Maintenx

[john_axelson]

Have any of your ever worked with this company? Pros/Cons? I just received a call from them and they want me to go out to a local retail store and install an exit sign. Never worked with them before - call out of the blue.

My first reaction was to ask you guys to see what you know about them. seems like they may have their own flat rate schedule. They wanted to give me $150 to install the exit sign - they were told the wiring was all in place and that the exit sign was missing. I went out and looked at it (curiousity got the better of me) and there is no box or wiring in place. I called them back told them that and gave them a price to run the wiring and install an exit sign. Now I am just waiting to see if my price is approved.

Thank you

 

[ishium 80439]

The only contract maintenance company I have worked for was a home warranty company. My experience w/ that was not positive. That was a case of the company wanting you to cover nothing under the warranty and the HO wanting you to cover everthing. My only experience w/ a commercial maintenance company was w/ the last company I worked for. I don't know what company it was but they seemed to have a steady stream of ballast changes and that kind of thing. I was a field guy so I don't know the details of the pricing but they did seem to have allowances for certain items. If the work went beyond what was typical you would have to get it authorized in advance. I don't remember them ever squawing about money but do remember that the office guys would get frustrated because of the back and forth with the company to get a simple task done. Also it seemed that these little jobs would generate more paper work than they were worth. I know that there are some EC's out there who make these type of clients key part of their revenue, but it seems that you have to be set up to deal w/ BS for small jobs.

 

[acwservices]

You may want to go to ripoffreport.com and review the post concerning this company. It seems they have 3 unfavorable post about thier lack of payment. Like you, I am also interested if anyone has any experience with these companies. I have only performed one lighting job for a retail maintenance company, so I haven't formed an opinion yet. They all claim to have "20,000+ customers, just send us a copy of your license and insurance, and we will add you to our vendor list." BTW- I posted a similiar question on this forum I think yesterday, and I have had 0 replies.

 

[satcom]

You may want to go to ripoffreport.com and review the post concerning this company. It seems they have 3 unfavorable post about thier lack of payment. Like you, I am also interested if anyone has any experience with these companies. I have only performed one lighting job for a retail maintenance company, so I haven't formed an opinion yet. They all claim to have "20,000+ customers, just send us a copy of your license and insurance, and we will add you to our vendor list." BTW- I posted a similiar question on this forum I think yesterday, and I have had 0 replies.

Some of these companies are no more then a bioler room operation, that promises national accounts nation wide service, they usually charge the account full out pricing, then they try to get subs to do the jobs for next to nothing. I hav a buddy working as a maint super for a large area hotel, that was having all the room fixtures changed out, the national company priced the job at $27 each with the hotel providing the fixtures, they found some green guy to to the job for $3.90 each telling him he would clean up because there were 750 fixtures, the hotel paid the national company the $27 each price to the ten day payment terms, then paid the sub his money 90 days later. The only cleaning up was the national company scam.
Take your time and check onyone offering you work.

 

[Lxnxjxhx]

I went out and looked at it

I went out and looked at it

So you already have invested time, and so you have less incentive to balk when you learn the truth.

If you want to rattle them, ask for a sworn statement from a company principal explaining the discrepancy between what you were told and what was actually there.

 

[john_axelson]

So you already have invested time, and so you have less incentive to balk when you learn the truth.

If you want to rattle them, ask for a sworn statement from a company principal explaining the discrepancy between what you were told and what was actually there.

Yes, I did look at it, but it was at a local mall and I stopped in the store over lunch, while getting my wife her mother's day card. I was very hesitant and I don't think I will be getting a call back after the price I quoted. I won't have any problem walking away - my time spent on it so far has been mostly posting to this site - aside from the 5 minute detour from the card shop.

Of course the discrepancy that you refer to is that the store requested the maintenance and told the maintenance company "it looks like there used to be a sign there already." I suppose that is possible, but there was no wire and no box, just a couple of screw holes in the wall. Maybe they had one of those "nuclear" fixtures in stalled - no power required !