Missed it by that much................hb

heatboy

I just received my first call from my new "Find a Professional" ad. The people live about 45 minutes away and have a system that won't get above 64° or so when it gets cold. Easy, right? Well, they don't want to pay the $225 for the visit since they already paid someone else who apparently didn't tell them what to do to make the system work. I feel terrible for them, but.............

http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm.cfm?id=304&Step=30

Thanks for the opportunity, Dan!

DanHolohan

Maybe

the other guy will pay you. For lessons!

Dave Yates (PAH)

Missed it?

You didn't miss anything - they did. Penny wise & pound foolish. Yis gits what yis pays fer.

They missed getting one of the best in this business & at a bargain rate to boot.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

jackchips_2

But do

they know it. They had just paid someone who didn't do it right.

What did you do to try and convince them they should hire you HB? How could they, who have no idea who they called, know you could fix the problem?

What is the standard procedure with a "sales call" that has a charge attached?

An old, curious mind.

Fred P

well if they got his number

from the find a pro on this website, they should have some idea of who they called.

heatboy

It really isn't a sales call..............is it?

I believe I correctly consider this a service call. It is an existing system that isn't working and is in need of service. Correct? Maybe they will get lucky and get a "free" guy to figure it out. Maybe not. My phone number is still the same.

If I can't or couldn't figure out what is wrong and how to rectify the situation, I certainly couldn't take their money. There are enough guys that fill those shoes already ;-)

hb

http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm.cfm?id=304&Step=30

Mark Eatherton1

Here, here!! (NM)

ME

Tony_8

My question is...

Do they understand that you would only charge them that price for a guaranteed fix (or at least a good start on one) ? If they thought that you were going to charge them that just to look w/o answers, who could blame them ? I'm not questioning your credibility, but "where" you advertise only says where you spent your advertising dollars. We know the caliber of pro that hangs out here, but how do they ? By us ? I know a couple of guys who advertise that they are "specialists" in one type of work or another. It's what they say, proof is what people want to pay for (or not!).

Just playing the devil's advocate, think about getting your truck serviced/repaired in a strange town. Who do you trust ? And how do you pick them ?
Maybe they're tire kickers, maybe not.
Since they called you from here, they've probably read some posts, etc. Maybe they'll change their mind and call again.

Paul Mitchell

I am with you

Heatboy. Been on four calls from "Find a Pro" on this site. Every one is obviously a problem. The most recent one I spent close to 2 hrs at the house..Measuring, counting, looking. Then another 2-3hrs between things figuring and bouncing off you guys. All to send the estimate (as the customer called and called "when will my estimate be done") and not hear a word. Not even after follow up call. This is such an on going discussion it is crazy. An estimate for a little warm air furnace or one zone boiler ...no big deal. But you are correct. To go to a call like you had or even my estimate/tell me what to do call requires way too much thinking to be no charge.



To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

heatboy

Thanks, Paul.

After all, the sign doesn't say "Find an Idiot", does it? Don't have to look very hard to find them ;-)

hb

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Mark Hunt

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

> After all, the sign doesn't say "Find an Idiot"!

> Don't have to look very hard to find them

> ;-)

>

> hb

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 103&Step=30"_To Learn More About This

> Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in

> "Find A Contractor"_/A_




Thanks HB!

That "Find an Idiot" remark made my morning!

Off to wait for the supplier. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Mark Hunt

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


Thanks HB!

That "Find an Idiot" remark made my morning!

Off to wait for the supplier. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Mark H

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Steve Ebels

Find an Idiot

Now there's a good one. How sad that it's true in a lot of cases. The only thing is, with "Find an Idiot", you don't have to find them, they find you. After doing so they prey on a person's desire to "save" money and/or betray their own lack of knowledge by installing something tha doesn't work. I have seen a lot of "operators" whose goal in life is just to make a quick $$ and vamoose. Burn and Run guys are what that type are called around here.

Dale

Tom and Ray

My favorite Click and Clack line from auto repair but just as easy HCAV is "it's the cheap person who spends the most" HB I think a clear statement of a minimum show up charge conserves the only thing you really have to sell which is your time.

jackchips_2

I was not implying

you couldn't charge. It was a simple question-why didn't your "service call" (sales call, marketing call-semantics) work.

If, as Jim implied, they should have hired you because they got your name off this site, then why didn't they?

This is not a rehash of the do we or don't we charge for estimates. It is an honest (really) question of why they didn't hire you. Did they say your service charge was to high? Did they give any reason?

I would think everyone who gets no for an answer can learn from it and others also. Me, I just work for the kids now and try to get money out of them.

heatboy

I wasn't hired........

because they had already paid for no answers. If they would have found and called me first, the visit monies would not have been an issue, I believe. So, I can't look for free and they don't feel they should have to pay again. Whatsagonnado?

Some days you're the windshield and other days you're the bug.

hb

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

David_5

We are not selling time

Everyone has time and can sell that. We are selling our knowledge. Most people can turn a wrench, few know where to put the wrench for maximum effect.

David