minimum charge, like everyone

Not letting it get me down but does annoy me.

Anyway, no work now until Monday.

Cheers all

 

[Phil]

I never unblock a toilet for this exact reason while a customer is tea spooning me, I make an excuse that I'm bringing more stuff in and that they should leave me to it as it will be unpleasent.

Let them see your plunger is they want to see the magic tool but ultimately work alone.
Normally it clears after 5 mins but I hang around flushing, disinfecting and then go down after half an hour so they feel they have their moneys worth.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Yeah, he was shoulder to shoulder, you know what I mean.

Well, his house is all refurbished & new as they just moved in so I guess I wasn't good enough to call to do that, but toilet unblock, yep!!!

 

[clarky101]

Maybes knock a bit off if your only there 10 mins.....customers don't like paying full amount for a short job like that....if it was me I'd have settled at 30 on the hope of more jobs....

 

[rpm]

You have to make it clear your £45 covers the traveling costs and up to the first hour there regardless.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Told him clear £45 first hour then £20 per half hour thereafter.

I don't want to start telling everyone that includes travel, fuel, insurances, maintaining van & tools.

I think I'll stick to my guns on charging.

I could've said its a fixed £80 fee for the job. Then his eyebrows would've hit the ceiling!

 

[Phil]

I suppose it should be £80 minimum (wait for Lame to say £130) to unblock a toilet, after all you are dealing with nastys, if its a simple on your way job round the corner then okay £45/50 as long and its just a simple bucket down or plunge.

 

[rpm]

Told him clear £45 first hour then £20 per half hour thereafter.

I don't want to start telling everyone that includes travel, fuel, insurances, maintaining van & tools.

I think I'll stick to my guns on charging.

I could've said its a fixed £80 fee for the job. Then his eyebrows would've hit the ceiling!

I didn`t say all that did I ? Keep it short and simple for them to understand.
£xx covers me getting to you and up to the first hour there.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I suppose it should be £80 minimum (wait for Lame to say £130) to unblock a toilet, after all you are dealing with nastys, if its a simple on your way job round the corner then okay £45/50 as long and its just a simple bucket down or plunge.

I agree, for the time I was there, this time 2yrs ago I would've buckled & charged a tenner & not earned a living but do favours for people I don't know who were earning more than me, driving better cars etc.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I didn`t say all that did I ? Keep it short and simple for them to understand.
£xx covers me getting to you and up to the first hour there.

You didn't but it could start going like that, I'm ain't gonna start even saying this covers my travel costs as it was a half mile drive!

I'm just giving costs & being polite.

I had a chap last year, had a small garden that needed strumming. Went to look, poor old chap, told him £60 strim & put in green bin. Too expensive. He gets someone else in, gives them £240! Wtf.

Had the same with another chap, I trim hedge every over month, £40. Last year when I returned from holiday I drove past & noticed it was trimmed, phoned him, chap charged him £240 for hours work.

But when I say a stupid price I'm the blooming devil rip off person!

Really annoyed me those 2 jobs. I still trim the hedge in season as he's a nice chap but he knows not to pay another now!!

 

[Phil]

Always work on the basis that they need you more than you need them, it is Saturday after all, Dyno Doctor would be more.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Absolutely

 

[rpm]

You didn't but it could start going like that, I'm ain't gonna start even saying this covers my travel costs as it was a half mile drive!

It only goes as far as you want it to go. Doing it as I do everyone knows what the score is.
From your examples there are strange people living around you.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Not really strange but maybe tight , remember you've got a day job.

 

[rpm]

remember you've got a day job.

Which is why you have to make every job you do count isn`t it? Why somebody should pay £240 when you said £40 is beyond me if they are tight with money.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Correct, which really gets up my nose.

If I would've said £240 they wouldn't have asked me to go ahead!

Some people!!!!

 

[rpm]

Jay re the pm, if I`m coming across as you say then I am sorry and it wasn't intentional. Have a nice weekend.

 

[tomplumb83]

...

 

[mfgs]

No way should you discount it, you told him the charge although in future make it clear that its a minimum charge and covers up to the first hour of work.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Yep, exactly what I told him.

 

[tomplumb83]

Which is why you have to make every job you do count isn`t it? Why somebody should pay £240 when you said £40 is beyond me if they are tight with money.

Maybe there is a high concentration of people with dyscalculia in his area?

 

[Phil]

What van do you rock up in Rocket?

If you turn up in a van as if you are cutting the hedges you wont command the price a plumber will charge if you know what I mean.
If customers think you are an odd job handyman, they expect to pay you less than a plumber.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I've got a white connect with plumbing & property maintenance on it.

The signs looking a bit old so just got a new design. Plumbing & maintenance

Just a bit more modern.

I'd like a newer bigger van but next year or year after I think.

Things are going ok. Can't complain too much.

Really need to do the NVQ 2 - booked in to do H&S test for cscs card so I might try & get on site for NVQ evidence etc.

All good. Just slowly does it.

 

[newcastle phill]

Perhaps in future just state its £45 regardless whether its 10 minutes or an hour

 

[rocketmanbkk]

The chap new the cost of the 1st hour £45.

He repeated my costs back to me.

Just because it was easy it raised his eyebrows

I told him before I went it could be 2 mins, 2 hours or it might need jetting

I prepared him incase it was bad.

I'm sure he won't call me again but then again he might as I was nice to him & I even took my boots off!

 

[newcastle phill]

Yeh i hear ya, sadly they hear hour and think it's pro rata.
Needs spelling out with 5 mins or an hour imho

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Yep, I'll make sure future custards know exactly

Everyone wants s deal, I'm the worst!

 

[jonnyswamp]

I think your charge of £45 was extremely reasonable, especially as it was a Sat morn call out
You were prepared to be elbows deep in shyte if needed, as it was a plunge sorted it
If you get the same response in future, ask them how much would it take for them to cover themselves in shyte to earn a living
It's what I have said in the past and it works

 

[WaterTight]

You seem to have way more than your fair share of people who hire you with the intention of trying it on with the price.

So you either live on Scaghead and Wasters Estate or you're doing something wrong.

Doesn't sound like it's what you say, what you drive or what you do.

It's a mystery.

Sounds like I do similar work to you (although i avoid blocked bogs) and I rarely mention price in advance, rock up in a 14 year old van that's not been washed since I've owned it, wearing trousers that often look like they belong to a painter and I 99% of people accept the price I give them first punt. And I aint cheap.

The only thing I can think of is maybe you've got a hint of a lack of confidence about you or something? Although why that would bring out the inner blagger in people I dont know.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I don't think so!

I'll stop posting what I do from now.

I ain't no mug or pushover

Too nice maybe

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Jay if I may, having met you only the once for a brief chat I think this may be it.

you don't know me mate.

 

[WaterTight]

I don't think so!

I'll stop posting what I do from now.

I ain't no mug or pushover

Too nice maybe

Keep the toys in the pram old bean, think we're all just trying to help.

From what I've read you've got a great go-getter attitude, almost fearless. I'm sure whatever the missing piece is that gets you lumbered with chancers will fall into place before long.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i think anything less than £60 an hour is selling your self short

 

[rocketmanbkk]

i think anything less than £60 an hour is selling your self short

I wouldn't get it Steve.

I've got a job next week, Thursday, new tap revivers, basin, £8.50 for parts, £50 whole job. Had another quote £30 all in. I said get them to do it. They rang me back and said they liked me!!

I think if I was doing unvented stuff, gas etc. I could charge more. Couple more years for gas etc. I hope

My mate sold his estate agent last year, he paid the gas chap £25 per cp12. Now I think that's cheap.

Im all good, slowly does it for me.

 

[lame plumber]

I suppose it should be £80 minimum (wait for Lame to say £130) to unblock a toilet, after all you are dealing with nastys, if its a simple on your way job round the corner then okay £45/50 as long and its just a simple bucket down or plunge.

If you know it should be an £80 callout/first hour then charge that, £85 callout for me now, new year and all that. If I ever have to lift a manhole cover, £150 straight off. Your in business to earn a living, get some **** in your eye and you could be off work for weeks, so your taking risks with your health doing this, point that out to the wallet holder a bit.