should have been an electrican.

S.L.F said:
Something I never do is give people by the hour rates, giving a job price fine but not by the hour.

If a guy is doing electrical work for you suddenly comes across something dangerous (minor) and can't get in touch with you what should he do?

Do the work and hope to get paid the extra or not bother.

Me I'd perfer to have someone who has the kop-on to do a job properly
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For the benefit of the OP (and myself!), can you explain why you would never give an hourly rate. My perspective would be that if you go in to a job with lots of unknowns, it would be better to explain this to the customer and declare an hourly rate. What am I missing?

As regards the scenario you identify with finding something dangerous and not being able to contact the customer, the fact of life is that when you put two 'what ifs' together, you will get a problem. What if the ship sinks and what if the life rafts don't work... aaahhhhhh ! With everything there will be exceptions but this does not mean that costs can not be explained upfront and should not be approximately correct in the vast majority of cases.
 
S.L.F said:
MrMan you are assuming that all the customers are in a line and waiting to be called to, you are assuming that all jobs go according to plan.

If us trades and crafts men had the easy life of estate agents it would be great. All estate agents have to do is call to a customer once then they say yes or no then form a queue of people to buy it then sell the house.

Simple isn't it?:rolleyes:
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Customers are rarely in a line that would be why I would arrange my day to maximise the ground covered. Do you really go to a job and then home again before the next one? I know things are never simple but it should be considered a fact of business. I think using the explanation 'because I'm qualified and insured etc' is enough to say, by pullin in other little expenses it leaves you open to criticism.
 
Caveat said:
I agree, broadly. Same principle anyway. Not exactly sure why your comment illicited these responses.
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Here's one very valid reason:

Complainer said:
Apart from the fact that the wires in your hand have enough power to kill you (if you didn't know that you should knock off the circuit first).
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Also, if death itself weren't enough of a deterrent, I would read the T & Cs of your house insurance policy. This has been covered in previous threads. A wall socket, while basically the same as a plug, is far more dangerous to go tinkering with.
 
Well obviously there is a safety aspect but I took it for granted that anyone would be aware of the need to switch off power etc but I guess that should have been made explicit by the poster (and me :))
 
Caveat said:
Well obviously there is a safety aspect but I took it for granted that anyone would be aware of the need to switch off power etc but I guess that should have been made explicit by the poster (and me :))
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Grovelling apology graciously accepted.;).

Seriously though, I bet one would be surprised at how many people WOULDN'T have the cop on to switch off the power at the board. The lack of respect for electricity is astounding sometimes.
 
As regards respect, believe me, electricity is the man - I would never diss the lecky. ;)

Seriously, some people laugh when I not only turn off the power but actually remove the fuses - I'm paranoid that the 'spring' type mechanism on the switches (old board) could fail/malfunction mid job.
 
ontour said:
For the benefit of the OP (and myself!), can you explain why you would never give an hourly rate. My perspective would be that if you go in to a job with lots of unknowns, it would be better to explain this to the customer and declare an hourly rate. What am I missing?
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Well speaking for myself I work on price work not hours nor days.

But I know there are people (sparks) who work on a houry rate of about €50.

ontour said:
As regards the scenario you identify with finding something dangerous and not being able to contact the customer, the fact of life is that when you put two 'what ifs' together, you will get a problem. What if the ship sinks and what if the life rafts don't work... aaahhhhhh ! With everything there will be exceptions but this does not mean that costs can not be explained upfront and should not be approximately correct in the vast majority of cases.
Click to expand...

I think in the case of the OP she was not stung and this goes for the majority of cases of people who get work done by tradesmen, but as you say there are exceptions to every rule, it has been to my experience that if you have someone who is good and has a good rep then paying a little bit more isn't always a bad thing.

You are correct about asking for an approximate price up front.

Caveat said:
I agree, broadly. Same principle anyway. Not exactly sure why your comment illicited these responses.
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I have seen some DIY wiring done and so has Mrs. S.L.F
 
Caveat said:
As regards respect, believe me, electricity is the man - I would never diss the lecky. ;)

Seriously, some people laugh when I not only turn off the power but actually remove the fuses - I'm paranoid that the 'spring' type mechanism on the switches (old board) could fail/malfunction mid job.
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We have the same system and I do the same. I'm sceoned of my life of it. Big up respect masseeeeve to the lecky. (????????????)
 
Hey Paddy, are you an electrician?

Do you know your L from your N as compared to your E?

Do you know what it was she had done?

Do you know what it involved?

What do you think she should have been charged?

If you can't answer all of those questions then you should leave it to us tradesmen to give a good answer.

And by the way

Grrrr
 
PADDYBOY99 said:
Just reading through and I have to say the poor girl was ripped off.
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I would have to agree with Paddyboy99, the Lady was ripped off.
€23+ vat for 4 downlighter bulbs and a replacement socket is giving him 100% markup. As for €100 labour ...come on, the job should have taken him 15 minutes max.
 
builder ed said:
I would have to agree with Paddyboy99, the Lady was ripped off.
€23+ vat for 4 downlighter bulbs and a replacement socket is giving him 100% markup. As for €100 labour ...come on, the job should have taken him 15 minutes max.
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Also agree with Paddy and Ed - she was ripped off no doubt about it.

Anyone justifying that fee for that work needs their head examined, or maybe re-wired :D
 
im electrican myself
and what the lady was charged was fine €23 for 4 gu10 bulbs and a socket sounds fine and €100 for labour so fine to. im at this game over 10 years and it would take 45 - 60 mins to do that job. not 15min max. i have seen sockets changed over by people who think its the same as changing a plug. some get it right very few i have to say and what happens is they get the L + N mixed up in the socket reverse polarity which is very dangerous because most appliances have the live fused and plug tops have the live fused. reverse polarity means your bypassing all the fuses and you can infact blow the appliance up. or say you pull the fuse in the appliance and think its of it wouldnt be and there is a huge rick of shock or death.
 
Carol3 provided the bulbs so it was €23 for a socket and maybe some wire.
 
builder ed said:
I would have to agree with Paddyboy99, the Lady was ripped off.
€23+ vat for 4 downlighter bulbs and a replacement socket is giving him 100% markup. As for €100 labour ...come on, the job should have taken him 15 minutes max.
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Let me ask you a simple question

Where did the bulbs and stuff come from?

They don't magically appear.

The sparks had to go and get them.

Did you include that in your thoughts or did you think he just happened to have them lying about?

Something amazes me with this site people just don't seem to think.

Lets try a different approach' the sparks calls once to the house spends 20 mins getting there 20 mins looking at what needs doing then next day goes to the electrical shop then calls to the lady to do the work.

Would this now be worth a hundred euro?
 
S.L.F said:
Let me ask you a simple question

Where did the bulbs and stuff come from?

They don't magically appear.

The sparks had to go and get them.

Did you include that in your thoughts or did you think he just happened to have them lying about?

Something amazes me with this site people just don't seem to think.

Lets try a different approach' the sparks calls once to the house spends 20 mins getting there 20 mins looking at what needs doing then next day goes to the electrical shop then calls to the lady to do the work.

Would this now be worth a hundred euro?
Click to expand...

That would have to be the weakest arguement to justify putting in 4 bulbs and replacing a socket for the fee the lady outlined.

And your dropping in rediculous scenarios to back up your arguement, 20 mins here, 20 mins there, information not in the original post.

Tell me what would you quote? Time to get real - we re no longer in 2006 when the sky was the limit for what these guys were charging.
 
Ah come on now, 20 mins travel each way is been very light and far from rediculious! Even in the city 20 mins would not get you very far.
Do you think that trademens are entitled to charge for travel. Say an electrician has 2/3 small jobs to do in a day do you really expect them to be right beside each other, he has to get around and get materials.
How much do you think is is a fair sum to allow for overheads and profit?
Why dont you say how much you think would be a fair price and maybe give reasons why?
 
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