PRICING. CAN WE ALL AGREE ON HERE

[Agile]

A maintenance contract of two 300 kW boilers is a significant business job.

In these recessionary times its only to be expected that employers/customers will be concerned about their costs.

I would blame the previous contractors who commenced significant works without fully agreeing prices/rates involved.

I agree that you should not have put your efforts free into quoting for a job when all they want are your figures to argue with the other contractor. But I do think that you should have quoted for the maintenance, perhaps quoting a bit on the high side. Business is business!

As far as that other lady was concerned I agree that many were far too agressive towards her. However, she was being unrealistic in expecting to get a free design service by email without any site visits. Firms did that in the early days of heating in the 1960s/1970s though but then gas was cheap and systems over specified.

Tony

 

[Whitespirit66]

I wouldn't sit in judgment on a price for a job that I haven't seen, in an area of the country where I know nothing of local rates, etc, etc.

However, I hope people still post these types of enquiries, as they are often some of the most interesting topics. Just for my own pointless curiosity.

When you have read, or possibly responded to, the 27th post about somone's struggles with changing a tap washer, reading about some old dear who has paid some wide-boy 12 grand for a boiler swap comes as a bit of a relief.

 

[Boilerman2]

Hi Agile - why would i want to quote for the maintenance - only for the custard to screw me as well??? (I've got plenty of other 300Kw+ boilers on my books and with no hassles either!!)

 

[transam]

When designing a heating system for a domestic customer, do you lot not offer them a choice of boiler, radiators etc?

The lady requested to the Mod's that her post was deleted. Personally I thought the attitude of a few on here was disgusting to say the least. She wan't trying to rip anyone off nor pull anyone down.

No i do not offer a choice of boiler , if the customer want's a particular boiler than as far as I am concerned they can have ,
Same go's for radiator's , a particular make is specified , if they want something different they can have it !!!

Piping ???? postion's of certain pipe's yes would be agreed !!
As for your other remark's cannot comment did not see the post ???[/quote]

 

[HERTS P&D]

I've always been told that you argue the price before the work is done, NOT AFTERWARDS!!!!!!

So if all work is correct and to specification, (without changes agreed by customer and tradesmans, or new prices will apply) then full payment should be made on completion.

Without delay.......we all have bills to pay.

Andy

 

[westeleven]

Well thanks to JJ for being supportive and no thanks Tony for mis-remembering my post.

I raised a question asking if any of the very experienced plumbers on this forum knew of a design service so that I could get a specification drawn up from which to obtain some estimates for the new boiler, central heating system and bathroom that I need fitted.

I stressed that I expected to pay for the service and said that I had floor plans of my house and the new cellar and did anybody know if such a service existed.

I was rudely scorned, scoffed at and called a cheapskate - WHY?

I did not suggest that plumbers were cowboys or scammers in fact I was extremely respectful and was not wanting to waste anybody's valuable time coming to my house to discuss what I needed while my mind was still not quite decided.

I mentioned that I was new to the area and so could not obtain recommendations for plumbers and I was determined to not make expensive mistakes so was hoping to have some idea as to my choices prior to obtaining estimates from a couple of local firms.

Nothing disrespectful was meant or intimated and I still believe that I was being sensible and fair.

I was bruised by the replies as they were illogical and rude even when I pointed out that I was not wanting anything for nothing the rudeness contiued so I asked that my post be removed.

that's it folks.

 

[transam]

Hmm , I must admit I did not see your post westeleven , I am alway's of the opinion that one should be civil ( well most of the time ?) .

Design service ??? how big is your house ? property ??? generally I would not waste your money ( bathroom's different) contact some installer's to give an estimate quote , personally I have no prob's if a customer want's a particul;ar boiler , u don't feel so guilty when it go's wrong !!!

Recently priced a job for a Lady , who is extremely well clued up , on heating control's , boiler's so on & so forth , research scientist !!

Or was I one of the people that was rude to you ???? I don't think I commented ??? than again ???

 

[Agile]

I agree that you later clarified that you were intending to pay for a web based design service but anyone would think that would be cheap compared to a consultant who visited you to actually see what was involved.

But the highlighted part of your post above indicates that you were not expecting to pay anyone for those visits.

We dont usually make free visits to assess requirements or give quotes. We will instead give free telephone or email advice and budgetary quotes. It did not take long to realise that there are many people who are quite prepared to request a ( free ) detailed specification and quote from a professional and then engage a cheap third world to do the work at half the price.

Tony

 

[westeleven]

OFFS!

'But the highlighted part of your post above indicates that you were not expecting to pay anyone for those visits. '

I give up! Truly! Somehow we just aren't writing the same language.

What part of 'I expect to pay' do you not understand?

 

[Gasman77]

I thought you said that was it?

 

[westeleven]

I did! but did you take that to mean I wouldn't post again? whereas I was merely finishing my sad story - or are you politely telling me to go forth and multiply?

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Happens all too often, go round to quote, they pick your brains, then get "mate" or cheapshitte merchant in to do the work, you notice broken gas regs later, complain to corgi and council over lack of Part L ect who both didn't give a stuff, I am a lot more careful now so havent had to try out the new GasStrafe setup, the younger ones will learn the hard way like we all have, meanwhile I say again on "THIS" diy forum we shouldn't be drawn into "helping" assholes with I/we could have done it cheaper or you paid too much replies so they can then screw an installer who has most likely worked his nuts off, unless you were actually on site to see personally we dont know.

We all have to remember on here that there is a lot of customers who would happily let you work for nothing and think nothing of it, I have a few that for some reason or other it's quite ok for them to have a large pension and nice house static caravan car ect, but beacuse I am in overalls I shouldn't really have any money, and "whatever" I charge is too much, these types will be on here asking how much for a tap washer replacement and feel done at £25.00 and someone on here will say oh it should have been £15.00, but the poster hasn't mentioned the parking problem travelling 3 flights of stairs and because it's a weird foreign filling valve another trip to the merchants to get a ridiculously priced overly unnecesarily complicated "oh we dont stock them" bloody washer.

Yes, help genuine postings of- my boiler, tap, toilet ect has stopped working, how much postings, no, let them get estimates/quotes from thier local installers, if they not happy there is trading standards and GasSafe citizens advice ect to go to.

 

[Agile]

Westeleven, it is quite clear to me what you meant. That was you would pay for a no-visit web assessment of your needs but you expected an engineer to visit free which is why you said you did not want to "waste his time". If you were paying him his time is not being wasted! Thats what we do to charge a nominal fee for a design/assessment visit.

We then explained that a no visit design service would be of little use to you because it would not identify relevant aspects which would affect the installation.

People who call themselves Westeleven are often in London W11 but I dont see that you have ever stated where you really are.

I am sorry that some of the regulars have been rather sharp towards you but that results from their experience of time-wasters who want to get free advice and visits and then use a cheap installer who does a bad job. But you seem to have decided that I fall into that category as well.

Tony

 

[westeleven]

I'm sorry too Tony.

I am a really genuine person who hates anybody, let alone hard working tradesmen, being taken advantage of. But I'm not judging you so why are you so certain that you know me?

You know, I just did a really long reply but just erased it.

thx for your reply.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

I'm sorry too Tony.

I am a really genuine person who hates anybody, let alone hard working tradesmen, being taken advantage of. But I'm not judging you so why are you so certain that you know me?

You know, I just did a really long reply but just erased it.

thx for your reply.

"who hates anybody" LOL, glad to see that like me you hate eveyone, love it, just how pc britain should be, no discrimination

Type in haste, repent at leasure..........