Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Phidom wrote:As I don’t have premises or staff, my overheads are extremely low but I don’t have the buying power of a big firm.
Keeping your overheads low is what it is all about.
Earning enough is also what it is all about.
I would think that there would be no great buying power advantage by bigger firms unless they are agents and they are restricted on mark-up
Your service should speak for itself
More profit = bigger ads
Your self employed, do work on your terms, not that dictated by someone else, unless of course there is a decent buck in it
Quote “If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich would have kept it all to themselves”
Comes back to where I have said that a standard set of conditions should be posted or mooted or you should post your conditions for others to see.
Mine include that there is no guarantee that we can repair the machine, that the parts are available etc etc.
We would have charged for the call out as an inspection fee and require payment on the spot and also a deposit on the part if it had to be ordered.
Also the customer has to sign off that they are happy with the service provided
Why is it that public servants are always trying to dis-enfranchise us.
I have personally told them that they are public servants either because they haven’t tried to run their own business or they have failed in business.
Pat-UK wrote:I spose I’m more worried about keeping them coming back than being rich.
Believe me, you wont get rich in this job anyway.
However, having a substantial cash flow will benefit you, your customers and your business, your competitors, the government.
Being poor will do none of the above anygood.
gegsy wrote:Hi
I have had some of these where the pump had gone weak, if after checks clive and martin mentioned I would consider the pump.
It is quite tricky to change, always unplug appliance before attempting any work :plug: If in any doubt of ability check repairs@ for your nearest Bosch engineer.Empty Pump P/no – 165261 @ £31.50 GBP
Greg
testing
Re: Doom + Gloom
Same s**t, different day.
Work smart, not hard.
Make every post a winning post
Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.
Life is just one damned thing after another.
Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.
Re: Who charges what for what ??
Alexa “Should a sole trader undercut the rate of a Company employing many engineers considering all the factors.
A poll would be in order I think?”
Penguin 45 “Poll unlikely to produce significant results based on UK. Problem is that “London and Home Counties” prices are likely to be 30-40{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} higher due to their significantly higher overheads compared with the more northern cities. Rural areas will be higher too, as they cover larger areas and can do fewer calls per day”
A poll on a post code for post code basis would be significant
I think that a sole trader should charge exactly the same as a large firm
If nothing else it levels the playing field
Re: Whats the most annoying thing customers do?
Went to a house where the fridge freezer had stopped working.
Replaced the timer, tested the fridge and found an earth leakage fault and a live cabinet
Turns out the electrician who had fitted a Earth leakage Circuit Breaker had found said new device wasn’t resetting and he didn’t want to dip out on any profit with his cut and run marketing, so he had disconnected the fridge earth
And this was next to an earthed Wall oven for two (2) years
Re: Whats the most annoying thing customers do?
Had an Engineer once (airconditioning/mechanical services) who’s freezer kept tripping the Earth leakage circuit breaker (Residual current device)so he connected it into an bayonet light socket. Of course these sockets are only 2 terminal so he joins the neutral and earth together.
Cause its 50/50 which way he puts in the bayonet plug.
He had livened the cabinet which was next to a correctly earthed fridge.
Close call that one
Re: Who charges what for what ??
I’m inland 150klms and 1.5hrs.
(Speeding?, No just getting off the road early to avoid causing congestion)
Yes I went to the coast last weekend and yes I’m going to the coast this weekend for 9, repeat, nine days.
No contracts, just an unanswered phone.
To my haven from the madness in this world.
Sharks? you mean the two legged ones.
Mind you the water is 22 degrees C at the moment and a little bit of spear fishing by snorkel wouldn’t go astray
Re: Who charges what for what ??
In OZ the Trade Practices Act prohibits “Collusion on Prices” or market “Price Fixing”, however the Real Estate Institute got around that by publishing a scale of “Maximum” fees. Obviously this scale of “Maximum” fees could be taken by some as the “Normal charges” deviation from which could be up or down.
Should a sole trader undercut the rate of a Company employing many engineers considering all the factors.
A poll would be in order I think?
Re: Who charges what for what ??
[quote alexa] I refuse to prostitute myself and always charge more than adequately for my services (not charging a call out fee say’s there is no cost in attending which is ludicrous) and I would rather go home early with a wad of money than have to trawl the streets at night trying to make a buck
We don’t have to cut each other’s throat. I try to be the dearest and let my service speak for itselfDo you give free quote?
Lady I can go and sit on the beach and not get paid and I don’t even have to take my toolsRe: Whats the most annoying thing customers do?
Or the dishwasher where they had taken it apart including the sump and added
“Oh I’ve cleaned all the sealant off around the sump”
or
“I don’t know whether I’ve fixed it but I’ve taken it to bits for you”
(If you didn’t know what was wrong, if you didn’t know how to fix it, have you done anything else wrong, why the bloody hell couldn’t you just leave well enough alone)
I just walk away when the machine has been touched by others.
I’m about to put on my contracts that they must tell us if there is anything they know that may affect our performance including any previous repairs ie: homeowner stuff ups
As with
Re: beat the speed cameras
To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace
Attack is the best form of defense.
A tree never hits an automobile except in self defense
Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.
I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! Also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. (second thoughts scratch the second bit)
The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.
Right is its own defense
Joe was in court charged with parking his car in a restricted area. The judge asked him if he had anything to say in his defense.”They should not put up such misleading notices”, said Joe. “It said, FINE FOR PARKING HERE.”.
There is no adequate defense, except stupidity, against the impact of a new idea.
Re: Whats the most annoying thing customers do?
I’M A MAN OF FEW WORDS SO DON’T GET ME GOING
Quote Bryan Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005
“Arrive at 2:45 no one at home. Waited till 3:00 stuck a card through her door and off to next job.”
I’m like the airlines…… I overbook deliberately to avoid empty spacesSo some days I don’t get home till 9.00pm. At least it was a productive day, I was efficient, and I didn’t waste any time.
But then I only go to places were…
1/. I can call them on a phone
2/. That the person paying the bill is at home (no money = no visit)
3/. I always tell them that we will call 1/2hr beforehand (so they can go home and so I can get directions from where I currently am…… (Don’t bother with instructions till then as it only confuses))
(Sometimes the next customer is next door and ain’t that a beautiful call out fee.)
4/. No answer = no visit (even if they were only on the internet)
5/. Answering machine = no visit (even if they were only on the internet or in the back garden)
6/. Engaged = generally no visit as I need to ensure Internet is not minding the house or the other repair firm they called hasn’t beaten me
Customers have been known to take an each way bet or even a trifecta by calling multiple companies to ensure they receive some sort of service and leave it to providence as to whom arrives first, and then forget to cancel the others or can’t remember who they called in order to cancel (so what if the tradesman wasted a call. Let them whistle for their money)
6/. I use mobiles with gay abandon as it saves hugely on wasted fuel and wasted time
7/. I use the street directory on my laptop beside me and also navigation when required which also helps cut down on wasted time
I also record all conversations on my laptop. It may be illegal. (I’m prepared to fight a court case on that one.) It’s not used for illegal purposes and even Fair Trading and the Police have been told I do it. Helps hugely when they lie to me or to Fair-trading and even sometimes the Police. Ever been accused by the customer of breaking their machine, or maybe accusations of theft are on their agenda, I’ve even had people trying to defraud their insurance companies. You don’t want to accused of fraud. Best to cut off at the pass based on your irrefutable evidence. If I see 20 customers a day then according to statistics (don’t quote me which statistics but the bell curve is a pretty good starter) two will be “mad” as they represent that low end five percent of the population that has a low IQ, and another two will be “mad” as they represent that high end five percent of the population that has a high IQ, and some days they are just all mad. The way the world is going you have to have a defence to every accusation. (To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace). You can’t even trust the politicians these days. You can always do a transcript if required. It’s amazing how people think they are talking to a third person to complain about the tradesman who just left and how he tripped over their Maltese and scared the poor darling, or how last month he fixed the pump and now the machine doesn’t work at all now, or the repairman was abrupt and they don’t want him back, or they’re positive they asked the repairman to bring out another part etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc…………………..
Or maybe I’m getting ahead of you all and this only happens in Australia
After all didn’t you send all your criminals down here?
It’s getting to the stage that I’m about to start videoing every repair to avoid those ” but it was alright before he touched it”, or “he didn’t do what I asked” or “he didn’t do it right” or etc etc etc etc etc etc…………..
Had a job not so long ago to a 15yr old Hitachi electronic top loader and the lady kept calling every 1/2-hour to see when I’d be there.
Get there a 5.00pm and she’s still at work. (Didn’t bother to do a call 1/2 hour call before (I must have been in “stupid me” mode)). Phone her and she said her son has a cheque. Fault = Machine fills with water and floods as soon as you turn on the power (no lights). Tell her that the machine needs a control board (only available reconditioned and hugely expensive) give the son the bill. He writes out the cheque and gets a phone call before he hands it to me. I ask for payment and he say’s mum will be home in an hour. I phone her. She has told her son (12yrs old) to tear up the cheque as she “DOESN”T BELIEVE ME”.
Quote “The last tradesman only needed to put a lid switch in”.I’ve read the DASA
(Is that the “Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse” or “DASA Haitian Art including leather masks” or “Dasa Slave Literature (slaves to Lord Vishnu)”, or “Arjunanatha Dasa?? … He is a disciple of Krishna-Ksetra Dasa, lives in Bristol” etc as appears in GOOGLE………..)
Code of Practice and frankly it’s like something out a bad 1920’s silent film (not even a Horror flick)It iterates a lot of what is only common sense and say’s nothing about today’s modern world, which is dog, eat dog and everybody is trying to screw everybody else. The number of members and the number of hits speaks volumes
You guys have got a huge resource here in this website.
I sit here mesmerised.
I’d therefore like to propose two forums
A/. A forum where you can post your conditions of contract,
And
B/. Another forum to assist you to standardize on a conditions of contract.
I refuse to prostitute myself and always charge more than adequately for my services (not charging a call out fee say’s there is no cost in attending which is ludicrous) and I would rather go home early with a wad of money than have to trawl the streets at night trying to make a buck
We don’t have to cut each other’s throat. I try to be the dearest and let my service speak for itselfDo you give free quote?
Lady I can go and sit on the beach and not get paid and I don’t even have to take my toolsAre I allowed to rant and rave like this and am I limited in space please tell me if I’m edited and I’ll re-phrase
OK so I’m a raving lunatic. I’m sure someone can come up with a particular quoteLike
The lunatics have taken charge of the asylum
Or
The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum
Or
Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defence.
Or
I don’t know if there are men on the moon, but if there are they must be using the earth (Australia) as their lunatic asylum
Or
Anger is a transient madness
Or
Even drunks may soon be made to dance.
Or
A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
Or
A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man made perfect without trials
Or
By the hands of many a great work is made light
