Stuff you've done and charged for, but probably should'nt have

[NHMaster3015]

I'll let you guys start :D

[rombo]

installed a new hose bib for a lady. she called a few days later said it had no water pressure.

Showed up and found the hose was kinked. Charged her for my time but maybe shouldn't have

[Gene Bickford]

Charged for a service call to push the reset button on a disposal. They just had to have us there that day and husband claimed he already pushed it.
We had an appt two streets over for the next day. If they would have waited I wouldn't have charged them. His wife was not impressed.

[gear junkie]

Long time ago, I charged a customer for a new compresser when in fact the problem was faulty wiring causing and intermintent short. Should this thread be renamed "why you're going to hell"?

[NHMaster3015]

No water call. Mobile home. disgusting fat pig with a nasty attitude. Her cat sleeps on the water heater and somehow shut the ball valve off. Turned valve back on. 5 minute call, 110 Bucks.

[rombo]

customer called no water at tap. told him to take out aerator he said he would rather have me come so 30 seconds and 125 bucks later he had water

[Service Guy]

customer called no water at tap. told him to take out aerator he said he would rather have me come so 30 seconds and 125 bucks later he had water

Nothing wrong with charging for that...you gave him an option!

[Service Guy]

I'm the opposite...I usually DON"T charge people for stuff and then look back and think, "Damn, I should have charged for my time, even if all I did was turn on a valve or whatever.":rolleyes:

[Herk]

I had to drive 'way out in the country once to figure out why the guy had put a new faucet in and couldn't get any hot water.

It was the braided supply - he'd kinked it internally. I just loosened up a nut and twisted it a little and presto! there was water. I had to charge for the trip out there.

I used to do things like adjusting a float in a toilet or changing an aerator for free, until I had a day when that's all I did and had nothing to show for the entire day. Then I initiated a minimum charge.

[CPlumb]

O.K ,, So what is a decent charge for something like that ?

I do something small , then I'll say ," No Charge but please call me next time and refer me to your friends ,please "

Seems to work out ,,, yet I'm starting to think a 1/2 a service call or maybe as little as $35 -50 bucks might be a better idea .

Thoughts ??

CP

[Tyman]

I agree with Gear Junkie on renaming the thread.:D

I figure everything they call me out for is chargeable. Somethings are better left unsaid.:)

[All Clear Sewer]

If you call me out, your gonna pay a service call as my gas and time is not free. I plunger W/C`s all the time and tell em it`s just a service call price.

I`ve always felt bad, but they could by a plunger ;)

[HouseOfAtlas]

If you call me out, your gonna pay a service call as my gas and time is not free. I plunger W/C`s all the time and tell em it`s just a service call price.

I`ve always felt bad, but they could by a plunger ;)

I totally agree. Gas and time aren't free. A minimum service/trip charge is needed.

[SlimTim]

Sure, but sometimes you're working next door or on the same street anyway. From what I've read, most of the plumbers on this forum have a large devoted clientel. I often say, no charge, just for the obvious goodwill, but I make sure to add the time into the next service call I make for them.

But, since that's not the name of this thread... I had a customer call me out because his new tankless water heater was making a constant beeping noise-it was located in the closet in the master bathroom. It was his ALARM CLOCK on his nightstand beside his bed!.
(In fact, this was the same guy with the smelly river birch roots in his front yard!!!)

[Masterplumb]

[quote=SlimTim;133935]Sure, but sometimes you're working next door or on the same street anyway. From what I've read, most of the plumbers on this forum have a large devoted clientel. I often say, no charge, just for the obvious goodwill, but I make sure to add the time into the next service call I make for them.

So you tell them theres no charge but you charge them the next time you work for them? Why not just charge them something instead of trying to scam or con them? You sound like you may end up on the local news channel's sting operation one day.:shrug:

[tinmack]

No water call. Mobile home. disgusting fat pig with a nasty attitude. Her cat sleeps on the water heater and somehow shut the ball valve off. Turned valve back on. 5 minute call, 110 Bucks.


Did the bill break down like this(in your head, but not on paper).......

TURN VALVE BACK ON................................................ ...............$5.00
HAVING TO ENDURE DISGUSTING CUSTOMER................................$95.00

[SlimTim]

So you tell them theres no charge but you charge them the next time you work for them? Why not just charge them something instead of trying to scam or con them? You sound like you may end up on the local news channel's sting operation one day.:shrug:[/quote]


I thought the name of this thread was "Why your going to hell".

[Masterplumb]

I guess you're right.:smack-head:

[Drain Medic]

Hmmmm i couldnt do that, but ive done plenty of work that i didnt charge for that i shouldve ;)

[All Clear Sewer]

some times I don't charge for the add-on`s knowing I should. They will always expect it free if you don't

[Drain Medic]

I have a soft spot for the elderly. They get me everytime :D

Rick will tell you :rotflmao1::killingme:

[DUNBAR]

When I've asked politely to put the dog up or away so I don't have to have my eardrums hurting constantly from the dog's loud and sometimes violent barking, including hearing the homeowner repeating "Quiet Cracker" "Cracker, please be quiet" "Cracker, be quiet!" which offers no help whatsoever,

I charge a dollar per dog bark which is added to the bill. It's rude for them not to put the dog away and it's rude to think that having to yell at the customer for them to hear over a barking dog is nonsense.

[westcoastplumber]

I have a soft spot for the elderly. They get me everytime :D

Rick will tell you :rotflmao1::killingme:


no soft spots at the round up greg:D

[westcoastplumber]

I have been known to add the Bitc* Tax to a few customers invoices.

luckily, I only have had a couple, no matter how nice I am, they are just plain stuck up and rude.

[haycad]

i used to do the "no charge just call me next time" until i drove by 2 weeks later and some other plumbers there now everyone pays for my time. if i feel guilty about i go to the mall and buy my daughters something with the money:D

[All Clear Sewer]

When I've asked politely to put the dog up or away so I don't have to have my eardrums hurting constantly from the dog's loud and sometimes violent barking, including hearing the homeowner repeating "Quiet Cracker" "Cracker, please be quiet" "Cracker, be quiet!" which offers no help whatsoever,

I charge a dollar per dog bark which is added to the bill. It's rude for them not to put the dog away and it's rude to think that having to yell at the customer for them to hear over a barking dog is nonsense.
I was on the phone to the shop one night talking to me girlfriend telling her what I was doing and when I would be home and the dog next door to where I was working kept barking (little Dog) so I grabbed a hand full of crap and Flung it in it`s face :D I fell over LMAO and couldn't believe I did it ....rotflmao

[PLUMBER RICK]

I have a soft spot for the elderly. They get me everytime :D

Rick will tell you :rotflmao1::killingme:

not sure, or did i miss something:confused:

there are plenty of calls i do that there is no charge or i'll catch you later.

even more calls that are under $50.00.

maybe that's why i'm busy and don't need to advertise;)

today a did a major sewer ejector for a guy i met yesterday to give an estimate to.

i was refereed to him by another customer.

i called to let him know i was on the way and he said door already unlocked and call him when i'm done.

24 hours earlier i was a complete stranger. today i had run of his 5 million dollar house.

point is, if you make a good impression and come as a referral, there's no reason why a stranger shouldn't trust you.

he showed up at 4:45 to look at the job and write me a check. so it's a 2 way trust;)

i always feel more comfortable knowing i did a favor than owing a favor:rolleyes:

rick.

[Drain Medic]

not sure, or did i miss something:confused:

there are plenty of calls i do that there is no charge or i'll catch you later.

even more calls that are under $50.00.

maybe that's why i'm busy and don't need to advertise;)

today a did a major sewer ejector for a guy i met yesterday to give an estimate to.

i was refereed to him by another customer.

i called to let him know i was on the way and he said door already unlocked and call him when i'm done.

24 hours earlier i was a complete stranger. today i had run of his 5 million dollar house.

point is, if you make a good impression and come as a referral, there's no reason why a stranger shouldn't trust you.

he showed up at 4:45 to look at the job and write me a check. so it's a 2 way trust;)

i always feel more comfortable knowing i did a favor than owing a favor:rolleyes:

rick.


Just messin with you..........again :D

[shalx]

By charging nothing after you have driven there and spent gas(3.25 to 4.60gal for diesel) wear and tear on truck, tools, maybe even booties and invoice so you can track your time; you are not charging nothing rather robbing from your overhead account. Which either steals from your families mouth or from your previous paying customers who overpaid so you could maintenance someone else's house This does not even take into account opportunity cost of the time spent being lost. Math is finite one hour at $100 and one at $0 averages to $50 big difference. If you want to be fair figure your fuel charge, wear and tear, and overhead benefit time and make that your base trip charge and if you feel you must give something away negate your oppurtunity cost figuring that time you would have goofed off anyway.

[drtyhands]

I don't know about this one and I'm undecided as I haven't billed this repeat customer yet.

10' of 2"-L copper.What is it $10.00 a foot? Customer needs 16" of it to offset the flanges on his new 2 H/P 65 GPM hot water recirculating pump for his hotel.

I think I'm going to charge him,letting him know when he needs more he has credit for ten feet.

Still doesn't feel good.But I don't have the room to stock all this cr@p.I can barely get into the garage as it is.

[NHMaster3015]

This thread kinda took a different direction that I had intended, but that's ok.
What I was really thinking is, and I'm not quite wure how to put this so I suppose the shot gun effect will have to suffice. Hack stuff you've done and charged for but probably should'nt have (J.B. Weld repairs qualify)

[plumberscrack]

This thread kinda took a different direction that I had intended, but that's ok.
What I was really thinking is, and I'm not quite wure how to put this so I suppose the shot gun effect will have to suffice. Hack stuff you've done and charged for but probably should'nt have (J.B. Weld repairs qualify)


Oh that's what you wanted?

Late on a Friday, basement toilet leaks at base, old rusty bolts, valve won't shut off.

Some caulking around the base ought to buy me some time until Monday.

"Thank you for the $100 check and call me if it starts to leak again"

Is that what you were looking for NHMaster?

[haycad]

i dont charge for 1/2 a$$ work i do. i have in the past and than it leaks and i have to go back and fix it on my dime. than im all pissy cuz i tried to save a buck. it always back fires on me

[Ace Sewer]

This one is embarrassing, I charged for this, at a discount, but still charged...

septic system. high level alam in tank going off. mounded system with a pump in the tank. tank buried under 6' of snow.

check breakers... one labled septic not tripped... proceed to dig up tank lids.

open 3rd tank lid after much digging and yes, level is high.... pull pump.. no apparent problem. check power to pump... no voltage. check breakers again... all fine as before... scratch head and wire extension cord directly to pump...reinstall, works fine. 'I think you need an electrician.' but it is sunday and where are they going to find someone and they go back to primary house tomorrow...so 'I'll see if I can chase it down.'

go back into house, down into crawlspace.... find romex going out in that general direction, with a tiny two wire with it that has to be the high level alarm. check voltage there... dead there too. pull out batts of insulation and chase wire back toward breaker box. find a junction box, three pieces romex to it, one from pump, one from breaker box (live), and one wired such that there has to be a switch. pull more insulation, find conduit for third wire exiting through footer. go outside, remove massive roofdump of snow from deck, find switch low on side of house, snow dumped from roof, buried it, switched it off in the process. put it all back together, flip switch, all is well.

4 1/2 hours on a sunday to flip a switch.

[haycad]

This one is embarrassing, I charged for this, at a discount, but still charged...

septic system. high level alam in tank going off. mounded system with a pump in the tank. tank buried under 6' of snow.

check breakers... one labled septic not tripped... proceed to dig up tank lids.

open 3rd tank lid after much digging and yes, level is high.... pull pump.. no apparent problem. check power to pump... no voltage. check breakers again... all fine as before... scratch head and wire extension cord directly to pump...reinstall, works fine. 'I think you need an electrician.' but it is sunday and where are they going to find someone and they go back to primary house tomorrow...so 'I'll see if I can chase it down.'

go back into house, down into crawlspace.... find romex going out in that general direction, with a tiny two wire with it that has to be the high level alarm. check voltage there... dead there too. pull out batts of insulation and chase wire back toward breaker box. find a junction box, three pieces romex to it, one from pump, one from breaker box (live), and one wired such that there has to be a switch. pull more insulation, find conduit for third wire exiting through footer. go outside, remove massive roofdump of snow from deck, find switch low on side of house, snow dumped from roof, buried it, switched it off in the process. put it all back together, flip switch, all is well.

4 1/2 hours on a sunday to flip a switch.
thats a lot of work i hope you would charge for that

[bigPipe09]

A classic is when you get a call from a customer complaining of a sewer gas smell, and you dump a 5 gallon pail of water into the trap and go on your way.

[SlimTim]

Or when they complain of a sewer gas smell and you walk in bathroom and say, "You've got a dead mouse in the wall."

[Herk]

yet I'm starting to think a 1/2 a service call or maybe as little as $35 -50 bucks might be a better idea .

Thoughts ??

When I was still hourly, I figured 1/2 hour for a minimum charge. In flat rate, my prices are based upon the cost of doing the job added to the cost of getting me out there - in my case about $38.

I had a "Minimum tech service" of $58 and since I often couldn't find another task that fit, I would charge that. Eventually, I realized that it wasn't cutting it because most of those little tasks weren't all that little. So I created another task and called it "Basic tech service " and described it as more than just an adjustment. I raised the price on the minimum service and made the Basic service about an hour's rate.

It has to be worth going out.

[wrench spinner]

Or when they complain of a sewer gas smell and you walk in bathroom and say, "You've got a dead mouse in the wall."

lol.... i had one like that, when i was a 1st year mechanic. My helper was sick that day and it was for an older woman..... rather than an old lady. I was about 5'8" 250 lbs and i traced it down to the wall next to the toilet. It smelled like something died literally like a mouse or a rat. So she asked me if i could go into her crawlspace and see if i could get it out. She was a good customer so i said of course. well the crawl space was maybe 10" tall and my fat a@# barely fit in there. i "slithered' myself right up to where the smell was coming from and found a dead rat maybe 6 or 7 inches from my face. so i couldnt turn around underthere so i tried to work my way out backwards...... I got stuck! Thank god i had a cell phone i had to call the shop and have someone come out tie a rope to my feet and pull me out!!!! thank god for the anonmynity, s.p? of the internet or else this story would not have been divulged! i still hear about it to this day when i see guys from the old shop at the supply houses etc. HOPE YOU GUYS GOT A GOOD CHUCKLE!

[drtyhands]

This thread kinda took a different direction that I had intended, but that's ok.
What I was really thinking is, and I'm not quite wure how to put this so I suppose the shot gun effect will have to suffice. Hack stuff you've done and charged for but probably should'nt have (J.B. Weld repairs qualify)

You kidding right?

This is my forum.I come here to impress people.Do you actually think I am going to risk any kind of doubt of my abilities by admitting fault.

Not in this house of perfect plumbers.

:barf:



Adam
:)

[DuckButter]

Desanco nuts, on several occasions I've gotten called to find a mystery leak under a sink that turns out to be a loosely tightened Desanco washer at the trap...probably had been slowly leaking over it's lifespan and the owner just noticed it one day.
Yup, I charge for an hour of my time.