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Got a phone call today. the conversation went something like this;

caller-hi I got your number from someone and just wondered if you could give me a price for doing me a certificate on a takeaway I am opening this week, I have fallen out with 2 different electricians who have been doing the work.

Me - Why can't the electricians provide a certificate

caller - because I didn't pay them as I wasn't happy with them.

me -I cant sign someone else's work

caller what can I do I am in the s@?t

Me - well the best your going to get off anyone is a Eicr ( explained to him what this is etc etc

caller - how much is one of them

Me - about ÂŁ 200.00 ( days work he had told me how many circuits etc

Caller but it will only take you 20 minutes start to finish

Me - the only way it will take 20 minutes is if your closed when I arrive and I jump straight back in my van

caller - that's not the figure I had in my head

Me - well unfortunately it's the one in my head

Caller - your just trying to rip me off cause you know I'm in trouble

Me - no sir I am simply giving you a realistic price for a days work

Caller - well you can shove your price .

Me - Thankyou for that sir and you have a nice day now.


I couldn't believe it, at 1st I thought it was a prank
This trade is totally stuffed if this is how people act :seeya:
 
Its all about priorities thats why Joe Pubic will pay ÂŁ1k for a 50" TV yet wont pay ÂŁ450 for a CU I just say yep ok looks like you don't want me then and the reply is well you wont get get far with that attitude and I reply yea you could be right but I have not spent 38 years to work for supermarket wages

Come across this all the time...People move into a new house with a dangerous electrical system, but don't want it sorting until all the carpets have been replaced.
 
And one of the reasons this is happening is job agencies getting sparks to do EICR's for ÂŁ30 quid and sparks doing it , its just like the Sticker pat test boys , it like an elecsa rep said to me at Elex in Manchester last year if your charging ÂŁ150 for an EICR and a guys charging ÂŁ40 then hell get the work regardless of the quality of the report , as there is no one policing it , and its this reason why people expect you to do it for nothing
 
I've got an enquiry via my website this morning for a EICR, and after an exchange of emails the homeowner had the impression that it could be done on a 4 bedroom detached house in about 2 hours, to which I responded:

"With respect to the testing, to conduct a full and proper test of a detached house will take far longer than 2 hours."

I'm going to see the client tomorrow.
 
Had that from a letting agent once thought a EICR was a paper excersize for ÂŁ30 but thing is someone somewhere IS doing them for 30 quid and I think proper validation and control over the certs is lacking I mean you can download and print them like hooky dergrees makes the whole thing a bit micky mouse
Pict
 
Some people want everything for nothing,I had a guy ring me up recently,he needs a granulator installing and when I went to have a look at the job he started telling me how to do it.I told him how it needed to be done and he wouldn,t have it,it draws 90A flc and someone has told him it only needs a thin cable! there is a 150mm feed coming in but it needs a new DB as the old one is shot however he thinks that I should splice a 6mm swa into the 150 and away we go.I told him I don't want the job as that is not the way to do it,however the guy has rang me 3 times since and his requests are ridiculous,he has now offered to run the cable for me and just wants me to connect the ends! The job came from a mate of mine who gave this joker my number,being retired now he "thought I may like to earn a few quid" personally I wish he'd never given the clown my number.
 
I get told by bathroom fitter/plumbers/builders whenever I'm asked to install a shower, and one of them is lurking about, "You only need a 6mm cable, mate". When I ask them how they've come to that conclusion, it's always "Well, that's what showers use innit". When you lower yourself to explain that the 10.5 kw shower in question needs a 10mm cable, they just look at you as if you're mad and start grumbling to their mates how you "don't know what you're doing". Drives me nuts, especially when you know that the customer will "overhear" one of them saying it.
 
Got a phone call today. the conversation went something like this;

caller-hi I got your number from someone and just wondered if you could give me a price for doing me a certificate on a takeaway I am opening this week, I have fallen out with 2 different electricians who have been doing the work.

Me - Why can't the electricians provide a certificate

caller - because I didn't pay them as I wasn't happy with them.

me -I cant sign someone else's work

caller what can I do I am in the s@?t

Me - well the best your going to get off anyone is a Eicr ( explained to him what this is etc etc

caller - how much is one of them

Me - about ÂŁ 200.00 ( days work he had told me how many circuits etc

Caller but it will only take you 20 minutes start to finish

Me - the only way it will take 20 minutes is if your closed when I arrive and I jump straight back in my van

caller - that's not the figure I had in my head

Me - well unfortunately it's the one in my head

Caller - your just trying to rip me off cause you know I'm in trouble

Me - no sir I am simply giving you a realistic price for a days work

Caller - well you can shove your price .

Me - Thankyou for that sir and you have a nice day now.


I couldn't believe it, at 1st I thought it was a prank
This trade is totally stuffed if this is how people act :seeya:

I'd go back and rip every single cable installed back out if I hadn't been paid for anything. Would do a lot more as well if it needed doing, cutters can do a lot of annoying damage to cables in CUs....
 
I was talking to a mate about this thread, not a spark by the way, and he told me this on a new build he was roofing he overheard a spark and the PM debating cable size, for what he cant recall, the spark got out a felt pen and on a sheet of 1200x2400 plaster board he did the cable calc in large red numerals, handed the PM the pen and said "right show me how you get your size" the PM said you owe us ÂŁxx for a new sheet of plaster board, 10 guys fell about laughing as this had everyones attention
Pict
 
Guy walks into a pub

Pint of Bitter Please John

No problem Willie there you go

Whats up Willie look a bit out of sorts

Ah just had a big bust up with the spark who did my extension robbin barsteward spoke to another spark who said he could have done it ÂŁ150 cheaper was he gets his Part P accreditation.

Anyway thats me off as I have the car see you later John

Barmaid to John never seen Willie so wound up for ÂŁ150

John Well your right funny thing is he was telling me he was overcharged ÂŁ1500 for his pride and joy (car) and never batted an eye yet he is raging with the spark for ÂŁ150 there is no pleasing some folk at times
 
Concerning the op, I was under the impression that business's can't open without the correct paperwork in place. Or am I being naive?
They shouldn't be, but like everything in life there are ways around these things, regarding the customer who tried to get me to cert it , he will find some mug to do a cert for 50.00. but it wont be me I pride myself on doing this right , so would rather lose a job but sleep at night.
 

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