Making a move

[phil d]

I've not been getting much decent work in a good few months, lots of people want work done for ****** all, some months I've made less that £300! Anyway I finally reached the end of my rope and was talking to a mate today.He was telling me how his son drives a van delivering tyres, and is taking home on average £1300 a month, so I've decided, he's going to ask tomorrow if they have any vacancies, if I can get on with them that'll be it, tools in the canal time.

To be honest I'm looking forward to the possibility of getting out of the game,although I never thought I would, at least this way I'll have a regular income, no responsibility, and no aggro, the trade's gone downhill in recent years, we are no longer valued, there's always someone who either wants the job done for less, or will do it for less. there's constant un-necessary changes to regs, that achieve very little except part us from even more of our hard earned, I did try to go back into dog handling, but not many people use dogs these days.

I've recently had one customer who's driven me to distraction, constantly altering the position of stuff on a house refurb, trouble is she's altering it after it's been fitted. I wired a kitchen, the plan changed, it all had to come out, then she couldn't make her mind up on socket positions. she's having a large splashback fitted all around the kitchen, so I suggested a dado trunking on top of it, as she can have the sockets wherever she wants them, she thought this was a great idea. 3 days later the builder rings up, she doesn't want dado, she wants the sockets as normal! The wall lights in the lounge have been moved again, opposite wall this time,and all the sockets in the bedroom had to be altered after she decided to have the walls studded out by 4" for soundproofing! will I miss carp like this? not a chance, here's hoping I get the driving job.

 

[Murdoch]

^^ re the kitchen bits, a few months back I was asked to first fix a kitchen when the owner hadn't decided on the layout ....... I said that would be fine, but I would bill her each time she made any changes ........ A couple of days later a kitchen layout appeared...... 

People led think that :

A. We are mind readers

B. We will makes changes for no additional charges

on both counts they are very wrong!

 

[phil d]

What annoys me with this one is her attitude, she says she doesn't mind paying but changes her mind so fast it's untrue, plus she can't organise anything. She rang me saying she needed to discuss some stuff urgently, only thing was it had to be on Sunday! I had plans but said I'd give her 30 minutes and we agreed to meet at 10 am, I arrived on time, to be met by her husband, 10.15 no sign of her so he rings her up, "look love the electrician is here as arranged, where are you? she replied, I'm having a coffee in Starbucks with the daughter and son in law, tell him I'll be there in 45 minutes".

It's not just the money, everything about this job is soul destroying, it's that Wimpy no fines construction, it's a ***** to fix to. especially to get everything level, then when you eventually get the kit where she wants it, she changes her mind!

I,m just hoping I get one of the driving jobs, because I can't be doing this much longer.

 

[ProDave]

Phil you have my sympathy.  I find Monday mornings are terrible, I just don't want to go out to work.  The trouble is for me, it's not THIS job I hate, but any job.  Another 5.5 years max and i'm done I would love that day to come sooner.

I'm turning day by day into my dad, who in his last few years as a plumber felt the same and retirement could not come soon enough.

 

[Murdoch]

The question for most of us is CAN we afford to retire?

 

[ProDave]

The question for most of us is CAN we afford to retire?

Thankfully I will be able to without having to wait until state pension age.

 

[Evans Electric]

What annoys me with this one is her attitude, she says she doesn't mind paying but changes her mind so fast it's untrue, plus she can't organise anything. She rang me saying she needed to discuss some stuff urgently, only thing was it had to be on Sunday! I had plans but said I'd give her 30 minutes and we agreed to meet at 10 am, I arrived on time, to be met by her husband, 10.15 no sign of her so he rings her up, "look love the electrician is here as arranged, where are you? she replied, I'm having a coffee in Starbucks with the daughter and son in law, tell him I'll be there in 45 minutes".

It's not just the money, everything about this job is soul destroying, it's that Wimpy no fines construction, it's a ***** to fix to. especially to get everything level, then when you eventually get the kit where she wants it, she changes her mind!

I,m just hoping I get one of the driving jobs, because I can't be doing this much longer.

99% of domestic jobs that are controlled by a woman are a lettucing nightmare !!!!! 

Reason 1 .    They can't make their minds up .

Reason 2 .    They think you don't have anywhere else to go and you are on their beck & call.

Reason 3.    They can't read the drawing .

Reason 4 .   You need to do like Murdo does ...spell it out in no uncertain terms .... we first fix it and go away until ready for  2nd fix ..so YOU  need to get all this right

                      first time round. 

 

[rapparee]

I feel sorry for the lot of you.

I love my job. I'll be working from now until the middle of August with no days off all 12hr+ days.

Phil  £300 a month!! What's that, like four days work in a month? You need to get back working on building sites, at least the work would be steady. It'll be a waste if you do Jack it in, I thought you said you were able to wire up and run a factory/farm some time ago and the boss only trusts you. 

Driving a van isn't all its cracked up to be. 

 

[binky]

four days, more like 2 for me, you're doing something seriously wrong Phil?

I totally understand where you are coming from though, in my case unreliable staff / subbies drives me insane, and customers can just be a PITA. I've sacked the staff and decided to give subbies a miss for the majoroity of works, it's easier to work by myself. I also get fed up with running a business, a paid staedy job seems quite appealing at the moment, but then I think it would drive me insane :slap

 

[Evans Electric]

I used to get fed up with the relentless bureaucracy  specially CIS .

Another was the CITB  .  Sent me a form to fill in , they want to take 5% of your profits if I remember correctly.     Form asked stuff like how many houses do you build a year etc .  Filled it in because it threatened the death penalty or something .

In due course they phoned me demanding to know exactly what construction work I did.    

At the time I was working in league  with Bob the Breakdown so in my best "posh" accent  I said  "  Are you under the impression I work on a  building site ?

I attend to breakdowns on industrial machinery ,,,I don't work on a building site ."  

" If you're an electrician then you are a construction worker "  He says .

"I'm sorry my good man but I'm an electrical engineer " 

He gave up in the end . 

Bob the Breakdown had a similar thing with HMRC  who claimed he came under the CIS system .    " Sorry but I don't have any customers who are in the building trade , they are 99% printing companies , good day to you !!".

 

[steptoe]

I used to get fed up with the relentless bureaucracy  specially CIS .

Another was the CITB  .  Sent me a form to fill in , they want to take 5% of your profits if I remember correctly.     Form asked stuff like how many houses do you build a year etc .  Filled it in because it threatened the death penalty or something .

In due course they phoned me demanding to know exactly what construction work I did.    

At the time I was working in league  with Bob the Breakdown so in my best "posh" accent  I said  "  Are you under the impression I work on a  building site ?

I attend to breakdowns on industrial machinery ,,,I don't work on a building site ."  

" If you're an electrician then you are a construction worker "  He says .

"I'm sorry my good man but I'm an electrical engineer " 

He gave up in the end . 

Bob the Breakdown had a similar thing with HMRC  who claimed he came under the CIS system .    " Sorry but I don't have any customers who are in the building trade , they are 99% printing companies , good day to you !!".

I really want to have a pint with you,

Almost as much as I want to have one with SSS, but I'm sure you understand the differences in that,

 

[Evans Electric]

I'm sure all of us would like one with SSS 

Yes Stepps one day we'll sit down to a pint and a good chinwag ...none of yer lager mind ...nice pint of mild .   

 

[Tony S]

I used to get fed up with the relentless bureaucracy  specially CIS .

Another was the CITB  .  Sent me a form to fill in , they want to take 5% of your profits if I remember correctly.     Form asked stuff like how many houses do you build a year etc .  Filled it in because it threatened the death penalty or something .

In due course they phoned me demanding to know exactly what construction work I did.    

At the time I was working in league  with Bob the Breakdown so in my best "posh" accent  I said  "  Are you under the impression I work on a  building site ?

I attend to breakdowns on industrial machinery ,,,I don't work on a building site ."  

" If you're an electrician then you are a construction worker "  He says .

"I'm sorry my good man but I'm an electrical engineer " 

He gave up in the end . 

Bob the Breakdown had a similar thing with HMRC  who claimed he came under the CIS system .    " Sorry but I don't have any customers who are in the building trade , they are 99% printing companies , good day to you !!".

It would seem that non of the electrical trade organisations have a clue about the roll of an industrial electrician.

Long may it stay that way!

 

[rapparee]

It would seem that non of the electrical trade organisations have a clue about the roll of an industrial electrician.

Long may it stay that way!

Exactly, we live in a bubble you are responsible to your production manager and nothing else. 

 

[Evans Electric]

OOoh   !  I don't have a Production Manager  Rapparound ,  should I get one  ? 

 

[steptoe]

OOoh   !  I don't have a Production Manager  Rapparound ,  should I get one  ? 

Nah,

Aren't you responsible to Mrs Deke,? :C

Or, at least answerable to her,

 

[phil d]

There's nothing happening,the work on the farm now is only as and when, i'e a breakdown or maintenance, I've rang everybody I know and nobody has any work going, the odd one that has work wants to pay in cash and pay peanuts, also they want to supply carp gear and tell me how to do the job. Had one wanted some cctv doing, I gave a price and he agreed to do groundwork, didn't want to pay me, "for throwing a few ducts in". I had specifically told him I needed a 100mm duct, he rang me when he'd done groundworks, yard tarmaced etc, I went back to find a length of 50mm yellow gas pipe installed for a duct!, "have you seen the price of 100mm ducting?" he asked,"anyway what are you moaning about, it's a duct isn't it"?

Just lately I seem to be getting all the carp jobs, Bodgit and Scarper down the road,have a nice new van, but no idea about doing a job, they have no problem getting work and charging top dollar for it. They did a job for a large private minimart near me, when they started having problems months later, the owner rang me to straighten it out, I asked why he'd used them in the first place instead of me,"because they are proper electricians" he replied, when I asked what he meant by proper electricians his answer was, "well they've got a nice new van, and you use your car".

I use my car because at the minute I cannot afford a nice new van, I happen to have forgotten more than B&S will ever know, I charge less than B&S! I'm looking forward to getting out of it, because, there's no way I'm going to start lowering my standards and doing rough arsed throw it in jobs with carp gear, I'd rather not do the job than do that.

 

[Sharpend]

Yes Stepps one day we'll sit down to a pint and a good chinwag ...none of yer lager mind ...nice pint of mild .   

Careful Deke to be sure the pint is in a neutral place, beware of the patio! 

Has steps added paddler to his patio club or is he away on a white water rafting health and safety course? 

 

[Evans Electric]

It's worrying , The Paddler hasn't been heard or seen since he supposedly became  busy .  

Do you think he's under the patio and Stepps is taking over the Forum ?

There's nothing happening,the work on the farm now is only as and when, i'e a breakdown or maintenance, I've rang everybody I know and nobody has any work going, the odd one that has work wants to pay in cash and pay peanuts, also they want to supply carp gear and tell me how to do the job. Had one wanted some cctv doing, I gave a price and he agreed to do groundwork, didn't want to pay me, "for throwing a few ducts in". I had specifically told him I needed a 100mm duct, he rang me when he'd done groundworks, yard tarmaced etc, I went back to find a length of 50mm yellow gas pipe installed for a duct!, "have you seen the price of 100mm ducting?" he asked,"anyway what are you moaning about, it's a duct isn't it"?

Just lately I seem to be getting all the carp jobs, Bodgit and Scarper down the road,have a nice new van, but no idea about doing a job, they have no problem getting work and charging top dollar for it. They did a job for a large private minimart near me, when they started having problems months later, the owner rang me to straighten it out, I asked why he'd used them in the first place instead of me,"because they are proper electricians" he replied, when I asked what he meant by proper electricians his answer was, "well they've got a nice new van, and you use your car".

I use my car because at the minute I cannot afford a nice new van, I happen to have forgotten more than B&S will ever know, I charge less than B&S! I'm looking forward to getting out of it, because, there's no way I'm going to start lowering my standards and doing rough arsed throw it in jobs with carp gear, I'd rather not do the job than do that.

Phil  its a shame things are not working out for you . 

Nah,

Aren't you responsible to Mrs Deke,? :C

Or, at least answerable to her,

Arn't we all  ?  :C

 

[Andy™]

 I asked why he'd used them in the first place instead of me,"because they are proper electricians" he replied,

at that point id be asking why they are phoning me instead of their 'proper electrician'