Hows work load

[stan794]

How you finding things a the minute work wise? Busy? Just ticking over here, lost out on 3 quotes this week for CU changes to the local cheapo doing them for £200 all in. Looking forward to the Xmas break mind you

 

[Doomed]

Busiest we have been for years, stacked out till end of March at least.

 

[TJ Anderson]

How you finding things a the minute work wise? Busy? Just ticking over here, lost out on 3 quotes this week for CU changes to the local cheapo doing them for £200 all in. Looking forward to the Xmas break mind you

Out of interest does he include test, EIC and notification for that, because if not ,that is expensive. I would happily work for 2 hours for £150. Cheapos Method Statement: Buy DB £50, Swap DB, switch on, stays on (hopefully), Extract £200 from victim, C U L8R .

 

[Englishman]

Actually doing alright work wise over the last few months. I'm employed anyway so the work is purely supplementary but it's been decent. Got a decent size job waiting for my back to get better at the moment, probably something that I'll end up doing early January.

£200 for a new cu is just bloody horrific.

 

[Dave OCD]

I'm flat out but often lose 'potentially' good jobs because the customer can't or won't wait 2 or 3 weeks ,usually bad planning on their part. But who are these tradesmen who can start the next day, there seem to be a few around ??

 

[ferg]

I'm doing O.K. booked out til the end of Jan beginning of Feb.

As above customers have to wait but most are happy to do so.

I do sometimes lose out to cheaper quotes.

The way I look at it is if I'm not working for them I'm working for someone else at a better rate.

I have a fairly standard response for those kinds of clients.

" If you think they are going to do the same job and provide the same service then take it, I would. "

 

[uksparks]

Busiest we have been for years, stacked out till end of March at least.

I am not suggesting you are stretching the truth, but what sort of jobs are they you have booked in? As in my experience nobody is ever prepared to wait more than a couple of weeks or so for the majority of work.

like I say, I don't doubt you but find it hard to believe that you have electrical work booked in that far in advance.

 

[Guest77]

I am not suggesting you are stretching the truth, but what sort of jobs are they you have booked in? As in my experience nobody is ever prepared to wait more than a couple of weeks or so for the majority of work.

like us at u don't doubt you but find it hard to believe that you have electrical work booked in that far in advance.

I have had a years work ahead of me before, if he works for builders and they have a large project going them 3 months is nowt really.

 

[uksparks]

I'm flat out but often lose 'potentially' good jobs because the customer can't or won't wait 2 or 3 weeks ,usually bad planning on their part. But who are these tradesmen who can start the next day, there seem to be a few around ??

I'm usually booked up for two to three weeks in advance most of the time, im rarely free at the drop of a hat, I do try to leave a slot every week for desperate people.

 

[Dave OCD]

Well if someone just wants a CU upgrade for example or they have building work in the planning stages it's perfectly feasible to have a job booked to start in a month or even three months time to coordinate with builders etc.

 

[uksparks]

I have had a years work ahead of me before, if he works for builders and they have a large project going them 3 months is nowt really.

I suppose so, I didn't really give much thought to builders as you would never catch me working for one, I suppose that's possible.

 

[Guest77]

I suppose so, I didn't really give much thought to builders as you would never catch me working for one, I suppose that's possible.

Very Sensible, they nearly broke me in the past, not so much financially but the way they run jobs and the stress it can cause, you will do well to avoid them.

 

[uksparks]

Well if someone just wants a CU upgrade for example or they have building work in the planning stages it's perfectly feasible to have a job booked to start in a month or even three months time to coordinate with builders etc.

So many people leave things until the very last minute most of the time and expect you to start yesterday. I have a lot of jobs in the pipe line but nothing booked in more than a couple of weeks at present.

 

[Dave OCD]

I'm usually booked up for two to three weeks in advance most of the time, im rarely free at the drop of a hat, I do try to leave a slot every week for desperate people.

I'll try and make the time for people with a genuinely urgent problem and often end up working Saturdays to try and please everybody, even worked this morning. But last week I got properly moaned at because I couldn't turn up on the day of delivery to fit a new oven - when I suggested they get someone else they decided to wait 2 days for me.

 

[uksparks]

I pick and choose my jobs, anything that is going to be problematic I walk away from, builders I avoid.

i only do a 4 day week.

I try try to limit my work to nice jobs that I enjoy and are not stressful and I enjoy. I have turned down two fuse box changes last month just because they are going to be a total pig and one of them, all the light fittings are the 12v type on high up ceilings, all the light switches are those flat plate Schneider dimmers plastered into the wall and won't move, plus the board needs moving from the alley to the inside.

i prefer a less stressful life.

 

[ferg]

I am not suggesting you are stretching the truth, but what sort of jobs are they you have booked in? As in my experience nobody is ever prepared to wait more than a couple of weeks or so for the majority of work.

like I say, I don't doubt you but find it hard to believe that you have electrical work booked in that far in advance.

If I advertised then my customers would have to wait that long.

Any sensible person factors in existing customers projected demands in to their workload.

Any gaps you leave in your diary will soon be filled.

Most if not all of my customers are happy to wait or are at least organised enough to plan well ahead for installation work.

 

[uksparks]

I'll try and make the time for people with a genuinely urgent problem and often end up working Saturdays to try and please everybody, even worked this morning. But last week I got properly moaned at because I couldn't turn up on the day of delivery to fit a new oven - when I suggested they get someone else they decided to wait 2 days for me.

Yes likewise, I do try to fit people in where I can, quite often at the end of a day or first thing, I do sometimes do a Saturday morning for small jobs.

its amazing is it how many people think you can just arrive when their new cooker turns up.

 

[Dave OCD]

Also there's always a backlog of little jobs in my experience that nice people you've worked for in the past are waiting for, usually they just say fit it in when you can. I'll try and have a day regularly to get caught up with these bits and pieces as otherwise you never will.

 

[uksparks]

I'm hoping to have a load of work come in soon as about to drop off 120 Christmas cards around the town to all my new customers from this year, customised Christmas cards I had done, loop key rings with all cards and half a douzen large business cards. Ok it's cost be a couple of hundred quid, but am bound to make it back.

i think im going to send out latest offers and prices to everyone once every few months starting next year.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Most of my work is contracting and booked up with a steady flow of work up until April with one job that's due to run over the next few years.

 

[Hellmooth]

I'm rammed at the moment, been working 7 days mostly for the last month, managed to fit in a game of golf this morning but had to go look at a job after, come back and make up a gate post for a midweek job then go and sort power out at a rewire, trying to get everything out of the way for Xmas........so I can fit all the call outs in! Lol

 

[Octopus]

How you finding things a the minute work wise? Busy? Just ticking over here, lost out on 3 quotes this week for CU changes to the local cheapo doing them for £200 all in. Looking forward to the Xmas break mind you

£200 for a cu change is way too low. Where are you based?

 

[davesparks]

I am not suggesting you are stretching the truth, but what sort of jobs are they you have booked in? As in my experience nobody is ever prepared to wait more than a couple of weeks or so for the majority of work.

like I say, I don't doubt you but find it hard to believe that you have electrical work booked in that far in advance.

Once you get outside domestic work it's easy to have things booked in for months ahead.

 

[tomspark93]

I pick and choose my jobs, anything that is going to be problematic I walk away from, builders I avoid.

i only do a 4 day week.

I try try to limit my work to nice jobs that I enjoy and are not stressful and I enjoy. I have turned down two fuse box changes last month just because they are going to be a total pig and one of them, all the light fittings are the 12v type on high up ceilings, all the light switches are those flat plate Schneider dimmers plastered into the wall and won't move, plus the board needs moving from the alley to the inside.

i prefer a less stressful life.

i appreciate what your saying, but do you not find that turning down work will lead to loss of potential future work? Also, what about problematic work for existing customers? I guess it's finding a balance.

 

[hightower]

like I say, I don't doubt you but find it hard to believe that you have electrical work booked in that far in advance.

On the contrary, I think you'll find that's the very definition of doubt [emoji38]

 

[Doomed]

Annual seasonal work books up alot a January and February every year for us, plus a big re-wire for the new year and a few other people willing to wait for us has got us pretty sorted, we have been getting in more work then we can really cope with all year.

 

[richy3333]

I'm booked up until the end of March 2016. 3 domestic re-wires already and plenty of other domestics, commercial and I&T going on. 2015 has been nuts, too much work when I keep trying to reduce the work. At one point I went 2 months without a day off this year and little holidays

£200 for a CU change - they are welcome to it!

 

[Octopus]

£200 for a cu change is way too low. Where are you based?

I'll try again!

The OP has been on here several times since posting yet hasn't had the decency to update the thread at all. Not good!

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I've been booked up for the past 2 months with a mixture of 2 larger jobs and some smaller jobs. After christmas I would think I have about 2 weeks of work and by then someone else will have rung! I think Tom, that (like Dave said) domestic work is a little different to the guys doing commercial/Industrial. I imagine their jobs could take months and months to complete and if they have another booked up then perhaps a year!

I've actually found it pretty stressful being booked up for 2 months as I have had to say 'no' or rather 'I can do it in 2 months' to one or 2 jobs for the first time which just didn't seem right as usually I available more quickly than that. Doing this rewire by myself has been an eye opener!

 

[stan794]

I'll try again!

The OP has been on here several times since posting yet hasn't had the decency to update the thread at all. Not good!

Sorry about that, not intentional. We are in Northants.

 

[Max Smith]

Its not going to be the merriest christmas, lets just put it that way...