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Re: I should cocoa!
allen 73 wrote . Door seals on washers however are probably a safe bet.
Old dear phones me up for a door seal in the week “Ive got rips in my door bit how much ” .
I give her a price . Her gast is flabered !!!!!!!.
We do agree to a price in the end . I get round there and its the two little drainholes on a standard hotpoint wm door seal shes thinks are rips .So dont tell me door seals are a safe bet.
I was tempted to tell her she needed a new one anyway ,but its just not cricket .
So we sat down and talked about Ireland over a cup of tea because thats where she was from.
She did pay me a fiver for my troubles 😳 but hay ho , working for yourself gives you that discretion. 😉Re: I should cocoa!
Rolf says I get round there and its the two little drainholes on a standard hotpoint wm door seal shes thinks are rips .
I was in that same situation once but with an expensive whirlpool door seal I’d ordered in 😯
Thankfully the customer was a reasonable sort and offered to pay for the seal and my call out 8)Re: I should cocoa!
funkyboogy wrote:am i missing something here … sorry in advance as i havent read through all the posts ..
You are indeed funky as are allan73 and rolf. The subject matter has nowt to do with quoting for anything over the telephone. The subject has everything to do with inspection of faulty machines and written reports to insurance companies.
So hey guys! I’ve an idea… 💡
Why not read my opening post again. :rolls:
Re: I should cocoa!
Martin – i am suggesting that some members do not follow the CODE. They become members to get the street cred,
I agree nothing wrong giving a quote over the phone if a customer asks how much ,say,to fit a pump etc, what i consider wrong is giving a quote after hearing a fault explanation over the phone that would then be used to rustle the feathers of a retailer or insurance company and then take a payment!
And if you look at other topics you see that some even talk about charging some customers more than others, just because they dont like the way they sound on the phone!I have yet to meet an engineer who can list the parts neccessary for a repair with out actually lokking at the machine and taking the top and back off!
And yes all professions have the rogues, i just cant stand people who actually tell all about their unscrupulus actions when placed in a position of trust in a customers house! I dont get it and never will.
Re: I should cocoa!
DrDill wrote:some even talk about charging some customers more than others, just because they dont like the way they sound on the phone.
so this is unfair because: its ok to be a total c u next tuesday to make an egineer back down to get your own way, but politeness is not allowed to be rewarded???
if its your own business, you have your own discretion.
im not saying charge nasty people extra, but ill often use my discretion to reduce the call out if the person has been amicable, and repair has been straightforward or reasonable about a repair if ive been delayed, and not wasted half my day ringing up every 10 mins to find out if im on my way… which of course, only delays you further…
and allan, never quote just for a belt and fitting for a vtd/is60/tvr. say itll be either XX (lab) + belt, but be aware you may need a bearign kit as well @ XX.
most of merloni’s t/d belt replacements will need varying amounts of components from a bearing kit. if you quote for the whole kit, you can use whatever you need from it and reduce the price of it if necessary… its advice that comes with experience of each machine, but one where, if your aware of it, its unproffesional not to mention it at the time of the quote.
Re: I should cocoa!
Ufortunatley using the word “professionalism” and charging difficult customers more money is not the way forward and i believe would raise the eyebrows of the Trading Standards.
This is of course my opinion and how i run my business is totally my business. but i dont charge some customers more than others, i dont steel customers property from thier pumps etc, i dont give insurance estimates for repairs without inspecting the machine, and we do have and use suitable test and safty equipment, but hey this is probably why i dont make as much money as others.
I am sorry but i know i am wrong on some stuff and i can accept that, but i dont care who you are and how long your been in the game, i will never agree thats its right to do any of the above!
If any of you think the above is wrong then please tell!Re: I should cocoa!
DrDill wrote:If any of you think the above is wrong then please tell!
Your business ethics are a credit to you DrDill and I’m sure many can learn a lot from the basic principals you have so far outlined. I’m sure you will agree though that within that basic trading procedure there are many given opportunities where applying them can, on some occasions, be neither practical or pertinent even for yourself to administer.
I have no desire in quoting the many and varied scenarios as they have been adequately expressed here on UKW all the while. But suffice to say that for a field service engineer to be a field service engineer he (or she) needs to be, strong, knowledgeable, practical, efficient, studious, thoughtful, thorough, honest and dedicated. But beyond those basic virtues it’s imperative also to have the ability to be rational, emotional, diplomatic, automatic and hydromatic…..!!!
The last 2 ‘virtues’ are of course optional but if, from previous dozen, anybody can tick 33{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of them then that’s qualification enough for the job I reckon.:wink:
Less that 10{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} then you need a career in politics or banking.
Between 11 & 20{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} and you’d make a good postman or milkman.
From 21{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} to 25{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} then perminent shelf stacking at Asda may be just right.
Over 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} and an ecclesiastical career awaits you.
100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} and Christ has risen from the dead for sure!:twisted:Re: I should cocoa!
I am self employed and wouldn’t accept dishonesty in the trade but,are we 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} honest and paying all our taxes ? of course I am,I think,as near as I can get anyway!
Cash job,not a chance sir,sorry I’ll have to report you for asking as it’s an attempt to defraud customs and excise,supposed to do but don’t.
If the owner rounds the £76-50 bill to £80 and says keep the change,the difference is duly noted down and submitted with your tax return as tips etc.
They may give you a bottle of wine or other gifts which also must be valued and submitted with the tax return too,as above.
Went in the works van to watch the racing etc,mileage and alllowance adjusted of course.
Is there a man who does 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} by the book ? even if you set out to obeye every rule of law as regards earnings/tips/gifts etc it would be virtually impossible IMO to acheive.
Worked for a company who gave us nice hampers at Christmas which was great but come February salary the tax on these gifts had to be paid as the company declared it to the revenue,always a downer.Re: I should cocoa!
DrDill wrote:Ufortunatley using the word “professionalism” and charging difficult customers more money is not the way forward and i believe would raise the eyebrows of the Trading Standards.
well as i said, if you start out with x-amount and reduce it down, its not the same thing as both people are expecting to pay initial amount.
on a slightly different tangent, how would you judge the follwoign situation.
customer loves a horrible, nasty servis
youve been called out to fit a new hinge, as the doors hanging off, they hre happy to pay £40 for your time, and say a tenner for the parts.
its rusty has not a lot of life in it and spares are sparse but obsolete. you know the bearings are on the way out, and it will either collapse, or blow up within the year.
not only has the hinge broken, but the door rim hinge supports have gone.
the rim is available and £20 tradedo you
a: fit the hinge and charge as agreed and do not inform of the short life expectancy
b: fit the hinge, inform the rim has broken, the repair will not last without the rim replacing, and its £30 for parts, not mentioning the wear & tear
c: turn up, assess machine, its not worth fitting the hinge due to overall wear & tear, and quote a new rim for £30, which customer agrees to having as customer insists on hinge being fitted, and to pay accordingly, knowing you will be asked back to it in 3 months time as its destroyed itself irrepairably
d: turn up, assess machine, its not worth fitting the hinge due to overall wear & tear, and customer insists on hinge being fitted, and to pay accordingly, knowing you will be asked back to it in 3 months time as its destroyed itself, state the rim is now obsolete and fittign the hinge is money down the drain as it will fail within the week, forcing her into ordering a new machine
which is most morally correct, and which is most ethically correct.
Re: I should cocoa!
Tell them it’s not in their or my interest to have it repaired. I would refuse to do the job because the machine is on it’s last legs and my view is they will be wasting their money.
I would take the call out or offer a new machine.
| have done this several times recently on rusty dishwashers and clapped out FL Zanussis
RobRe: I should cocoa!
I see as usual posters dont understand my point or just dont read the posts, and then my serious post is devalued and turned into a joke.
The post about the servis washing machine is not the same point i am stating, but i will tell you what you should do and that is give your honest opinion and let the customer decide what is best based on the machine and your HONEST opinion, the customer then pays you.Posts about business ethics etc is not really what i am talking about, i was replying and commenting on other posters on here stating how the rob customers, inflate prices, give false estimates based on guesses and dont carry basic test equipment!!
As usual a serious post belittled!Re: I should cocoa!
DrDill wrote:Posts about business ethics etc is not really what i am talking about
And there was me thinking that is exactly what you were referring to earlier. 😕
My understanding of business ethics is conducting and maintaining your business activities in a legal and morally correct way, and that’s where I placed you. Don’t tell me I’ve got you wrong all along?
As for posts being belittled, welcome to the delights of free speech and expression here on UKW for it’s the very nature of the beast! 😈
Re: I should cocoa!
Martin- this is the last i am going to say on this topic, you know exactly what i was saying in my post, it was crystal clear, you are just trying to wind me up and muddy the waters and as usual you twist the subject to prolong the post and there is only one winner in this.
So to recap what me beef is for all out there :-1) i think it is wrong to steal customers property
2) i think it is wrong to charge one customer more than another simply
because you think they are a K##B
3) i think its wrong to give insurance estimates when a machine hasnt even been seen
4) i think its wrong to not have basic test and safty equipmentTHE ABOVE IS MY POINT AND OPINION,
Re: I should cocoa!
DrDill wrote: i just cant stand people who actually tell all about their unscrupulus actions when placed in a position of trust in a customers house! I dont get it and never will.
DrDill,
Would you mind, just to be absolutely clear, when you use the term, “unscrupulus actions” are you including me, leavemetogetonwithit, (real name Mike Orman, trade name The Spin Doctor, of Penzance) as one of the people to whom you refer?Mike.
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