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Pet peeves

48K views 301 replies 78 participants last post by  PlumberShep 
#1 ·
OK. I'll start. Here's one of mine. Guys take break at 9:30. We all stand around and visit. Time to go back to work at 9:45 rolls around. Some moron always says I'll be right there I gotta pee. You just had 15 minutes to do whatever on your time. You pee on your time , not mine. Sounds a little harsh but, I get sooo tired of babysitting grown men. Then I'm the A$$hole.
 
#5 ·
Choosing to cut pipe with a handsaw when you can use a tubing cutter with an ABS cutting wheel on it. PVC is another story, I understand that there is no tubing cutter for that type.
 
#11 ·
That one got me Ron. This woman had a bathroom going in and I sat there and figured out the framing to accept the bathroom. I had to header off the section at the bathroom and run the joists in the opposite direction of the rest of the house just so I could get the pipes in. Even the walls I had to frame with 2x6 in the entryway of the house so my 4" line could come down inside the wall. Took a week to accomplish this. As soon as the framing was done she said she wanted the bathroom moved to the other side of the house. damn, had to re do 4 floor joists to get it in. I got paid for the extra work, but damn, it just the aggravation.
 
#12 ·
On all my jobs I mark the CL of the toilets on the basement walls for the main floor pottys. When bar joists are set, they better not put em on my marks. Across a big bathroom seems like they always cheat over 3 or 4.
Same with integral trap urinals. If that 2" pipe is in a 3 5/8" wall there is no room to offset the urinal drain over and still be able to get the drain spud in at the correct depth.
 
#15 ·
ServiceGuy, I agree w/ both peeves 100%

NEVER EVER rob parts from one kit for the other. If you replace something on a trap-REPLACE THE WHOLE TRAP. I had a guy a few years do that. It stopped that right then. Always wondered why I seen misfit parts laying around in his van.

Roll the extension cords in a loop w/o twists. Wipe down cable machines after use. When you are done with something put it back in its spot now instead of later, it don't get done and parts can get lost that way or damaged.

I didn 't know I had that many pet peeves and actually I could go on further:laughing:

In Christ,

Song Dog
 
#40 ·
When you are done with something put it back in its spot now instead of later, it don't get done and parts can get lost that way or damaged.
The journeyman i normally ride with is TERRIBLE about that. Run to the truck and grab my __________. So I run, and it's not where it normally should be. Run back. OK, I can't find the stupid thing. Oh, I probably didn't put it where it goes. It's either ________ or _________ or in _____________... I actually don't know....

WTF? :furious:
 
#16 ·
A+1 to both the hacks. I just had a conversation with a GC who wanted to pay me 20.00 per hour to do plumbing on a house he is building. NO WAY, told him at least 50.00 per hour tax free (Under the table) and not anything less. Its not a contracted job, just hourly. But I told him I will frame for 20.00, but not plumbing. Rates are about 80.00 if ran through a company. Whats he thinking?
 
#19 ·
Working a 12hr shutdown into the wee hours of the morning. Get home and shower, just getting comfortable in the bed. And the office calls needing you to go run the camera on a sewer or drive equipment cause you are the only one trained too.....
 
#27 ·
This is why you ask them "Is there anything else I might help you with today" after you complete the task list but before you put everything up.

Never get upset about the request for additional work to be done since this means more revenue which is why you are in business to begin with isn't it, more revenue?

How does someone complain about a customer asking for more work to be done and then complain that business is slow or bad?
 
#32 ·
The extra work is not my peeve !! It's the ALWAYS wanting something for nothing attitude that just pisses me OFF !! Sure I do it , I charge more money and make the customer happy. I just can't stand the ones who treat you like an enemy , or a "gouger " . I am in the service of others , don't treat me like I OWE you something .

Cal
 
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#34 ·
I remember an old guy that read me the riot act not very long at all after I first switched to flat rate. I mean it was so new to me that I was nervous and stumbled through the whole presentation. When I finished quoting him the pricing for everything he just glared at me as if I was holding him up at gun point. He started fussing and moaning and carrying on and I remember him saying something like "whatever happened to the days when a job cost $30 and was done ...". I restrained my laughter and let him go on a bit but finally I just had to cut him off and said "sir, I'll be more than happy to serve you and I will do excellent work but this is what it will cost you. Would you like for me to go ahead and take care of this for you or will you be finding someone else?" To my amazement he grumbled and told me to go ahead. Go figure.

In the end it really doesn't matter what they think what matters is whether they authorize the work. They don't have to like it they just have to accept it. My wife drives a mini van with 200k on it. We are having to take it to the shop with increasing frequency. I don't like much of anything my mechanic has to say to me. I don't have to like it, I just have to accept it and pay it.
 
#33 ·
I did a sewer repipe last week. Quoted a price for digging up the line, fixing the leak and busting up a sidewalk and pouring it back. It was on the lower end and we were going to discount the HO cause she was a first timer. Finished the job in 6hrs just like I had quoted. I tried to save her grass the best I could. Put back what parts we could. She said we didnt put her grass back like it originaly was. I explained to her that I wasnt a landscaper and that is why her price was low. I told her if she wanted to have it landscaped then the price would go up. It was a NTE price which excluded landscaping. Residental is hit or miss sometimes HO understand sometimes they dont.
 
#37 ·
Ron the Plumber said:
Choosing to cut pipe with a handsaw when you can use a tubing cutter with an ABS cutting wheel on it. PVC is another story, I understand that there is no tubing cutter for that type.
__________________
Not so - you use the same plastic cutter with a heavier wheel for PVC. I had a plumber who used a hacksaw. This was the good ol' days of ABS when it was solid core - he'd cut halfway through and break it. Geez, but he could put pipe in fast. Of course it slowed things down when it started leaking in the wall behind expensive cabinets . . .

I have always used the cutter. And I've done both ABS and PVC with it.
 
#38 ·
Smells said: This is why you ask them "Is there anything else I might help you with today" after you complete the task list but before you put everything up.

Never get upset about the request for additional work to be done since this means more revenue which is why you are in business to begin with isn't it, more revenue?

How does someone complain about a customer asking for more work to be done and then complain that business is slow or bad?

I should have been more precise .. I 'Always' ask if that's everything prior to putting my tools away and getting my ticket book. I pride myself on letting the customer know of anything and everything I find while there and allow them to decide what additional work (if any) they want done.

What I meant by my response was. Some people figure they can wait to the last possible minute .. ask for more and get it for free, or really cheap. I'll try to make sure to dot all the i's and cross all the t's so nobody 'assumes' anything wrong about me :cry: again ?
 
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