ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Business Related Discussion Presentation and Business Practices

Scott:

To a degree, I actually 'see' what you are talking about, with the quality of the plans submitted for review. As we are supposed to be in a 'slow' time, one may think the 'paper' would come in for review well prepared. WRONG, it seems that the 'paper' is getting worse. Even the small resi solar installs come in half prepared, and with dumb errors. (Three phase solar output into a resi panel)

I think I insulted one of the submittal people today by referring to their drawings as 'cartoons; not ready for the Sunday comics'!! (Tuesday rant)

I guess the entry level CAD jockeys are at it here also.

Well there's plenty of customers who haven't gotta handle on what they want in the first place

plenty who are operating on a 'what if' dependent scenario as well

this occurs up my way frequently due to lack of any official plan review

so here's the fun part, the EC (et all C's) get to follow one of two avenues

#1 usually includes a lotta design build legwork interfacing the customers wants and needs with the rest of the physical universe's doctrines

#2 would be spitting out #1 fast & loose on one's feet walking through the prospective job on the spot

either way, one is investing one's time in creating a level of committment , be it verbal or written

so the thing i look for before even going down these avenues is if the job's even in the realm of reality to begin with (i.e., i just bought my 3ph windmill, and need a $$$ to hook it up to my 1ph home)



~S~

~s~:

On occasion, the best intentions, along with the best preparations and presentations do fall on deaf ears, or are lost to the 'other guy'. Sometimes, after the 'other guy' hears of your number!!

I have had my estimates passed on to "the other guy" who uses them as a shopping list to steal the job away from me. So now I just give a number on a paper, and what i will do for that amount, no more detail until I have the job. Nothing like spending half a day doing a take-off for someone else!

I hear you, Jimmie.

We had a newbie who would give out her estimates in such great detail (including sketches and dimensions) that the Owner would take it and just pass it along to a cheaper guy to use as 'detailed plans'.
She never learned her lesson; when I left that firm she was still giving out these fantasically detailed estimates and never figured out why she never was able to get anyone to hire us to do the work.

The estimate is the estimate...once you have the job in hand you can pull out the detailed sheet and use it for the Contract.

I can top that...

CraigsList had a post requesting a Master Mason...

Who was expected to teach his craft to a noob...

Who wanted to erect only two natural stone pillars from local rock.

I'll bet he had hundreds of responses to that one.

/sarc

Well, the drama continues- or is it a soap opera? This time, it's the heating trade.

(BTW, the second guys put in their windows, no muss, no fuss - though they did attempt to deliver/install without the notice I needed at my end).

While the weather was still nice, I had started trying to get my furnace going. A week of nice weather was frittered away by one 'highly recommended' guy being 'too busy.'

I looked at the thing myself, and I could see what was broke. My problem is that I'm at work when the parts house- an hour away- is open. So, I call another guy, providing him with the part number in advance.

He did come, though without the part. He did get the thing working, for one night, anyway. Then the 40 degree nights arrived. Now this guy is 'too busy.'

In the meantime, the plumbers -who were not 'too busy'- came out and fixed a gas leak that had developed in my water heater line. And we wonder why they make money ...

Well, the internet is a wonderful thing; I was able to learn that the part I needed was quite readily available. I made the time to get to the parts house just before closing time.

Now came what I ought to call the "Negative Ballet." That's where the friendly counter clerk -soon to be joined by someone from the back office - starts squirming as they say things like "don't have it, can't get it, you need to bring it in, a picture won't work ... HEY- that's a clear picture, I can read the number, why, we have a shelf of those!"

Part on the counter, then the apology starts ... we only sell to the trade .... is that a local license? By golly, we can sell it to you after all ...

Now ... for the readers of this thread ... doesn't it seem to you like these several parties were trying awfully hard to chase business away?

Does your 'front office' string folks along?
Do you arrive unprepared?
Do you 'leave well enough alone,' even when the customer has made it clear he's "sold" already?
Is your first reaction to a question "no?"

Simply put, the customer needs something DONE. In practical terms, that meant I was not willing to tolerate very many chilly nights before the issue was addressed.

Let's look at that first service call. Billing: $80. Not bad. Yet, had the man brought the $120 valve with him, he could have easily charged me $300.

I'll need to replace the furnace, almost for certain, when I get the air conditioning installed. I asked the man for a price. He has seen the job. Why am I still waiting for a price a week later?

So, we need to ask ourselves whether WE are chasing business away.

Reno:
What you are alluding to is akin to a new resi (SFD) failing final inspection for an incorrectly wired GFI, or some other 'dumb' item that the EC should have discovered when HE walked thru the house prior to final.

That said, the 'service' providers here in NJ are not a whole lot better than what you have. Seems like the only ones that do answer the phone and actually respond are 'Plumbers'. What the heck!

As this adventure continues ... yesterday I sought out some A/C guys. This revealed a few glitches ...

Company "A" was referred by a manufacturers' site. The phone number went to a restaurant. OOPS. Contact failed.

Company "B" has a web site - but NO email!! I still have not got around to contacting them.

Company "C" has an e-mail contact on their web site. They've already responded, and will send an estimator next week.

Now ... if you were setting the odds ... what chance do you think each of the above have of getting the job?

Now, look at YOUR business. Do you come up in a 'google' search? Is the contact information accurate? Can people get ahold of you?

I also have some comments as to phone manners:

There is a LOT to be said for having a professional female voice answer the phone with "Acme Electric." It's not nearly so good having the principal answer with "This is Joe" from atop a ladder. Even worse is for the phone to ring and ring- to a generic voicemail.

I educate my customers and let them know that I know my stuff, and there is no doubt about that, and that my prices are high b/c I'm not gonna goof up their project. I quickly become a trusted opinion in their mind, show them their options, tell them which option I think is best for them and why, and then 9 times out of 10 I get the job. PEOPLE WANT TO BE PERSUADED. They want to be sold.