Cable Labor

[Alwayslearningelec]

Curious. I know what we use for this situation and what NECA says but like to get your input. We usually carry about 11 hours per thousand.

Office floor 5,000 sq ft. Running about 4,000’ of cat 6 on j hooks to various doors , What labor would you use per ft. or per thousand for the cat 6E? Just pulling, not terms, labeling or anything else? Ceiling open. Thanks.

 

[hbiss]

Normally price per drop. Material cost+markup+labor. 11 hours/thousand sounds about right.

-Hal

 

[WasGSOHM]

Does this ratio hold for much less, and much more, than your example? It can't. . .

 

[James L]

I can't imagine taking a whole hour to run 90 ft of cable. Dang.

Is that 90 feet through the ceiling, or 50 feet + 20 feet of slack on each end?

I probably have a heart attack and fire 12 people

 

[hbiss]

I can't imagine taking a whole hour to run 90 ft of cable. Dang.

By the time I get set up, install the 90 feet and pack up it would probably be close to two hours!

Maybe this is why it's hard to find good cable installers.

At any rate, as I said I price per drop. Doesn't matter if they all go to the same place or get pulled at the same time. Probably works out to 11/1000

-Hal

 

[WasGSOHM]

The other data point is, How much to charge to show up and then go home because of a client error? It can't be zero $.

The appliance guy told me it's $100 if the only problem is the plug fell out of the wall.

 

[James L]

The other data point is, How much to charge to show up and then go home because of a client error? It can't be zero $.

The appliance guy told me it's $100 if the only problem is the plug fell out of the wall.

For sure, there has to be a "knocked on the door and no one answered" kind of charge.

Or if a business schedules you to come add 30 data runs, and all the cables have to run through an area that's getting a new epoxy floor that day...

It's amazing how many man-hours people expect us to burn through and just eat it

 

[WasGSOHM]

[QUOTE="James L, post: 2634295, member: 141257"
It's amazing how many man-hours people expect us to burn through and just eat it
[/QUOTE]
It's up to you to prove that you won't.
The customer has no idea how much labor and materials these things take because they never had to do it.
Your bid may educate them.

I had a customer who didn't answer the door.
When she called me a half hour later and asked me where I was, I told her I was there at 9:03 A.M. and no one answered.
Then she said "Well, if I didn't answer then where was I?"

What planet am I on?

I also had a lawyer potential client who kind of hinted that he might not keep our appointment (I don't like to work for lawyers or doctors in any case, they love themselves too much and have contempt for us lowlifes).

So I called later and left a "no bid" message.
He then called me to ask, Why?
I said "I don't wish to say."
This lawyer was actually speechless and called others to complain about me.
They also said, "He doesn't have to give a reason."

I can't tell you how many people I hope to see someday in a very hot place.

 

[James L]

I had a customer who didn't answer the door.
When she called me a half hour later and asked me where I was, I told her I was there at 9:03 A.M. and no one answered.
Then she said "Well, if I didn't answer then where was I?"

What planet am I on?

That's classic.

A long time ago, I ran a service van for a contractor who charged $60 service charge (show up fee), and $60 per hour, with a 1 hour minimum.

I had a customer ask me what we charged, and I explained it just like that. Then he asked me to say in "once more, in English"

So I said "we charge $60 for me to ring your doorbell. If you answer, it's another $60"

I thought it was kinda catchy, so I started saying that to everyone I talked with

Boss told me one day he'd been getting phone calls about the way I explained our pricing

I also had a lawyer potential client who kind of hinted that he might not keep our appointment (I don't like to work for lawyers or doctors in any case, they love themselves too much and have contempt for us lowlifes).

So I called later and left a "no bid" message.
He then called me to ask, Why?
I said "I don't wish to say."
This lawyer was actually speechless and called others to complain about me.
They also said, "He doesn't have to give a reason."

I hate working for lawyer types

 

[WasGSOHM]

Another guy wanted to know how much I charge per hour so he asked me for my estimate on a job, and I told him.
Then he asked immediately for another estimate, and then he would have two equations and two unknowns (hrs and bid prices) and he could solve for the $/hr.

I forget how I got out of that one.

I may be a high school graduate but I am not stupid. . .

 

[hbiss]

I had a customer once that would call me for a service calls. We have a minimum service call charge of one hour. I was only there for maybe a half hour and she would complain about why she was being charged for the full hour.

So now I don't hear from her for awhile and I figure I'm rid of her. Nope. She calls and I go to see what her problem is. I get there and I sit in the reception area for fifteen minutes until she is done drinking coffee and talking to her co-workers. She finally comes out to greet me and proclaims that she is "bundling". Because I finished so fast the last times she waited until she had two problems before she called me.

So I take care of the two problems she gave me which indeed did take one hour. I send her a bill for 1.25 hours and she calls and has a fit because she thought she was being slick. She says that I was only working for one hour, she timed me. I explain that the clock starts ticking when I walk in your door and stops when I drive away. I had to wait for you for fifteen minutes before I could do any work. So bundle this! (I finally got rid of her.)

-Hal

 

[WasGSOHM]

Working with the public is sumpin' else.

I bowed out of one job after her husband questioned my bid (but B4 they got other bids so now they knew my bid was low, if others would even take on this unusual job).

So now the wife calls and I immediately said, "I withdraw my bid".
She asks, Why?
I said, "Instinct" and I hung up.

Some of these people call back after months or years, I guess to check if you are now desperate when you weren't before.

The most offensive in the least amount of time was a guy who confirmed who I was and then said he'd meet me at his house in 10 minutes.
When I stalled he asked me if I was "licensed". Yeah. Licensed. Bonded. And insured.

I started making obscene doodles, starring him, while I talked.

He also fell silent at times, hoping I'd fill the vacuum with babble he could use but I was onto that from potential employers who interviewed me.
I started doing the same silent pauses, so then he asked a few times if I was still there.

I looked him up, he had dinner with the Clintons and all kinds of other people in whose circles I do not run.
I will never forget that turkey.

 

[Fred B]

..........
Some of these people call back after months or years, I guess to check if you are now desperate when you weren't before.

Or expect the quote you gave 6 to 9 month ago or more is still good. Like materials cost don't go up. And you're suppose to drop everything to take care of something they had no interest to get done for that long.

 

[James L]

Or expect the quote you gave 6 to 9 month ago or more is still good. Like materials cost don't go up. And you're suppose to drop everything to take care of something they had no interest to get done for that long.

Yeah, wait 9 months. Then call on Thursday and ask if you can start Monday.

Yup. I been sitting on the edge of my couch for nine months waiting on your call. Turned down 47 jobs already because I knew you would call

 

[WasGSOHM]

Speaking of job interviews, an interviewer asked me if I ever wanted to punch my supervisor.
I said no, and he scoffed. "Are you sure?", while laughing.

I noticed that they also had a guy watching me from a nearby office. I almost got up and closed his door.

I said,
When it gets that bad I hire an attorney and the attorney punches the supervisor.
At this point I could have grabbed a pencil from his pencilholder and driven it into his eyeball. (This can be fatal). But I kept my cool.

They didn't call me and I didn't call them.

 

[WasGSOHM]

Yeah, wait 9 months. Then call on Thursday and ask if you can start Monday.

Yup. I been sitting on the edge of my couch for nine months waiting on your call. Turned down 47 jobs already because I knew you would call

Sometimes I indirectly suggest that they look themselves up in the DSM, a book on diagnosing mental disorders available in the reference section of any library.
Careful with this one!

I had a tenant once who was a sociopath but back then I didn't know what I was dealing with.

A woman at work used to go out on Rte 1 at lunchtime with skimpy clothes on and touch her toes in front of oncoming traffic. Narcissist.

Worked with paranoids who "spread the seeds of discontent among their fellow employees". These guys are usually loners.

Was once was in a cell with a schizophrenic (long story).
When this large woman got up out of her chair, every muscle in my body suddenly tensed, and I wondered why.
The danger signal must have gone directly to my body in milliseconds, bypassing my brain. Fight or flight time!

She asked me, Would I please hand her her shoes?
I stalled and the female attendant (who was even larger) intervened.
Meeting over!!!

Disclaimer: I am not a psych guy, nor do I play one on TV!

Reliving this stuff is kinda' fun, but it wasn't at the time.

 

[James L]

Disclaimer: I am not a psych guy, nor do I play one on TV!

Reliving this stuff is kinda' fun, but it wasn't at the time.

I think you may have a BS meter with Energizer batteries

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

I can't imagine taking a whole hour to run 90 ft of cable. Dang.

Is that 90 feet through the ceiling, or 50 feet + 20 feet of slack on each end?

I probably have a heart attack and fire 12 people

That is 2 guys a little less than 1/2 hour each. Seems very reasonable.

 

[WasGSOHM]

I think you may have a BS meter with Energizer batteries

Since you sorta' invited me to elaborate,
my meter only detects other people's BS, I leave it to others to detect mine.

That lady went on to lose weight, remarry, have another kid.

And then be sued for divorce and custody.

Last I heard she poured motor oil on the clothes in a closet because they were talking to her, but this news is decades old.

Her son works as a lawyer in Baltimore Cty.