When customers insist they want a quote for a small job

[Millsy 82]

What do you say to them? I've just had someone that want a radiator installing in an annexe and would like me to go round and give them a price and size the radiator for them to order!

I said it's not something I normally go out to to price and you would be looking half a day plus parts.

He was then going on about not wanting to order the wrong rad etc

What do you do? I said I will go round and size it and charge him an hour and he said can I pay you once its complete?

Do you go out and price small jobs like this or what do you say?

 

[firemant]

Fair enough, to a point. So you visit the punters on the agreed day and time to fit a rad. You THEN measure up and do calculation and go to merchants? Then return and fit?

If you are not getting enough work, then you Are doing something, if not wrong, against the general practice in your area. I would say most guys DO quite for half day jobs, if materials are involved and that job is reasonably predictable.
I have never gone out to quote for repairs, but always explain HOW I charge.

 

[Millsy 82]

I did say “ well obviously I’d need a proper look but it should come in at about £3500”, for at least £5000 worth of work, just before I put the phone down.

I can just imagine the phone call to the other plumber.

 

[Ben-gee]

I agree that most customers want some idea of price especially if they haven’t used you before, and that’s fair enough.

Should be able to tell them on phone a rough idea subject to all being as one would expect, maybe tell them hourly rate too.
When you get there it should be obvious fairly quickly if something is amiss and you just need to point that out early doors and revise estimate before you get too far in - at this stage if you can slightly overdo the possible outcomes and then come in £30 less than you said you will find all is well and often they become your customer.

 

[Millsy 82]

Fair enough, to a point. So you visit the punters on the agreed day and time to fit a rad. You THEN measure up and do calculation and go to merchants? Then return and fit?

If you are not getting enough work, then you Are doing something, if not wrong, against the general practice in your area. I would say most guys DO quite for half day jobs, if materials are involved and that job is reasonably predictable.
I have never gone out to quote for repairs, but always explain HOW I charge.

I'm sure most plumbers have quite a few lengths of 15mm on the van and if the customer is supplying the radiator and even when I go round to measure up for them they dont listen when I say 1 radiator will not do the whole annexe as you will struggle to get a radiator 1mtr wide to do 4kw. I then spoke to the manufacturers and got the closest to the output as possible the customer says no I dont want one that size.

Even if you are supplying a radiator ask the customer to have a quick measure up for you as it will save them x amount and they will all be like yes i will do that now for you. Then you can take the correct radiator with you.

 

[firemant]

At the end if the day, we all find our methods. I took the professional approach - gave best advice, quoted accordingly and most punters saw I was honest and got most jobs I quoted for. I earned a good living, had very few arguments and even fewer bad debts.

(If you fit a well undersized rad, even if client supplied, without pointing out the problem - your rep will inevitably suffer by the end of the upcoming winter.)

Or you can sit at home worrying that punters are taking the pis$, and wondering where my next job is coming from.

All in my opinion, obviously

 

[Welder]

... I took the professional approach - gave best advice, quoted accordingly...

Hmm. So according to your post you are 'professional' and by implication anyone who does not do things 'your' way isn't. Let's just say some 'unfortunate' phrasing there: unless that was its point.

We all have our own strategies. We are all, well most, open to learn from the experience of others. After all, that's the whole point of this forum isnt it?

The general pubic are as diverse in their approach and needs as it is possible to be. That means, quite frankly, that NO 'one size fits all' approach to customers can ever work. What we can do on here is share what works for us, to try to help the less experienced colleagues, to share our experiences so everyone benefits rather than call others, by implication, un-professional.

Have a great day all

 

[Millsy 82]

At the end if the day, we all find our methods. I took the professional approach - gave best advice, quoted accordingly and most punters saw I was honest and got most jobs I quoted for. I earned a good living, had very few arguments and even fewer bad debts.

(If you fit a well undersized rad, even if client supplied, without pointing out the problem - your rep will inevitably suffer by the end of the upcoming winter.)

Or you can sit at home worrying that punters are taking the pis$, and wondering where my next job is coming from.

All in my opinion, obviously

So where have I said I didnt give best advice or took a professional approach? In the end I went out to the person sized up the rad and told him about 20 times that we would not be able to achieve the heat output required using just 1 rad and recommended 3 rads.

I dont size a rad and then just fit a smaller one if a customer gives me the size of the room and window which a lot do because they are happy to save a few quid I then buy the rad off their sizes if when I turn up it is undersized as they haven't measured it correctly then I will take it back and get the correct sized one.

I said to the customer on the phone the same i said to the others I'd estimate it at half a day but if i feel it will take longer i will tell you straight away and it is up to you if you want to carry on with it.

Oh by the way I am honest my customers love it they love the fact I will repair their 20 year old boiler and not force them to have a new one, they love the fact i will have a chat they love the fact if i do mess up i will sort it for them no hassles. I dont sit at home worrying where my next job is coming from over the last 20 years all the companies i have worked for go quiet during the summer months but they make the money up during the winter. That's the thing about the heating industry people dont use heating when its 20+ outside.

CUSTOMERS DO TAKE THE P*SS. Why do you think I stopped going out to quote for half day jobs if I put the lost hour on the job I was more expensive as they used my quote to tell other plumbers what they wanted so they could quote over the phone or if i didnt charge them i would lose 8 hours a week and do you work a day a week for free?

I have about £1000.00 outstanding in total at the moment some of those are businesses which pay at the end of the month I think bad debt since I started is around £150.00 in 5 years isn't bad.

So please come down from you ivory tower because there are other people that run professional successful businesses besides you!

This place is getting more and more like facebook with all the my d*ck is bigger than yours sh*t

 

[Knappers]

Most of my work is within a 5mile radius, so I dont generally mind popping in to measure up if I've got the time - why not.
I did have someone get quite annoyed about me not coming out to quote for some tap repairs as I advertise free quotes but just told them £100 plus parts is your free quote!

 

[Knappers]

The whole not being able to charge for something you do is ridiculous. If you let someone know that its chargeable in advance surely you can bill them for picking your nose!
Maybe if your working on a contract to the schedule of rates but then you've agreed to work within that scope....?

 

[Millsy 82]

Most of my work is within a 5mile radius, so I dont generally mind popping in to measure up if I've got the time - why not.
I did have someone get quite annoyed about me not coming out to quote for some tap repairs as I advertise free quotes but just told them £100 plus parts is your free quote!

Problem is around me 5 miles is probably only 10000 houses which a huge chunk are holiday lets and a billion fish so my area is bigger than I'd want it to be. Not a problem because everyone in cornwall is in the same boat. But I dont want to lose an hour going to do a quote for a small job I might make a max of £150-200 out of.

 

[Best]

I hate it when I go out and spend ages going into every detail a customer wants to know about a job and then once I give them a verbal quote, they ask me to put it all in writing.
As if me losing a couple hours isn’t enough for them.

 

[Knappers]

I think I'd be charging for any quotes less than a days work in your situation, or free over the phone if they can supply details you need (room size, pictures etc).
If works slow then I'd be more flexible, if you dont get the job but are helpful and professional then they'll keep your number and that's as good as a job, like an advertising cost and if your van's signwritten then it's good to be out and about.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Its becoming part of the job now i was asked toquote for new syphon and float valve on Monday. Place was a right pig to get to as well over a ferry with a toll to boot.

She explained whaT she had and i said decent parts probaby be about 50 quid plus my labour to fit . Then on top of that where you live is an absolute nuisance to get to which she said herself is a pain.
Said estimate 150 quid .

Oh thats very expensive she said , think i will shop around then hung up.

Weirdly had same job on Friday charged 140 as easy to drive to and they bit my hand off.

 

[Welder]

Its becoming part of the job now i was asked toquote for new syphon and float valve on Monday. Place was a right pig to get to as well over a ferry with a toll to boot.

She explained whaT she had and i said decent parts probaby be about 50 quid plus my labour to fit . Then on top of that where you live is an absolute nuisance to get to which she said herself is a pain.
Said estimate 150 quid .

Oh thats very expensive she said , think i will shop around then hung up.

Weirdly had same job on Friday charged 140 as easy to drive to and they bit my hand off.

Totally 'professional' in my view

 

[Old Account]

That's what I've had. If I put the time of the quote on the job then I'm too expensive but they have the size of the rad.

At the moment though I've gone dead. All I seem to be getting is jokers! Bring on the winter.

Happens to me a lot though even though I get always recommended by my other customers. They still want the quotes even though they know it’s out of their budget. They also try to suck your knowledge and getting a cheap Labour in to do the works. Everybody want works done but don’t want to pay a decent money. Too many cheap labours and non qualified people which will beat you

 

[Old Account]

Do you go out and quote for a tap washer? Do you go out and give a quote for half a day job?

I've always given an estimate of time and a rough idea of price for small jobs. I bet people that work in Tesco's get paid for pricing up but we should give up our free time to quote for something that we cannot hide the cost of your time going out.

That would be perfect as I can’t remember that we ever went out for free back in Germany.
Too many people trying to outsmart the others with offering free quotes and stuff like this. How often people told you when you came out to diagnose or priced a job that other people offering free quotes and you should do it too lol the amount of people who don’t appreciate your time, knowledge and your skills is beyond me.

 

[Millsy 82]

That would be perfect as I can’t remember that we ever went out for free back in Germany.
Too many people trying to outsmart the others with offering free quotes and stuff like this. How often people told you when you came out to diagnose or priced a job that other people offering free quotes and you should do it too lol the amount of people who don’t appreciate your time, knowledge and your skills is beyond me.

I've been told a couple of times that I shouldn't charge as I didnt fix the boiler when it was beyond repair and I recommend a new boiler.

My response is always the same, if you go with me for a new boiler I knock the diagnosis cost off the final bill.

Been caught out a couple of times when people say oh yes we will go with you then when you hand the quote over they change their mind and go with dodgy Dave or cash Carl that will do it cheaper.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I've been told a couple of times that I shouldn't charge as I didnt fix the boiler when it was beyond repair and I recommend a new boiler.

My response is always the same, if you go with me for a new boiler I knock the diagnosis cost off the final bill.

Been caught out a couple of times when people say oh yes we will go with you then when you hand the quote over they change their mind and go with dodgy Dave or cash Carl that will do it cheaper.

I would then send the invoice for the call out.

 

[WaterTight]

No need to. Get paid there and then. Knock it off boiler change if and when it's done.

 

[hammers4spanner]

What a day wasted , i thought i had 4 small jobs booked in , two jobs with taps a float valve and a house with few odds and sods.

Turned up at all of them wanting quotes to fit new taps if they supplied , the float valve one this bloke took the lid of and goes how much to fit that . When i said supply fit 80 he said ideal but needs 4 more quotes !!!!

Absolutely wasted my time today , if its faulty it needs a repair not endless quotes ffs

 

[Harvest Fields]

What a day wasted , i thought i had 4 small jobs booked in , two jobs with taps a float valve and a house with few odds and sods.

Turned up at all of them wanting quotes to fit new taps if they supplied , the float valve one this bloke took the lid of and goes how much to fit that . When i said supply fit 80 he said ideal but needs 4 more quotes !!!!

Absolutely wasted my time today , if its faulty it needs a repair not endless quotes ffs

Just one of them days

 

[hammers4spanner]

4 quotes to fit a float valve tho whats that about , house was in a right affluent area as well

 

[Harvest Fields]

4 quotes to fit a float valve tho whats that about , house was in a right affluent area as well

I visit every job and then add that price onto the installation job.

 

[Scott_D]

What a day wasted , i thought i had 4 small jobs booked in , two jobs with taps a float valve and a house with few odds and sods.

Turned up at all of them wanting quotes to fit new taps if they supplied , the float valve one this bloke took the lid of and goes how much to fit that . When i said supply fit 80 he said ideal but needs 4 more quotes !!!!

Absolutely wasted my time today , if its faulty it needs a repair not endless quotes ffs

Did none mention wanting a quote only?

 

[Welder]

... house was in a right affluent area as well

Thats why! Tight as a gnats foreskin

 

[Best]

I wouldn’t go out to quote for a ball valve job. That is ridiculous.
That sort of job might only take a couple minutes to do the job, plus all the other time involved spent looking at it, getting tools from van, etc and travel time.
So for a potential customer to ask you to do everything other than fix the fault - all for free, is robbing you of time you could be earning elsewhere.
Just quote them on the phone your callout and hourly rate.

 

[Best]

I must ask a car mechanic to drive out to my home to look at the worn wiper blades on my car.
Then I will ask him to give me a quote to fit new wiper blades as I am getting a few other quotes.

 

[Harvest Fields]

I wouldn’t go out to quote for a ball valve job. That is ridiculous.
That sort of job might only take a couple minutes to do the job, plus all the other time involved spent looking at it, getting tools from van, etc and travel time.
So for a potential customer to ask you to do everything other than fix the fault - all for free, is robbing you of time you could be earning elsewhere.
Just quote them on the phone your callout and hourly rate.

So if the custard had water leaking from the overflow in the loft you wouldn’t go and inspect? You would just quote?

 

[Millsy 82]

What a day wasted , i thought i had 4 small jobs booked in , two jobs with taps a float valve and a house with few odds and sods.

Turned up at all of them wanting quotes to fit new taps if they supplied , the float valve one this bloke took the lid of and goes how much to fit that . When i said supply fit 80 he said ideal but needs 4 more quotes !!!!

Absolutely wasted my time today , if its faulty it needs a repair not endless quotes ffs

Do you give them a rough idea of price over the phone?

I'd be fuming if that was me I would probably say dont bother phoning me.

 

[Millsy 82]

So if the custard had water leaking from the overflow in the loft you wouldn’t go and inspect? You would just quote?

I would go out to do the job but I wouldnt go out to quote. If I turned up I would expect paying for my time. But I would say on the phone I wont be coming out to just quote.