warranty work

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IBKCEC

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Our Co. provides a 1yr. warranty on new residential wiring,which is really only designed to cover the internal wiring,but also must include devices provided as well.
The problem is, traditionaly, that warranty work performed, usualy means device replacement of some kind, and most contractors that I have talked to in this area including myself, charge nothing for troubleshooting and repair on houses under warranty.
I guess the bottom line is, that I feel that, replacement of devices should limited to cost of device only, and not labor.
Any input would be appreciated.
 
Re: warranty work

What we as contractors need to do is take notes from the retailers and go after sales of 2nd 3rd or more year warranties. The sale of the longer warranty can cover the cost of the original 1 year warranty. The real problem is the original job is done so cheap that there is no money in it to cover the warranty work. My question is if the manufacturer of the device dosen't cover the labor on replacing defective product, why should we be expected to?
 
Re: warranty work

if you originaly provided the devices and you originally did the installation, then a warentee should cover both. other wise what you are saying is that you will give them the 49 cent rec for free, but you will charge them 200 for finding out it is the bad one.

not much of a warenttee.
 
Re: warranty work

"Do you have a warrantee period?"
"Yes. It is 1 yr from completion of job."
"Good. You worked on my house 11 months ago. I want you to come out and check everything to make sure it is working right."
"WHAT? Why is something NOT working now?"
"NO everything is fine. I just want you to come out and do the warantee work."
"What is wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing wrong. Then no work is needed. We don't come out to do FREE inspections. We will come out, on a service call, and inspect. Any repairs that ARE warrantee we will fix no charge"
"So you want me to pay you to come out?"
"Yes."
"Forget it." CLICK!
 
Re: warranty work

Originally posted by tshea:
"Do you have a warrantee period?"
"Yes. It is 1 yr from completion of job."
"Good. You worked on my house 11 months ago. I want you to come out and check everything to make sure it is working right."
"WHAT? Why is something NOT working now?"
"NO everything is fine. I just want you to come out and do the warantee work."
"What is wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing wrong. Then no work is needed. We don't come out to do FREE inspections. We will come out, on a service call, and inspect. Any repairs that ARE warrantee we will fix no charge"
"So you want me to pay you to come out?"
"Yes."
"Forget it." CLICK!
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Re: warranty work

Originally posted by IBKCEC: ???????
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I think tshea was commenting on the possibility that a customer might try to take unfair advantage of a warrantee.

My solution would be to make sure the terms of the warrantee are spelled out clearly. For example, the warrantee should say that if the customer calls with a warrantee complaint, the customer agrees to pay the normal price of a service call. However, if the reported problem proves to be a result of a failure that is covered under the warrantee, then the service call will be at no cost (i.e., free parts, free labor).

It should also state that you are not liable for any repairs in the event that anyone altered what you had installed. If the homeowner attempts to repair the item before calling you, the warrantee is void.

Also, if they ask you to do something else (i.e., "since you are here anyway, how about replacing that switch?"), the normal cost of a service call will apply.

Finally, the warrantee should state that you are not liable for any secondary damages (or whatever the legal term is for it). In other words, if you install a receptacle that proves to have a manufacturer's defect, then you don't have to pay for the food that was spoiled when that receptacle failed and the freezer lost power.
 
Re: warranty work

THe above conversation actually occured!
We do warrantee our work. The point was this customer wanted something for free.

Last time I checked, defective ballasts in new fixtures, were getting $10 from the factory. It is not worth it unless it is a special order fixture. What we do is call the supplier and tell them we want a different fixture delivered to the jobsite today and pickup this inoperative one. The supplier seems to have more clout with the fixture suppliers than we do as the installer/contractor.
 
Re: warranty work

Just wanted to say "Thank you" to all for your input and help. As you can see, I'am a new addition to Mike's forum, and am very pleased to have stumbled accrossed what I consider to be a goldmine wealth of help for all of us.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and I look forward to future interaction with you.
 
Re: warranty work

Originally posted by IBKCEC:
Just wanted to say "Thank you" to all for your input and help. As you can see, I'am a new addition to Mike's forum, and am very pleased to have stumbled accrossed what I consider to be a goldmine wealth of help for all of us.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and I look forward to future interaction with you.
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Three things:

1) Indeed...this place is a true goldmine of information. I owe much of my own success to the members here for helping me understand things that until a few years ago I thought were entirely beyond my grasp.

2) You're welcome.

3) Welcome aboard.
 
Re: warranty work

We figure in our rates 1.5% for warrenty and customer satisfaction. On even a small $5k job that would allow us $75 for a free service call to keep the customer happy.

It is more customer satisfaction then warrenty work. Some times we get called after the work is done because the customer does not understand. Maybe they are using the wrong phone cord for a 2 line phone. They might not understand they have a switched outlet. Sometimes they think you put in a switch upside down but it's just a 3 way. Maybe they hit the air gap switch on the dimmer so it's not working. Or the phone lines were hooked up after you left and the tele co put the main line on the green pair. An inspector tripped the GFI's but never reset them. Bulb(s) burned out because they were left on when the house was empty. Or worse they just burned out after a year. Sometimes they go out about the same time so they say all my coach lights quit working.

Some things could be solved over the phone. But many customers don't want help tring to solve their problems. They just want you out there to fix it.

If you tend to work in the same areas then it can't hurt to come visit a customer for a half hour.

Like it was said before so many are at cut throat prices they can't afford any customer satifaction.

Tom
 
Re: warranty work

Since this thread was back on top...
Mrs. Smith called the other day. She's 80. The first words out of her mouth were, "I'm not going to pay." After a few minutes of talking to her, we found out what the problem was. The GFCI in the bathroom did not work. NO POWER! Her husbands been dead for 10+ yeras and she never uses it, etc, etc. Anyone in service work has heard all the stories. So we schedule a service call for one of the "sparkies" first thing Monday morn. I grab the job ticket, send sparkie to a different job--an all dayer--head over to Mrs. Smith's house, introduce myself, check the GFI, RESET IT , TEACH HER HOW TO RESET IT, and leave, all in 5 minutes!
The fortunate part was I was enroute and this was a quick stop. Sometimes you just know how simple a warranty call is. Others are more difficult.
One lesson learned here is, we will now include written instructions for operation of GFCI receptacles.
 
Re: warranty work

Originally posted by tshea:I . . . introduce myself, check the GFI, RESET IT , TEACH HER HOW TO RESET IT, and leave, all in 5 minutes!
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That is not quite tragic enough to be funny. I can only imagine the homeowners who pay for service calls, only to be told it was something that simple.

I recall a car I bought many years ago (I don't even remember the model). The salesman showed me a "reset button" in the trunk. It was a safety feature, designed to prevent fires, in the event of a rear end collision. When the car is hit, a special valve shuts off the fuel line, to prevent a gas leak, and a possible fire. He told me that many a car has been towed to the shop, at the owner's expense, at which time it is discovered that all the owner needed to do was to push the reset button. :roll:
 
Re: warranty work

My warranty policy is very generous. My customers are very happy. My business is very successful.

I would reset a gfi for any 80 woman whether she was a customer or not. If I didn't and my mother heard about it she would slap me so hard my grandchildren would be born crosseyed.
 
Re: warranty work

this is a common sense issue. in 25 years i had very few call backs where something was installed wrong. of course we had calls where the customer thinks our work effected a unrelated part of his operation --- and most of the time we lost money explaining the situation and sometimes we get involved in the second problem. and i always felt one year was not enough! and many times the problem is not your's but actually a product manufacturer's problem. yes, the supply house will give you a new fixture or ballast, but the labor is wasted!

we retrofitted the lighting in a prison -- new two light electronic ballasted fixtures. about three weeks later we had a call that eight out of 178 fixtures had failed??? we picked up eight ballasts at no charge from the supplier and went by and fixed the fixtures--no charge for the ballasts--just had to return the bad ones! we ate the labor and it was high since gaining access into the cell areas takes time. labor probibly was $500.00. hay, didn't like it but it's part of the job!! then three weeks later 28 fixtures failed!!! situation now changes!!! called the supply house and had them contact the fixture manufacturer and explain the problem and that we were going to change all the ballasts and that we were going to backcharge the supply house for all the ballast repairs(original and new) who would then pass the costs on to the manufacturer. we felt the problem was caused by the fact that the ballasts were dual voltage and that possibly a voltage surge was turning the ballast to the 277 volt setpoint and would not then operate at 120 volts??? we picked up new single voltage electronic ballasts(no charge) for the balance of the fixtures and changed them---no more problems and was re-imbursed by the supply house for all the labor. resetting a gfi receptacle or turning "on" a plug strip under a secretary's desk is just part of customer relations and i hope the contractor has made enough money on the job to afford these calls -- they are far and few to come!!!
 
Re: warranty work

What a pain in the derrier trying to get reimbursed for labor. It is much easier to get the "free" parts. We had a situation where we performed warranty work. The parts were supplied by the breaker manufacturer. They also indicated the labor would be reimbursed. 1 yr later the supply house reimbursed us with material. Not funny having to carry someone elses debt because the fubarred something.
Anyways, we stanad behind our work!

My warranty policy is very generous. My customers are very happy. My business is very successful.

I would reset a gfi for any 80 woman whether she was a customer or not. If I didn't and my mother heard about it she would slap me so hard my grandchildren would be born crosseyed.
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I believe your Mom and my Mom are from the same school of thought!
 
Re: warranty work

Can you really afford to do non warranty work like reset a gfci for free ? I have never been able to write up the ticket and drive to a job ,go inside push button leave and go back to the shop in 5 minutes.Am i driving slow or what ? What if job is an hour away ? Should we be required to do things like this ? Not talking about the job thats really next door and even they take 15 minutes.
 
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