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Re: no work
I got a company to distribute 8000 business cards door to door a few weeks back, cost me a good few quid but the phone didnt stop for a solid week and a half, hopefully 50{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of them will hold onto the cards for future work!
Just a idea.
Re: no work
in my local newspaper i have 2 new advertisers both claiming £10 off with this advert, do they think the public are stupid or are they desperate.
i am a no call out free estimate type much maligned on this site but this really is a surprising development.Re: no work
Not really, it’s the American way of doing things sort of although they usually offer a “coupon” for the extra “discount”. You know the sort of thing, produce this advert for an extra blah ££ off. It’s old hat really and whether it works or not is highly debatable given that people don’t think, “oh I must get that repair to the washer that’s busted now there’s a special offer on”!
As for there being not a lot of work…
A lot of the sales died at the tail end of last year (obviously), MFI went under, Servis went as well as others (factors for many) and now you’re seeing the initial warranty work tail away, it has been doing so since January. Add to that the Easter break, then you get into the summer holiday thing and you get a general slowdown all round.
So, warranty work diminished in a lot of areas.
Charge work, my guess is that if people can put it off they will what with holidays to pay for and all the nice stuff that isn’t a repair. 😉
Warranty work I don’t think won’t pick up to any large extent until the housing market reboots and people start moving home again as well as spending on big ticket items, like kitchens.
You have to think though, if people are uncertain if they will even have a job in six months time they’re not going to lash out on a new kitchen or moving home so it’s actually common sense that the sales would fall.
Replacement market should be okay but, there will be little replaced that doesn’t have to be replaced I should think, so again diminished.
My sources in the building industry have only one word for what it’s like at the moment there, carnage. Do not expect any major movements until the back end of next year on that front. So, if you rely on that sort of area of the industry you can expect a very tough 18 months at least I reckon.
Sorry for the bad tidings.
K.
Re: no work
Been dead for me since Easter – but somebody switched the work switch back on about 2 weeks ago – the only problem is that I’m going on holiday next week !!! so been wrestling with the thought of canceling the holiday because I need the money!!!
I’m just a one man band – been working in this industry for over 35yrs and in my experience never been as quite as this for such a long period. In my experence it always goes quite due to lack of money or finacial uncertancy or both as I think is the case now.
It doesnt help when machines are so cheap – customers think why pay £50-£100 repair on a machine that is 5years old – we have had our money’s worth out of it – might as well buy a new one for £200 and get another 5 years of trouble free washing – rofl
It alo doesnt help when manifactures inbuild into there machines the diagnositic systems that shut the machine down when there is only something simple wrong – customer get confused – MAJOR problem – not worth getting anybody in to look at it – time for new washing machine!!
I have seen a gradual decline in turnover over the last 5-6 years with the advent of cheap washing machines. In those days people would keep there washing machine for 10-15 years – these days you are lucky to get 5yrs out of the crap they sell now and so people are now into the mind set of when it breaks lets go and buy a new one.
Went to a job the other day where her daughter had tried to persude her mom to go and buy a new machine because the timer knob had broken – “Nobody has the washing machine mended these days” was the daughters comment – daughter was in her 40’s but good for mom she had machine mended – but its this mentality that is taking over the public.
I’m lucky the industary has served me well over the years and made a resonable living over the past enough to support a wife at home and three kids through school. I could’t do that now. I have only 4-5 years to go before I hang my hat up (if self employed people ever do?) so just trying to tuff it out till then but my sympathy is out there with all you guys who don’t have that to look forward to.
Sorry I diversed a bit but as they say “money is the root of all evil” or lack of it me thinks…
Mick
Re: no work
MickGeorge wrote:I’m just a one man band – been working in this industry for over 35yrs and in my experience never been as quite as this for such a long period. In my experence it always goes quite due to lack of money or finacial uncertancy or both as I think is the case now.
I don’t disagree with a single word you say Mick, and with 35 years under your belt then teaching granny to suck eggs doesn’t apply in your case and would no doubt be regarded as a insult at best, so I won’t go there. 🙂
But, you know, some times it’s interesting when one interacts with guys in the same boat as it where. For example, I learnt a lot from talking to the guys at the twice yearly UKW meeting. In fact to the few I ventured to I must admit taught me fuff all about white goods but a hell of a lot on how to make money from it….to be perfectly frank. 😉
For example, after my first meet I realised that being VAT registered was holding me to ransom for many more years than I care to admit. I de-registered 4 months later and I can’t possibly tell you (in this mode) what a difference that’s meant to my income since. 8)
Most, if not all of us ‘indies’ do our own thing, go our own way with little or no idea what our competitors are up to? Haven’t a clue in fact, simply guess having seen their vans whizzing around in your own patch. Are they making a wad of dosh or what? You can only guess at best, chances are you’ll be dead wrong.
We live in our own little cocoon of work (or lack of it) trying to figure out what the hell is going on out there? To many it’s obvious, to others they simply need a push. Some throw more money at the problem, advertising budget goes up, nothing happens. Others branch out into fixing different product ranges, expanding their customer appeal. And many faced with declining work offers simply reduce their charges, advertise no call out, beg, borrow or whatever it takes to earn a crust.
So the odd visit to a UKW meet may be a thought? Alternatively I would very much recommend calling in on your competition. A scary thought for some maybe? But you’ll be surprised how openly welcoming they can be and how much you BOTH can learn from such an encounter?
In the last 2 years I called in and seen (or spoken on the phone) to the vast majority of them in my patch. I’ve learnt a lot, they too similarly. And a possible bonding of ideas and work passing between is often the result. More string to your bow, power to the old aching elbow even.
Just my twopenneth for what its worth.:?
P.S June is a crap month work wise, always has been, always will be….now you just bu&&er off on holiday and enjoy mate….you’ll be better off for it….trust me. 🙂Re: no work
Thanks for the thoughts Martin – something to mull over when I get back from hols 🙂
Mick
Re: no work
MickGeorge wrote:Thanks for the thoughts Martin – something to mull over when I get back from hols 🙂
Enjoy the sun & sangria……… 8)
Re: no work
Dead as a post here 3rd quiet week, one call came in on Monday nothing at all today, phones not rung.
Last week was not much better. Even the heatwave did not boost calls to fridges on the blink.Re: no work
I totally concur with the last speaker. Wimbledon fortnight is always dead and now it’s flippin’ ‘cricket and 2 weeks in Ibiza season’ we have to endure way beyond the period our half-yearly Tax demand is due!
The good news (if you can call it that?) is that all service trades are quiet as well as high street shops, pubs and restaurants. All are scratting around trying to eek what little trade there is out there at the moment.
……now and meanwhile……just keep rowing……I swear we’ll spot land on the horizon any day now…. 😕
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Still steady here, 7 to 9 calls per day most days. Sometimes tails off towards weekend then back to normal on Monday.
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well it seems we all need to move to rochdale 😉 I’m on my second quite week,bored sh++++ss,however if anyone is interested beko are advertising here,just hope you like travelling 😆 😆 ah well back to me mastering my thumb twiddling 😉
Re: no work
Completed, cash or cheque in hand calls mainly. Had one today that I did not complete, referred them back to Hotpoint due to cost but she still paid me a very modest call out charge.
Completed all the other seven (including a WM shaft & bearing job) 😉
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