Very Sad

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ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
On a similar note about 10 years ago I wanted my roof replaced with metal. I call the guy that I really wanted to do the job because of his quality of work. He looked at it, figured the job and came in at $3500.00 ( this is before steel prices went crazy) got another price from another local roofer he came in at $4100.00. Then just for fun I called a home remodeling company that sponsored old cheap movies on TV on Sunday afternoons. Guy came out and looked and said he would be back in a few days with price. Two days latter he came back with a price and contract for the job. He started in with a spill of how if I signed the contract today I would have a new roof by the next week and just by me signing the paper work they would finance the job with no money up front. After looking at his paper work it was really a second mortgage on the house. I ask him OK what is the bottom line price. " We can do a turn key job for $15,000.00" (before interest) After I told him some very choice words about how in the world could he sleep at night knowing that they preyed on unsuspecting homeowners. I then told him I was going inside to get my gun and if he didn't want to see it he needed to leave. He was gone when I went back out side.
 
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emahler

Senior Member
please do not confuse proper pricing with illicit business practices...

NJ's average property tax rate is $7600 (it was just in the papers)...a starter home is $300,000....

insurance, advertising, etc...

$3500 for a 200 amp service is not overpriced...

hard selling on fear and ignorance is inexcusable...

point being, don't sell us into poverty to make sure you aren't seen as unscrupulous...
 
SPARKS40

SPARKS40

Member
Location
Northern Il
I always get a kick out of crap like this. Way back when, i worked for an electrical/plumbing outfit in Missouri. He had a guy that would go out on a service call and tell the customer that their panel was only good for 10-15 years, and should be replaced after that time. Never knew it until i had him with me on a job one day and caught him telling the customer that. My employment there was short-lived, by my own choice. Another time, i had the local phone company out on a Sunday to fix a short in their side of the demarc. This was after i had tested everything up to the demarc point. He's out there for 30 minutes fiddlin' with the wires, comes and tells me it's on my side and the appropriate weekend service rates will be on my bill. He changed his tune when i offered to get my test set and meet him back outside to SHOW him.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
emahler said:
please do not confuse proper pricing with illicit business practices...

NJ's average property tax rate is $7600 (it was just in the papers)...a starter home is $300,000....

insurance, advertising, etc...

$3500 for a 200 amp service is not overpriced...

hard selling on fear and ignorance is inexcusable...

point being, don't sell us into poverty to make sure you aren't seen as unscrupulous...
Click to expand...

Excellent post Mr emahler!
 
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Ohmy

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta, GA
Did anyone get a look at the panel in the vid!

Did anyone get a look at the panel in the vid!

Turning off peoples power is a load of #$@$. There is a company in our area that does that. Its like the HVAC guy that wants to turn your gas off to your furnace. You can educate them but you can't just cut their power.


That being said....the thing that always amazes me about these situations is the electrician who says "everything looks OK to me." You know their handyman or buddies electrical buddy that does side work.

I can't tell you how many times we've quoted someone a service upgrade to their ancient dying, charred, dangerous, piece of #$#$ electrical service and "honest bob" (who is really just clueless bob) tells the HO that "everything is basically OK...I got a POS panel like this at my house." Then the HO calls me and says "hey, you were trying to rip me off." Then I get to explain to the HO again why the system needs to be replaced and how it really is dangerous and list the 1,000 code violations and fire hazards and how electrical codes and standards have changed in the last 50 years (which is when their service was installed).

Then my most favorite thing happens...the HO calls and says "your right, I checked around. It turns out I really should upgrade my service, BUT I am going to go with "honest bob" because he says he can do it for half whatever you quoted. I really like your company and appreciate you finding this problem and explaining everything to me but I need to watch my pennies...you understand right."

Guys like Chick-a-chop are clowns and just make it easy for "honest bob" to survive.
 
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jes25

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
A little off topic, but who would name there business chick a chop anyhow?! Sounds like a fast food restaurant or something.

There is a guy around here who named his company Crook Electric. It can here it now, "Who should we hire honey?" "Hire that Crook!"

I know this is there last name or something but come on!
 
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jes25

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
cadpoint said:
If you watched the video and paid attention, it's the man's name!
Click to expand...

I know, that is why i said this: "I know this is there last name or something but come on!"

I realize I worded that so poorly it was probably impossible to understand, but I was trying to communicate that the Chikachop guy and most likely the Crook guy are using their last names, but It's still stupid sounding as a name for an EC.
 
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Point taken!

If I missed your exact thought, I'll defer to that.

There is a long and I'm sure proud history of Native Americans that have built a lot of NYC, the local/regional relocation is not that much of a stretch!

Besides the "train wreck aspect", of the OP's- Thread...
 
PetrosA

PetrosA

Senior Member
Location
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
emahler said:
please do not confuse proper pricing with illicit business practices...

NJ's average property tax rate is $7600 (it was just in the papers)...a starter home is $300,000....

insurance, advertising, etc...

$3500 for a 200 amp service is not overpriced...

hard selling on fear and ignorance is inexcusable...

point being, don't sell us into poverty to make sure you aren't seen as unscrupulous...
Click to expand...

I had a landlady once justify raising the rent by 20% because "The price of cheese went up." That may have been true, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. From what I can see, a lot of areas here in the mid Atlantic region have seen huge tax increases over the last 10-20 years, which don't necessarily reflect incomes or quality of life levels for these regions.

That being said, I don't imagine you're suggesting that we price work based on the customer's property tax. More appropriate would be taking into consideration customer type (resi., com.) product cost, markup, business costs and going labor rates for a given area and how those rates relate to the level of service your company provides. But I don't need to tell you that, right? :)
 
S

satcom

Senior Member
S

satcom

Senior Member
electricguy said:
This Stary reminds me when i read this

http://www.pmmag.com/Articles/Column/e0ba2c49e3fc7010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____
Click to expand...

This link has the history of Chick a chop electric http://www.thetotalitsolution.com/portfolio/samples/chick_a_chop/history.php

A different view of the business, it looks like as soon an any contractor wants to charge a living wage, and build a business that can support benifits and grow jobs in the community, there are some EC's that view them as greedy and crooked. That is what is really sad
 
e57

e57

Senior Member
Location
San Francisco, CA
From the outset of the story - it would seem that the guys in the field were less interested in troubleshooting rather than parts changing based on sales and income... Rather than look for the actual problem - just say 'start over' - "See this rust..." - go for a new panel...

I was once accused of a hard sell by a client. I moved a back stabbed main over - just to get the power back on "temporarily", requiring loss of 2 other circuits - which was what she was billed for... And I carefully explained to her that it was a temporary fix - that it would eventually happen again and about the over-all condition of the service - and she had a hissy fit when I wrote it all down on the billing. Said I was trying to scare her into unnecessary work - gonna call the city to complain (which she did) - put it back the way it was.... And I did just that... All back the way it was... Got nothing.... :roll: A few days later I got a call from an inspector - who with brief explanation was fine with both what I did and how I handled it. That was the last I heard of it... A few days later I was driving by and XYZ Electric is parked out front putting up a new riser... :mad:

Bottom line is there are way too many people out there with the perception that we're all thieves and tinkers looking to screw them, no matter what approach is taken...
 
M

muckusmc

Senior Member
Location
Roebling, NJ
satcom said:
This link has the history of Chick a chop electric http://www.thetotalitsolution.com/portfolio/samples/chick_a_chop/history.php

A different view of the business, it looks like as soon an any contractor wants to charge a living wage, and build a business that can support benifits and grow jobs in the community, there are some EC's that view them as greedy and crooked. That is what is really sad
Click to expand...

So your saying that the State of New Jersey was wrong????? I DON'T THINK SO !

From the Board .. They found lots wrong .. they don't just hand out 13K plus fines .. All public record

Check in the amount of $4,500.00 received from Joseph C. Chickachop, License #4847, t/a Chick-A-Chop Electrical Contractors, as the first installment of a civil penalty, and costs, in the amount of $13,765.00 for violation of N.J.S.A. 45:5A-17; N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.4; N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.2; N.J.A.C. 13:45A-15.2(a)10; N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.7; N.J.A.C. 13:45C-1.2 & 1.3; N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.4 and N.J.S.A. 45:1-21(b). The balance due is $9,265.00.
 
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satcom

Senior Member
muckusmc said:
So your saying that the State of New Jersey was wrong????? I DON'T THINK SO !

From the Board .. They found lots wrong .. they don't just hand out 13K plus fines .. All public record

Check in the amount of $4,500.00 received from Joseph C. Chickachop, License #4847, t/a Chick-A-Chop Electrical Contractors, as the first installment of a civil penalty, and costs, in the amount of $13,765.00 for violation of N.J.S.A. 45:5A-17; N.J.A.C. 13:31-1.4; N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.2; N.J.A.C. 13:45A-15.2(a)10; N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.7; N.J.A.C. 13:45C-1.2 & 1.3; N.J.A.C. 13:31-3.4 and N.J.S.A. 45:1-21(b). The balance due is $9,265.00.
Click to expand...

If he has guys working as sub contractors, as he was accused of, and that was a fact, then I agree with the actions of the board.
 
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