Would you hire this Spammer to fix/replace your Boiler?

WMno57

Love the photo. I see multiple warning signs of "why not to hire" in the photo. What do the other Wallies see?
Original photo here:
https://allseasonshomehvac.com/

WMno57

Mad Dog_2

Are those for extracting Elephants' teeth?  Real HVAC guys wouldn't be caught dead with a Carpenters belt and kangaroo pouch..no no!  That wrench is extremely odd...It looks a Non-sparking tool for explosive atmospheres.  Other than that...It would behoove them to consult an actual tradesman...in that trade to avoid such sillyness...Mad Dog 🐕 

EBEBRATT-Ed

Clothes tool belt and hands are too clean.

TonKa

Mad Dog_2 said:

Are those for extracting Elephants' teeth?  Real HVAC guys wouldn't be caught dead with a Carpenters belt and kangaroo pouch..no no!  That wrench is extremely odd...It looks a Non-sparking tool for explosive atmospheres.  Other than that...It would behoove them to consult an actual tradesman...in that trade to avoid such sillyness...Mad Dog 🐕 

Isn't that a Swedish style pipe wrench?

I'm guessing they offshore outsourced that Photoshop hack job and were careless with their ad approval.

Edit: I'm sure of it now. The Audi ahead of the van has a Switzerland license plate... unless it's someone from there trying to expand their service territory. 🤔 😄

DanHolohan

It looks like the web designer just grabbed stock photos, and Photoshoped them together. 

Teemok

Don't worry that guy has a very knowledgeable boss who helps him over the phone sometimes. They had me at "Hot Service at cool Prices"

hot_rod

Typical marketing designed ad, male model with tool props. It doesn’t tell the story of all the techs, at the company, from my experience.

The best hydronics guy in the area could work for that company. Although that may not be him😂

Clean, sober, on time is what the consumer wants, that pic appeals to most homeowners. The skill set of the actual tech that shows up at your door is the biggest crap shoot.

EdTheHeaterMan

Don't let that wrench he is holding fool you, that is actually a sawed off shotgun disguised as a wrench, There are two Colt Peacemakers hidden in the back of that tool belt. 4 dozen rounds of ammo for the colts and a box of shells for wrench shot gun in those front pouches. The pliers and tape measure are to fool you into thinking this guy is legit. After you let him in, you have no choice but to let him fix your boiler ...and pay what ever the price he charges!

And like it !

SteamFTW

This makes me think of a line from the mighty E. R. Pierce (Practical Manual, 1911), whom @DanHolohan had the pleasure of discovering, and bringing back for us to learn from.
"Nearly every day some honest well-meaning fitter loses a job to some house-wrecking concern which [underbids] him."

Teemok

That's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He pull's in $3500 a day average and they only refund $600, all with a pleasant smile and super clean boots.

hot_rod

I’ve been doing a lot of training at these mega shops in the Utah valley. I’ll bet there are 50 or more between Ogden and Provo 35- 70 truck repair only shops. Fancy trucks, billboards, constant mailers, etc.


15 minutes in a room with their hydronics department is enough to know which techs actually understand hydronics. It’s always the ones that have the library of Idronics😁

If I were to guess, 10% or less of the plumbing hvac tradespeople truly understand hydronics. The theory, calculations, piping. Then being able to troubleshoot equipment that is 20 years and older. That is not a classroom teachable part of the trade, it takes years of experience.
That is a very, very rare bird to find.

SteamFTW

Wow, I had no idea "Woobun" Mass looks so much like Europe!

TonKa said:

The Audi ahead of the van has a Switzerland license plate...

Yep, the plate is from Basel. France, Germany meet Switzerland right there. Nice place!

hot_rod said:

...10% or less of the plumbing hvac tradespeople truly understand hydronics. The theory, calculations, piping.

That makes it even more ironic that they should have chosen that photo at random. Hydronics relies on fluid dynamics, and Basel is where Daniel Bernoulli lived, taught, and is buried. Had to pay my respects at his grave when I was lucky enough to visit years ago.

HVACNUT

Too young.
Too clean.
Too pretty.

Intplm.

Looks to me like a Massachusetts modeling agency hired this model. Area code (978)

hot_rod

Ad agencies know what consumers respond to

Back in the early 1990s I visited a George Brazil shop in So Cal. He was one of the first to put full size pretty  boys on his box trucks

the truck decals were reflective material
when they drove into neighborhoods dogs would bark at this giant glowing male model plumber with a toolbox in hand floating down the street.
could be the same guy, he is ageless

They had to tone done the reflective man decal😉

Teemok

I was sent to a Maio system brain washi..... I mean flat rate sales seminar in LA, late 90's. It was a valuable experience viewing it positively. At the least, I learned a lot about how good truck organization could be from seeing a Brazil Hackney truck. George and Maurice were hero's to a couple of my bosses who weren't yet offering any commission cuts. I got my license just as they started putting big teeth on the wet behind the ears techs and the mod/cons were taking market. Making the phone ring was key and the internet changed all that. Yellow pages for what? On call beepers! Now you're not legit unless all techs wear patches that remind customers what country we are in while they are purchasing perceived value with picture time Ipads.

hot_rod

It is hard to deny the number crunching involved with coming up with a selling price. Regardless if you flat rate , T&M or any version of pricing. Add up all YOUR costs, divide by 2000 hours in a year. Although 2000 billiable hours a year is really not that do-able.

That was the key take away for me from Blau, Brazil, Maio. Know what it costs to keep the doors open.

The hourly rate required to "cover the nut" frightened many plumbers, when they ran the exercise. Some learned how to be profitable, build a retirement fund, others not.

Ford/ Chevy
Cast iron/ mod con
Flat rate/ T&M

Nice that we all get to make decisions based on our comfort level.

Teemok

I won't go back to T and M except for very rare cases. Maio was valuable for the number crunching, though my employers had motives outside my interests and growth. They wanted good looking clean cut ruthless rolling cash register attendants that would be happy with easy work. That's fair I guess. Not a place for conscience. Market rate, in a good market, is what I'm after. Working hard to lose is no way to go. I let a job go last week because the customer wanted it broken down. A lawyer, a request for bid justification, all on a project I know I wouldn't be proud of, no thanks. It's taken years to learn to say no at the right times.

hot_rod

Teemok said:

I won't go back to T and M except for very rare cases. Maio was valuable for the number crunching, though my employers had motives outside my interests and growth. They wanted good looking clean cut ruthless rolling cash register attendants that would be happy with easy work. That's fair I guess. Not a place for conscience. Market rate, in a good market, is what I'm after. Working hard to lose is no way to go. I let a job go last week because the customer wanted it broken down. A lawyer, a request for bid justification, all on a project I know I wouldn't be proud of, no thanks. It's taken years to learn to say no at the right times.

Sometimes you have to fire a customer 
Or say no when it puts you out of your comfort zone

ratio

Not all customers need to be our customers. Wish I could get the office to agree, especially with the ones that we already know aren't going to pay. Again.

<sigh>

realliveplumber

2000 billable hours a year is not realistic.

Mad Dog_2

Like it or not, Frank Blau and friends FORCED plumbing and heating contractors to examine their numbers...that helped everyone. Mad Dog 🐕 

Teemok

2000 billable hours is what you tell techs you are riding and flogging. It comes along with "this company isn't turning a profit". I spent 2 years at an 8-10 truck company pulling in flat rate and fixed bids way over the stated calculated hourly and every meeting we were told the company was losing money. 24 months of straight loss is running a charity and it wasn't true. Top heavy overhead and with two to three $100K trucks a year built, it's a laughable dishonesty. There's a lot of head games in that 2000 hours talk. On the flip side the logic for profitability is in there.

Larry Weingarten

Hi, Working on my own, my billable hours was more like 1300/year... and that's with long days, and a backlog of work. Still, it pays to know where you are, so I really should mention Ellen Rohr's books, available in the bookstore here.

Yours, Larry

hot_rod

The 2000 hours comes from 50 weeks in a year 40 hour in a work week. It's just a number to calculate with.
When i was young and starting out, mainly new construction it was more like 60 hours plus many weeks. My own work, sideline work installing gas piping for an HVAC shop on weekends. Trying to get ahead buy a home, etc.

The issue with 2000 hours, especially for repair only guys is, call backs, drive time, hours on bids that you don't get, chasing parts, etc. It is never solid working/ billing time.

Mad Dog_2

It would be hilarious to see a real, actual plumber on the side of the truck, not some ersatz, Hollywood Version with inappropriate tools.  Mad Dog 🐕 

hot_rod

Like this?

Mad Dog_2

Yeah...we got a guy on Long Island 🏝 that has a similar version.   I was thinking 🤔 more like the average 18-25 yr old Old NYC plumbing & heating helper:  Neck Tattoos, Mulitple face piercings, Prison Facial tattoos, pony tail.. No more Dudley Do-rights! The changing Face of America 🇺🇸.  I remember when the bosses and H.O s didn't care for an earring 
on a guy, a ponytail...Those days are over..Its cool...I'm a big believer in Freedom of expression and I support eccentricity...keeps things interesting..Mad 🐕 Dog