future business

[betty swollocks]

i was asked to rewire a shop which i've since 1st fixed about a month ago now.

the shop is a new kitchen showroom and as i was recommended to the customer he has asked me to rewire it cheaply and in return promised me all his future electrical work, :| as he'd already been let down i quickly 1st fixed it for him, there isnt that much to be honest but my price was less than his other quote of

 

[PAUL M]

If it was me betty i would tell the prat i wanted all the money owed from completion of first fix before even turning a screwdriver on the second fix stage

Dont be too taken in by the promise of future work i have fallen for this one when i first started out on me own,half the time its all BS just to get a cheaper price:_|

If all else fails and he refuses to pay just knock him out and walk away.Guiness Drink

 

[Theorysparky]

I hate that....

write him a letter stating you require settlement of 1st fix and your labour before you start 2nd fix.

This is what i think is going to happen.......

he will pay you for 1st fix,,,,,you do 2nd fix and not get paid....

he then phones some other sparky giving him some kitchen work,,string him along then not pay him,,,then he finds another

that i think is what happened to me a few weeks back but i was the second sparky before the company went bust.

i could be wrong but i smell a rat

 

[Evans Electric]

Betty, I think he is about to deposit on you from a great height. Bet the fitter, gas fitter and tiler are his regulars and he,s looking after them, at your expense, methinks.

You say you have done first fix, what are you supplying for 2nd fix, a load of light fittings that he will never pay for ? He,s already talking to another sparks, I'd walk. The climate may be bad but you can do without bar stewards like this, I've met 'em myself, think nothing of taking us for parts !

Would you have ordered a new kitchen off him if you knew you only had

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes.. I think I'm getting the same aroma as Theory, wafting across ... what is that ...now.. Mmmmm.. yes .. think its Odour of deceased Rat. I remember smelling that just before I was taken for a naive part.

 

[paulh]

I think it's not "cheeky" or "rude" just good business sense to get your money or indeed chase it if it's not coming in. I work on a 30 day invoice system which is very fair and probably how your punter works. Tell him you have been told he is looking at other quotes, and if that is so it's only fair you get paid now as it's some time since you invoiced.

X(

I wish we could go back to the days of hard cash as soon as you finished instead of rubber cheques and dodgy bank accounts

 

[sparky999]

I would get the 1st fix money in before i even start to think about 2nd fixing betty.

If u recieve the 1st fix money make him sweat abit after for when he wants to open the store and he has no lights on. hahaha

 

[Apache]

If you got paid for first fix and insisted on a deposit (value of materials?) before you start 2nd fix?

 

[dan.]

get what your owed now b4 you start any more work for this guy.imagine what hes like if you spark for him regular? i bet hes a nightmare.

 

[betty swollocks]

thanks lads

made a few calls tonight, the guy doesnt know anyone tradewise and every name he's used including mine was passed on by MFI!

tiler finished shop front but wouldnt go back because basically he hammered him on his day rate then complained he was spinning the job out to 3 days to tile shop front, hall, office, kitchen and toilet.

gas fitter was only there a day and got paid what he asked for to move boiler.

the guy is supplying everything for the 2nd fix except light switches and socket fronts, so its really just labour.

i told him the 2nd fix and testing will take at least 2 if not 3 days (theres 6 full working kitchens to fix, internal and external lighting, feature lighting and signage lights as well as the other 4 rooms.

He originally said 1 day which i told him was ridiculous, he now admits to consulting another spark 'who said 3 days is reasonable' :|

thing is i'm so annoyed i simply dont have any faith in the guy and work-wise dont need the work that bad(this year)

i hate letting people down but hate being ripped even more, makes my blood boil, usually i would go with my gut feeling which would mean walking off but cant help having one eye on next year and wondering if im cutting my nose off to spite my face!

 

[batty]

thanks ladsmade a few calls tonight, the guy doesnt know anyone tradewise and every name he's used including mine was passed on by MFI!

tiler finished shop front but wouldnt go back because basically he hammered him on his day rate then complained he was spinning the job out to 3 days to tile shop front, hall, office, kitchen and toilet.

gas fitter was only there a day and got paid what he asked for to move boiler.

the guy is supplying everything for the 2nd fix except light switches and socket fronts, so its really just labour.

i told him the 2nd fix and testing will take at least 2 if not 3 days (theres 6 full working kitchens to fix, internal and external lighting, feature lighting and signage lights as well as the other 4 rooms.

He originally said 1 day which i told him was ridiculous, he now admits to consulting another spark 'who said 3 days is reasonable' :|

thing is i'm so annoyed i simply dont have any faith in the guy and work-wise dont need the work that bad(this year)

i hate letting people down but hate being ripped even more, makes my blood boil, usually i would go with my gut feeling which would mean walking off but cant help having one eye on next year and wondering if im cutting my nose off to spite my face!

Be honest with the guy tell him as you don't no him it is only fair that he pays you for the first fix before you start second fix. He may be genuine and may have cash flow probs talk to him.

Batty

 

[Evans Electric]

I still don't trust him , I 've met 'em before, always trying to knock you down on price, as the tiler found. They think they are the only ones who should be making money. If he,s supplying the 2nd fix, and you think there may be future work, tell him you think its 3 days work and you charge, whatever , per day, is he happy with that . Would he care to put something in writing to retain your future services ?

Deke

 

[Theorysparky]

thanks ladsmade a few calls tonight, the guy doesnt know anyone tradewise and every name he's used including mine was passed on by MFI!

tiler finished shop front but wouldnt go back because basically he hammered him on his day rate then complained he was spinning the job out to 3 days to tile shop front, hall, office, kitchen and toilet.

gas fitter was only there a day and got paid what he asked for to move boiler.

the guy is supplying everything for the 2nd fix except light switches and socket fronts, so its really just labour.

i told him the 2nd fix and testing will take at least 2 if not 3 days (theres 6 full working kitchens to fix, internal and external lighting, feature lighting and signage lights as well as the other 4 rooms.

He originally said 1 day which i told him was ridiculous, he now admits to consulting another spark 'who said 3 days is reasonable' :|

thing is i'm so annoyed i simply dont have any faith in the guy and work-wise dont need the work that bad(this year)

i hate letting people down but hate being ripped even more, makes my blood boil, usually i would go with my gut feeling which would mean walking off but cant help having one eye on next year and wondering if im cutting my nose off to spite my face!

'if in doubt there is no doubt' ; )

 

[jibspark]

i would have thought that if he is genuine then he would be hapy to discuss his options with you.

if he is taking you for a ride then i would have thought he would get defensive when you confront him. Either way i wouldnt do any more work before getting paid.

 

[Lec]

Guys like that are very difficult to get out of once they owe you money, always 'just do this and I'll sort you out for what I owe you'. Unfortunately the more you do for them the more they tend to owe you!!

This is the right time to set the ground rules IMO. If he cant sort you out for what he owes you, even after you have talked to him, you would be better off walking now. If he does pay you then hopefully he will know he needs to pay you on time for future jobs as well.

Just my 2p

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Draw up a written quotation agreement detailing something along the lines of:-

The schedule of work..

materials, labour to be supplied by you..

materials to be supplied by the customer..

Total cost..

Initial part payment..

Terms for full payment following completion..

Discount for early payment/penalty for late payment..

General comment or stating that any additional items NOT listed in the above schedule of work, will be at an extra cost at standard hourly rate (currently

 

[OilBeDamned]

Tell him to ram it, if he is like this with the first job what is he going to be like on the next job you do for him.

Dont even look for your money, just go over and remove all your work that you have put in i.e. take a mash hammer to his walls and retrieve your cabling.

 

[betty swollocks]

as an update

i told him i wont be going back to complete

simply told him i only work with who understand mutual trust

he trusts me to turn up on time, do what i have to do, finish when i say i'd be finished and in return i trust him to pay me.

obviously he wasnt happy but i pointed out he had no right to decide just how much of the bill he could pay me without discussion.

he said he would pay me what he owes me on the day of the 2nd fix but i just told him i was far to busy to do a days work then spend the next 5 weeks chasing payment.

 

[Badger]

JUST BANG THE Tw@t in court job done and very simple

 

[Theorysparky]

I sent out 6 final demands last week to get money from landlords each job worth