RickMoore, stop crying in your beer...i wont be doing anything within your ambit of your professional expertise...but route prepping is certainly something i can do with ease..and save some money in the process...its ridiculous to say you would charge me more...moreover, i wont be doing any route prepping until after the route has been approved by professionals the 2nd time they visit (voluntarily). bear in mind the pros couldnt agree on a route or give me an acceptable route with the planning dept the first time round so its not my fault weve got to go again
Installation of Gas fired boiler and Gas cooker
- Thread starter listedbuildingonabudget
- Start date
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If there are planning restrictions on where gas pipes can go then it only seems fair to me that you should have been able to inform the RGIs about them on your their first visit.
In this recession some RGIs feel they are struggling to get enough work to do and will stupidly waste a lot of time visiting when its not economically justified.
I dont waste my time with needless visits. If only one person is to get the job then why should three have to visit? I dont think its fair to my customers to expect them to pay for time wasters! I just ask all the questions on the phone and give a budgetary quote based on the answers given to me. If that is accepted only then I do make a visit to confirm the prices.
Tony
In this recession some RGIs feel they are struggling to get enough work to do and will stupidly waste a lot of time visiting when its not economically justified.
I dont waste my time with needless visits. If only one person is to get the job then why should three have to visit? I dont think its fair to my customers to expect them to pay for time wasters! I just ask all the questions on the phone and give a budgetary quote based on the answers given to me. If that is accepted only then I do make a visit to confirm the prices.
Tony
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I woud n't be interested in this job, but I do no from experience that allowing the client to complete the donkey work rarely saves time. Years ago, with fireplace work, I worked on a menu system - charging set prices per element. Often the client would choose to do the "prep", but would then be on the phone all the time checking and asking for verbal assistance. Then I would have to check the work, and end up altering it. Invaraiably, I would end up spending as much time (or more)as I would doing it all myself. I scrapped the entire idea, and charged a fixed price.
In the Op's case, it appears a lot of guys have already invested a considerable amount of time. What punters (and some tradesmen!) don't understand is that all the wasted time and vehicle usage (if you don't get the job) on all unsuccesful surveys has to be considered when you try to work out how much per hour to charge - or when you try to work out how much per hour you earned over the last year.
And how come, after all this "investigation", he still thought he could use 25mm mdpe internally?
This is the epitome of a problem customer.
Wants to pay as little as possible and thinks he knows enough to be able to judge the work and do part himself. He will do the prepping wrong and still expects a discount "for the work he did".
This is typically the kind of guy who will give the installer loads of hassle because somebody else said this or that is better done differently.
I wouldn't go for a quote if the work was around the corner, and neither would any other good installer; only clowns deal with clowns.
Wants to pay as little as possible and thinks he knows enough to be able to judge the work and do part himself. He will do the prepping wrong and still expects a discount "for the work he did".
This is typically the kind of guy who will give the installer loads of hassle because somebody else said this or that is better done differently.
I wouldn't go for a quote if the work was around the corner, and neither would any other good installer; only clowns deal with clowns.
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So what do you need anyone else for then ? If it's so easy just get on with it and get it done, then tell the installer to "run the pipe there"
rickmoore, route prepping is something i can do with ease once the route has been confirmed.
bengasman, i wouldnt dream of calling a potential customer of mine a clown...any tradesmen like you would immediately be treated as cowboy amateurs..any tradesmen worth his salt has respect for a customer that wants to help and is able to (with advice here and there, and within my limitations). i had a hetas professional help me with a fireplace install, and he was happy for me to do all the prep work...when we had to replace lead fresh water supply i did it with help from severn trent...and i relaid our drains when our old vitreous pipes cracked...just because im not a professional dont treat all customers as stupid .. im not the only one that doesnt take kindly to it.
fireman, you too have got a dodgy attitude to customers. i perfectly understand the concept of giving some free time to potential customers with a view to securing new business...and i do it graciously. many of you need to learn..in particular going fwd that customers will want to cut costs...i suggest you embrace it or go under, or rip people off that dont known any better. im not sure why you are being pedantic about the pipe size, i never intended to buy the pipe, i just wanted an idea of if my difficult route would merely make the route unfeasable or if it would simply mean bigger pipe.
agile, it seems to me that so call pro gas fitters should have at least an idea about listed buildings rules. so let me get this straight, you listen about the job on the phone, have little idea of the building, so put loads extra onto the price cos you dont understand the job, then go to site and suggest the easiest way for you, and then dont reduce your price down afterwards, yeh am i right?
i've got enough info to go back to the local pro's....anyone who wants to call me a clown, or otherwise be hostile towards me, for having the audacity to want to contribute to the project and keep my costs down can go and do one as far as im concerned. if i was another punter, i would black list those of you..im very appreciative to those with pro active comments though.
bengasman, i wouldnt dream of calling a potential customer of mine a clown...any tradesmen like you would immediately be treated as cowboy amateurs..any tradesmen worth his salt has respect for a customer that wants to help and is able to (with advice here and there, and within my limitations). i had a hetas professional help me with a fireplace install, and he was happy for me to do all the prep work...when we had to replace lead fresh water supply i did it with help from severn trent...and i relaid our drains when our old vitreous pipes cracked...just because im not a professional dont treat all customers as stupid .. im not the only one that doesnt take kindly to it.
fireman, you too have got a dodgy attitude to customers. i perfectly understand the concept of giving some free time to potential customers with a view to securing new business...and i do it graciously. many of you need to learn..in particular going fwd that customers will want to cut costs...i suggest you embrace it or go under, or rip people off that dont known any better. im not sure why you are being pedantic about the pipe size, i never intended to buy the pipe, i just wanted an idea of if my difficult route would merely make the route unfeasable or if it would simply mean bigger pipe.
agile, it seems to me that so call pro gas fitters should have at least an idea about listed buildings rules. so let me get this straight, you listen about the job on the phone, have little idea of the building, so put loads extra onto the price cos you dont understand the job, then go to site and suggest the easiest way for you, and then dont reduce your price down afterwards, yeh am i right?
i've got enough info to go back to the local pro's....anyone who wants to call me a clown, or otherwise be hostile towards me, for having the audacity to want to contribute to the project and keep my costs down can go and do one as far as im concerned. if i was another punter, i would black list those of you..im very appreciative to those with pro active comments though.
G
gaswizzard
Typical time waster.
Why should any RGI know anything about listed building expectations? Its not their job!
Just by chance I do but thats only because part of my work at the BBC was making planning applications.
In addition I own a listed property and one in a conservation area.
When I give a phone quote I ask for all the details, including things you dont seem to have even thought of and all the dimensions. In some cases I ask for photos and plans to be emailed to me.
My price is based on what is needed! Drilling a 100 mm wall is less than a 400 mm wall!
I often let the owner do manual work like lifting floorboards etc. Either in advance or while I am there as my assistant.
Tony
Neither would I.
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