Have you had a look at priceyourjob.co.uk

[Gavin John Hyde]

Had a potential customer email a link to this supposed bible of job pricing.
I quoted him £400 to supply and install 8 downlights in his kitchen/diner/small lounge room - its open plan with lights to be spread between 2 circuits. Figured it is a days work.
He then says he thought £250 would be a more appropriate price and that he would prefer to source the led downlights, switches and even the cable, suggested 1mm instead of 1.5mm twin and earth aswell the tight wad! He queried my suggestion of hager downlight junction boxes and would rather I use cheap sub £1 junction boxes, I explained the Hager ones would speed things up and save on labour. He has now decided that I should supply just the labour as he thinks tradesfolk mark everything up to maximise profit,
He says he read on priceyourjob.co.uk that £300 max is a suitable price for supply and fit and he recognises there is 8 lights and I will need to run the cables and tweak the existing cabling to his pendant lights. So would like to supply materials to keep costs down!?
Some customers really drive me mad.. I have told him that I no longer wish to be considered for the job on his terms and my quote as I submitted on my terms stands if he wishes to accept it or not is his choice.
The bloke sent me a itemised list of things in toolstation he thinks the job will need. The internet is a dangerous place it turns customers into nightmares! a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I felt like telling him that once he has the materials to come on the forum and ask for a how to guide...then we can have a laugh.

 

[Risteard]

Tell him to f#*k off.

(Glad to read that you already did.)

 

[buzzlightyear]

the best way for c88t like that, is tell him you will do it for £250.00
on the condition you can do it in a few months . and wait to see what he says .and not do the job .

 

[ferg]

Idiots were still idiots before the tinterwebs arrived.

 

[dmxtothemax]

How much did he factor in for years of training and experience,
The electrical licence (maintained) and the insurance.
And knowledge and understanding of electrical codes ?
Any monkey can screw a switch on a wall,
but is it the right switch and wires for the job ?

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

How much did he factor in for years of training and experience,
The electrical licence (maintained) and the insurance.
And knowledge and understanding of electrical codes ?
Any monkey can screw a switch on a wall,
but is it the right switch and wires for the job ?

nothing, he has a computer and youtube so is his own self taught expert now.

 

[ruston]

I just posted this before but it is appropriate in this post too.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Idiots were still idiots before the tinterwebs arrived

that why some a88holes come on this forum , thinking they get diagram from a boiler
and wire in a hive ,but then again some people on this forum are drawn in like fly to spiders Webb,

 

[Squid]

What does your non potential client do work wise?

£400 does seem a lot but then again, experience, training, running a business costs £80 at least in fittings then additionals plus guarantee the ---- believes you are making £400 per day when in fact you'll be lucky to clear £180 after costs.

 

[buzzlightyear]

if all sparks stop under cutting each other ,then the world would be bright . do plumbers under cut each other ?

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

What does your non potential client do work wise?

£400 does seem a lot but then again, experience, training, running a business costs £80 at least in fittings then additionals plus guarantee the **** believes you are making £400 per day when in fact you'll be lucky to clear £180 after costs.

He is a justice of the peace and retired head teacher,sitting in judgement of his fellow men and women. He has a 15 plate Jag on his drive! so that put a bit on straightaway!
£400 for materials and labour, inclusive of 8 decent downlights and fire guards which he insists on despite the ceiling void being very spacious with nothing near the proposed lights. I though i was on the cheap end.

 

[buzzlightyear]

He is a justice of the peace and retired head teacher,sitting in judgement of his fellow men and women. He has a 15 plate Jag on his drive! so that put a bit on straightaway!
£400 for materials, 8 decent downlights and fire guards which he insists on despite the ceiling void being very spacious with nothing near the proposed lights. I though i was on the cheap end

my be he thought you were a slave Lucio!

 

[Squid]

He is a justice of the peace and retired head teacher,sitting in judgement of his fellow men and women. He has a 15 plate Jag on his drive! so that put a bit on straightaway!
£400 for materials and labour, inclusive of 8 decent downlights and fire guards which he insists on despite the ceiling void being very spacious with nothing near the proposed lights. I though i was on the cheap end.

Decent pension and a salary post retirement and treats you like a child, you should have said, Sir I remember you from school years ago, you touched me in a funny way and doubled the price......

 

[buzzlightyear]

touched me in a funny way and doubled the price......

yeah, like gary glitter .

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Decent pension and a salary post retirement and treats you like a child, you should have said, Sir I remember you from school years ago, you touched me in a funny way and doubled the price......

We joke about that, but this day and age i sadly think it would be all too easy for anybody to accuse a old teacher of something like that and they are guilty until proven otherwise. the system has gone too far towards the presumption of guilt. The accuser even if lying is very unlikely to be punished as they are protected and it would be rarer still for the plod to investigate an accuser.

 

[buzzlightyear]

maybe we need a guy like this .

 

[Squid]

We joke about that, but this day and age i sadly think it would be all too easy for anybody to accuse a old teacher of something like that and they are guilty until proven otherwise. the system has gone too far towards the presumption of guilt. The accuser even if lying is very unlikely to be punished as they are protected and it would be rarer still for the plod to investigate an accuser.

Tell that to the sparks that got screwed for £750 by some chancer in the SCC.

 

[telectrix]

£400 is bang on for 8 spots, IMO. furniture to shift; carpet and floors up; or ceiling chopped out. a fuullday's graft.

 

[Octopus]

£400 is bang on for 8 spots, IMO. furniture to shift; carpet and floors up; or ceiling chopped out. a fuullday's graft.

Especially if its 2 seperate visits - the 2nd on a later day to 2nd fix after the plaster has dried and been painted!

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Especially if its 2 seperate visits - the 2nd on a later day to 2nd fix after the plaster has dried and been painted!

No... I use expanding foam and quick drying polyfiller. It dries quicker than the ink on paying in slip at bank. Once dry its hard as nails and no refunds if it falls out. Im going to get a cowboy hat for when i do such quotes then tell them im no such thing!