Customer/price moan!!!

[danielson_39]

Just quoted £260 for a consumer unit change £100 to allow for board tails etc £160 for me for the day to change over and test etc, the lady over the phone was not best pleased and accused me of being over the top!? Where as I see it as being competitive! What more do these people want....blood!

 

[Octopus]

£260.00 for a board change + tails and she thinks that is over priced.

Does she realise that you will doing extensive tests, complying with BS 7671, and the dreaded Part P??

Walk away mate

 

[telectrix]

£260 is cheap anyway. let her get benny from the pub, then she can't come crying to you when her house burns down.

 

[jon small]

tell her to phone b & q for a price - she'll probably think your too cheap then - you can't win with some people

 

[danielson_39]

Exactly! Explained everything to her before hand, think her gripe is she only wants a new circuit running in for new cooker so priced that separate £70 but the board is just rewirables with no rcd protection, I've told her I won't install the circuit without the board change, I don't even want it now it's not worth it lol

 

[bigbaddave]

Could you not keep costs down and just RCD protect the work you are doing? I know its frustrating when your making the install safer.. On the other hand id persoanlly walk.. Its them kind of jobs i find they are a nightmare to get paid from

 

[diditrain]

Is there a spare way in the consumer unit? if so, don`t bury your cable in the walls less than 50mm below surface and don`t have a socket outlet on the cooker control unit, job done.

 

[Dave 85]

Assuming its a 10way+ twin RCD board £260 is very cheap. Minimum I ever quote is £340.
When someone rings up to moan about the price there is a very simple answer..."have you had a cheaper quote?"
If "yes" then "well go with it then"
If "No" then "F**k off"
Now wether you were right in telling her she HAS to have a CU change in order to add another circuit is another matter....

Cant say I like all this advice about walking away from jobs mind
Im busy as hell but I never walk away from a job. If it looks messy I just price myself out of it.

 

[Essexboy7]

Thats well cheap mate.Let them get the polish spark from the pub who will do it for £50.When she phones back in a couple of weeks saying her house has burnt down charge her 3 grand for a full rewire and throw in a new board for nothing

 

[Ponty Massive]

Providing bonding etc is up to speck, could you offer just putting in a 2-way CU next to the existing?

 

[Poshspark]

£260 for a consumer unit change that is very cheap what if you get any faults in the original wiring. I always charge £400 and haven't lost any yet. I have got one to do now my price is £420 and the other electricians price was £715.

 

[Spoon]

Providing bonding etc is up to speck, could you offer just putting in a 2-way CU next to the existing?

I agree with this one.

 

[i=p/u]

all in days work, dealing and wheeling with this... people have right to question a price , im sure your not all flustered when she asks you..

 

[UNG]

Cant say I like all this advice about walking away from jobs mind
Im busy as hell but I never walk away from a job. If it looks messy I just price myself out of it.

You get some customers that want you to do the work just not at the price you want then you do have to walk away even though you have priced yourself out. Have had a few like that over the years

 

[Darkwood]

Il start subbing you at that price ... you charge me that and il charge the going rate to the customer .... we both happy as you get the work and i sit back and retire early .

Should be charging 350 - 450 for a basic change, your confidence, customer relations and communication skills will ensure you get the job.... if a bodgit can charge over 700quid just because he's good with the old sales approach then a legit sparky should be able to charge the going rate no problem...... i dont advertise and 100% of my work is word of mouth and ive loads on at the moment.

 

[i=p/u]

you want an apprentice?

 

[mickys86]

Providing bonding etc is up to speck, could you offer just putting in a 2-way CU next to the existing?

This is what I would've done. Other than that my boss charges £420 for standard board change

 

[thomas-1981]

I'm based in Glasgow and guys are doing boards for £150.00.
How can they supply a board, install it and then commission it for that.

 

[theleshollis]

There are always customers who will moan at a quote. I had a couple last week who looked like they were going to cry when I recommended a new board for a similar job. In the end I went with a standalone RCD and new main bonding for £100.

 

[Guest55]

I've told her I won't install the circuit without the board change

which is a blatant rip off as far as i'm concerned.
i side with the customer on this one , no wonder you didnt win the job.

 

[kingeri]

I have to say it's not down to us as the sparks to decide what a customer HAS to have....if they want a new circuit then in 99% of cases there's a way to add this to the existing install without changing the board. You're not making the install any worse. As long as we're very specific about what we've done on the certs then all's well. Personally, I work to make a living, not to single-handedly improve all electrics in the universe.

 

[theleshollis]

usually, if there are 2 or more circuits to be worked on that need an RCD, I'll try to get the customer to agree to a new consumer unit. Otherwise as Kingeri said upgrade just what is needed and be specific.

 

[Octopus]

usually, if there are 2 or more circuits to be worked on that need an RCD, I'll try to get the customer to agree to a new consumer unit. Otherwise as Kingeri said upgrade just what is needed and be specific.

So are you suggesting you will install without RCD protection even if the regs call for them?

 

[Hawk81]

I have to agree with the ones saying that a board change for one circuit is a bit much to expect the customer to do. I would explain all different options to them. Like a small separate board for the new circuit. I wouldn't get much work if I kept telling all my customers that I need to change their board to add 1 circuit. They would think I am ripping them off and looking for work

 

[Hawk81]

So are you suggesting you will install without RCD protection even if the regs call for them?

That's not how I read what he wrote. I take it he meant if there were 2 or more new circuits needing RCD protection then he would tell the customer they need a board change 1 circuit he would fit a small separate RCD board

 

[Octopus]

The last update of the regs, at the discussion stage, included the designers discression not to insist on RCD's - and clearly if a house doesn't have any RCD's it does seem more than excessive to install RCD's and/or a new board.

It would seem those making the final decision clearly thought otherwise and all this did was to demonstrate how out of touch those individuals really are.

 

[Guest55]

with a bit of careful planning a cooker circuit can be installed in surface trunking relatively neatly and forgo the need for a rcd altogether.
seriously , some folk shouldnt be in this game if they cant assess different wiring options properly

 

[imago]

with a bit of careful planning

Which is where a lot of jobs/quotes/sparks fall down. There's little or no planning or forethought involved, just the OSG and RCD mantra quoted as if it's the only option. It seems more and more tradesmen quote from a book rather than have a chat with the customer to see what they want and what the budget is.

 

[Guest55]

..... There's little or no planning or forethought involved, just the OSG and RCD mantra quoted as if it's the only option.

ironically , when interpreted properly , the regs give many , many options for not having to fit rcd's , the only exception being bathroom circuits.

 

[theleshollis]

That's not how I read what he wrote. I take it he meant if there were 2 or more new circuits needing RCD protection then he would tell the customer they need a board change 1 circuit he would fit a small separate RCD board

Thanks Hawk81 that's exactly what I meant. As I do a lot of kitchen work, I find that most customers wouldn't be happy with mini trunking on show in their expensive new kitchen. But equally they don't all like the idea of an "Extra" £300 to pay that they hadn't planned on.
Les

 

[Geordie Spark]

Custome / price moan ???

Isn't this what customers do ?

Isn't it what we ALL do when we are customers at the sparky's merchants ?

Why should your customers be any different ?