[Tango]

I passed on at least 5+ jobs today, several where my license doesn't cover those, I tell them they need to call a commercial plumber, when they argue I have to educate them their building falls under commercial licencing.

Just now a woman had a huge list of things like wanting to replace a sump pump, wanted to install a special kind of water heater/ thermo pump???, fix faulty sewage pumps. I told her it's too big of a project for me. She said you have the highest rating and it's going to be one thing at a time, mam I specialize in service calls not big projects, and you need to hire a company who will do everything otherwise it will create friction. I didn't tell her but the other company will back stab the other.

Friday I passed on a condo job that I first I was going to tackle until I found out it was a 12 storey building, I told him I wouldn't do the job because of insurance.

 

[Master Mark]

I say that a lot, not the type of work I do.

Many new Canadians don't get it either one guy last week wanted a reno, I told him no but he went on arguing I did plumbing and wanted to explain his complete tear down, I told him no I don't do renos in several different ways at least 6 times. I had enough I cut him off listen stop explaining it'll be the same answer!

Again last week I told a local woman it could be complicated and I didn't want to get involved when she hired a company to swap the water heater and still had hot water issues. Well damnit she left me a bad review! Now you know why in every store, post office, hospital etc. all have large signs they do not tolerate verbal abuse., people are angry.

They are angry probably because they are not being catered to by service people. basically YOU....
But by just saying NO THANKS They feel that you are violating their inainialble
rights to have their butts kissed... and they think that you are some kind of racist...... .
..
You dont just say no, You just need to find a patsy to refer these calls to .....
just politely tell them you are booked out for three weeks but I have a great
service or commercial plumbing company that takes all my overflow of calls and they would love to come out and get into your mess..... so here is their telephone number.... have it ready to give them so they dont feel they have to
break a sweat looking for the company themselves....

I text a few every week to another company that has 4 trucks on the road and really needs the filler work
so far so good... no complaints from either the customer or the plumber ....yet anyway and I normally
get a 100 dollar gift cert from them to a decent restaurant every month.....

 

[Tango]

They are angry probably because they are not being catered to by service people. basically YOU....
But by just saying NO THANKS They feel that you are violating their inainialble
rights to have their butts kissed... and they think that you are some kind of racist...... .
..
You dont just say no, You just need to find a patsy to refer these calls to .....
just politely tell them you are booked out for three weeks but I have a great
service or commercial plumbing company that takes all my overflow of calls and they would love to come out and get into your mess..... so here is their telephone number.... have it ready to give them so they dont feel they have to
break a sweat looking for the company themselves....

I text a few every week to another company that has 4 trucks on the road and really needs the filler work
so far so good... no complaints from either the customer or the plumber ....yet anyway and I normally
get a 100 dollar gift cert from them to a decent restaurant every month.....

It's a good idea, maybe there's a way for me to make it work somehow because I have a problem :

The problem in my area is that the other companies are not recommended. Lots of people dump them to hire me because of bad experiences. They don't show up, or they might do bad plumbing or use customer's tools or walk with dirty boots. I'm afraid it'll come back to bite me if I refer them. A few other unrelated biz owners in my area do not give referrals for the same reason. Second issue if I refer accents to them the companies will be very pissed at me and I fear they'll take revenge.

 

[TerryTotoSucks]

It's a good idea, maybe there's a way for me to make it work somehow because I have a problem :

The problem in my area is that the other companies are not recommended. Lots of people dump them to hire me because of bad experiences. They don't show up, or they might do bad plumbing or use customer's tools or walk with dirty boots. I'm afraid it'll come back to bite me if I refer them. A few other unrelated biz owners in my area do not give referrals for the same reason. Second issue if I refer accents to them the companies will be very pissed at me and I fear they'll take revenge.

Start screening calls. If they Don’t leave the right message then you don’t call them back.

 

[Tango]

Start screening calls. If they Don’t leave the right message then you don’t call them back.

Doesn't work like that here, people rarely leave messages, you don't answer they call the next company. If they aren't cheap skates to begin with they hire the first plumber who answers their phone.

 

[TerryTotoSucks]

Doesn't work like that here, people rarely leave messages, you don't answer they call the next company. If they aren't cheap skates to begin with they hire the first plumber who answers their phone.

You have to make them want to seek you out. If they really need a plumber and want the best then they’ll leVe a message. You’ve already said the other plumbers in the city are a hot mess……

Try something new dude……advertise a high ass rate and see what happens.

Yiu need to find more customers that money is no object. They just want a good plumber they can trust. Fill that gap brother 👍

 

[TerryTotoSucks]

Being a one man shop you want to find the 10% that will pay top dollar. The other 90%,,,can Fk off.

That 10% doesn’t read reviews because they know reviews can be horsepoop.

and they probably got your name from a friend of theirs Or family member anyway that vouched for you ., and they’ll be another member of the 10% club I spoke about.

 

[Master Mark]

It's a good idea, maybe there's a way for me to make it work somehow because I have a problem :

The problem in my area is that the other companies are not recommended. Lots of people dump them to hire me because of bad experiences. They don't show up, or they might do bad plumbing or use customer's tools or walk with dirty boots. I'm afraid it'll come back to bite me if I refer them. A few other unrelated biz owners in my area do not give referrals for the same reason. Second issue if I refer accents to them the companies will be very pissed at me and I fear they'll take revenge.

You got to find your best alternative around you to pass the calls onto.... find your boy
So maybe you need to call them first and tell them you dont want anything in return
for the referrall --- its really just more work for them


I referred a little snowflake lady to an old grumpy gas repair guy and they did not get along at all and
she ended up giving me a bad review on google for the referral.. 😆
She argued with him as how to find the leaks
in her home and he told her that she did not know her ass from a hole in the ground and to please just let him test out
the whole house like he always does.....She told him to leave and he flipped her
off and sent her a bill anyway..... and she never had heat that night neither....

I normally tell each person UPFRONT that I am not affiliated IN ANY WAY
with the company I am passing you on to so please do your own research and do
not give me a bad review for this recommendation...if you are not happy with them

The bad review came down after a few days after she cooled off

m

 

[TerryTotoSucks]

I don’t refer anyone to anyone. It’s not worth the trouble. It’s really none of my business if it’s none of my business…..

 

[brianpatrick]

I’ll bid anything plumbing. The more I don’t want to do the job the higher the bid.
If it’s a job that’s hard on the guys like attic work in the summer, or “live” sewer repair, replacement, I’ll bid high plus a daily hazard pay bonus for the guys.

I don’t get that many of the high high bids but once in a while some desperate party pulls that trigger.

 

[Tango]

I’ll bid anything plumbing. The more I don’t want to do the job the higher the bid.
If it’s a job that’s hard on the guys like attic work in the summer, or “live” sewer repair, replacement, I’ll bid high plus a daily hazard pay bonus for the guys.

I don’t get that many of the high high bids but once in a while some desperate party pulls that trigger.

You are lucky not be where I'm at, if they file a complaint you have to prove and justify your price.

 

[Master Mark]

You are lucky not be where I'm at, if they file a complaint you have to prove and justify your price.

So in theory, they could take his price and let him do the job then just refuse to pay him and drag him
up infront of the "socialist committee" that runs things and make him prove his time and materials...are justified...

Tango you really need to move down here to the USA ... and get away from all this
what is one more immigrant when they are flooding over the borders??

 

[TerryTotoSucks]

So in theory, they could take his price and let him do the job then just refuse to pay him and drag him
up infront of the "socialist committee" that runs things and make him prove his time and materials...are justified...

It’s not much different down here. You can’t make a person pay, you can try.

 

[Tango]

So in theory, they could take his price and let him do the job then just refuse to pay him and drag him
up infront of the "socialist committee" that runs things and make him prove his time and materials...are justified...

Tango you really need to move down here to the USA ... and get away from all this
what is one more immigrant when they are flooding over the borders??

In all seriousness I'm not joking, I'm looking to go into something else. I'm looking in opening another business. If you have any ideas let me know, there's no way I'm doing this for another 15-20 years.

If I was single I'd give it some serious thought in moving, I would hate to start from scratch though.

I said many times, paying the bill is only a courtesy. Since it's a civil matter they are not criminals there's no punishment, only a verdict they owe money then you have to hire a bailiff.

If you look in the lounge you'll find my story of a woman who didn't pay, she filed a complaint and I had to fight to win my innocence!

Yesterday I yelped, ran like a dog across obstacles and fire hoops to get paid. After a job completed, a lot of coockooness from the woman, I had to get back out in the evening driving to the bank, she wasn't there on time like we discussed, I had to call her wait another half hour, she handed almost all of the payment and while she was talking I was blocking her number.

 

[skoronesa]

You are lucky not be where I'm at, if they file a complaint you have to prove and justify your price.

Do you have all of the requisite information ready to go? Do you have an example record of a work year where you've calculated your operating costs? Things like the gas usage of your van, tool maintenance costs, etc.

 

[Master Mark]

It’s not much different down here. You can’t make a person pay, you can try.

You cant force them to pay
but as a last resort, I can file a mechanics lien on their property which charges 18% per year..

some day , maybe in 15 years, they might want to sell that property or re-finance
and there is that little bill just holding up the works...

I had one coc/sucker leave town on me and then cried 6 years later when they tried
to sell the house..... they had to pay eventually.

 

[Master Mark]

I don’t refer anyone to anyone. It’s not worth the trouble. It’s really none of my business if it’s none of my business…..

Actually Terry-toto you are a service provider and in some peoples eyes
you are trying to help them find another service provider... they are more offended
when you tell them to take a hike... or tell them /uck off

It is snowing like hell today and I have referred 3 dog crap kind of calls to my "overburden" company that
takes anything I throw at them....

 

[brianpatrick]

You are lucky not be where I'm at, if they file a complaint you have to prove and justify your price.

Most of my work is new construction and remodel. Don’t have that problem. I’ve heard of guys getting in trouble for over charging homeowners for service work, but we don’t.

No matter what I charge there will always be a lot of companies that would charge more for the same thing.

 

[TerryTotoSucks]

Actually Terry-toto you are a service provider and in some peoples eyes
you are trying to help them find another service provider... they are more offended
when you tell them to take a hike... or tell them /uck off

It is snowing like hell today and I have referred 3 dog crap kind of calls to my "overburden" company that
takes anything I throw at them....

It’s not my responsibility to give a caller someone else’s name to do work that I can’t do.

I don’t care what they think of that. If they have a problem with that company or that company can’t do the work they may call me back. I’m not their contractor, find your own plumber.

Call a local reputable company of your choice. Thank you for calling Sir.

 

[Tango]

Do you have all of the requisite information ready to go? Do you have an example record of a work year where you've calculated your operating costs? Things like the gas usage of your van, tool maintenance costs, etc.

No not ready to go but I had to.