E-Mail I Received This Morning

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A

aline

Senior Member
Location
Utah
I have pulled wire for phone lines in my basement and have the boxes ready to wire. I'm not sure how to put the new wires into the cat5 box and am not sure where to place the wire in th cable/phone box I have installed in a basement bedroom. It will probably take 2 minutes for someone who knows what they are doing to do the job. I'm emailing because you are close to Hooper and it shouldn't be to far out of your way to swing by and do a quick job. Please email me with a price quote. I would pay in cash.


I love it when I get e-mails like this. :)
 
Mike Lang

Mike Lang

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
I hate that stuff! I got a call back from an estimate I sent out the other day and they guy was trying to get me to work for a set price per day. I said that's not what I went into business for and my price is my price. He kept telling me that my price was "way high" compared to the other 3 electricians, although he wanted to give me the work because I was local. He also kept on saying that the job was really no big deal and he could do it if his hip didn't hurt. It was 9 recessed lights (old work), 5 ceiling fan boxes wired to new wall switch, and bathroom GFI and exh fan. I told him $1800 and he flipped out. I thought that was a good price
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
My favorite email was from a person wanting some service work done, and asked that I give him 'a good price'.

I fired an email back with a quote of $1800.

That night, I got a reply, asking if that was my best price. I responded, "No, $1800 is my 'good' price, which is what you asked for. $2100 is my 'better' price and $2400 is my 'best' price."

Never heard from him again.:cool:
 
A

aline

Senior Member
Location
Utah
480sparky said:
Take $10 off your nomal price.:wink:

Chances are, the sender is thinking you'll just charge five bucks, though.:mad:
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I'm going to add $100 to my normal price.
Either way he's not going to like my price so I just as well jack it up.

It's like the kitchen remodel I looked at the other day.
The guy wanted to run his own wire and just have me hook it up on both ends.
Not only did I tell him I wouldn't allow this but decided my price for this job was going to increase.

I didn't tell him the price just went up though.
When people start talking like this I'll raise my price because it usually means they're going to be a pita. Every once in awhile I get these customers that want to mount their own boxes, drill there own holes etc.

I had one customer that I wired his basement. He wanted to run all of the phone lines himself. He just wanted me to do the electrical. He calls me back after the job was completed and said he wanted me to come out and terminate the phone lines he installed.

When I get there he had ran 4 Cat5 cables to each location in a single gang box. I asked him why so many cables and he said he wanted 4 phone lines. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him one cable would support 4 phone lines.
 
J

Jljohnson

Senior Member
Location
Colorado
I got one yesterday asking me to bid a master bath remodel with a recessed above the shower, undertile heat mat, bath fan/light combo, etc. Request was for labor only "unless" I could beat the price of $425.00 for all of the materials that he sourced from the internet. I hate to think how many different sources he is using and how much shipping he will pay to get products that I could have for him tomorrow, right off my suppliers shelves. I bid the job, using his material, with the mark-up that I would have made IF he bought the materials from me.
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
480sparky said:
My favorite email was from a person wanting some service work done, and asked that I give him 'a good price'.

I fired an email back with a quote of $1800.

That night, I got a reply, asking if that was my best price. I responded, "No, $1800 is my 'good' price, which is what you asked for. $2100 is my 'better' price and $2400 is my 'best' price."

Never heard from him again.:cool:
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I really like that one sparky.:D:D
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
aline said:
It's like the kitchen remodel I looked at the other day.
The guy wanted to run his own wire and just have me hook it up on both ends.
Not only did I tell him I wouldn't allow this but decided my price for this job was going to increase.
Click to expand...

If a homeowner wants me to terminate and trim I will do it for them ( service call rates) but I want them to get a permit and I want the rough in inspection passed.

I have done this before and it can cost them more than if I had done the whole job. I list it as repair work because all the wiring is in place and I'm just figuring out how to get it to work correctly. The job is permitted and the homeowner has assumed responsibility.
 
GUNNING

GUNNING

Senior Member
Location
Gainesville, Florida
A new friend every day.

A new friend every day.

I gave a phone quote for a couple of fans to hang at a house. The guy has called me 3 times since to make an appointment then has to call me back. Last time I was there it was to fix the flood lights that worked. Today he left a message and said I need to bring wooden boxes to hang the fans on. I'm thinking Alzheimer's, but am being very polite and professional and am pretty sure this is going to be a job paid with Karma. I'm also thinking when I get there telling him I'm done and have a good day. Off he will go happy as a clam, not remembering why I was there to begin with.
 
Greg Swartz

Greg Swartz

Senior Member
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Mike Lang said:
I hate that stuff! I got a call back from an estimate I sent out the other day and they guy was trying to get me to work for a set price per day. I said that's not what I went into business for and my price is my price. He kept telling me that my price was "way high" compared to the other 3 electricians, although he wanted to give me the work because I was local. He also kept on saying that the job was really no big deal and he could do it if his hip didn't hurt. It was 9 recessed lights (old work), 5 ceiling fan boxes wired to new wall switch, and bathroom GFI and exh fan. I told him $1800 and he flipped out. I thought that was a good price
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Here in CS, I think that is a good price. I just did a similar job for about a similar price.

480sparky said:
My favorite email was from a person wanting some service work done, and asked that I give him 'a good price'.

I fired an email back with a quote of $1800.

That night, I got a reply, asking if that was my best price. I responded, "No, $1800 is my 'good' price, which is what you asked for. $2100 is my 'better' price and $2400 is my 'best' price."

Never heard from him again.:cool:
Click to expand...
Beautiful... can I plagiarize that?
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Greg Swartz said:
.....Beautiful... can I plagiarize that?
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Well, by asking, and my giving you permission, then it would not be plagiarism. And if I say no, and you use it, then you plagiarized it.

So,............yes, you can plagiarize it. I can't answer your question.:grin:




I hope that made sense without making your brain hurt. :smile:
 
billsnuff

billsnuff

Senior Member
Location
East of 480sparky
ow, ow, Ow, OW!

ow, ow, Ow, OW!

monty-python-my-brain-hurts-4001113-726550.jpg


:grin:
 
celtic

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
Mike Lang said:
It was 9 recessed lights (old work), 5 ceiling fan boxes wired to new wall switch, and bathroom GFI and exh fan. I told him $1800 and he flipped out. I thought that was a good price
Click to expand...


I guess you'll both be pooping your pants with my number:
$3553.62


How many man-hours did you figure Mike?
 
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