How far ahead do you have work booked?

[leek]

Just out of curiosity, and because I got a crappy email from a customer this am, how far ahead are you booked up?

I have pretty much the whole of August and most of September booked with the odd day free here and there, which I'm pretty content with, new quote requests coming in and most people seem happy to wait for me when I tell them I won't be able to do the job for x weeks. I guess a lot of my work comes from recommendation so presume for some people that outweighs convenience.

However got one woman I have done quite a bit for and she is just doing my head in, think she has been stung by tradesmen in the past so is very mistrustful but she just expects me to drop everything to deal with her. She emailed yesterday that she wants me to do her outside tap, I emailed her back to say would squeeze her in in 2 weeks but that's not good enough, she doesn't understand why she has to wait and if I do that day it I have to be out the house by mid pm as she is off out to London on a jolly. I would if I could but already have a job booked in for that day so probably wouldn't even get there till then. She the follows it up by saying she wants a new boiler, that the quote would need to be with her in 3 days and the work completed no later than the 27th August, it's just all so demanding. She works in a school, so needs everything done in the holidays which I understand however had she told me this in July I could have just factored her in, instead I get these crappy demanding and actually rude emails.

Im my own worst enemy though, I have got enough work that it doesn't bother me financially to lose this job, but I just feel bloody irritated that after working for her for almost a year for various things,she knows the standard and quality of my work, yet she still expects the earth.

So it got me thinking this morning, are there many people that could fit a boiler at a drop of a hat, or do you have a fair bit booked in? How easy will it actually be do get a decent trademan to fit a boiler in the next couple of weeks?

Lee.

 

[stevetheplumber]

nothing booked at all

 

[leek]

Are you still busy though? I had a phase in Feb where I had nothing booked but everyday the phone would ring and I would have work.

 

[Ray Stafford]

From our state of trade survey:

How many weeks work do you have booked in?

Up to 2 weeks: 31%
2 - 4 weeks: 27%
4 - 8 weeks: 22%
8 - 12 weeks: 8%
12 weeks plus: 12%

(I have rounded to the nearest whole %)

 

[leek]

Thanks Ray.

 

[Masood]

Booked until mid September with a few days off here and there but just starting another leaflet drop.

My problem is that nearly all my new customers these days come from word-of-mouth and I'm getting fewer and fewer calls from totally fresh customers. With natural attrition - 3 of my best and oldest customers have sold up and moved far out of my catchment area in the past year - I need to bring in the new blood that will the recommend me to their friends and family.

Also looking to expand, to take on a qualified lad with his own van, working independently, so I need to now have a period of overbooking - so I have enough work to sustain 2 people for a good couple of months.

 

[leek]

We did checkatrade which has been a good source of new customers, but the big jobs also seem to be recommendation. Its hard though getting the balance, I have just had a guy start with me as a labourer, although he is well able to do most things, but he is only free 3 days a week.

This woman though has just really irritated me, must have got out the wrong side of bed! She clearly has forgotten that I went round there to fix her boiler one evening early July (in the heatwave) as she just 'couldnt be without heating as she gets so cold' but wouldn't take the time off work to let me in. Argh. People..

 

[Ray Stafford]

We did checkatrade which has been a good source of new customers, but the big jobs also seem to be recommendation. Its hard though getting the balance, I have just had a guy start with me as a labourer, although he is well able to do most things, but he is only free 3 days a week.

This woman though has just really irritated me, must have got out the wrong side of bed! She clearly has forgotten that I went round there to fix her boiler one evening early July (in the heatwave) as she just 'couldnt be without heating as she gets so cold' but wouldn't take the time off work to let me in. Argh. People..

She's just a high maintenance customer.

Drop her a line, explaining your commitment to keeping appointments with all your other customers, and defining the scope of a real emergency call. (Water escape, gas leak etc).

Then finish up with

"I hope that this helps to explain our bookings policy and our approach to prioritising conflicting customer demands. However, we understand that some customers have expectations that we are unable to meet, and on these rare occasions we feel that its better to make our position clear, and let that customer find another tradesman who perhaps is not in such high demand."

 

[Best]

I am unofficially booked for about a month.
You will find that a lot of people in fairly easy jobs, or unemployed, will try to push you about. Sadly they can get someone else straight away for boiler changes or new taps.
But just make the decision is you want to accept the extra work & pressure, but at a high quote, or let them go elsewhere.
On the same subject, what really annoys me is customers I bend over backwards for - doing emergency jobs immediately and for very little charge and then suddenly they have a " plumber who is a friend" and he can do their work. One girl who owes me as I have done many a favour for her, now tells me she knows a plumber from her work who has already priced for a new boiler etc. I told her I could do it, but she said - but how much would you charge? What a pig, considering I did her work for nearly free and also could have easily bettered her quote.

 

[Best]

I agree, to some extent with Rays advice.
But maybe I suggest you do similar letter and drop in the remark, - "As you appreciate I have to do emergency jobs occasionally to oblige people, such as when I got your boiler fixed one evening and have to commit to helping people like yourself and prioritising"

Frankly I think you are only as good as your last job. Some people tend to have short memories about all your good work and favours.

 

[Masood]

Some people tend to have short memories about all your good work and favours.

And very long memories about that one occasion 18 months ago when you were running late!

I had one customer text me to cancel at 11PM the night before I was due at hers at 7:30 AM (her insistence as she couldn't possibly be late for work!). No explanation, just "Cancelling tomorrow as something has come up"

I sent her an email explaining the cost to me - as I was unable to get another booking at such short notice and her justification was that 18 months previously I had been an hour late for an appointment! (I had called and let her know about the delay!)

 

[Rickster123]

You'd all get more done if you weren't in here at 10.30 on a Tuesday!

 

[Masood]

You'd all get more done if you weren't in here at 10.30 on a Tuesday!

Oi! I'm working hard I'll have you know! Dipping in and out in between quotes, invoicing and bookkeeping...

 

[REDSAW]

perhaps your not charging enough or you need to sub the overspil jobs out at 20% comission?

nothing worse than being booked up yet having to drop all those candy jobs!

 

[jonnyswamp]

I'm around 4/5 weeks booked up, with work on the horizon as well, but not full weeks
I'll try to keep a monday or a friday free each week, usually mondays to cater for calls coming in over the weekend, which I wont go to as I don't do callouts as a rule
That way, if I come across a dead boiler, I can always fit a changeover in fairly soon rather than loose the bunce work

 

[hammers4spanner]

I always think it depends what you class as your work ?My own personal work that i have actually gone out and got is never much more than a week at a time.

When i stand in the suppliers and here this yea i got 3 months fully booked is generally load of bull, its usually from a builder or lettings company . In my mind your a 3rd party then your just a subbie to be dropped when a better deal comes through from another plumbs .

When i was doing builders works then i could say every week was fully booked forever or until i upset someone . Reality not many one man bands or small companies can say they are months in advanced without any other party reliant.

 

[Masood]

I always think it depends what you class as your work ?My own personal work that i have actually gone out and got is never much more than a week at a time.

When i stand in the suppliers and here this yea i got 3 months fully booked is generally load of bull, its usually from a builder or lettings company . In my mind your a 3rd party then your just a subbie to be dropped when a better deal comes through from another plumbs .

When i was doing builders works then i could say every week was fully booked forever or until i upset someone . Reality not many one man bands or small companies can say they are months in advanced without any other party reliant.

None of my work is for builders, agencies or subbed from anyone else. I normally operate between 5 and 8 weeks ahead nowadays. But then, I hardly ever get any small jobbing-type calls now, which I really miss to be honest. Seem to be doing a lot of bathrooms, which is why people are happy to wait.

Haven't done a boiler breakdown in AGES, servicing is only my own installs, the nature of my work has changed a LOT, so the booking time has as well..

 

[hammers4spanner]

Thats why i say usually from builders or lettings you get exceptions .

The amount of times tho that i hear so much work blah blah blah then you scratch service and they do very little private houses .

Most of my work is little jobs work a few hours a day now £50 first hour £30 every hour after, only thing is nearly all don't get this call out which is becoming annoying .

 

[plumben]

Ive got a good few big jobs on the cards, but nothing set in stone, although I'm getting a good amount of work in each week for little jobs

 

[mfgs]

Booked about 5-6 weeks ahead at the moment. Still getting plenty of calls for quotes etc as well, but not all of them are willing to wait.

 

[cr0ft]

Like most of you probably are, we are in the nice position that we have more work coming in that we can do. I adjust my prices on quotes up and down accordingly now to keep us booked ahead about 4 weeks at any one time. No sense in being booked 3 or 4 months ahead in my eyes - it means we aren't charging enough.

Supply and demand rules imo!

 

[lame plumber]

currently quiet as its August, waiting on some responses to install quotes on boilers and heating systems. I always leave Mondays free as normally get calls first thing to fill out the day. Max of 2 weeks in advance is the norm, with repeat services keeping the gaps full. Being as I hate bathroom fitting, that sort of work is rare now, most of mine is breakdowns, servicing and replacement boilers and that depends on them breaking down. I find that those who are booked up months in advance are not charging the same rates as me, so they are working 3 times as hard for the same money

 

[Phil]

Booked solid until well in October, stressing out..10 hour days...six days a week.
No time for holiday although we like to get away at the weekends lakes or somewhere.

Every time the phone rings I cringe....I am my own worst enemy as well.

 

[Phil]

currently quiet as its August, waiting on some responses to install quotes on boilers and heating systems. I always leave Mondays free as normally get calls first thing to fill out the day. Max of 2 weeks in advance is the norm, with repeat services keeping the gaps full. Being as I hate bathroom fitting, that sort of work is rare now, most of mine is breakdowns, servicing and replacement boilers and that depends on them breaking down. I find that those who are booked up months in advance are not charging the same rates as me, so they are working 3 times as hard for the same money

Just read this and I sound cheap now! not at all.

 

[hammers4spanner]

currently quiet as its August, waiting on some responses to install quotes on boilers and heating systems. I always leave Mondays free as normally get calls first thing to fill out the day. Max of 2 weeks in advance is the norm, with repeat services keeping the gaps full. Being as I hate bathroom fitting, that sort of work is rare now, most of mine is breakdowns, servicing and replacement boilers and that depends on them breaking down. I find that those who are booked up months in advance are not charging the same rates as me, so they are working 3 times as hard for the same money

Had a nosey at your rates on your site and i concur with them very very much lol

 

[lame plumber]

depends on what you call cheap I am popping my prices up to get back in Rays top 1/10 area again, slipped a bit this year

 

[townfanjon]

Next 3/4 day ish job is probably back end of november now, just gone mad over the last 3 weeks,

 

[lame plumber]

Had a nosey at your rates on your site and i concur with them very very much lol

please note they are several years out of date, need to update them again

 

[REDSAW]

will make sure your headstone reads 'booked up'..or words to that nature!!lol

 

[Nostrum]

Been running on minimal work for the last 3 months due to a delay in a restructure and rebrand, not helped by BT open reach being a bunch of muppets and Talktalk not being any better!

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

Very quiet period for me. I got bits and pieces to do over the next couple of weeks like the odd tap and radiator change. I have work next week and I have a large bathroom to do in September and then nothing again. I don't book things in weeks in advance as I'm far to unorganised and would probably forget some lol. Winter period is a different animal though

 

[leek]

Well she has got British Gas in to do it. In her words she is paying over the odds but gets it done when she wants and can pay it in instalments. I did send her an email once I had chilled a bit, along the lines of what Ray suggested and she rang to ask why I was so busy, and why didn't I just employ someone. Going back to do the tap in a few weeks, think she is just high maintenance, she is a single lady in her early 40's, sadly lost her mum and dad so been left a load of money (only child too) which is why she bought this house and spent loads on it. Think she understands a little bit better that I can't just drop everything but is just used to getting her own way. I know she has fallen out with loads of tradesmen in the year I have been working for her, and now I can see why!

It's interesting though to see what timescales everyone else is working to, I do the odd bit of subbying but went through my diary and have done 5 days in the last 8 weeks, so it's not that keeping me busy.

I too am trying to keep 1 day a week free, either Monday or Friday to catch up,with paperwork or fit in the little jobs but it just doesn't seem to be working out that way at the moment, I think I need to get a bit tougher and feel less guilty about saying no. Guess it's better to be busy than not have enough but which is wasn't feast or famine, just steady would be good!