# complaints about prices



## panther (Oct 27, 2010)

At least 3 times a week, a customer or client will complain about what I charge. Either that, or they try to get me to knock a few clams off of the price. I never back dow. I typically offer to knock off something I was going to do for them to lower the price. Just wondering if some of my plumbing family goes through this often too. How do you handle a situation like that? Do you worry you may lose a customer or client because of the price?


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

panther said:


> At least 3 times a week, a customer or client will complain about what I charge. Either that, or they try to get me to knock a few clams off of the price. I never back dow. I typically offer to knock off something I was going to do for them to lower the price. Just wondering if some of my plumbing family goes through this often too. How do you handle a situation like that? Do you worry you may lose a customer or client because of the price?


Of course. But, sometimes a little go a long way as long as it is a little and NOT every time or they will not get anything else.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

i do up front pricing at the beginning of job. to help defuse this before at billing time.sometimes they are price ranges for stuff we can't see. behind walls, flanges, i do try to warn people. that we are people and can't see though walls. i found that i have to say the ranges twice! cause i have notice if i say 200 to 300 hundard. people say back to me, 200 hundred.. no sir please listen. i said 200 to 300 hundred. i had a lady today. on a 150.00 job, when giving her the bill she asked me if i could knock 25 bucks off. i said, already did it suppose to be 175.00. i could just leave it there. most of the time they thank me for it. so i stand frim on billing, with out confrontation. btw. tomarrow this won't work for me. cause it's been working... lol


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

panther said:


> At least 3 times a week, a customer or client will complain about what I charge. Either that, or they try to get me to knock a few clams off of the price. I never back dow. I typically offer to knock off something I was going to do for them to lower the price. Just wondering if some of my plumbing family goes through this often too. How do you handle a situation like that? Do you worry you may lose a customer or client because of the price?


I use to back off my price all the time. It never failed they would either add to what they wanted done or complain anyways. So I figure if their going to complain anyway I'm going to get my price. I've lost customers since raising my rates. Had some not pay. I say good riddance. I was slow for 3 weeks. Now I can't keep up


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## revenge (Jun 30, 2011)

You have to sale your self and give them that extra effort, bootys, clean cut, mats, clean tools, etc. Set your self at high standards take pride in your work. Listen to them even if its not plumbing related if they just stand their watching you make a conversation with them. Make them see that they are not just paying for the job but the proffesionalsm that you provide. Always give a price up front or between set and set. Dont let them know you the owner thats were most of these haggers get haggiling. Make them think you the employee. Get contract signed up front so their no, question and they cant act like they didnt know. When they start to haggle just say sorry boss wont let me. Once you start dropping your price for once they gonna excpect it all the time. Say you didnt charge for something when you did like flapper or when you change a fillvalve and put a new stop say i didnt charge you for the stop its extra stock in my truck etc.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Plumberman911 said:


> I use to back off my price all the time. It never failed they would either add to what they wanted done or complain anyways. So I figure if their going to complain anyway I'm going to get my price. I've lost customers since raising my rates. Had some not pay. I say good riddance. I was slow for 3 weeks. Now I can't keep up


It gets easier to hold to your pricing when you see that doing so leaves you short. I think some customers just like to complain.

I wish I had all the money we gave up over the years. :yes:


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

I agree with Revenge. I am always tightening, adjusting or something small like replacing an aerator or flapper. When my task are completed I always walk through with them and point the small things out and tell them while I was there I took care of it at no charge. 
Works for me.


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

Saying i was just a employee backfired on me once. They found out i was the owner and came back with. I was a dishonest and a sneak and i should be closed down for doing that. So you got ot make it good if you try to pull that off. Now i got a fake owner! I call him Mike so now even if someone calls I refer them to Mike :- )


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

victoryplbaz said:


> Saying i was just a employee backfired on me once. They found out i was the owner and came back with. I was a dishonest and a sneak and i should be closed down for doing that. So you got ot make it good if you try to pull that off. Now i got a fake owner! I call him Mike so now even if someone calls I refer them to Mike :- )


Just refer them to your wife or other.


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

Gettinit said:


> Just refer them to your wife or other.


she would kill me if i did that :laughing:


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

I stick to my guns on prices, the one exception there is a group from a certain minority that likes to haggles and considers it a must to save face, with them I always add 20-40% to the price gives me room to play, while charging a premium for the trouble.


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## Kevan (Jul 5, 2010)

The customer is *SO* much more agreeable to a price before the work is done. While his plumbing problem is hurting him, the price seems fair. Once the pain has been relieved, hearing the same price would sound unreasonable. Communicate clearly from the beginning.


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

I get complaints all the time. I don't care anymore. This morning a guy wanted a price on finishing, he didn't like my price. He's working for people with lots of money, and for some reason it's up to me to give a good deal at finishing time. 
It took me almost five years to figure out how expensive plumbing is and should be.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Radium said:


> I get complaints all the time. I don't care anymore. This morning a guy wanted a price on finishing, he didn't like my price. He's working for people with lots of money, and for some reason it's up to me to give a good deal at finishing time.
> It took me almost five years to figure out how expensive plumbing is and should be.


Plumbing is expensive - as it should be. I still care when someone whines, but I let it go a lot quicker now. :yes:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Just today a man says he is about to close on a home and wants me to come out and look at what needs to be done after he closes; then his dad says something in the background and he says to me can I come before the closing to inspect things. Sure I can come, but I will charge for an inspection of entire plumbing system. After I give him the price he says, "When you come out to do any work, will you credit us the inspection fee?"....(..:furious:...)

I say 'no.' Then add, "When you work for someone, do you expect to credit back what they paid you."


He says, "oh well we'll just wait til after we close on the house then you can come out."

They are purchasing a home that they either think or know needs plumbing work. So he wants me to come out after he closes on the house to 'check things out.'

Wait until I tell him when he calls back that my trip to come out ain't free. That (not giving a free estimate) is a deal-breaker for alot of folks. But that is how I pre-qualify a customer.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

panther said:


> At least 3 times a week, a customer or client will complain about what I charge. Either that, or they try to get me to knock a few clams off of the price. I never back dow. I typically offer to knock off something I was going to do for them to lower the price. Just wondering if some of my plumbing family goes through this often too. How do you handle a situation like that? Do you worry you may lose a customer or client because of the price?


lol---are you too expensive? What is your hourly rate (or what you base your flat rate on)?

If a company is charging Rolls Royce prices in a GMC-type town, then yeah, you will get push back.


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## eddiecalder (Jul 15, 2008)

If the customer is not complaining about price or gives you a tip you're not charging enough.......


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## alberteh (Feb 26, 2012)

I've never got a tip.


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## plumber101us (Feb 25, 2013)

This is the reason I went to flat rate priceing. I can give them options and a lot of time they will pick the mid to high end repair if given the option. I dont know about you but I thought we were in this for profit not experience i already have all the experience I need thats how i earned my master license


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## Dan (Nov 29, 2011)

We just raised our prices a lot so Im anticipating more of these calls. Sometimes when someone does question a price i toss the ball back and ask them What do they think its worth. one lady was grumbling because we fixed haf to charge two home warranty deductables and her husband could have fixed it for $5 worth of parts. I asked her to figure out what his time was worth, going to get the parts and then trying to installl them. She settled down after that.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Two words.........Flat Rate :thumbsup: 

They know the cost before you ever leave the yard.


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