Lost a job :)

STEVEN MARKS

Friend of friend called with no heat last spring. I got the boiler up and running told him it was time for a new boiler. I gave him a great price ( little slow at the time). After several calls and no response I gave up. I recently ran into my friend and this is what he told me. His friend being an electrician bought the boiler and recieved a price from someone else to install. This other persons price was for labor only (no material). After the electrician paid for the boiler, labor and a return trip back to the supplier it was more expensive than what I quoted.I couldn't help but smile.
2 thumbs up for the guys at the local supply house. I will stop and buy the some beer. 2nd thought maybe they should buy my beer with the extra mark-up they made.

Ted_9

Some "freind". I love how we use that term so loosely.

Patriot Heating & Cooling, Inc.

Al Letellier

friends

Just goes to show that cutting your price when things are slow nevers pays. If you are charging enough in the first place, you would relich those "slow" times and go fishing or golfing or hugging your loved ones....time off is so precious, don't waste it by giving it away.
As to your friend, he got what he deserved.....I heard a fellow contractor say one day: "I don't ever charge twice what a job is worth, so I won't ever work for half of what it's worth." Good advise for all to heed.

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lchmb

been there

Done that...have the shirt to prove it. I was asked by a relative to do a complete install on a 250,000 plus house. I offered him a steal and told him it would be complete in a month. He took my heatloss calc's and found a plumber to do them for 1 grand less...3 month's later he called crying asking me to finish it..Seem's his plumber got to busy and wouldn't finish it for about 6 month's.....:) I told him I don't do cleanup!!....:)

Weezbo

Thank you for the kind words....

sometimes i forget there are people who have heard of a day off......

Don Walsh

Thanks for the nudge!

My quandry was: 1.) Spend another beautiful fall day working, or, 2.) Take the day off and enjoy a round of soon to be over golf. The season is a bit short in Northern Ohio.
My decision is: FORE' (and a few beers after the round too!
Thanks for reminding me how short the joy of summer (and life) really is!

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kevin coppinger_4

you should never....

give out heat loss calcs unless you have been paid for them....got burned ONCE on that....never again.kpc

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bob young

contracts and deposits.

sometimes i even refuse to tell a customer the rating of boiler they are getting,until they agree to sign a contract w/ deposit. nothing worse than some skell working off your knowlege. you can get burned by the most unlikely people. being in this business is not a joke. it is very real.