Sick of picking up the piece's

[GMES]

Got phone call from a guy yesterday, can you come and take a look at factory I have had rewired!

Met him this morning asked what he wanted, Well i just had this rewired and i have no paperwork, but the insurance need a certificate.
So I ask why the cowboy's who installed it didn't cert it and his reply was The main spark said they could install it but DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TEST IT.
Apparently they offered him a discount if he was ok with no paperwork and he accepted it.

This guy deserves everything he get's in my opinion, but becaause I was curious I had a look round, They had intalled 240v sockets with twin clipped direct to wall at about a metre height, all 3 phase socket's on 2.5mm d32a mcb's with massive runs from DB to sockets, volt drop will have been through the roof.
Zs on these was a joke so i told him he had some serious problem's that needed addressing urgently,they had even wired the 400w highbay's in flex.
I asked if he had a phone number for the guy, and wait for it.... phone dead no way of contacting him, apparently the owner had been trying for weeks.
He had aqquired his services via a friend of a friend.
So I gave him a rough cost for an EICR, and he nearly fell over, and said he had no spare money left, but would be in touch.
I also asked if i could take a few photo's of the install and was instantly told No, he didn't want this to reach anyone else's eyes.
I couldn't even sneak the camera out as he was glued to me the whole time i was there.
I am Bloody sick of these cowboy's getting away with this, but at the same time I am sick of stupid customer's encouraging this type of thing.
Rant over for now.

 

[Marvo]

Don't let them get you down just charge them accordingly.

 

[GMES]

But it is soul destroying Marvo that people like this firstly get away with it, but also that they have absoloutely no pride in what they do.
I Have alway's tried to do the best I can, when carrying out installation work and have even dipped into my profit if somethig took longer to do than I had quoted, iif it meant making it neater etc.
Maybe it is me that is going about it wrong!

 

[Marvo]

Your business outlook is wrong, not your work ethic. You can't look at the cowboys as competition, they should actually be a source of profitable work. If you find yourself actually competing with them then your business model needs reviewing and adjusting. The way I look at it is any person or business that's awarding their contracts on a price only basis with no regard for quality of work or legitimacy of the contractor isn't and never will be a potential customer.

 

[Zebra Stripe]

Cant cheat karma....one puts in a quote, at a reasonable price, to do a job properly, and the client, as we all know will be 'shocked' at how much it costs, believeing it should all get done for around £100..... 'cos its only throwing a bit of cable over the cieling' etc.....so he goes with some twin&earth merchant and pays peanuts for monkeys - cos its only electrics and anybody can do it......well dont feel sorry for him, he got wot he paid for...I bet he gets shocked now good and proper...although I cant believe Im saying this, but dont ya just luv insurance companies (not):winkiss:

 

[Zebra Stripe]

But it is soul destroying Marvo that people like this firstly get away with it, but also that they have absoloutely no pride in what they do.
I Have alway's tried to do the best I can, when carrying out installation work and have even dipped into my profit if somethig took longer to do than I had quoted, iif it meant making it neater etc.
Maybe it is me that is going about it wrong!

I used to be like this, but now Im jaded, despondent and apathetic and only do it now for profit. I comply with the regs but quick, easy, cheapest way possible and couldnt careless...(most of the time) :sick:

 

[GMES]

Your business outlook is wrong, not your work ethic. You can't look at the cowboys as competition, they should actually be a source of profitable work. If you find yourself actually competing with them then your business model needs reviewing and adjusting. The way I look at it is any person or business that's awarding their contracts on a price only basis with no regard for quality of work or legitimacy of the contractor isn't and never will be a potential customer.

Marvo I understand what your saying and i have been doing it long enough not to be Naive . But i just hate that we have to abide by regulations while the other's just flout them. I will happily follow them around earning money off their backs and stupidity, it is just annoying that they get away with it. That is what i was trying to get across.

 

[Marvo]

I know what you mean, hopefully this time he won't get away with it and will end up paying till it hurts to get it sorted out.

 

[GMES]

I used to be like this, but now Im jaded, despondent and apathetic and only do it now for profit. I comply with the regs but quick, easy, cheapest way possible and couldnt careless...(most of the time) :sick:

People are just different mate as long as you do it right then i can't judge you.
I have been at it for a long time and still care about my work and my customer's, I have built up a reasonably large customerbase and it is all repeat work providing me with a regular good income.
I have large company's and small family run firms and I treat them all equally.
I just believe that if someone values my services enough to constantly use me then they deserve the very best that i can offer them.

 

[Zebra Stripe]

Hey judge me as much as you like, I wouldnt care either way :smile5:

But it gets me sometimes, how people like us, working people, normal people, who take their career path/work so seriously, and put it above life, love and happiness....they will say usually.... "Im an electrician" when they should say "Im 'insert name' and I occassionally do some electrical work to pay the bills".

Anyhow, I blame the client base not the cowboy.......if i went out and sourced the cheapest surgeon I could find to remove my brain and it all went wrong, who's at fault me or the butcher?:freak:

 

[Geordie Spark]

But it is soul destroying Marvo that people like this firstly get away with it, but also that they have absoloutely no pride in what they do.
I Have alway's tried to do the best I can, when carrying out installation work and have even dipped into my profit if somethig took longer to do than I had quoted, iif it meant making it neater etc.
Maybe it is me that is going about it wrong!

Please forget ANY and EVERY thought you have about you doing it wrong right NOW!!

There is only one way to do a job - whatever it is - and that's the right way!!

Keep on doing that and you can't go wrong, be accused of doing wrong and you can hold your head up high and keep hold of something that's very important - self-respect.

I can understand perfectly how you feel about this dog's breakfast of a job and the cowboy who did it - we've all been there - but look on the bright side; some decent spark should end-up with the remedial work and dick-head punter has lost a packet learning his lesson.

(bloody hell ... did I write that??? .. I must be feeling a bit pi$$ potical tonight)

 

[Darkwood]

Im with Marvo on this .. you need to chill a little and not let it wind you up as he has pointed out cowboys although steal work in the first place from us they create bigger jobs in the long run..as the theme of your thread goes most companies are now having to get certified Electrics for insurance purposes and many who have ventured down the cheap job lane are finding to their cost that they have to employ registered contractors .

The last 3 yrs ive been inundated with companies asking me to cert' there existing although its not what I do as Im a breakdown Engineer mainly Ive got extra work out of it.

Sit back over the next 5 yrs and reap the rewards of the insurance companies demands for certs for below par work.

Think yer need a beer not a heart attack ... you'll be popping blood pressure pills soon if you don't see the positive side just let the jobs roll in

 

[topquark]

Put the quote in to sort it, if they/he hasn't learnt that doing it on the cheap ain't gonna work, walk away. You prob won't get much repeat work from them/him anyways.

Have a beer on me! hic