Walked out on a job yesterday. First ever time.

[WaterTight]

Was at end of my tether after a long, hard week. Every job yesterday tested my patience and sanity. I almost thought it was a set up. Then I walk into a inlet valve change which I'd driven for 45 mins to get to. Need piece of junk replaced with a fluidmaster, over flow cut down in height and new piping as old was under strain and leaking. Said £75. Picked the number off the top of my head but was roughly what I aim for. Perhaps £10 more than my min labour charge, plus parts, plus mark up but no great steal. She looked shocked at price. I immediately said 'feel free to have a think, you've got another loo as you say, maybe get another price, let me know after the weekend" in the most sincere, unthreatening way possible - because genuinely I wouldn't have taken much persuasion to leave and deal with the other two jobs I had booked (it was 3.30pm on a fri.)

To be fair they didn't know I'd driven 45 mins to get there so there's no justification for extra money on the price for that. But it is the south east and roughly the standard (edging toward top-end) price you'd expect to pay for that job.

She then backed down and said she'd prefer if I did it but would I mind bleeding all her rads and topping up her new combi afterwards for same price as the installer hadn't done so and they were all cold at the top. No prob I said.

I start work and I hear "New box is it?" From behind me. Turn to see angry looking husband.

"New what sorry?"

"New box, new...cistern, is it?"

"Ah, no. No. New inlet valve. And piping. And shorten the..."

"Why is it so expensive? How do you break it down in the labour and parts? The pounds and pennies."

"Well I don't. It's a fixed price which covers a multitude of..."

"It's too much money for this job though isn't it?"

I was in no mood. "I'll put it back together and leave you too it then." I turn and start re-attaching inlet piping. "Wish you'd said this before I began."

But I couldn't! I'd just undo inlet piping and it was cross threaded on inlet and needed wrenching to have undone it as far as I had. No way would it reseal. He kept growling behind me and then his wife reappeared and asked him to leave me alone. He walked away and she tried to persuade me to ignore him but I'd lost it. Nobody ever accuses me of ripping them off. It's happened maybe 3 times in 5 years. I won't work with that hanging in the air.

But I had no choice so I finished the job at top speed. But done properly. Then realised I'd shot myself in the foot because I'd finished it - even pausing to argue - in about 15 mins. So that's going to look great asking for £75. And I was dead-set I wasn't going to negotiate a reduced price. So I packed up and buggered off. No goodbye.

Felt odd but made sense in my head as the only route out at the time.

 

[erpkid]

Understand the feeling, tends to be the blokes. They feel impotent because they can't do the job so have to make themselves feel better by bullying the trades. Amazingly they never learn and confusingly feel they are in the right. Fortunately twonks like this have very few friends to diss you to :wink:

 

[WaterTight]

Good point. I love it when they say on the phone "I won't be there at that time but the wife will..."

Because you know you'll be left to it and they'll accept what you say.

 

[TomLane]

I'd say you had the last say by doing it in 15 minutes & rightly justified in what you charged! Two fingers up to the them on the way out!

Don't let it get you down. Unfortunately they'll probably be plenty more! I'm having a mare on a job at the minute but can't walk away until I know it's all done! Just got to take it on the chin & learn from it for future!

 

[erpkid]

Also your pricing was spot on. We would have been 45 labour and 25 materials plus vat. The materials to allow for a broken or non existing isolator in addition to the valve.

 

[Ermintrude]

I would have taken a loss on cash and walked out. Wouldn't even started a discussion. Pick up tools and walk out. No explanation. Had old bloke follow me down drive asking me what was wrong. In van and off. Tried to negotiate after agreed works previously. I was there to do a £50 job and she piped up with " check his price cos the other lad is coming to quote later " well called my bluff ,much like u busy day , horrible job..... Bye . Worth the £50 to see them looking confused and worried

 

[plumber0808]

Ignore it, some people do that sort of Shyte at every opportunity they get. It just happened to be you this time, you won't be the last.

 

[Resolute]

That's not what you want on a Friday afternoon!

Should've just capped the pipe and left the valve out! Send them an invoice in the post, They may still pay up so at least you won't be out of pocket. Makes you wonder why the last guy didn't bleed the rads and top the system pressure up - prob had a similar experience!

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I had one yesterday, did a job on a rented house, needed to find a leak and fix it.

I told the LL it was £30 call out and if I do the jb I'd give a price.

Went Wednesday and said I thought I knew but not 100%. Told custard £100. He said cash in hand, I said yes.

Went yesterday, had to rip off the back of kitchen unit, not what I thought but found to be a leaking flexi connector, had a look, no washer, downstairs flat ceiling all caved in and mouldy!!!

So, fixed that, no leaks, cleared up (10 mins) and checked again, all dry.

Told LL via phone.

Saw him last night for payment, he tries to negotiate the price down. He tells me he knows about plumbing so I ask him why he didn't do it himself then!! I stand firm and say it was a fixed quote to fix it. He asks for a receipt, I tell him that's ok but its 20% more.

In the end he pays, I tell him not to mess around in future as people won't work for him.

No good!!

 

[lame plumber]

last one to mess me about wouldnt pay last £500 owed, so went back turned off mains and took off all my bits fm kitchen set up, when he queried my actions I just said Im taking my items back, so out came the cash, so off I went, leaving him to put them all back on, as I explained,I had only been paid to do it once

 

[Leo21]

It always makes me smile when you see people's faces when you give them the take it or leave it scenario. I've even told people I'd rather quit heating and be a post man than do it for that price.

 

[Howsie]

Well done for putting it back. I'd walked straight out.

 

[Centralheatking]

Same here Erm me and my boys would just f-off take a hit but hey CHK

I would have taken a loss on cash and walked out. Wouldn't even started a discussion. Pick up tools and walk out. No explanation. Had old bloke follow me down drive asking me what was wrong. In van and off. Tried to negotiate after agreed works previously. I was there to do a £50 job and she piped up with " check his price cos the other lad is coming to quote later " well called my bluff ,much like u busy day , horrible job..... Bye . Worth the £50 to see them looking confused and worried

 

[Centralheatking]

The other thing we do from time to time - is if we are passing a bad customer and
there is another outfit outside - we stop and let the others know - even call me
and I will tell the new fitter myself - and it works both ways 2 centralheatking

 

[lame plumber]

any shyty customers and i chat to my local merchant and he lets anyone else know of hassle if their name pops up. saved me trouble once or twice qs well

 

[buckley plumb]

some toilets can be a pain agreed fixed price to redo cistern doughnut - found cistern sealed with a tube of silicon took ages to cut cistern from pan then undid the cold feed and that dropped down as it was under strain .some jobs just are not cost effective to do .

 

[JAH HEATING]

I fitted a 3port the other week.

I went out the week before, the owner offered me £70. I got my tools, told him the make of the valve an ring somebody else up to do it. Id previously told him £150.


he then said, I don't have it can you come back next Tuesday. He's from Africa this fella, he won't stop bugging you with calls, I said ok. Make sure you have the CASH on completion.

i did it, he wasn't there so his wife tried to do a banks transfer for less !! £120 !!

 

[Ermintrude]

I fitted a 3port the other week.

I went out the week before, the owner offered me £70. I got my tools, told him the make of the valve an ring somebody else up to do it. Id previously told him £150.

A

he then said, I don't have it can you come back next Tuesday. He's from Africa this fella, he won't stop bugging you with calls, I said ok. Make sure you have the CASH on completion.

i did it, he wasn't there so his wife tried to do a banks transfer for less !! £120 !!

Ssholes! Love negotiations like this. Just say fine and remove valve . Don't even drain down , as soon as u open first nut the money is in your hands.

 

[JAH HEATING]

Ssholes! Love negotiations like this. Just say fine and remove valve . Don't even drain down , as soon as u open first nut the money is in your hands.

She walked around checking every rad, no word of a lie I gave her a lift te cash machine !!

 

[SimonG]

Three times.

First was a call out to an oil boiler, dodgy three port, no room to change it and cylinder leaking. Said I couldn't guarantee getting it out without issue with cylinder. So they wanted new cylinder as well. Came back a few days later with valve and cylinder. Got all the gear out and the bloke said a mate of his had said it would be a doddle to change the valve without touching the cylinder and that the leak was something and nothing. Fair enough, get your mate to sort it, gear back in van and invoice for diagnosis. Bloke was begging me to change it, I just told him to feck off.

Second was two en-suites, I'd first fixed them and then they told me her father was doing the tiling. No problem but thanks for letting me know. Went back to second fix, cust supplied sanitaryware, basin mono leaked from handle, shower wouldn't turn off and there was another problem. Told them to sort the gear, let me know and I'd come back and finish. She phoned about a week later saying that I was supposed to have been there that morning. Started getting a bit nasty. I stopped her in her tracks by saying who the feck did she think she was talking too. I told them I would bill for work so far and she could feck off.

Third and best. Bloke from Midlands phoned, had a rental and no heating or hot water from oil boiler. I said I'd be there next morning about 10.30. Struggled to find the place and got there at 10.40. Knock on the door, I've come to look at your dodgy boiler, oh you must be the dodgy plumber that's ten minutes late. I said you what and she repeated it. I said you're having a fecking laugh, I'll tell you what, you have no heating, you have no hot water and it's staying that way. See ya.

 

[WaterTight]

you must be the dodgy plumber that's ten minutes late.

Just remembered I've got this customer I've done 3 jobs for and without realising it or planning it I've been on time to the nearest second each time. He's the type that notices and mentions it each time. I always use the line "it's more luck than judgement" but now I feel I have to keep it up.

Like there's this other customer. She's so ridiculously over-praising you'd think I was Jesus. "I'll tell all my friends, you're amazing" etc.. It makes you feel you've got to do an amazing job to live up the compliments.

Both of those make me think if you want to manipulate someone into going the extra mile, doing something for nothing or pulling out all the stops don't do it by criticism or nagging. Do it with huge amounts of undeserved praise. Works every time.

 

[stevetheplumber]

you cant please all the people all of the time

 

[Killy Bing]

I serviced an oil boiler for a pair of.......interesting characters! Later they wanted their controls sorted and to update the pump and valves

New pump
I changed a pair of three ports to four two ports.
new programmer, two new cylinder stats, wiring centre and 2 wireless room stats

did the pipework, filled back up. Starting to wire it up when they say
"oh don't worry about that, our electrician is here to wire it up"

quite taken by surprise i went "oh we never agreed on this?"

at which point they started saying oh we have been told this much blah blah

i agreed 100 less than i quoted for. They paid up.

they walk out and the sparky walks in....and he was younger than me!
Bear in mind i'm 21.......
i quickly rigged the pump upto a plug and bled the last of the air out.

left quite amused!
that was in april.

last week i got a phone call to come and finish the wiring off......

 

[SimonG]

Been to do an oil service tonight. Looked after it for a couple of years then the bloke phoned to say it's broken down but he has taken out insurance but the service is 3 weeks overdue. Anyway I did the service tonight and he shows me what they did. Bearing in mind that he's paying £7 a month on top of his home insurance and the fact the only problem was a blocked flexi to the ev. The bloke fitted new pump, new 3 port valve and head, new pressure vessel, new flexi hose and a new pressure relief valve. I charged a bit extra for the service to cover future lost revenue.

 

[Leo21]

Been to do an oil service tonight. Looked after it for a couple of years then the bloke phoned to say it's broken down but he has taken out insurance but the service is 3 weeks overdue. Anyway I did the service tonight and he shows me what they did. Bearing in mind that he's paying £7 a month on top of his home insurance and the fact the only problem was a blocked flexi to the ev. The bloke fitted new pump, new 3 port valve and head, new pressure vessel, new flexi hose and a new pressure relief valve. I charged a bit extra for the service to cover future lost revenue.

I do the same, iff there's no repeat business to have. Might as well.

 

[Ermintrude]

Do you do no fix no fee on call outs? Easier sometimes, went to job where flue was leaking water in.... Builder got us to look at ur as he was off site. Roofer had pulled flue out of boiler and tried to refit from outside. Ariston boiler flue overheat lockout. ID the job builder on phone kicking off. Said sorry you prevented us from fixing boiler it's £150 plus vat. Custard payed it as he ows builder £££££ we left before builder arrived. Custards wife was ready for blood! Riddor on was to bob the builder via HSE.

 

[lame plumber]

why didnt you just fix it and charge for that, simpler all round?

 

[Ermintrude]

why didnt you just fix it and charge for that, simpler all round?

5 o'clock raining, no flue clips, flue all over and expanding foam all over.

 

[lame plumber]

5 o'clock raining, no flue clips, flue all over and expanding foam all over.

oooooooooh id and a big callout invoice then, ps If I turn out they pay, they have had my time and fuel