[service guy]

A previous customer just called and acted like it was a normal Monday morning. He was all bubbly and friendly, and wanted to know if I could change out his dishwasher and how much it might cost and when I could do it. It was very clear by the tone of his voice, that this was not an emergency. :huh: I seriously think he forgot it was a national holiday.
I just told him that it would probably cost around $200 or so and I could do it Wednesday. Then he said, "ok, well I'll call you back, I have another guy I am waiting to call me back.":blink: WTF is wrong with people? He is price-shopping plumbers on LABOR DAY to change out his damn dishwasher of all things!!!

That is the second non-emergency call I received this morning. The first was more legitimate and it was scheduled for tomorrow. Anyway, right now I hate people and I am just venting here.:furious:

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

Carl, four calls this weekend so far.

Two previous estimates called to schedule, one existing customer also wanting me to schedule.
The fourth was yesterday afternoon, guy says he can't get a plumber out to do a water heater this weekend before he goes away on vaca, I gave him the weekend rate and scored a simple swap out that took me an hour and a half.

I NEVER go four for four...I'm just waiting for the call from someone to ask me for an estimate on their toilet flapper so they can compare me to the other 10 they already have....

 

[Wiser]

We've had four calls too!

Saturday - Guy calls about leak in ceiling from condo above. This was already fixed two weeks ago (backed up condensate line) and he said his tenant says it's leaking again (he's whining now for 15 minutes!!! - did we fix it right, can he have his friends take pictures etc). After we dispatch plumber, calls back 30 minutes later. Tenant says it's not really leaking now. Told him plumber would be at his renters door any minute and that the charge has already been incurred. Ceiling is bone dry.

2nd call - busted polybute water line. Quick fix and estimate for repipe! This is her third repair in a years time.

3rd call - another condo complex - backed up condensate line. They are buried below grade directly in the dirt. Fifth one in the last 45 days. The board finally authorized us to dig up all the lines and provide proper drainage.

4th call - Someone looking to schedule for tomorrow - drip at expansion tank.

JUSTICE - We just completed a repipe Thursday for a royal PITA! I had to pull the plumbers off his job Weds. at 3:00 p.m. to take care of an emergency and he read me the riot act along with the plumbers on site. "Oh, my jobs not important, Oh, I see how you do business etc." Downright RUDE! Well, this a.m. we got a call from the drywall man we recommended to him. Apparently he left his sink running with the stopper in it and flooded his own home. Now he has the water restoration people there drying things out. I feel bad for the guy, but it couldn't have happened to a 'nicer' guy.

 

[uaplumber]

Karma! I am a big believer in it.

 

[smellslike$tome]

1 call a few minutes ago from a client (very nice lady) who says she has about 2' - 3' of raw sewage in her basement ! It's 4:40 pm here and if she has that much sewage in her basement a few more gallons are not going to make one bit of difference. Told her I would clear my schedule for in the morning and be onsite by 8:30 am. She was great with that.

Now for the hard part. If what she says is true, it will obviously have to be pumped out before I can do anything. I've never really had this situation before and my first thought is to go rent a big pump and enough 2" hose to reach the nearest sanitary sewer manhole. Not really sure how the city will feel about that. My 2nd thought is to call a septic pumper and let them do it but I don't know how much hose is involved until I see it or if this is something they will typically do.

Any ideas?

Once it's pumped there will still be residue on every surface. I've heard of people using lye to neutralize odor but will it disinfect as well. Or do I just wrap up in a scary suit and mask and charge X5?

 

[smellslike$tome]

Oh yeah, something else she mentioned that disturbs me is that the reason she discovered it was that her A/C quit working and someone told her that it "might just be a fuse" when she opened the door to the basement (I think this may be more like a dug out crawl space but I'm not sure) that's when she found it.

So my concern is that the level of sewage has reached some part of the electrical system so that this sewage may be "hot". What is the easiest way for me to check for this so that I don't get zapped?

 

[kellybhutchings]

I had no work last monday or tuesday but the rest of the week was busy. I recieved four calls on saterday but I was in Dallas all weekend at my sisters, no call today though.

 

[uaplumber]

Smells, the easiest way is to send down the apprentice:whistling2:.

First I would check to see where her breaker panel is. If it's just a dirt basement it may be on the main floor. Kill the power then send down the suck truck guy. The best would be an exterior clean-out. Good luck

 

[Marlin]

I wouldn't say it's necessarily rude. Most places I know of have a machine pick up after hours, weekends, and holidays. Their is another number in the message you can call, or press a button for emergency service which will transfer you to someone house/cell. This guy was probably expecting to get an answering machine and leave a message or just check if you were open. Heck, I called the boot store this morning to see if they were open. If you use your cell phone/personal phone as a buisness phone and don't have any sort of screener for emergency calls then these kinds of calls are to be expected.

 

[plumber Deuce]

Only got one call over the weekend, lady we did a remodel for eight months ago. She said one shower head ( in a shower that has three) is not working, BIG emergency. She wont be home for two weeks but has a dog sitter staying there. To me this does not constitute an emergency. The shower she is talking about is her master, and she has three guset baths. One dog sitter probably can make due till tuesday. I will call her back then.

 

[I'mYourTourGuide]

So my concern is that the level of sewage has reached some part of the electrical system so that this sewage may be "hot". What is the easiest way for me to check for this so that I don't get zapped?

Take a volt-meter and stick the red lead in a turd, then stick the ground lead in the soil. . . if she reads, then beware, haha. .

seriously one lead in the sewage and one in the ground. . it will read if there's any power on it because the house should be grounded with 2 ground rods outside the house in case of a lightning strike

 

[Double-A]

For those of you that wish to have normal lives on the off days and after hours, have you considered an answering service? We used to use on and loved them. We foward the phones to them, call and see who the lead operator was, tell her the name and phone number of the plumber on duty that day/night and fagehtaboutit!

They worked off a script and our clients thought they were our night operator. None that we were aware of ever caught on they were a service. Not all are that good, but these folks were. We paid about 70 bucks a month. Great deal at twice the price.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

For those of you that wish to have normal lives on the off days and after hours, have you considered an answering service? We used to use on and loved them. We foward the phones to them, call and see who the lead operator was, tell her the name and phone number of the plumber on duty that day/night and fagehtaboutit!

They worked off a script and our clients thought they were our night operator. None that we were aware of ever caught on they were a service. Not all are that good, but these folks were. We paid about 70 bucks a month. Great deal at twice the price.

In emergency service, thats not a real option...not when first come first served means getting weekend rates.

Also, in lieu of all the gloom and doom talk of a failing economy, I grab all I can, until I'm rich and retired.

Though I have to say..I don't seem to be any slower than I was this time last year.

 

[Double-A]

In emergency service, thats not a real option...not when first come first served means getting weekend rates.

Also, in lieu of all the gloom and doom talk of a failing economy, I grab all I can, until I'm rich and retired.

Though I have to say..I don't seem to be any slower than I was this time last year.

We offered 24/7/365 emergency service Grumpy.

 

[jjackson371]

emergency service in nj means a clogged toilet in a house with four toilets.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

emergency service in nj means a clogged toilet in a house with four toilets.

Good one.

Welcome to the forum, might as well open a thread in the introductions section and tell us 'bout yourself.

 

[Marlin]

For those of you that wish to have normal lives on the off days and after hours, have you considered an answering service? We used to use on and loved them. We foward the phones to them, call and see who the lead operator was, tell her the name and phone number of the plumber on duty that day/night and fagehtaboutit!

They worked off a script and our clients thought they were our night operator. None that we were aware of ever caught on they were a service. Not all are that good, but these folks were. We paid about 70 bucks a month. Great deal at twice the price.

Yup, that's what we have. I'm not sure if you dial an extension or another number when you get the machine but an answering service picks up if you press the magic emergency numbers. They will then call whoever it is taking the emergency calls that week. If they can't get through they call the owner, can't get through to him, they call someone else and work down the list.
The service doesn't screen so yes people can still call you on Christmas because their bathroom sink is draining slowly. It gets the idea through to most people that you're closed though.

 

[service guy]

Here's what happened. I had a cancellation today and called the dishwasher guy back to see if he still wanted service. It turns out he bought the dishwasher from BestBuy and paid them to have it installed, but they can't get to it until friday, so they said they will give him the money back if he gets someone else to do it sooner. Anyway, I am headed out there now to install it. I still wish he hadn't called me on Labor day just because he couldn't get fast service from Bestbuy (surprise, surprise:laughing, but it all worked out in the end. I may look into an answering service, thanks for the tip Double-A.

BTW, anyone from Bestbuy's installation services reading this....you suck.:boxing:

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

We offered 24/7/365 emergency service Grumpy.

Ever get a message for a water heater replacement, call it back a few hours later and hear them say the other plumber is already there?

 

[Double-A]

Yup