That time of year, UGH
Oakie
Member Posts: 40,510 ✭✭✭✭
My name is (blank), can you come put in a air conditioner for me. I'm your son's friends, father's, cousin's sister in law's uncle, and I need it free or cheaper then you can buy it. Also, does it come with a warranty and free service for the rest of my life!!!
Sure no problem you &#*@@@@$. Got three of those phone calls this week so far. Free HVAC is out of business, but I can give you a fair price for my quality work, craftmanship and 42 years of experience!!!!! Other than that, feel free to call someone else.
I won't ever understand why people that you don't know, or hardly know, expect you to come do a job for them , for free or (DEEPLY) discounted. I don't mind helping someone out, that is truly in need, but don't expect me to work for free either. I usually do one or two, truly charity cases a year, for free. I don't expect anything in return. Today, a guy called me that was a friend, of a friend, that I haven't spoken too, since we were teenagers. He wanted to know if I could replace his heater and ac, for under 2,000 bucks. I just laughed at him. He said that was a quote he got earlier this week. Ugh, No way. The ac alone is almost that much. Just in material, it is in the neighborhood of 4,500 to 5,000, depending on what you purchase. I told him to call that guy back. Later in the day, he called me back and asked me to come give him a quote. Told him I was too busy. I can tell he is going to be a PIA already, and I don't want to deal with that right now.
Thanks for letting me rant. Been a long week. Oakie
Comments
Toilet plugger this week, ran a 6' snake thru the toilet and it didn't open up. i knew the main line was plugged, never happened in 30 years, so i called the nearest drain guy, busy, didn't return my call, called the next guy, busy...left a message for both. The first guy called back and he can make it in 5 hours, ok your hired, the next guy called back, too busy today, ok don't come we have someone else. The first guy shows up and snakes out tree roots, 15 feet from the opening than goes another 50'. It's an end of a long day for him so i reset the toilet, cost is $250. You know I wouldn't come out and snake a drain for less than $250, nasty job. It's hard to get people in an emergency and i gladly paid him.
As far as HVAC, 2 winters ago our furnace went out when it was 10 below, called Xcel and they sent a team out that day and replaced the furnace, $5,000, but they gave us an $800 rebate and another $250 rebate, and we have that neat My evolution connex thermostat by Bryant, $600 they are so good, tells you if something is wrong or you need a filter replacement. Good workers are hard to find.
I'll repeat what I posted in the hamburger thread...
We do quick work, good work, and cheap work. You can pick only two.
We care exceedingly lucky to have a great plumbing company and a great HVAC company. They get all our business and we never ever fret about the price. They reciprocate by never ever quibbling about the service. On one plumbing callback a while ago, the man said, "This job wasn't done perfectly the first time so this one's on us, both parts and labor."
Unlike water, loyalty flows both ways.
I will guess any small business gets the same line and request. every one wants the deal
our local HVAC fellow is a super nice guy reasonable ( I think so ) installed a new furnace and even a AC unit for us over the last 8 many 10 yrs or so and he gets over loaded some times with jobs but will get thru the list . he will at least call back let us know when he may get to it if its a problem . I think he did take on some help a couple yrs back in the area he has a good following of customers
I will also say I have called him, tell him my issue or leave a message . ( I work on every thing from A to Z ) but lack some HVAC tools and skills so I will call him if I know I am over my head, its rare but happens, 😁 I will not take any thing apart or guess by throwing parts at it if I have any doubt .
I know twice I have called him and he was booked up but he would ask what was wrong and then tell me what to check or what I should replace
I dont call him often , maybe once every couple yrs , but he has a customer for life in me
Don't waste your time with that idiot. If you do bump your quote up enough to cover whatever issue you know he will have over the next few years. Hopefully the high price will chase him off.
I hated those calls. So glad I don't have to put up with 'em anymore!
I had one couple that kept pestering me and pestering me to give them a quote and I just flat did not want to do any work for them. They had a reputation around the county for being complete jackwagons and being stingy with the checkbook. I finally broke down and gave them a quote for some tile work. I figured everything out just like normal, then tripled it. I'll be damned if they didn't accept the quote. What they didn't like was that at the time I was 18 months out on gettin' to jobs. Whew! Dodged that one!
Yes, we deal with that every day in both mine and my wife's business. At 70 and 68 we are just about done. Business is not fun any more. The good people to do business with are getting fewer and fewer every day.
A lot of bad business people here. When I offer to pay in CASH.... "What do you mean, cash?" Contractors hire unqualified workers & then complain when they have to fix the screw-ups themselves. No wonder businesses don't last long. I would love to find quality workers & gladly pay them.
A classic was an excavator who missed 2 appointments and had lame excuses when I called him. He finally called 5 months later to look at the job and was mad when I told him it was done & the foundation was in.
My friend gets power washing jobs because, 1) He answers the phone. 2) He returns calls & 3) He shows up...On Time. His prices & work must be good as most jobs are repeat customers & referrals.
I didn't renew my master electrician license this year. So far no one has asked me for any electrical advice or work. If they do ill let them know quickly that I'm retired.
Jim, you're a 3-phase electrician:
Eager to work
Tired of work
Done with work
Years ago on a below freezing Sunday morning, our well pump died. I called the closest well people expecting it will be at least until the middle of the week before they can get to it. To my astonishment he said I can be there in about 30 minutes.
When he got here I bundled myself up and went out there to help him pull the pump. He said you don't need to help, I told him that I really appreciate it that he came down to help me out, and I wanted to help so he could get back home and warm up.
Gus has come down several times since then to replace a pressure tank, and other well issues.
That was the most memorable of many issues that were out of my experience level and in each instance the guys were absolutely professional and did a great job.
The only bad experience was with the original plumber that the builder hired. That * has cost me over $4000 in repairs of his messes, plus many hours of my own time to repair the screw ups he did.
Joe
I gave up my license in 2012. Don't do anything except for close family and closer friends, then refuse to go into attics (both knees replaced).
Speaking of deals
When I use to need exhaust work done .many yrs ago a local place would do 1st in 1st out was big part of ther busness
The owner would ask do you want a recept and or paying cash
He would say with a receipt cost (just a example )140.00 no receptb and cash 100.00
Needless to say I never needed a receipt
It's been many years but I think they still have muffler shop next town south of us
There was a tire shop that use to ask the same question
I never ask for a special deal but some small shops use to give you the option lol
I though you were referring to "Income Tax Payments"😝
Or the old,outdated worn out HVAC system they want you to fix because they can't afford a new one.When you explain it would cost more to repair the junker than replace it,you are trying to rip them off,but they are much too smart for that so they call the next guy.
I have a doctor client, that own a beach front home. Nicest guy in the world, but also the cheapest. He has me put band aides on his AC's for the last few years. Last summer I went there and two of the units were actually laying on their sides, because the salt air had rotted out the cases. He jokingly said to me, can you just prop them up like an old wino. We both laughed for a good minute or two. I took a tomato plant stick an prompted them up, then said , what do you think Doc. He said, I think we better just replace them this year. The salt air kills the units down here, in about five years. His were over 15 years old.
should ask him if he just props up his patients??????? till later when someone can do it right..