Why would a customer hire a big company over a 1 man shop?

[Rewire]

Yep if I'm on a job I flip the call to another solo EC that i know and I get a cut. Yep I lost a call but I didn't lose money because I'm already on a job making money so it's all good plus the referral cut i get.

You put a few dollars in your pocket but you loose the customer not a trade off I would choose to make. Do you think you or the other EC be.nefits more from this?

 

[480sparky]

You put a few dollars in your pocket but you loose the customer not a trade off I would choose to make. Do you think you or the other EC be.nefits more from this?

Both benefit because it's a two-way street. When the other EC is in the same predicament, I get the call.

 

[Rewire]

Both benefit because it's a two-way street. When the other EC is in the same predicament, I get the call.

I would not think loosing a customer would be a benefit. I have had simple service calls become high ticket calls and great repeat customers. If I called company X and someone from company Y showed up I would send hi m down the road and call someone else. The company I call is the company I want to show up.

 

[480sparky]

I would not think loosing a customer would be a benefit. I have had simple service calls become high ticket calls and great repeat customers. If I called company X and someone from company Y showed up I would send hi m down the road and call someone else. The company I call is the company I want to show up.

It's not that difficult to tell the customer you're too busy at the moment (giving your current customer a great installation) to provide them with the same level of service you believe they should obtain. So I tell them So-and-so will be there to take care of them, and so-and-so have the same high standards I do.

 

[Rewire]

It's not that difficult to tell the customer you're too busy at the moment (giving your current customer a great installation) to provide them with the same level of service you believe they should obtain. So I tell them So-and-so will be there to take care of them, and so-and-so have the same high standards I do.

still the customer feels slighted and no matter how good the other guy is that feeling remains. nothing is worse than telling a customer you are to busy for them. you just can't put a positive spin on that. If the guy i called was to busy for me i doubt i would calll the guy he recomends i would just go to the next name in the phone book and put a big X across your name. the customer has every right to expect the best service and they are realizing they are in the drivers seat. What happens if the guy you refer can't get to them now you got a customer who will make it a point to dis you at every chance.

 

[KVA]

still the customer feels slighted and no matter how good the other guy is that feeling remains. nothing is worse than telling a customer you are to busy for them. you just can't put a positive spin on that. If the guy i called was to busy for me i doubt i would calll the guy he recomends i would just go to the next name in the phone book and put a big X across your name. the customer has every right to expect the best service and they are realizing they are in the drivers seat. What happens if the guy you refer can't get to them now you got a customer who will make it a point to dis you at every chance.

That's life. Mechanics do it all the time. I went in to a mechanic a couple weeks ago asking if by chance he had time that day he said no sorry and I'm booked for the next two weeks. I don't cry about it I just go somewhere else or wait until he has time. Same with people who call electricians...If they really like you or want you to do the work they will wait. Lots of residential work is not an emergency.

 

[480sparky]

still the customer feels slighted and no matter how good the other guy is that feeling remains. nothing is worse than telling a customer you are to busy for them. you just can't put a positive spin on that. If the guy i called was to busy for me i doubt i would calll the guy he recomends i would just go to the next name in the phone book and put a big X across your name. the customer has every right to expect the best service and they are realizing they are in the drivers seat. What happens if the guy you refer can't get to them now you got a customer who will make it a point to dis you at every chance.

Sounds like you just have the wrong type of customers. Maybe you should look at different marketing.

Either that, or you're just not selling right.

 

[Rewire]

Sounds like you just have the wrong type of customers. Maybe you should look at different marketing.

Either that, or you're just not selling right.

The type of customer has nothing to do with it. Customers have a higher expectation of service and I have seen few that like being told I don't have time for you. Maybe the customers looking for the cheap deal will wait on you but I don't deal with those types.

 

[Rewire]

That's life. Mechanics do it all the time. I went in to a mechanic a couple weeks ago asking if by chance he had time that day he said no sorry and I'm booked for the next two weeks. I don't cry about it I just go somewhere else or wait until he has time. Same with people who call electricians...If they really like you or want you to do the work they will wait. Lots of residential work is not an emergency.

That is not what I see in the market especially the emergiing market of customers. The boomers were more apt to wait for the head barber to get a haircut but the next generation is more into what's in it for me and how quick will you take care of me. I have found with most residential service work it may not be an emergency for you but to the customer it is a whole different story. Sending a customer to another EC gives the customer the persecution that they are not worth your time.

 

[cowboyjwc]

It's not that difficult to tell the customer you're too busy at the moment (giving your current customer a great installation) to provide them with the same level of service you believe they should obtain. So I tell them So-and-so will be there to take care of them, and so-and-so have the same high standards I do.

I agree 100%. I had customers that would wait for me for weeks, but sometimes you just couldn't fit it in, so I would tell them that I am sending over the guy that I would have work on my house if I needed it. They never felt slighted, they felt that they were being taken care of.

 

[kwired]

still the customer feels slighted and no matter how good the other guy is that feeling remains. nothing is worse than telling a customer you are to busy for them. you just can't put a positive spin on that. If the guy i called was to busy for me i doubt i would calll the guy he recomends i would just go to the next name in the phone book and put a big X across your name. the customer has every right to expect the best service and they are realizing they are in the drivers seat. What happens if the guy you refer can't get to them now you got a customer who will make it a point to dis you at every chance.

That's life. Mechanics do it all the time. I went in to a mechanic a couple weeks ago asking if by chance he had time that day he said no sorry and I'm booked for the next two weeks. I don't cry about it I just go somewhere else or wait until he has time. Same with people who call electricians...If they really like you or want you to do the work they will wait. Lots of residential work is not an emergency.

That is not what I see in the market especially the emergiing market of customers. The boomers were more apt to wait for the head barber to get a haircut but the next generation is more into what's in it for me and how quick will you take care of me. I have found with most residential service work it may not be an emergency for you but to the customer it is a whole different story. Sending a customer to another EC gives the customer the persecution that they are not worth your time.

If that is how they feel about it then they probably are not worth my time. Too many of these people complain about how hard their job is - even when it is not very physically demanding, and they don't get enough time off or enough pay, yadda, yadda, yadda. Then they call me and seem to expect that I have nothing better to do then wait for them to call me.

Sorry I have many other regular repeat customers that either see things more my way or at least provide me with enough work on a regular basis that they get priority over you. Have a few light industrial customers that if they have a problem I will drop almost anything I am doing to go take care of them. Thousands of dollars annually from one customer gives them higher priority over the guy you will only make couple hundred off of in 5 years time. Even big shops will prioritize who gets scheduled first off of this kind of information, just so happens they may be able to free someone up to go to the non regular customer sooner than a small shop may be able to, then their guy will mess everything up and customer eventually calls someone like me (again) to get it all straightened out - it has happened before.

 

[KVA]

That is not what I see in the market especially the emergiing market of customers. The boomers were more apt to wait for the head barber to get a haircut but the next generation is more into what's in it for me and how quick will you take care of me. I have found with most residential service work it may not be an emergency for you but to the customer it is a whole different story. Sending a customer to another EC gives the customer the persecution that they are not worth your time.

Wrong. If I said to a customer sorry I'm busy and just hung up the phone THAT would imply they are not worth my time. I say in a polite way "I'm sorry at the moment I am booked up but if you are willing to wait I can schedule you in the first available day I have. If not would you like me to give you a number of another electrician that I work with?"

By offering to help locate an electrician for them shows you care. Also the EC i pass work to has passed work to me when he is booked up.

 

[copper chopper]

i agree with KWIRED and I have a brother in law who is a 1 man shop, he has been in buisness for about 6 years now and the only reason he is in buisness for himself is that he cant take orders from someone else and he feels that his way is the best way. So no one will hire an attitude case like him anyway. Thats what I think of most 1 man shops just like electrical inspectors that used to be electricians. THEY CANT HACK IT IN THIS TRADE SO, THEY DO SOMETHING ELSE. Same as our union B.A. I hear it all the time, poeple that dont get along with others and are always sitting around waiting for the phone to ring cause no one wants to work with them.Maybe they make good owners, but I wouldnt work for a guy like that..

 

[480sparky]

i agree with KWIRED and I have a brother in law who is a 1 man shop, he has been in buisness for about 6 years now and the only reason he is in buisness for himself is that he cant take orders from someone else and he feels that his way is the best way. So no one will hire an attitude case like him anyway. Thats what I think of most 1 man shops just like electrical inspectors that used to be electricians. THEY CANT HACK IT IN THIS TRADE SO, THEY DO SOMETHING ELSE. Same as our union B.A. I hear it all the time, poeple that dont get along with others and are always sitting around waiting for the phone to ring cause no one wants to work with them.Maybe they make good owners, but I wouldnt work for a guy like that..

So........ all 1-man shops have a bad 'tude?

I think not. You're bringing up an entirely different issue and trying to apply it incorrectly.

 

[KVA]

i agree with KWIRED and I have a brother in law who is a 1 man shop, he has been in buisness for about 6 years now and the only reason he is in buisness for himself is that he cant take orders from someone else and he feels that his way is the best way. So no one will hire an attitude case like him anyway. Thats what I think of most 1 man shops just like electrical inspectors that used to be electricians. THEY CANT HACK IT IN THIS TRADE SO, THEY DO SOMETHING ELSE. Same as our union B.A. I hear it all the time, poeple that dont get along with others and are always sitting around waiting for the phone to ring cause no one wants to work with them.Maybe they make good owners, but I wouldnt work for a guy like that..

I'm the exact opposite. Part of the reason I went solo is because I find a lot of contractors are hot heads and like to throw around the tough guy act. I put up with it enough to learn my stuff and I was out on my own. If I could find contractors to work for like the show this old house that would be nice but I doubt you can find easy going guys who enjoy working like them anywhere where I live.

There is enough drama in every day life, I don't need to come to work and deal with a hot head that wants to go to fist to cuffs over something stupid.

I CAN take orders from anybody but once you cross the line and give me an attitude and curse... you lost me.

 

[Rewire]

If that is how they feel about it then they probably are not worth my time. Too many of these people complain about how hard their job is - even when it is not very physically demanding, and they don't get enough time off or enough pay, yadda, yadda, yadda. Then they call me and seem to expect that I have nothing better to do then wait for them to call me.

Sorry I have many other regular repeat customers that either see things more my way or at least provide me with enough work on a regular basis that they get priority over you. Have a few light industrial customers that if they have a problem I will drop almost anything I am doing to go take care of them. Thousands of dollars annually from one customer gives them higher priority over the guy you will only make couple hundred off of in 5 years time. Even big shops will prioritize who gets scheduled first off of this kind of information, just so happens they may be able to free someone up to go to the non regular customer sooner than a small shop may be able to, then their guy will mess everything up and customer eventually calls someone like me (again) to get it all straightened out - it has happened before.

Here lies the disadvantage to the one man shop you simply cannot provide the same service a multi truck shop can. This advantage translates to an advantage to the customer. When a customer calls my shop they know they will get the same high level of service they received on their last call they won't be shuffled off to someone else because I am too"busy".

 

[Rewire]

Wrong. If I said to a customer sorry I'm busy and just hung up the phone THAT would imply they are not worth my time. I say in a polite way "I'm sorry at the moment I am booked up but if you are willing to wait I can schedule you in the first available day I have. If not would you like me to give you a number of another electrician that I work with?"

By offering to help locate an electrician for them shows you care. Also the EC i pass work to has passed work to me when he is booked up.

Sorry you are not correct. Nobody likes to wait and they especially don't like being treated like the arE not the most important thing around.

 

[KVA]

Here lies the disadvantage to the one man shop you simply cannot provide the same service a multi truck shop can. This advantage translates to an advantage to the customer. When a customer calls my shop they know they will get the same high level of service they received on their last call they won't be shuffled off to someone else because I am too"busy".

So how many trucks does your company have? So you have guys that are idle waiting for the phone to ring at all times?

 

[KVA]

Sorry you are not correct. Nobody likes to wait and they especially don't like being treated like the arE not the most important thing around.

Nobody likes to wait? Funny I have lots of people tell me "we are in no rush come out when you can"

Sounds like your customers are the 18-25 year olds that live on facebook and text all day that want instant gratification. I'm 34 I have patience and can wait for things. I find that people my age and older are the ones willing to wait. If a contractor tells me they can't come out until next week that's no problem for me unless it was an emergency.

 

[cowboyjwc]

i agree with KWIRED and I have a brother in law who is a 1 man shop, he has been in buisness for about 6 years now and the only reason he is in buisness for himself is that he cant take orders from someone else and he feels that his way is the best way. So no one will hire an attitude case like him anyway. Thats what I think of most 1 man shops just like electrical inspectors that used to be electricians. THEY CANT HACK IT IN THIS TRADE SO, THEY DO SOMETHING ELSE. Same as our union B.A. I hear it all the time, poeple that dont get along with others and are always sitting around waiting for the phone to ring cause no one wants to work with them.Maybe they make good owners, but I wouldnt work for a guy like that..

You can apologize for the inspector crack any time you want. I'll wait, but I won't wait long.