Business slow!

[paulytrick]

I'm just starting out PAT Testing.
I'm at the end of my 3rd year of my c&g 2330 and I've completed my pat testing course seperatly to this. I have around 5 years experience PAT testing and working on domestic installations.

I'll be honest, competition seems to be rife in all areas of the electrical game at the moment and I can't see me spending the rest of my life crawling under floors and sweating/shivering in dirty loft spaces breathing in god knows what.

If I can make a living PAT testing, I'll be very happy. Easier, cleaner work and although I take the responsibilities seriously, they are not as severe as the responsibilities which go hand in hand with re-wiring someones house or working on mains voltage in general.

I'm not a 59p merchent. If anyone ruins PAT testing, it will be the people who charge 59p per test.

I have a min callout charge of £40. this covers the first ten items I test. (before anyone looks on the website and asks for an explanation after my no 59p merchent comment )

This may seem cheap to some or expensive to others, idk but it works ok for me.
Obviously if someone has 200 items they need testing, the £40 is waved and I price per appliance.

Business is slow atm but I only started putting my name about around 3 months ago and I get a little bit more work every week.

 

[Duntestin]

Well good luck to you mate!
Get yourself around local shops, franchises are often good as they source their own services.
Try letting agents/estate agents as they often rent furnished properties that need testing.
Added value is always good - offer inclusive fuse changes, but charge extra for plug change or flex retermination.
£40 will get you a microwave tester from Acutest, charge around a fiver per microwave tested.
Show clients a sample report and, if your software does it, an asset list as well.
It's the little things which can set you apart from the rest and get those jobs in!

 

[paulytrick]

Well good luck to you mate!
Get yourself around local shops, franchises are often good as they source their own services.
Try letting agents/estate agents as they often rent furnished properties that need testing.
Added value is always good - offer inclusive fuse changes, but charge extra for plug change or flex retermination.
£40 will get you a microwave tester from Acutest, charge around a fiver per microwave tested.
Show clients a sample report and, if your software does it, an asset list as well.
It's the little things which can set you apart from the rest and get those jobs in!

Thanks for the support amd advice mate.

I've been round a lot of the local shops/firms/letting agents. Smal businesses and pubs are next on the list.
As far as I can see, most people in most businesses are potential customers.

At the moment I offer a fair bit free but this will change if I decide it's too big an outlay to win work.
I don't charge for reflexing, plug heads or replacement fuses.

I charge microwave testing for a visual and electrical test but the leakage test is free.

There's a fair bit of luck attached to anything and I have been lucky in finding some clients who have introduced me to more work or offered me more work.

I've also seen that some clients have come to me because they are unsatisfied with their previous pat tester.
I even had one guy aproach me who told me his last pat tester turned up without any stickers and came back at a later date to sticker up some 50 odd items. I'm not too sure how the guy new which item was attached to which appliance ID but I am sure this aproach has cost him future work.
They guy who aproached me also said he missed nearly as many appliances as he stickered...

Another one, when asked if he did repairs, re flexing etc answered 'not me mate.' I'm not sure how these people hope to earn a living....

I have no idea who the first company was but I do know the second and they are a fairly big concern in pat testing in my local area.

I can't see an excuse for this kind of carry on but seeing as it's benefiting me by shoving more work my way I'm not too upset

 

[Duntestin]

Sounds like you're on the right track, your website looks good too!
As you say, a bit of luck now and you're away!