# $77.00 Any drain line



## The bear (Sep 27, 2012)

My third emergency call today was for an elderly lady living in a mobile home in a large mobile home community. The call came in as both bathrooms are backing up into the tub and shower.Upon arrival the customer's son precedes to tell me that the day before they had call out another company who advertises this special in our newspaper. The son states that the person who arrived made himself comfortable on the sofa and figured the cost of the job and quoted $147.00. The customer gave him the ok and this service person precedes to go up onto the roof and begin to rod the system thru a bathroom stack.
Service person than tells the son he has put in 75' of cable and the problem should be solved. Son tells him tub and shower have not drained. At this time customers son tells service person he knows why it has not cleared because he has found the 75' of cable in the kitchen. It came up and out the mini vent under the sink. Service person tells son that there is nothing else he can do for them and it is going to cost $4000.00 to replace the drains under the home because the sewer main is piped in 2". He tells them he is not going to charge for snaking but will have to collect $49.00 fee. Also there is a $12.00 fuel adjustment fee he has to add on. Customer's son tells him you can bill us but we will not pay.
Today we arrive and verify both bathrooms and washer in utility room backing up into bathtub and shower. Stick head under mobile home and determine everything running toward back of home. Probe ground, locate and dig up 3"sewer and run k60 with 7/8 cable. Clear blockage at 30 feet. Customer's son tells me it took the service person more time getting out ladder and getting up on roof than we spent finding and clearing blockage in line. Our quoted price upon arrival was $200.00 Customers invoice upon completion $200.00. Customer's son tells us it was great to finally find a real plumber and apologizes for calling the other company. We were referred to him by one of our customers.Thankfully customer's son was there to help his mom with the other company.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

We got a few of those around here as I am sure every town does! We call them hole pokers!


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## sjaquay (Jan 13, 2013)

the main one here is "gileece plumbing", look them up, read the horror stories, talk about a rip off company. the owner wears a bullet proof vest when he is ever outside. i know a guy that worked for them for 1 month and then got fired because he would always clear the drains for their $99 price and refused to tell every customer they have broken pipes and gonna cost them thousands. a friend of mine called me one sunday and told me that gileece is at his nieces right now and asked me to go over there, i quickly jumped in my van and drove over, the guys jaw dropped when he saw me. i looked at him and simply said "the real plumbing company is here now, you can leave" he was gonna charge her 20k to dig up a 10' section of pipe, 6' deep. he stayed in her driveway and actually kept tryin to get her to sign his contract. i finally just said "look, if it needs dug up, and thats a huge if, we will do it for under 3k, she will never sign that, just go sit in your truck in the drive way. stay here as long as you like because the longer youre here, the less chance youre gonna rip off some poor old lady" that co has been on the local news here so many times for flat out lying to people that im shocked anyone still calls them. they are so bad, the owners brother changed his last name because he is a good plumber and his co was suffering because of his brother. you know your a rip off when your own family doesnt want to be associated with you.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

sjaquay said:


> the main one here is "gileece plumbing", look them up, read the horror stories, talk about a rip off company. the owner wears a bullet proof vest when he is ever outside. i know a guy that worked for them for 1 month and then got fired because he would always clear the drains for their $99 price and refused to tell every customer they have broken pipes and gonna cost them thousands. a friend of mine called me one sunday and told me that gileece is at his nieces right now and asked me to go over there, i quickly jumped in my van and drove over, the guys jaw dropped when he saw me. i looked at him and simply said "the real plumbing company is here now, you can leave" he was gonna charge her 20k to dig up a 10' section of pipe, 6' deep. he stayed in her driveway and actually kept tryin to get her to sign his contract. i finally just said "look, if it needs dug up, and thats a huge if, we will do it for under 3k, she will never sign that, just go sit in your truck in the drive way. stay here as long as you like because the longer youre here, the less chance youre gonna rip off some poor old lady" that co has been on the local news here so many times for flat out lying to people that im shocked anyone still calls them. they are so bad, the owners brother changed his last name because he is a good plumber and his co was suffering because of his brother. you know your a rip off when your own family doesnt want to be associated with you.


Ohhh that's bad..... got friends living in Pittsburgh and will inform them.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

We got a couple companies that advertise $99 any drain. One is a national consoldater company, the other is a guy that sold his first company to the consoldater company.


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## BuckeyeBowhunte (May 4, 2011)

sjaquay said:


> the main one here is "gileece plumbing", look them up, read the horror stories, talk about a rip off company. the owner wears a bullet proof vest when he is ever outside. i know a guy that worked for them for 1 month and then got fired because he would always clear the drains for their $99 price and refused to tell every customer they have broken pipes and gonna cost them thousands. a friend of mine called me one sunday and told me that gileece is at his nieces right now and asked me to go over there, i quickly jumped in my van and drove over, the guys jaw dropped when he saw me. i looked at him and simply said "the real plumbing company is here now, you can leave" he was gonna charge her 20k to dig up a 10' section of pipe, 6' deep. he stayed in her driveway and actually kept tryin to get her to sign his contract. i finally just said "look, if it needs dug up, and thats a huge if, we will do it for under 3k, she will never sign that, just go sit in your truck in the drive way. stay here as long as you like because the longer youre here, the less chance youre gonna rip off some poor old lady" that co has been on the local news here so many times for flat out lying to people that im shocked anyone still calls them. they are so bad, the owners brother changed his last name because he is a good plumber and his co was suffering because of his brother. you know your a rip off when your own family doesnt want to be associated with you.


Not doubting you here, and I know this stuff happens, but it seems pretty low class to call em out like this directly. 

I was always taught that that's bad business ethic. I'm sure they're bad, but I wouldn't want people to who who I am on a board and go around running down my competition. They do plenty of that themselves.


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

"techs" like that nauseate me.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

sjaquay said:


> the main one here is "gileece plumbing", look them up, read the horror stories, talk about a rip off company. the owner wears a bullet proof vest when he is ever outside. i know a guy that worked for them for 1 month and then got fired because he would always clear the drains for their $99 price and refused to tell every customer they have broken pipes and gonna cost them thousands. a friend of mine called me one sunday and told me that gileece is at his nieces right now and asked me to go over there, i quickly jumped in my van and drove over, the guys jaw dropped when he saw me. i looked at him and simply said "the real plumbing company is here now, you can leave" he was gonna charge her 20k to dig up a 10' section of pipe, 6' deep. he stayed in her driveway and actually kept tryin to get her to sign his contract. i finally just said "look, if it needs dug up, and thats a huge if, we will do it for under 3k, she will never sign that, just go sit in your truck in the drive way. stay here as long as you like because the longer youre here, the less chance youre gonna rip off some poor old lady" that co has been on the local news here so many times for flat out lying to people that im shocked anyone still calls them. they are so bad, the owners brother changed his last name because he is a good plumber and his co was suffering because of his brother. you know your a rip off when your own family doesnt want to be associated with you.


They need to be reported to the attorney generals office in your State.


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## 1929chrysler (Jul 10, 2012)

A national company advertises $77 any drain here. I'm assuming it's the same company. I always wondered what the catch was. So how do they make money? What do they do, add on a trip and fuel charge? Then as you mentioned, the way they probably make their real money is by telling people there is a problem with their line. It looks like they dupe people by getting their foot in the door by the misleading low price and then whack the unsuspecting from there.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

They make us look good!


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## sjaquay (Jan 13, 2013)

GAN said:


> They need to be reported to the attorney generals office in your State.


they have been, under investigation for a while now, have been in court several times. they get a list of plumbers from the county and send out letters every month trying to recruit, i feel sorry for the young plumbers that dont check them out before going there for a job. i know my boss wont even interview any plumbers with them on their resume if they were there longer than a month or 2. there are lots of bad companies out there but they are by far the worst i have ever heard of.


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## sjaquay (Jan 13, 2013)

BuckeyeBowhunte said:


> Not doubting you here, and I know this stuff happens, but it seems pretty low class to call em out like this directly.
> 
> I was always taught that that's bad business ethic. I'm sure they're bad, but I wouldn't want people to who who I am on a board and go around running down my competition. They do plenty of that themselves.


they have been called out plenty of times, google them. they also have a bbb rating of "F". they have been on local new several times for their practices so im not saying anything thats not public record, and i could.


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## BuckeyeBowhunte (May 4, 2011)

sjaquay said:


> they have been called out plenty of times, google them. they also have a bbb rating of "F". they have been on local new several times for their practices so im not saying anything thats not public record, and i could.


That maybe true. I'm saying it makes you look hackish and petty for doing it publicly. 

I'm not defending them, i'm saying, you're lowering yourself to their level. 

But that's just my opinion. 

We've got a local guy like that who can only make himself look good by trying to make others look bad. Its transparent.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I saw this truck in NYC. Across the street from my father-in-law's home. Two men were sent out on the call. They used a drum machine. After they left, I went over and knocked on the door. I asked the homeowner if the drain cleaner company jacked up the price or was it the amount on the truck. He claimed they didn't jack up the price. If that's true, how on earth does that outfit pay (2) guys + overhead and make money at that price? Especially in NY with the higher cost of living; tolls at the bridges and tunnels, etc.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> I saw this truck in NYC. Across the street from my father-in-law's home. Two men were sent out on the call. They used a drum machine. After they left, I went over and knocked on the door. I asked the homeowner if the drain cleaner company jacked up the price or was it the amount on the truck. He claimed they didn't jack up the price. If that's true, how on earth does that outfit pay (2) guys + overhead and make money at that price? Especially in NY with the higher cost of living; tolls at the bridges and tunnels, etc.


Eventually they are going to hit the mother load. :yes: Think about it, hundreds of great reviews, great word-of-mouth . . . so when the cost to replace a sewer line is $5,000.00, it must be a great price, from a great company. EZPZ


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## damnplumber (Jan 22, 2012)

So I should charge more than $77 for a drain?


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

BuckeyeBowhunte said:


> Not doubting you here, and I know this stuff happens, but it seems pretty low class to call em out like this directly.
> 
> I was always taught that that's bad business ethic. I'm sure they're bad, but I wouldn't want people to who who I am on a board and go around running down my competition. They do plenty of that themselves.


On one hand I agree, on the other I say he's got it coming. And I wouldn't call it low class, I call it gutsy. 
When its as clear as the day is long that you are that kind of company, all bets are off.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Its why plumbers have to look over the shoulder once and a while.....most of the time this cheap stuff is the brainstorm of someone who knows nothing...but when a national and reputable company starts it there is going to be some market adjustment. They have to get it back somewhere and thats the weakness of the scheme.


My customer base wants only to be treated fair , shoot straight, no slick tricks and they will love you forever.


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

We have one here like that who advertises $99 drain cleaning. Come to find out, there's a $60 truck charge, $65 per hour per man, & ...........$450 an hour for the machine!! The $99 fee is for the actual labor of cleaning the drain.:whistling2:


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

1929chrysler said:


> A national company advertises $77 any drain here. I'm assuming it's the same company. I always wondered what the catch was. So how do they make money? What do they do, add on a trip and fuel charge? Then as you mentioned, the way they probably make their real money is by telling people there is a problem with their line. It looks like they dupe people by getting their foot in the door by the misleading low price and then whack the unsuspecting from there.


The company I work for did a $77 drain cleaning special for a few months and we even ran a camera for no additional cost. There was no catch. It was truly $77. The upshot was I sold a few tap repairs, sewer replacements and jet jobs which made it worth while. Most of the time the only reason they called was because of the $77 special because they had never used us before. And when its slow its better than nothing. At least you have a chance at an up sell. You don't make much initially and often you only get the $77 but if the customer can tell you care AND you take your time to do the job right then hopefully they will call you back for other repairs. Its just to get your foot in the door. Larger companies can take it. It is considered a loss leader.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

My equipment will sit in a garage, not even on the truck before I go clearing drains for less than a minimum $145.00 (Kitchen sink clogs)

The industry is selling itself short. All to follow the herd. Shame for shame.... shame for shame.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> My equipment will sit in a garage, not even on the truck before I go clearing drains for less than a minimum $145.00 (Kitchen sink clogs)
> 
> The industry is selling itself short. All to follow the herd. Shame for shame.... shame for shame.


 






I have recieved phone calls for an estimate to clear a main line stoppage. I quoted $ 180.00 from an outside c.o. at grade level in the yard. And people are like, "I'll get back to you." And they don't. Others are more than happy to pay that price and then some. _(shrugging shoulders)_


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

I don't know about calling it an industry issue. I do not include "drain cleaning companies" within our trade.

Illinois Plumbers gave up any sewer work to the Laborers years ago when times were good around the 50's I believe. Now anyone can go get a sewer machine, plaster ads on their vehicle and away they go, cleaning, repairing or replacing, installing at will (at least outside). Absolutely no control,,,, who to blame "US", for giving it away in the past, now we will never get it back.

More recently, we gave away "Water Softener" installation to non-licensed installers because of the large lobby,,,,,,,, and of course lawn irrigation,,, questionable,,,,,,,at least we kept a hold on designated fire line extensions off the main.

The really dumb after thought in Illinois was to back track and have control of "water closet" removal under plumbing,,,, which caused plumbers to install C.O.'s behind tanks, under lav's, in closets, clean outs 7' A.F.F. heels of wye & 1/8 bends (even though a C.O. in Illinois is supposed to open at a right angle to the direction of flow) since a "water closet" can no longer be counted as a clean out.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

A toilet shouldn't be considered an approved clean out because its not. Maybe I don't understand your point but it IS better to have COs for each fixture. 

I am in Texas and going to start a drain- only company and I am a licensed master plumber. I have done my time doing all types of plumbing. I am fully capable of doing any plumbing but choose to stick to drains because of less liability and lower overhead costs not to mention I am done with crawling through attics and removing water heaters. I can see your point as far as the laws in Illinois allowing any one to do drain cleaning but that is not the case everywhere. In Montana you don't need any license or qualification to run gas pipe. NONE! Yet they are very strict about licensing to run potable water and DWV. Weird. Also, if you do repair only in Montana they do not count any of those hours towards your apprenticeship. They only count new construction. I know that's beside the point but your post reminded me of it. Anyhow, don't assume that just because a company offers drains only that they are run by some hack who bought some equipment.


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## JDGA80 (Dec 9, 2012)

Agree but it's approved in absence of a cleanout. ICC


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

JDGA80 said:


> Agree but it's approved in absence of a cleanout. ICC


I gotcha. Just saying that as a drain cleaner I am of the opinion that the more cleanouts the better. But yes, removing a trap is also approved.


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## JDGA80 (Dec 9, 2012)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> I gotcha. Just saying that as a drain cleaner I am of the opinion that the more cleanouts the better. But yes, removing a trap is also approved.


I totally agree. That should be changed. We should petition the ICC


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## plumber101us (Feb 25, 2013)

upc should also require more cleanouts in my opinion


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> A toilet shouldn't be considered an approved clean out because its not. Maybe I don't understand your point but it IS better to have COs for each fixture.
> 
> I am in Texas and going to start a drain- only company and I am a licensed master plumber. I have done my time doing all types of plumbing. I am fully capable of doing any plumbing but choose to stick to drains because of less liability and lower overhead costs not to mention I am done with crawling through attics and removing water heaters. I can see your point as far as the laws in Illinois allowing any one to do drain cleaning but that is not the case everywhere. In Montana you don't need any license or qualification to run gas pipe. NONE! Yet they are very strict about licensing to run potable water and DWV. Weird. Also, if you do repair only in Montana they do not count any of those hours towards your apprenticeship. They only count new construction. I know that's beside the point but your post reminded me of it. Anyhow, don't assume that just because a company offers drains only that they are run by some hack who bought some equipment.


C.O. are always good. My point is that when Illinois made the change you could stick the C.O. behind the tank of the water closet, so you would have to remove the tank to access it, not much difference between that and removing the W.C. or burying it in a closet or under the vanity cabinet.

C.O. in a basement below the floor system at around 8' AFF. Who in there right mind is going to pull a plug above their head while on a ladder????

To clarify, I called no one a hack. What I mean is anyone can start a drain cleaning company and are not required to be a licensed plumber, and may also repair and install sewers. If this is all you do, without having to put in time as an apprentice it may be easier to beat a licensed shops over head. Since the Plumbers gave up sewers some 50 years ago, If they had not given it up then anyone drain cleaning would at least be required to be a licensed plumber, with that in mind if they have cheaper prices and want to give their work away so be it.

No license needed for gas in Illinois either, but any work while an apprentice will count towards your total required hours.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

GAN said:


> C.O. are always good. My point is that when Illinois made the change you could stick the C.O. behind the tank of the water closet, so you would have to remove the tank to access it, not much difference between that and removing the W.C. or burying it in a closet or under the vanity cabinet.
> 
> C.O. in a basement below the floor system at around 8' AFF. Who in there right mind is going to pull a plug above their head while on a ladder????


OK, I didn't understand what you meant about removing a tank to access a cleanout. I thought you meant that it was above or to the side and not directly behind. 

As far as overhead cleanouts, I should've asked what AFF means because I still don't know. Being we don't have basements here in Houston I am not familiar with the terms. Now I see your point. When I lived in Montana, they would have overhead COs and it did suck to clear them.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

GAN said:


> To clarify, I called no one a hack. What I mean is anyone can start a drain cleaning company and are not required to be a licensed plumber, and may also repair and install sewers. If this is all you do, without having to put in time as an apprentice it may be easier to beat a licensed shops over head. Since the Plumbers gave up sewers some 50 years ago, If they had not given it up then anyone drain cleaning would at least be required to be a licensed plumber, with that in mind if they have cheaper prices and want to give their work away so be it.


Here in Texas you do have to have a master license to run any plumbing company including a drain only plumbing company. I plan on cleaning sewers and replacing them. I will also do minor repairs in the home but mostly I want to stay away from repipes, gas work, and WH replacements. I do not want the liability, at least not to start with. Having the license to do it is nice because you never know what will come your way. I am going to be a one man shop to start and when I can move myself out of the field, as far as doing all the labor, then maybe I will consider doing more service. The laws in Texas are pretty strict as far as the cradle to grave law and the amount of liability a responsible master plumber has. That along with warranty issues are enough that I don't want all the headaches involved with full service. I have done full service for 15 years and have come to the conclusion that sticking to drains is much easier on stress. I still have liability as far as tunnel jobs or sewer replacement but not the same as water heaters or gas work. Just my opinion. I do not plan on being cheap. Good quality work doesn't come cheap. However, I will have higher profit margins with drains only.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

AFF means "above finished floor", such as clean-outs above your head in basements. We have more basements than not around the midwest once you get above flood plain areas.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> I have recieved phone calls for an estimate to clear a main line stoppage. I quoted $ 180.00 from an outside c.o. at grade level in the yard. And people are like, "I'll get back to you." And they don't. Others are more than happy to pay that price and then some. _(shrugging shoulders)_


We get lots of calls asking for pricing, 90% of the time its another plumbing company calling so they can compare their prices to yours.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

SewerRatz said:


> We get lots of calls asking for pricing, 90% of the time its another plumbing company calling so they can compare their prices to yours.


Haha. I have done that. Did that recently in a town that I am going to start running drain calls in. I don't think anything's wrong with it and I think most guys here have done it at one time. You gotta figure out your market somehow.


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## Sanco Pumping (Apr 21, 2013)

We have a national chain here that almost always blames it on the septic tank..I get called and 9 times out of ten it is grease in the last couple of feet of the main line...It is so hard to charge people that just paid these guys for nothing.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Sanco Pumping said:


> We have a national chain here that almost always blames it on the septic tank..I get called and 9 times out of ten it is grease in the last couple of feet of the main line...It is so hard to charge people that just paid these guys for nothing.


9 out of 10 times, we beat up the newbies for coming here for not posting the full proper intro..


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> 9 out of 10 times, we beat up the newbies for coming here for not posting the full proper intro..


...... and 9 out of 10 times you are part of we, :laughing:


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

Sanco Pumping said:


> We have a national chain here that almost always blames it on the septic tank..I get called and 9 times out of ten it is grease in the last couple of feet of the main line...It is so hard to charge people that just paid these guys for nothing.


A little intro around here is expected, read the sticky. It's nice to read you have sympathy for the fleeced. Smile.


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## BuckeyeBowhunte (May 4, 2011)

Sanco Pumping said:


> We have a national chain here that almost always blames it on the septic tank..I get called and 9 times out of ten it is grease in the last couple of feet of the main line...It is so hard to charge people that just paid these guys for nothing.


i think that's the easiest one to charge on. 

I've proven i'm better than they are. I've earned a customer for life who doesn't have to dig the line up like a previous company had portrayed it to be. 

What could be better? You can pretty much charge what you want once you've established you can offer them something they couldn't get elsewhere


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## plumber101us (Feb 25, 2013)

In all fairness I understand how you feel sorry for the customer who got shafted by shady individuals but that is not your problem. All you can do is the do the job correctly and hope the customer doesn't think all plumbers are out to get him. This why as a professional I strive to explain to my clients how important training and the right licensing is and how continuing education and keeping up on new technology helps my company do the best job we can. this type of approach doesn't belittle your competition or berate them but it does show that you care enough to do this to keep improving the quality of service you provide to your clients. You never want to berate your competition that will come back to bite you in the butt. always try to find a way to explain that you go the extra mile to take care of your customers and to stay current on new technology and procedures to better serve your customers.


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