Just to kick things off and don't think for a second that I'd like to try and fill Les's shoes.
Got any good tips on what works for you as an EC?.
Also, have you any pet peeves?.

I have a lot of pet peeves.LOL A lot.
To many to list.I'll just list two.
1. Homeowners who want to watch so they can do it themselves next time.
2. Real Estate Companies.

Andy I agree about the real estate companies. They call you to get an estimate on repairs with no intention of having you do the repairs, just an estimate to negotiate a lower price at closing. We won't give an estimate for this type of work anymore unless they pay for it, not even a faxed estimate.

Another pet peeve would be the customer that wants to supply the materials to save a few bucks. They can find another electrician too because we're not doing it. You know they either bought crap that is hard to work with and takes twice as much labor or they won't have everything or it just won't go well.

Oh, I almost forgot about the home owner or contractor that wants to do some of the work. I had 1 home owner who wanted to drill the holes for us. I had a hard time not laughing.

I've had several thousand dollars work from realtors, so I wouldn't be too quick to rule them out. In general though, it's paperwork for negotiations.

What works for me are good customers who are enjoyable to deal with and my pet peeve is non-payment. Fortunately I have very many of the former and very few of the later, or I wouldn't have my own business.

Dave

I run my business with honesty. I am clean, neat, friendly (ususally), and most of the people I deal with are the same. I work for one large kitchen remodeling company, and a few other small contactors. They are loyal to me and I return the favor by being there when needed. One thing I do not do is work for "builders". Been there. Done that. Ugh.
P.S. NO REALTORS!

[This message has been edited by Electricmanscott (edited 11-15-2004).]