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?

 

[Best]

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

For a customer, - yes I would go out to inspect cause of water leak and then repair it.
But for a potential customer who might be a conman, or Scrooge, I wouldn’t go out to look at small emergency jobs like overflows just to quote for them.
Different a mystery leak or other job that might be easy or difficult, - I would go out to see what was wrong, if I want the job and if I did, then quote for it.

 

[Ric2013]

I have a regular customer who wants fixed prices. Last time she wanted a fixed price on changing a sink. I said hard to give one as she was supplying the sink (even her daughter was on my side). But that if she really needed a fixed price, £150 plus parts. I had seen the job previously but hadn't much more than glanced at it and there was no new and slightly different sink to compare with.

Eventually she called me back. I turned up, asked if we were going for hourly rate or fixed price. She said fixed price and was then pleased to discover she'd remembered it as £170, so the whole job only cost her around £155 including materials: less than she'd expected.

I was pleased too, as, while the job wasn't local and I had to sort out some old plumbing that fell apart when I tightened a compression fitting onto an existing pipe, I was able to work quite calmly and still take home a reasonable hourly rate at the end of it all.

Sometimes I just quote high and then when it all takes forever I'm getting paid enough.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Did none mention wanting a quote only?

No i said i will replace , im awaiting the phone call about the float valve saying im succesfull

 

[Old Account]

I would then send the invoice for the call out.

First you need to have the email adress

 

[Harvest Fields]

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.

What if the coil in the cylinder had gone when you arrived on site?

 

[Best]

What if the coil in the cylinder had gone when you arrived on site?

Guess that is one of the minority of the jobs that you have to quote for and if accepted you go back later to carry out the work.
Personally I usually get no money for such a callout

 

[Millsy 82]

What if the coil in the cylinder had gone when you arrived on site?

I would charge £60 diagnosis but because a replacement cylinder is a big enough job I would say if you go with me I will knock the price of the diagnosis off the install. But obviously add a little bit on like I do with all my quotes to cover my time pricing.

My way of looking at it is if they phone up and say they want a quote and say it is a cylinder change I will happily go out and do a price for them. If they phone up and say i have a problem can you come and have a look i will say no problem it is £60 to diagnose the problem i will give you a price to repair it.

I had one a couple of months ago I went out to do a breakdown on a Saturday morning (I was running late on the friday so had to cancel) when I got the it was low pressure so I topped up and checked expansion vessel etc and they were on about wanting a new boiler, as I had only been there for 10 minutes and I felt guilty I couldn't get to them the night before as she has kidney problems (she is proper yellow) I said as you want a new boiler I will give you your quote and wont charge you for today. They were saying they were expecting the quote to be around 2k i came in at around £17-1800 and every time i go past the house now still see the same boiler in place. So basically i was played for a fool but when the boiler goes down again i wont put myself out to get there.

 

[Best]

I would charge £60 diagnosis but because a replacement cylinder is a big enough job I would say if you go with me I will knock the price of the diagnosis off the install. But obviously add a little bit on like I do with all my quotes to cover my time pricing.

My way of looking at it is if they phone up and say they want a quote and say it is a cylinder change I will happily go out and do a price for them. If they phone up and say i have a problem can you come and have a look i will say no problem it is £60 to diagnose the problem i will give you a price to repair it.

I had one a couple of months ago I went out to do a breakdown on a Saturday morning (I was running late on the friday so had to cancel) when I got the it was low pressure so I topped up and checked expansion vessel etc and they were on about wanting a new boiler, as I had only been there for 10 minutes and I felt guilty I couldn't get to them the night before as she has kidney problems (she is proper yellow) I said as you want a new boiler I will give you your quote and wont charge you for today. They were saying they were expecting the quote to be around 2k i came in at around £17-1800 and every time i go past the house now still see the same boiler in place. So basically i was played for a fool but when the boiler goes down again i wont put myself out to get there.

Go the next time they call you and just make sure the job you do somehow costs a little extra. The 5 minute job might take an hour or any part supplied might be slightly more expensive than normal.