i feel like a rip off merchant

[opm electrical]

my neighbour is a joiner and has his own firm and he was asking me how much i would charge for a periodic, when i told him 150 for a standard three bed he said i was a rip off , bear in mind i jusr got 6 to do for an estate agent for that price, we got to talking about pricing and i said i try to make 200 a day as a guide when i price a job. he siad i was too expensive and he woulnt be putting work my way, he said the guy he uses chages 100 quid a day,
suppose i just want a quik rant cos personally if i wanted to earn that id go work for a firm with 25 days paid holiday.
10 minutes later i went to put a price in for a new build labour only and he told me i was too cheap and to up my price.
my neighbour is a nice guy and all but i think im glad i dont get work off him

 

[DurhamSparky]

i got told £125 was expensive for a 3 bed semi!!

also

£350 discounted to £315 (OAP) for a CU change was extortion and i should be strung up as a cowboy!

cust was getting a 10 way Wylex 17th Board with 25mm tails and 16mm earth thrown in!
apparently he can get a volex from B&Q with his OAP wednesday card for £77 and was looking to pay £75 to have it fitted...!! not by me he cant!

any way guess what he rang back today but i missed his call so will ring him tomorrow but i reckon he had a few more quotes that dont beat mine..!

 

[pushrod]

i got told £125 was expensive for a 3 bed semi!!

also

£350 discounted to £315 (OAP) for a CU change was extortion and i should be strung up as a cowboy!

cust was getting a 10 way Wylex 17th Board with 25mm tails and 16mm earth thrown in!
apparently he can get a volex from B&Q with his OAP wednesday card for £77 and was looking to pay £75 to have it fitted...!! not by me he cant!

any way guess what he rang back today but i missed his call so will ring him tomorrow but i reckon he had a few more quotes that dont beat mine..!

Probably about to say that he has got a man and his horse to fit it for £150 and that this chap is so confident in his own work that he doesn't have to waste time testing it

 

[DurhamSparky]

i don't wish death or injury to people as its horrible , but some times i do wish small self extinguishing electrical fires when they go to the Irish Builder laying the neighbours Tarmac drive..!

 

[DurhamSparky]

oh well MR B&Q with his volex CU decided not to use me as he got some body to fit his CU for £55 HOLY mokeys!!!!! he also asked me why i tried to charge him £315..! wanted a full breakdown so he could go to citizens advice to ask for info on my company LOL...!! SORRY WHAT PLANET ARE SOME PEOPLE FROM...! ALL HE HAD WAS A QUOTE!! like it or lump it...!

funny thing was at the end when i told him that it included increasing the size of his earth and supply tails to current standards and it also included a better CU he kinda started stuttering lol..

Durham Electrics Charity No. xxxxxxx

 

[rocker]

Whenever I get morons like that, I love to sow the seeds of doubt. Just go into ultra-explaino mode. Loads of questions.
'They won't be able to inform LABC for that amount. Are you sure they are Part P registered?'
'Hmmm well did he check for little wires attached to your pipes when he came? Well make sure he does that, it's a safety issue.'
'Make sure he's putting in dual RCD. The RCD is the only thing that will protect you in the event of shock..... No, circuit breakers only protect the circuit...... yes'
'You have to have certification, so make sure he gives it to you. Otherwise your home insurance is likely to be void'

You see where I'm going with this? I hate scaremongering, and always try and put a light slant on everything when I'm quoting, but theres no way these guys are doing a quality safe job for these prices, and as far as I'm concerned they are trying to put me in the dole queue, so I'm going to do the same with them.

 

[DurhamSparky]

you forgot one thing Rocker Smocker!

the dole que is already full of them people! they use cheapo electrical jobs to fund the Pubs mortgage and accounts.


i just hate cowboys..!

oh yeah i also included in the price a free electrical safety inspection 1 year from the installation date (it cost me nothing but it looks good for customer) all i do is a RCD Check and have a visual look at the termintions..! bit similar to your first free service when buying a car!

cant satisfy every one!

 

[rocker]

Saw a plumber mate of mine (yea, I've got one) in the bank today. He was working on the same job as me a few months ago, he was going the plumbing (funnily enough) and I was putting in some kitchen downlighters. It was one of those 'jam as many trades as possible in' jobs, with a 'carpenter', a granite-worktop-cutter fellow, a electriciansforums, a decorator... you get the idea. Anyway this 'carpenter' chap was one of these know-alls and wouldn't shut up all day, you know the type.

Once I'd finished and the customer was happy with the job, he said he would want some d/ls on the batroom at some point, and that he had already got them. Suprise suprise no fire rating, no IP rating. 'Can't put them in but I will get some decent ones for you' oh OK lovely, I'll give you a ring in a week or so, I need the hall light looking at as well it flickers.

I wait 2 weeks, send a text, nothing. Forget about it.

Saw my plumber mate yesterday, who said that the carpenter put them in for a pack of tobacco.

And the hall light still flickers.

Whatever happens serves them bloody right. I went into great detail about the reasons for fire rating and IP rating. Kids in the house as well, but who cares, if we can save fifty quid (which wouldn't have put them short by any stretch of the imagination.)

EDIT: Forgot the whole point of the story was that the carpenter was a dole bludger - you're absolutely right.

 

[KentElectrics]

How do we claim back our industry, too many five day wonders out there? Tempted by the £50K a year promises of the course providers...How in god’s name could a qualified, registered electrician install a 17[SUP]th[/SUP] Edition consumer Unit for £55 and do it right including testing and certification.
Who is going to open the public’s eyes to this, why oh why and scheme providers supporting their members with public awareness campaigns.

 

[Joe S]

How do we claim back our industry, too many five day wonders out there? Tempted by the £50K a year promises of the course providers...How in god’s name could a qualified, registered electrician install a 17[SUP]th[/SUP] Edition consumer Unit for £55 and do it right including testing and certification.
Who is going to open the public’s eyes to this, why oh why and scheme providers supporting their members with public awareness campaigns.

There are a lot of dangerous people out there. I followed behind a 'sparky' a few weeks ago because I do work for the builder and he used me instead. The builder put an ensuite in one end of a bedroom and knocked through to the extension but there were double sockets in that end of the room. I came in and started doing the usual removing of redundant bits and when it came to the sockets, they were run in 1.0mm T&E!! There were 4x Double Brass Sockets cut in to the skirting with no back boxes or sleeving :uhoh2:. Luckily they were being removed but it shows what we're dealing with!

 

[somersetsparks]

I do think £150 for a 3 bed is a little bit over, unless it had off peak, I would base it on 3 hours work (No repairs, purely a condition report)
(bear in mind I do NOT work for m,yself and am only basing it on what a major national company charges)

 

[Guest55]

;-)

 

[KentElectrics]

I do think £150 for a 3 bed is a little bit over, unless it had off peak, I would base it on 3 hours work (No repairs, purely a condition report)
(bear in mind I do NOT work for m,yself and am only basing it on what a major national company charges)

Majornational companies work on volume and will pay a staff member peanuts, quiteoften encouraging quick/false reporting (I stress not all but some),inspections often carried out by inexperienced staff who tick boxes.
I fullworthwhile report will take at a Minimum Three Hours often more, with anotherhour allowed to complete paperwork, Photos lay mans explanations etc. I charge£135+Vat and I think that’s too cheap

 

[KentElectrics]

There are a lot of dangerous people out there. I followed behind a 'sparky' a few weeks ago because I do work for the builder and he used me instead. The builder put an ensuite in one end of a bedroom and knocked through to the extension but there were double sockets in that end of the room. I came in and started doing the usual removing of redundant bits and when it came to the sockets, they were run in 1.0mm T&E!! There were 4x Double Brass Sockets cut in to the skirting with no back boxes or sleeving :uhoh2:. Luckily they were being removed but it shows what we're dealing with!

I find stuff like it every day, great material for my tweets...all comes back to lack of knowledge and an appreciation of what it is to be a Sparky

 

[oldtimer]

my neighbour is a joiner and has his own firm and he was asking me how much i would charge for a periodic, when i told him 150 for a standard three bed he said i was a rip off , bear in mind i jusr got 6 to do for an estate agent for that price, we got to talking about pricing and i said i try to make 200 a day as a guide when i price a job. he siad i was too expensive and he woulnt be putting work my way, he said the guy he uses chages 100 quid a day,
suppose i just want a quik rant cos personally if i wanted to earn that id go work for a firm with 25 days paid holiday.
10 minutes later i went to put a price in for a new build labour only and he told me i was too cheap and to up my price.
my neighbour is a nice guy and all but i think im glad i dont get work off him

Your biggest mistake was trying to negotiate with a joiner give him a price then say fine his first job is to work with wood his second is to wind up sparks why because he knows you can make the same money he makes in 5 days in in 3 days I think yhats why they get called chippies because it is the size of a boulder on his shoulder

 

[TaffyDuck]

Well there are new guys popping up around here like mushrooms. Got asked to quote for periodics on a block of 10 x 2 bed flats. Now normally I`d quote £120 for a 2 bed flat but as they were all together I quoted £100 per flat so a grand for the job.

I was laughed out the building as they had a quote earlier from one of these fools at £40 per flat.

Cant compete with these start up muppets so I wont bother, I have a group of loyal, good paying customers. Let the half-wits have the rest.