This Trade

[hammers4spanner]

Has this trade quite literally gone to the wall . All I hear is payment issues money owed ,grief with endless regulations and manufacturers warranties are not worth the paper written on either. Customers expecting to pay pitta yet expect top end product . THE rates were better a few year back as well .

Training centers don't help the situation either and then we get endless reg alterations from gas safe who are deafening in the silence.

What do you guys think of our trade at this moment in time.

 

[SimonG]

If it was easy then everybody would want to do it

 

[Stanios]

I'm quite new to it all but already see most of what you said is true.

 

[rpm]

Customers expecting to pay pitta yet expect top end product . THE rates were better a few year back as well .

What do you guys think of our trade at this moment in time.

Think it applies to all trades, customers have high expectations from make over programmes and glossy magazines, manufactures cutting costs and therefore quality, people being told that plumbers, sparkies etc can earn 50k a year whilst their salaries are frozen or reduced.

 

[julesverne]

Suppose it peoples different perspectives.
Doing really well at the moment and have been for last couple of years. Been at it nearly 8/9 self employed and getting better all the time.
Very very rarely have payment issues although in the early days did get stung big time but that more a fault of my own being wet behind the ears much wiser now.

Dont think you can put it down to people or areas as bradford is up there with the poorest neighbour hoods.
I think a lot of it is how you come across to people and the type of people you target and your marketing. Most of my work comes through my website and google business listing as it has over 20 5star reviewsand growing.

 

[Masood]

Customers expecting to pay pitta.

So that's why it's called earning your daily bread! I always wondered...

 

[Millsy 82]

I must admit that I don't have a lot of money problems, had a few grumble I'm too expensive but always paid up, I've only had to threaten 1 builder with court and he then paid cash 2 days later and I think to date I only have 1 outstanding payment of £62 from a pis head.

The reg changes has always been around as far as I can remember some I agree with and some I don't but I just try to go with the flow.

 

[Leo21]

It doesn't matter how cheap you are, someone will always moan about you being expensive.
Besides if no one moans about you being expensive, you need to put your prices up?

 

[stani]

I just paid yesterday, for my dog who caught his Jew claw on my car seat, the amount of £87-50 for 1 hour out of hours call.
I took him to the vet and it was around 1-30pm, they are open as emergency vet 24 hours.
Never let anyone say you are too expensive, if they do just tell them to call a vet out if they want to see expensive.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

its going down hill fast, what doesnt help is all the diyers/ foreigners/ firemen / have a go lot doing the work for 8 -15 per hour and not qualified no insurances fly by knights

 

[Ray Stafford]

We'll be running our 2016 "State of the trade" survey in the next few weeks, so we will see what the responses are like.

I have to say that from our perspective, business is booming.

 

[Stanios]

We'll be running our 2016 "State of the trade" survey in the next few weeks, so we will see what the responses are like.

I have to say that from our perspective, business is booming.

Would like to see the previous year's results, are there any links?

 

[Leo21]

We'll be running our 2016 "State of the trade" survey in the next few weeks, so we will see what the responses are like.

I have to say that from our perspective, business is booming.

That's because al, the new condensers only last five minutes.

 

[plumben]

Ive just been on a job today where a customer has had his own plumber in to do the plumbing and the kitchen fitters where starting this morning, well they got straight on the phone for me to come sort it out, gas pipe work was all over the place no clips, hot and cold was a mixture of plastic & copper just added on to various bits nothing good about It, even a w/m hose and 2 valves as a length of pipe

 

[Ray Stafford]

Would like to see the previous year's results, are there any links?

Attached to this thread.