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S'mise

S'mise

Senior Member
Location
Michigan
Ranch said:
Has anyone ever heard the coin "PLC programmers are a dime a dozen"?

kind of dangerous .... as offered from the society of the iron ring

Die cheap electricians, DIE
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No I have not. Around here PLC guys are much harder to come by than house guys. I will say that electrical jobs vary widely and one should have the proper training and authorization for the work they do.
 
JohnJ0906

JohnJ0906

Senior Member
Location
Baltimore, MD
Riograndeelectric said:
This just hurts all of us when the side jobbers or handy man are doing electrical work and charging way below what we charge.
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One of the reasons I stopped doing side work was the realization that I was only cutting my own throat in the long run.
 
S

satcom

Senior Member
Riograndeelectric said:
The Denver area market has become very competitive in pricing. Each person is under bidding the other or the customers are price shopping until he/he finds some one to do the job cheap. All I hear when I go out to meet the customer is it is the price that will determine who gets the job.
I have excellent references and all my customers are very happy with my work but to get the job I have to be the lowest price.
I have tried charging a $15.00 estimate fee for which is credited back if I am hired and when I tell customers this they say no thank you and I will call XYZ who said they do not charge for estimates.
Denver is to heavy and not enough work for every one hence fourth the cheap prices and under cutting.

I see people advertising they will beat any written estimate by 10% this is no way to do business
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Why do you think you have to be the lowest price?

Your problem is most likely not your price, but you don't have eniough good ad's out there to draw in eniough calls. When the phone rings all day the pricing problem goes away!
 
bradleyelectric

bradleyelectric

Senior Member
Location
forest hill, md
shawnster said:
I would give the guy a break, we are going through one of the toughest times in recorded history and the guy is just trying to make a buck, maybe He is a good Electrician, i don't know, but at least He is making an effort. I live in Akron, Ohio and this city is starting to look like a ghosttown! I'm very gifted to be wiring an apartment complex out in Kent, Ohio but that job will only last for another 2 months..I don't know what I'm going to do after that..all the contractors that I do sidework for do not want to spend any money right now because of the economy and Its getting really scary, I have been in this trade for 15 years and have NEVER,EVER seen it this bad.
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Then you got in this trade when it first started picking back up. This isn't 1 of the worst times in recorded history. Your watching to much tv.
 
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bikeindy

bikeindy

Senior Member
Location
Indianapolis IN
shawnster said:
I would give the guy a break, we are going through one of the toughest times in recorded history and the guy is just trying to make a buck, maybe He is a good Electrician, i don't know, but at least He is making an effort. I live in Akron, Ohio and this city is starting to look like a ghosttown! I'm very gifted to be wiring an apartment complex out in Kent, Ohio but that job will only last for another 2 months..I don't know what I'm going to do after that..all the contractors that I do sidework for do not want to spend any money right now because of the economy and Its getting really scary, I have been in this trade for 15 years and have NEVER,EVER seen it this bad.
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If your 16 and you think that is all of recorded history then you might have a point but I think it is not that bad out there. I have had growth of over 30% this year.
 
ultramegabob

ultramegabob

Senior Member
Location
Indiana
bikeindy said:
If your 16 and you think that is all of recorded history then you might have a point but I think it is not that bad out there. I have had growth of over 30% this year.
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I agree with you there, I think Shawnster needs to rent "Grapes of Wrath" I have a feeling he would feel a little differnt about how our current situation is...
 
PCN

PCN

Senior Member
Location
New England
480sparky said:
With all the links to Craigslist I've seen on the forum lately, maybe we should have another section dedicated to it. I found this today.
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So what size sign are you going to put on this shmucks lawn? Will it have a couple of 400w metal halides to light it? :grin: :grin:

But seriously, what are people thinking?? You buy alot of quality real advertising for the cost of a major remodel. It would be interesting to see if anyone bites.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
PCN said:
So what size sign are you going to put on this shmucks lawn? Will it have a couple of 400w metal halides to light it? :grin: :grin:

But seriously, what are people thinking?? You buy alot of quality real advertising for the cost of a major remodel. It would be interesting to see if anyone bites.
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I'd like to know where the guy lives so I could drive by on occasion and see if anyone got suckered.
 
petersonra

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Riograndeelectric said:
I have run across several listings on Craig?s list for Guys I do not think are licensed contractors but are only a Journeyman.
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I personally don't much care if they paid their taxes, or got all the right licenses from some government bureaucrat. I am more interested in whether they can do the job right. I bet most HO's feel that way too.

OTOH, I do not trust Craig's list all that much. I don't want a hack either.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
petersonra said:
I personally don't much care if they paid their taxes, or got all the right licenses from some government bureaucrat. I am more interested in whether they can do the job right. I bet most HO's feel that way too.

OTOH, I do not trust Craig's list all that much. I don't want a hack either.
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But... what happens when there's a serious problem, like the house burns down? You think the insurance company's gonna be happy about the work?
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
480sparky said:
But... what happens when there's a serious problem, like the house burns down? You think the insurance company's gonna be happy about the work?
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Well assuming I live through the fire I really don't care if my insurance company is happy or not. :smile:
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
The insurance company always pays. They might go after somebody after the fact to recoup their costs, however. I was pulling a permit one day when an insurance person was at the permit office checking on the permit history of a certain address I knew had a fire. I knew this, because I was rewiring it. They insurance company had already paid out, in part, but they were snooping around the permit office anyhow.
 
T

Teaspoon

Senior Member
Location
Camden,Tn.
PCN said:
"Good electricians aren't cheap, cheap electricians aren't good"
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Very good quote, My saying to Bargin hunting customers( cheaper is not always better) One contractor I have subbed to a lot in the last few years found out the hard way last year when he hired a Plumber/electrician to wire and plumb a spec house for him. I told him up front he was going to get a sloppy job.That is exactly what he got . The inspecter must have had on blinders, when he inspected this job.But the guy is a lot cheaper.
The contractor came back to me on the last house he built.
 
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