Are some of our brethren authoring our own downfall?

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Discuss Are some of our brethren authoring our own downfall? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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M

mountainman

I was in a local merchant's today and during normal conversation I learned that some plumbers are on contracts that pay them £4 to change a tap cartridge including travelling to get one if they don't have it in stock.

I accept that pretty much any B&Q browser can become a plumber but doing jobs for peanuts will only destroy what used to be a well regarded trade.
 
There are a lot of very poor rates around at present, as mentioned in another thread, you would think people would have more value of their worth!
 
Yes. We're becoming undervalued.

If they're not doing honest work for too little, they're doing bad work for too much and giving us all a bad rep.
 
pay and £4 just shouldn't be in the same sentence, ridiculous
 
This trade is well on the road to ruin. Was this B&Q? I read something in the paper about them today.
Why any tradesman would work for that is beyond desperation. If you get near that stage its time to get out get out of this.
 
You would make more money washing cars and vans in the B&Q carpark!
 
Thats a joke, you would have to be stupid to work for that. By the time you have paid your petrol, 20% tax, all the overheads worked out as a percentage over the year you would actually be loosing money.

I always charge £40 plus VAT on every visit now, this covers the 1st hour. I get alot of people turn around and ask for a quote to repair thier boiler or want a free diagnosis on the fault but I will never do it. I loose a few customers here and there but chances are they are the ones that wont want to pay at the end of it anyway.
 
Its in every trade aswell ! I was talkin to a mate thats had to go to courier service ! He gets like 50p per parcel and thats including his fuel his van his time just to get to the house ! So he would have to do 100 pacels a day for £50 !
 
£40 for first hour for existing customers, diagnose and give a cost for repair without disclosing what the repair is, new customers are £20 more for first hour, get paid the fee at first visit, that way if they trawl the internet for prices and decide not to have the repair, you got paid for the hour you were there.
 
I'm only reporting what I was told and I have no reason to disbelieve my source.

If people are genuinely doing contract work for such pathetic money then it will only lead to them eventually complaining about others undercutting them and doing the same job for £2.

By all means plant the seeds of poverty, but do not then complain that the harvest is poor and your family starves.
(MM, proverbs 1.1)
 
I believe landlords certs locally are down to £25, might explain why I dont have many landlords on my books!
 
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