Sacked for doing a good job?

[Deleted member 72666]

Got a call yesterday to quote for an office/factory PAT and went round there this morning. They had no idea on numbers of appliances and the previous test was done back 2011. Did a survey of 3 offices and a 2 factory floors, I guess around 200 items need testing. I decided the best policy was to quote my day rate of £400. I said it will take one and a half days and they agreed and I started the test there and then. It soon became clear that little in the way of professional installation or electrical maintenance had been done with 9 fails out of the first 38 tests. One of the 2 owners a lady in her 60's seemed grateful for me identifying the faults and even told the girls working the sewing machines that I was there to make sure they were safe. I had to tell her that due to the high number of fails it would now take 2 days to finish the job. By late morning my blood sugars were falling as I had not eaten anything and so I went home for lunch, a 6 minute drive. When I returned an hour later the male owner said he was concerned about the number of fails, so I showed him the photos I had taken on my phone as proof. He said he had been in contact with the PAT tester he normally used and wanted him to finish the job. I got the impression he wanted a 'sticker jokey' and not proper PAT tester. He said I will pay you for the day and we'll call it quits. Not wishing to to create a seen in front of the girls and without even asking why I had been fired, I said OK mate if that's what you want and left. I sent them my invoice via email and just hope it gets paid. I had to fail one out of three sewing machine tested as no earth return and never got a chance to test the rest so not sure if it was that or the extra cost causing a conflict of interest. Jugging by the flash cars parked out side the factory there not short of a few bob. Just wanted to know if anyone else had a similar experience, where your doing your best for the client but a safe working place is the least concern. I attached a few photos to show some of the things I found.

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£400 x 2 days and 200 items = £4/item.

 

[Octopus]

Well I can imagine you won't be on their christmas card list!

Wonder why they didn't use their normal sticker jockey??

 

[Des 56]

Hahahaha I just said that to my dad!!!! Got a customer querying my bill of 1 and a half days first fix and designing...materials AND labour £225.49!!! Chasing walls and wiring downlights without causing any damage to ceiling.

I take it from that, you charge extra for damaging a ceiling then kate

 

[volta]

It all depends on the installation. With some well maintained installations 'sticker jockeys' can get away with slapping on a sticker for .50p and walk away knowing the client is happy cos' he got a certificate cheap. The jockey is happy cos' he fulfilled his urge to rip folk off and under cut the guys who do the job properly. With this installation not even the jockey could get away with overlooking such obvious dangers, unless he is a total idiot with no conscience.

 

[Des 56]

It all depends on the installation. With some well maintained installations 'sticker jockeys' can get away with slapping on a sticker for .50p and walk away knowing the client is happy cos' he got a certificate cheap. The jockey is happy cos' he fulfilled his urge to rip folk off and under cut the guys who do the job properly. With this installation not even the jockey could get away with overlooking such obvious dangers, unless he is a total idiot with no conscience.

It must be annoying but it is just another example of the farce that inspection and testing has become in our industry

They messed about trying to regulate what can't be regulated (domestic installation)when test and inspection, both pat and fixed installation, in all sectors, is and has been crying out for some sanity
Sanity with the level of experience and qualiification required of the individual and the standard of the inspections carried out by an enterprise

 

[Kate]

[/B]

I take it from that, you charge extra for damaging a ceiling then kate

Charge less because it's fun hahahahha.

No I was asked to not damage any other parts of ceiling so had to take longer routes...takes longer.

Turns out they dont quibble prices...looks like they have had an issue with builder and chucked them off, I was hired by builder so they see me as in cahoots with them.
Feel so sorry for them. Since the 19th of june only work that has been done was a small piece of plasterboard. So they have had no kitchen for months.

 

[Des 56]

So they have had no kitchen for months.

There is perhaps opportunity there Kate,branch out and "fit that kitchen" whilst your there

If I was to be in the trade all over from the beginning,I would become all modern and be a kitchen fitting,pipes and all, wall painting plaster boarder who does electrics as well

 

[Kate]

So they have had no kitchen for months.

There is perhaps opportunity there Kate,branch out and "fit that kitchen" whilst your there

If I was to be in the trade all over from the beginning,I would become all modern and be a kitchen fitting,pipes and all, wall painting plaster boarder who does electrics as well

Hahaha yea its an idea

The plastering is holding up kitchen fitting could never do plastering.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Unfortunately this is all too common, i take my hat off to you for standing your ground, and trying to do a good job. It is also a sad fact that possessions (cars) come out of the company budget before safety requirements.

Had similar a long time ago, a very well known garage equipment/tool importer, got proper arsy with me for replacing a £30 battery connector on a FLT charger without asking.

In the car park MD had some big fancy sports car, and son (proper little s*** he was) was running round in an RS 500 Sierra Cosworth, which was brand new, no expense spared on their cars. Sadly (tongue in cheek) the place burned down a few years ago.

Cheers..............Howard

 

[7029 dave]

£400 a day im in the wrong game!!

 

[oldtimer]

Hahahaha I just said that to my dad!!!! Got a customer querying my bill of 1 and a half days first fix and designing...materials AND labour £225.49!!! Chasing walls and wiring downlights without causing any damage to ceiling.

Kate you forgot to add VAT

 

[Kate]

Kate you forgot to add VAT

I didnt go VAT registered in the end. And the invoice was from back in june. I know im cheap, my business plan for this year is to sort that hahhaha. Especially after reading this thread....£400 a day. I could retire in a year

 

[Adam W]

Were you just there 'testing' or carrying out minor remedials as well?
By the look of it most of those items could be made to pass with a new or remade plugtop, stuffing gland etc, then you wouldn't have ended up with so many 'fails', so instead of saying "I've been really thorough so now you can't use all these items" you could say "I've been really thorough and improved the safety of all these items", which sounds a lot more positive.

 

[volta]

Were you just there 'testing' or carrying out minor remedials as well?
By the look of it most of those items could be made to pass with a new or remade plugtop, stuffing gland etc, then you wouldn't have ended up with so many 'fails', so instead of saying "I've been really thorough so now you can't use all these items" you could say "I've been really thorough and improved the safety of all these items", which sounds a lot more positive.

I did fix the plugs and then retest but the fails were coming thick and fast, some items required complete replacement/overhaul and I would need a week to sort this place properly.
e.g. the strip light, taped block connector, split flex to iron which had been taped, missing grommet/stuff gland (which I dont carry) and the no earth return on the Jap sewing machine etc. The list was just getting started.

 

[gnuuser]

I did fix the plugs and then retest but the fails were coming thick and fast, some items required complete replacement/overhaul and I would need a week to sort this place properly.
e.g. the strip light, taped block connector, split flex to iron which had been taped, missing grommet/stuff gland (which I dont carry) and the no earth return on the Jap sewing machine etc. The list was just getting started.

well you did what you were supposed to when inspecting and pat testing
pointing out the fails is proper procedure.
note that the repairs could be done by you or by another qualified spark
but that does not excuse them to ignore the issues at hand.
you may need to get legal assistance on this to get paid for your efforts
and in my opinion you should report them to the proper authorities.