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Had a cracker today…..Hotpoint DC25P Slimline D/W not washing. Customer worried as to the likely cost? After eeeking info from her over the phone I suspected the capacitor was a fault and worth me calling to take a look at least. I quoted a price (£49.50) for the job and she invited me along.
As luck would have it I only needed to give the circulating pump a tweek to free off the plastic tomato sauce bottle seal, which obligingly squirted out of the bottom spray nozzle! 😀
The lady was well chuffed at the result but then told me she had called out our friends that drive blue vans all over the south of England.:wink: They had been along last week and charged her £75 call out and told her the motor was knacked and BER!!! 😯
Hi Ho! Silver!….awaaaaaaaay!!!:rotl:
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Martin wrote:
………….. had called out our friends that drive blue vans all over the south of England.:wink: They had been along last week and charged her £75 call out and told her the motor was knacked and BER!!! 😯Hi Ho! Silver!….awaaaaaaaay!!!:rotl:
With white writing in a flash at an angle on the side of the vans. We know em! I presume trading standards do as well.
Alex
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Foremost Generated Power I reckon!!!!
£79 to unblock hose under Servis soap drawer.
£75 to unblock Hotpoint filter
both of which I had to go to the following week and do properly…and have you noticed the new vans????
I could have a Roller on those charges.
RobRe: Cowboys still riding the range
Had a call yesterday the guy said that he had a Hotpoint DF series dishwasher which would not fill and had another firm out eleven weeks ago to repair it but they have said they are having trouble getting the part. ? Mm as this call was just outside my area and work is patchy I thought that I would take the job and go have a little look.
Having arrived at the guys house he tells me that the firm that came out eleven weeks ago charged him £45.00 and siad theywould get the part to fix his appliance. He has been badgering them every week since and still they maintain the part is a problem to obtain.
I asked him what part they were trying to get, he told me that they would not tell him what part was required ! A joke or what I ask.
Anyway my suspicions were proven correct, having had a quick look it was obvious that the problem was with the Heater and it required a new one. Gave the guy a qoute and he coud’nt believe that I had quickly identified his problem, gave a qoute and said that if he wanted it sorted I would be back the next day. I told him that the real reason that the other idiots had not been back was that they had’nt a clue what was really wrong with his appliance but he was £45.00 down as a result.
Yes there are cowboys running around out there carving it up for the likes of us who try a do a accurate and honest job to the best of our ability.
Needless to say I have gained another customer and the cowboys lose out again as these people won;t be calling them anytime soon.Yipee I I, giddy up trigger !
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
£320 to fit a pair of hinges to a Neff cooker. 😯
How can you justify that? Fortunately, the customer (elderly couple) declined the repair but were still charged £75. The door was not even removed from the appliance for closer inspection – the grease and gunge round the hinge had not been disturbed. They were pressed to replace the Neff instead of repairing it and the lady said she only paid the £75 to make the fellow go away. She added that she was angry but was prepared to lose the £75 for him to stay away.
The only fault with the door (early Neff door; long framed hinges with 2 big springs) was a broken spring end loop. 5 minutes with the pliers and the hinges pulled up – good as new. Refitted the door and one elated customer.I’m glad “they” are around – they make the rest of us look like superstars without even breaking a sweat. 😉
Steve.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
I’m not glad they are around. A lot of customers would take the attitude “once bitten, twice shy” and simply buy a new appliance or put up with the fault in the case of cooker doors etc.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Phidom wrote:I’m not glad they are around. A lot of customers would take the attitude “once bitten, twice shy” and simply buy a new appliance or put up with the fault in the case of cooker doors etc.
Only jesting, Phidom….:martin:
Steve.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
robbra wrote:Foremost Generated Power I reckon!!!!
RobAs said before in these hallowed pages, “In a league of their own”
Blitzed yellow pages, and convinced the browsing public they are the bees knees. One thing I’ve learned over the years, there is no better advertising than recommendation, and after spending in the past £6k p.a. on Y/Pages, I’ve since learned don’t need to. Y/Pages have proved to me that the type of traffic they court are these type of traders, and I’m glad I’ve saved the fees.
Saying that though, the poor old punter is the one that knows no different and gets sucked in by the sales pitch from such “repairers”. This outfit have first of all to recoup the expense of telling Joe Public how wonderul they are, and who pays for that, Joe Public of course.
I’ve been here a long time, and I’m still here, let’s see if these can do the same!
Alex
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
I’ve been here a long time, and I’m still here, let’s see if these can do the same!
I’m sure longevity isn’t in their business plan, whoever they are. Why struggle for 30 years when you can make the same in 10?????
All the ‘ i can do a recon motor ‘ (when all it needs is brushes) brigade around my way seem to have retired early and jetted off to Spain.
Frustrating isn’t it!
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Yes it is frustrating, ill tell you what gets right up my nose if the motor only needs brushes, in some cases im not rewarded for my honesty here, im told that £38 to £48 all in for changing brushes is over priced and goodbye, or even better thanks for coming ill get od job down the road to change them instead, or thanks for the quote ill get back to you on that one, next they phone every man and his dog for the best price for changing brushes, i get them on the phone “how much does it cost for brushes changed on a ….hotpoint etc” so i reply how do you know its the brushes? then then they say well i had an engineer out and hes quoted a lot for just brushes” when you ask how much its normally a reasonable price for the job.
I got sick of this and now quote the customer for a “motor service”, brush change(gen carbs), comm stick and clean up of old carbon dust and insulation test. still charge the same.I hate being dishonest in anyway its just plain bad for business, but sick of dishonest customers.I think yes there out there rough traders i want to see a new tv program called rough customers as there just as bad.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Alex wrote:As said before in these hallowed pages, “In a league of their own”
More information has come to my attention and it appears this company has bought a new set of spurs.:rolls:
I’m hopeful that next month I may well be able to elaborate that statement. Meanwhile please be vigilant. 😉 😉 😉
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Didnt realise people still paid for Hotpoint brushes to be changed,where i am they change there own
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
With the old Hotpoint brushes I fit about half the number I sell. I find the new big drum Hotpoints a pain to work on but I suppose at least owners are less inclined to have a go themselves so in theory we get some extra work.
Re: Cowboys still riding the range
Yes it is frustrating, ill tell you what gets right up my nose if the motor only needs brushes, in some cases im not rewarded for my honesty here, im told that £38 to £48 all in for changing brushes is over priced and goodbye, or even better thanks for coming ill get od job down the road to change them instead,
Solution, never tell your customer what needs doing!
Tell them the machine has an electrical fault and that new parts are required. Thats it. Then you adopt the broken record technique to any questions, electrical parts required. If pushed I say that my estimate is for price only and that I do not give details of the actual repair because, “believe it or not sir/madam, and I know your not one of these, but some people actually call me out to find out whats up so they can do the repair themselves”!Don’t undervalue your years of experience and most importantly your honesty. The truth is that anyone who whines about your very cheap £38 to £48 price tag is actually getting at least a 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} lower qoute than if they called out the manufacturer or a man in a blue van!
Also, not for me to say but £38 for any brush change is selling yourself short, after you have deducted your overheads (about 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} usually) and cost of parts you are probably making £10 if your lucky. £38 plus parts at retail value is more realistic. Just my opinion.
Neil
(edit)Just to make it clear I do tell customer what I have done after I have been paid and leave old parts with customer.Re: Cowboys still riding the range
simonb wrote:I got sick of this and now quote the customer for a “motor service”, brush change(gen carbs), comm stick and clean up of old carbon dust and insulation test. still charge the same.I hate being dishonest in anyway its just plain bad for business, but sick of dishonest customers.
I don’t agree that this is in any way dishonest. It might be putting a spin on the service but it can’t be dishonest if you are charging the same price. It just makes the customer feel they’ve had better value for money and lets them know it’s not just shoving a pair of brushes in.
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