mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
Does being too concerned about quality actually effect your bottom line? Is there such a thing as being too concerned about quality? Is 'good enough' okay most of the time?
Profound business question
- Thread starter mdshunk
- Start date
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In some cases, yes.
I like to think I differentiate myself from others by the quality of work, not low prices. I tell people my shirt & truck don't say "Wal-Mart Electric" on them.
For instance, I may be bending pipe, and according to code, what I just installed is fine. But as I stand back and look at it, I say to myself, "Self, that looks like crap. Redo it."
I like to think I differentiate myself from others by the quality of work, not low prices. I tell people my shirt & truck don't say "Wal-Mart Electric" on them.
For instance, I may be bending pipe, and according to code, what I just installed is fine. But as I stand back and look at it, I say to myself, "Self, that looks like crap. Redo it."
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
I know what you mean.480sparky said:
I was looking at some pictures on another site in which several racks of offsets went from some panels to a gutter about a foot above them. People were ooh-ing and awe-ing over the work in the replies, but I could clearly see that every one of the offsets was cut in the radiused portion of the bend. They were all exactly the same, but that is work that I would not have permitted. I would have required a steeper bend angle for the offsets so that at least some "straight" conduit was in the box connectors.
Sometimes I just feel that being too picky might be holding me back. I see the work of companies that are quite old and successful, and their work often ranges from subpar to total crap.
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
I was in the restroom of a fast food stand today washing my hands before I ordered, and I thought I was the only one in there. I was talking to myself, and then some guy comes out of a stall. That was embarrassing. Hopefully he thought I had one of those Borg Bluetooth things on my ear, and was talking on the phone.480sparky said:
(I apologize to myself for going off topic on my own thread).
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...
mdshunk said:
First time I ever encountered one of those devices, I was walking out of a gas station after paying, and met a guy (who could be best described as "Bubba") at the door. He looked me square in the eyes and asked, "So, you wanna go out with me Saturday night?"
I'm sure may answered embarrased the bejeezus out of both of us.
Kinda like this or this.
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
I say yes, it does affect your bottom line. I believe if you price it correctly, it will increase your bottom line. If you are pricing "market" prices, then it will decrease your bottom line.mdshunk said:
Sure, if you are not in pursuit of perfection, which of course lets you catch excellence.
If that's what you want to be known for, good enough.
Marc, I hope you decide to continue your pursuit of perfection. 'Good enough' is for those that don't care enough.
ItsHot
Senior Member
- Location
- A little piece of heaven!
doing it right!
doing it right!
Marc, as you know "any job worth doing, is a job worth doing right"!!
doing it right!
Marc, as you know "any job worth doing, is a job worth doing right"!!
e57
Senior Member
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Add a challenge to every job - Done right - AND cheap and fast.....
- Location
- Massachusetts
ItsHot said:
I agree.
But I also believe what is 'right', other then code issues, is up the the customer.
hardworking said it right...if you want to sell quality.... if you want to provide the best looking, most code compliant, greatest installation of all time...then forget about competing on price. You'll lose every time.
if you want to compete on price (as many larger companies do...you have to in order to keep the volume of work rolling in...by larger I don't mean 5 man shops
)...you have to provide an install commensurate with the price. After all, profit is the name of the game...(unless your name is Iwire, then...well...we all know that story)
so mark, the companies who seem to be large and successful, but to crappy work...are they hard bid jobs?
one of the issues that we all seem to have is differentiating the types of work that our field encompasses...
you have to find your niche...if you are anal about your installs, don't do new work for anyone but your direct customers who appreciate your work and are willing to pay for it...
if you want to compete on price (as many larger companies do...you have to in order to keep the volume of work rolling in...by larger I don't mean 5 man shops
)...you have to provide an install commensurate with the price. After all, profit is the name of the game...(unless your name is Iwire, then...well...we all know that story)so mark, the companies who seem to be large and successful, but to crappy work...are they hard bid jobs?
one of the issues that we all seem to have is differentiating the types of work that our field encompasses...
you have to find your niche...if you are anal about your installs, don't do new work for anyone but your direct customers who appreciate your work and are willing to pay for it...
- Location
- Massachusetts
emahler said:
Good point, I should have included that.
Whenever I say 'up to the customer' you can read that as the amount the customer is willing to pay.
iwire said:Good point, I should have included that.
Whenever I say 'up to the customer' you can read that as the amount the customer is willing to pay.
i kind of figured that...i also figured that some on this board would take that along the lines of "the customer is always right"...i say this, because I've followed up the projects where the installer did a $ million job for $1000, because that's what the customer thought was right...and in their effort to do right by the customer, the contractor lost their shirt...
Ed Carr
Senior Member
- Location
- way upstate NY
Marc-what caused you to start this thread?
JohnE
Senior Member
- Location
- Milford, MA
A few years ago I thought I was being too picky. I put on more help and tried to trust them. One day I went to a finish that one one of my guys, a master electrician did rough and service on. I looked at the service for about 15 minutes, trying to decide if I was too picky. I ended up ripping the whole thing out and started over. You need to draw the line, the question you need to answer is where. Mine keeps getting redrawn.....
The Iceman
Senior Member
- Location
- Florida
What about your emplyees?
What about your emplyees?
What if your employees take longer on contracted jobs because they are concerned about doing the job to code? It seems like most employers don't care about the quality of work as long as it gets done. I myself can't work like that.
What about your emplyees?
What if your employees take longer on contracted jobs because they are concerned about doing the job to code? It seems like most employers don't care about the quality of work as long as it gets done. I myself can't work like that.
LawnGuyLandSparky
Senior Member
j_erickson said:
So, did you do it better, or did you do it different?
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