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[knoppdude]

Hi everyone. I am in the middle of an "experience" with a plumbing, heating contractor at the home my wife and I are renting. We had several gas leaks, and our service was shut off by the gas company. Our land lord hired a company with high star ratings, and the first person onsite seemed smart and professional. Although we knew there were several visible code violations, he crawled under the house, and claimed multiple violations. A contract was signed, and work began. From there things went down hill. First, I am not a plumber, but they got a complete repipe job out of the deal. Secondly, as soon as work began, the smart one left, and his assistants started to work. I believe that the smart one is the one who gets the contracts signed, so the work keeps coming in. If necessary ok, but something seemed fishy about this group. Christmas eve they recharged the gas lines, including the heater, which had not been fixed, and I noticed the odor. PG&E confirmed this, and shut down heater. I am not trying to get into bagging on plumbers or big van outfits, but as an electrician, I would never have done this, reegnergize a system that is not safe, nor would I show up for the job hours after the agreed upon time, without calling ahead. In addition, I work as hard as I can to get the work done, which I did not see from these guys. They are charging twice what I do per hour, so this at least gives me the incentive to raise my rates to what I really need to stay in business. I am just curious if this is the way the "real pro's" do business, and maybe I should follow their lead minus the lack of work ethic.

 

[LEO2854]

Hi everyone. I am in the middle of an "experience" with a plumbing, heating contractor at the home my wife and I are renting. We had several gas leaks, and our service was shut off by the gas company. Our land lord hired a company with high star ratings, and the first person onsite seemed smart and professional. Although we knew there were several visible code violations, he crawled under the house, and claimed multiple violations. A contract was signed, and work began. From there things went down hill. First, I am not a plumber, but they got a complete repipe job out of the deal. Secondly, as soon as work began, the smart one left, and his assistants started to work. I believe that the smart one is the one who gets the contracts signed, so the work keeps coming in. If necessary ok, but something seemed fishy about this group. Christmas eve they recharged the gas lines, including the heater, which had not been fixed, and I noticed the odor. PG&E confirmed this, and shut down heater. I am not trying to get into bagging on plumbers or big van outfits, but as an electrician, I would never have done this, reegnergize a system that is not safe, nor would I show up for the job hours after the agreed upon time, without calling ahead. In addition, I work as hard as I can to get the work done, which I did not see from these guys. They are charging twice what I do per hour, so this at least gives me the incentive to raise my rates to what I really need to stay in business. I am just curious if this is the way the "real pro's" do business, and maybe I should follow their lead minus the lack of work ethic.

They are charging twice what I do per hour, so this at least gives me the incentive to raise my rates to what I really need to stay in business. I am just curious if this is the way the "real pro's" do business, and maybe I should follow their lead minus the lack of work ethic

That would be a good idea if you want to stay in business.
Why would you charge any thing less

 

[ceb58]

Where was the inspector to verify the pressure test before things were hooked up?

 

[curt swartz]

Where was the inspector to verify the pressure test before things were hooked up?

I was wondering the same thing. If PG&E shut off the gas because unsafe conditions they would not turn it back on until the building/plumbing inspector has inspected the lines and provided a release. Did the plumbers turn the gas on or did PG&E? If it was the plumbers not only did they create a very unsafe condition but they are also guilty of a felony for tampering with the utilities property.

 

[220/221]

Here, the gas company wouldn't turn on the gas until it was inspected (pressure tested) by the city.


And, I have never ever hired a plumber, except to snake a sewer line. It's not rocket science. It goes in one end and comes out the other. If I can run conduit, I can run plumbing pipe :grin:

On the few occaisions that I do hire tradesmen, I have to watch every move they make if I want it done properly. It's been my observation that tradesmen aint that sharp.

 

[eric9822]

It's been my observation that tradesmen aint that sharp.

Are you not a tradesman? Sorry, but there are bad examples of all professions out there. I have run into crappy plumbers, electricians, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

Musings from the house plumber:

Musings from the house plumber:

Here, the gas company wouldn't turn on the gas until it was inspected (pressure tested) by the city.


And, I have never ever hired a plumber, except to snake a sewer line. It's not rocket science. It goes in one end and comes out the other. If I can run conduit, I can run plumbing pipe :grin:

On the few occaisions that I do hire tradesmen, I have to watch every move they make if I want it done properly. It's been my observation that tradesmen aint that sharp.

Yes, it should have been pressure tested, to at least twice the normal working pressure...that is a code requirement.

As far as the other comments, we could sit here all day and squabble about plumbers, tin knockers, roofers, and the the token drunk painters we have all seen or worked around, and it accomplishes nothing. I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with your contractor, and I see ineptitude with a lot of contractors I hire to do work at my buildings.

 

[kwired]

.. They are charging twice what I do per hour, so this at least gives me the incentive to raise my rates to what I really need to stay in business. I am just curious if this is the way the "real pro's" do business, and maybe I should follow their lead minus the lack of work ethic.

Maybe you don't need to charge the same rates as them. You need to charge what works for you. Take your overhead costs seriously into consideration when setting your rate. This plumber maybe has - his help makes mistakes and it costs him. He maybe should either hire better qualified help or supervise them better, either of which may still cost him more and contribute to his price.

Did they eventually fix all of their problems?
Did they try to ask for more money based on running into unforseen problems?

If they do this type of work all the time they probably get few calls back to places they have worked before. You don't want a reputation like that no matter what you charge.

 

[growler]

I work as hard as I can to get the work done, which I did not see from these guys. They are charging twice what I do per hour, so this at least gives me the incentive to raise my rates to what I really need to stay in business. I am just curious if this is the way the "real pro's" do business.

If they contracted the job at T&M then there is no reason for them to work all that hard. They are hourly paid employees and if they work really hard the company gets paid less money for the job.

 

[growler]

I believe that the smart one is the one who gets the contracts signed, so the work keeps coming in. I am just curious if this is the way the "real pro's" do business.

You have to admit it does sound like they know what they are doing on the business side of things.

They may even have a collections department to make sure they are paid. That's probably the mean one.

 

[knoppdude]

The plumbers are still working. I am not trying to put down any trade group with my original posting, and agree with what everyone has said. They are a company with good customer ratings, but I think they needed to communicate with us and the landlord more, as well as with each other. The one thing that I did report to the landlord, as she will have to settle things, is the strong pungent odor of pot emanating from these guys, as if they had just finished smoking. That is something I do have an issue with, and have reported it. On the positive side of this event I have learned what it is like for the customer to have to deal with us tradesmen, and how one small action can start a negative chain of consequences. I am going to try to improve my customer service, and be more proactive in meeting the needs of the people I work for, also, I am going to be working with an accountant to get a better handle on what I need to be charging. At any rate, the original leaking valve to the furnace is still in place, awaiting repair.

 

[kwired]

The plumbers are still working. I am not trying to put down any trade group with my original posting, and agree with what everyone has said. They are a company with good customer ratings, but I think they needed to communicate with us and the landlord more, as well as with each other. The one thing that I did report to the landlord, as she will have to settle things, is the strong pungent odor of pot emanating from these guys, as if they had just finished smoking. That is something I do have an issue with, and have reported it. On the positive side of this event I have learned what it is like for the customer to have to deal with us tradesmen, and how one small action can start a negative chain of consequences. I am going to try to improve my customer service, and be more proactive in meeting the needs of the people I work for, also, I am going to be working with an accountant to get a better handle on what I need to be charging. At any rate, the original leaking valve to the furnace is still in place, awaiting repair.

Unlike retailers and service businesses where you bring your item to them to service the store for us on site trades and repairs is the customers site. You can't bring them things they don't want to see or put up with or they will not have you back for future work.

If you bring your car in for service and you never see, hear, or smell the technician that worked on it, you will not be offended as long as your car was fixed to your liking. Bring someone into your home to service something and they are dirty, smelly, have poor behavior and you may be dissatisfied with them even if they did a good job of service work.

Of course I have been to many places where I entered clean and left dirty and smelly.

 

[cdslotz]

Whoa......they were smoking pot????
First off, one of the main bullet points of a quality service company, is they drug test their employees. How do they get "good customer ratings" by letting this slip by? Who's doing these ratings?

If you learn anything from this, add that to your selling points

1) Quick response and on time
2) All techs are licensed
3) All techs are uniformed and drug tested
3) Member BBB

etc...etc

 

[growler]

First off, one of the main bullet points of a quality service company, is they drug test their employees.

Hey they did drug test their employees and they all tested "positive". That's a good thing, right?

I don't know how they do things in California but for a complete re-pipe or complete AC install with duct work, here the actual installers are very likely to be sub contracted.

 

[cdslotz]

Hey they did drug test their employees and they all tested "positive". That's a good thing, right?

I don't know how they do things in California but for a complete re-pipe or complete AC install with duct work, here the actual installers are very likely to be sub contracted.

Oh, that's another good bullet point: "we use our own forces and no subs"

 

[macmikeman]

With so many states now allowing "medical" maryjane, you test employees for it you might be violating their "civil rights". This is going to be a big wide open circus for the attorney crowd you just wait and see....