Discuss should i or shouldnt i work for this customer in the Business Related area at ElectriciansForums.net

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davetherave1979

Hi All we worked for a customer 3 years ago did a small job about £900.00 got paid on day we finished domestic.

Customer has now gone into the property development game bought big house for cash having extensions total gutted and all done up.

Went to see him about the the electrics he nocked us down £500.00 on the price total of job is now £6500.00

He now is telling us what he wants the payment terms to be deposit up front, payement on compleation, then hold back £1700.00 as a retention incase any thing should go wrong for 30 days but wonts all his part p certs before. The idea of a retention is incase any thing goes wrong which it wont.

Told him we have never been asked about this in 13years for a retention on a domestic he is adermount that he wonts a retention.

Says everthing is costing him more than he thought as he is paying builders day rate and supplying materials.

Im now getting a bad vibe from him he says we can now forget about the retention just worried that he will be critersizing everthing and trying to find a fault so not to pay us.

So am thinking about walking away and not doing this job might as well sit in the garden for 2 weeks then work 2 weeks and be nocked

What would you do
 
I've always been told to not ignore my gut feeling. If the guy cannot meet your terms and wants to dictate the situation then let someone else have the bother.

It's not only the money you should think of but also your reputation.

Good luck:thumbsup
 
Give him a list of the materials you want and do it day rate same as the builders. You obviously have a bad feeling about this and it's alot of money to lose.

He may be ok but there again you know the reputation ; fairly or unfairly they have.

I would certainly want interim payments if I felt as you do.
 
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If your gut instinct says walk then walk,as you say you can stay at home for 2 weeks,ok at home you won,t earn money but it will not cost you money either,which it could if you lay out for gear and he doesn,t pay.
 
just reading the post gave me a gut instinct. drop him like a hot brick.
 
I would agree for payments for materials up front, a percentage paid after first/second fix then the remainder on completion.

I would not agree to a retained fee for 30 days as he could claim any fault occurring after installation, such as builder moving some circuits around, are down to you and refuse to pay. All paperwork to be handed over on full completion of payment.

If he doesn't agree then just walk away, I know it's work however it could turn into a real ball ache if he's being like this at the start, imagine what he'd be like after a few weeks of stress after dealing with the other trades.
 
Retention is a common practice, 99% of my jobs include a retention for 12 months or whatever the warranty period is, however generally 2.5% is an acceptable figure.

Therefore I would agree that retention is possible but only offer it at 2.5% (5% sometimes) so therefore £162.50

I would expect to have £1700 with held on a £70k job to be honest.
 
He now tells me that I have to disconect the old electrics in the house by tomorow and put in a temp supply for the builders as they want to nock a wall down and that it wont be ready for me for at least 7 weeks to now start but think i will bill him for the temp socket or i will just email back tonight and not start at all there is too many developers / builders who think they can just nock us sparkies
 
Just do the temp supply outside of the other contract and bill him in line with your terms and conditions. Then regardless of the job coming off you get something.
 
If youve got other work walk away........

If not sort the interim payments as I do...

33.33% on exceptance of quote (And installing builders supply)
33.33% on completion of first fix and
final 33.33% on completion of all work.

This way I am allways ahead and could walk if things went pear shaped.

I do occasionally acept a small retention, but only a token amount.
 
like cbw's breakdown. counter offer his pathetic terms with similar. bet he won't bite. that will tell you he would have knocked you big style.
 
I would go with CDW but would add that you want 33% for start first fix and completion with say £250-£500 held back in retention for 2-4 weeks after final completion. You may find that this is a whole new ball game for him and he is just being cautious
 
Also in future works for him, if you can get away with it, build your retention (say 2.5%) into your price, that way if you do have to wait 12 month or dont get it at all its not the end of the world and I am sure you can spread 2.5% over the price of the job
 
a £250 retwntion is all well and good from the client's point , but what of the spark's side. ? job is complete. everything works. no reason whatever to hold back payment, unless extra works are wanted at no extra cost!!!!!!!
 
Turn up tomorrow, tell him you'll bill him for the temp and disconnect and want paying before you start any other work later.

If he refuses, walk and forget the main job as well, if he agrees and pays, then go in for the main job with some of the above suggestions.

Use the temp work as a test to see how he actually behaves.
 
property developer, by definition is a banker/lawyer/MP, with brains removed. about as trustworthy as the last ltd. co. they folded, taking honest tradesmen with them.
 

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