# i had a customer call me today



## switch045 (Jan 25, 2012)

asking how much we would charge to replace aprox 3 feet of 4" concrete sewer drain 9ft down. i said without seeing it probably around $2k to $3k. he said Roto.R charged him $7k he's takingthem to court, dont know how hes gonna get out of it, he signed the invoice and the work was done.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

switch045 said:


> asking how much we would charge to replace aprox 3 feet of 4" concrete sewer drain 9ft down. i said without seeing it probably around $2k to $3k. he said Roto.R charged him $7k he's takingthem to court, dont know how hes gonna get out of it, he signed the invoice and the work was done.


I hate when customers after the fact thinks they paid to much....

The fool signed a contract and had them do the work....

It's to late for him to go shopping and you should have told him that.....

People like that really piss me off

Sent from my miniature laptop


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> I hate when customers after the fact thinks they paid to much....
> 
> The fool signed a contract and had them do the work....
> 
> ...


Well said! I get that sometimes. " I need y'all out now!, my. Gas off.. I have to have it on tonite!" 

Turns out all bad lines 60 yrs old. Repipe same day and gas back on. He pay bill and then next day he want an itemized bill. I tell him I don't itemize. 
He says that he checked and ther wasn't much $ in materials and how come it was so much for. 3 hours. 


Bs !!


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

Jobs that big I never give a price over the phone. You do not know if its in the middle of a driveway, parkway or street or if its just in a lawn area. You also do not know if there are any major utilities near by. If I got the same call and he pressed me for a price over the phone, I would start off telling him if its in a lawn area it will cost him 4k to 8k depending on utilities, or digging in the parkway,if its in the street he is looking at 10k to 20k or even higher if I have to reroute traffic. Then I tell them if the want a firm price instead of a ball park I must come out and see the job.

I just got an e-mail from a guy that wants me to email him back a price to install a 1000 gallon grease trap. He did not provide any other information, or drawings. I asked him if there is a grease trap on site, and if it is inside or outside. He replied there is a 75 gallon one inside and they city wants the 1000 gallon unit installed outside in the back in the street. Now you tell me can you give this guy a price even a ball park one with out seeing this job? I do not think so. I emailed him back told him I need to come to the site and look things over to give him a proper bid. Have not heard back yet.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

I don't usually defend moto scooter but a 9 foot deep hole is more than just a little dig. Did they get more than others would have charged? Of course they got more! That's what they do! Crying about it later is whining.


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## MarkToo (Dec 17, 2011)

switch045 said:


> asking how much we would charge to replace aprox 3 feet of 4" concrete sewer drain 9ft down. i said without seeing it probably around $2k to $3k. he said Roto.R charged him $7k he's takingthem to court, dont know how hes gonna get out of it, he signed the invoice and the work was done.



$2K-$3K is cheap.

You're going to have a 20' hole and all the typical what if's.

I wouldn't have been $7K but, I would have been somewhere in the middle.

You may not be getting the entire story either...


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

I wouldn't rag on root rooter. It may be worth that to them. Every situation is different. I would have had to see it to give a price. But if I could have got it for 25,000.00 I would have.


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## High-plumbing (Jan 8, 2012)

Just did one last week. Nine feet deep the side of the trench was constantly caving in had to hand dig around utilities. Original call pipe was crushed between two rocks they used some real thin PVC home depot stuff. Could not clear it. Convinced homeowner that the equipment was here let's replace it too the sidewalk. We found a huge run of lava flow we get out here that is a pain to get through. Instead of blasting it out the original installers just used fernco bands to go up and over it. So we had to get out the jack hammers and bust out a foot of lava rock to get grade. Oh and the house is only ten years old. The homeowner was there for the two days in the rain with us posting pictures on Facebook of these crazy guys he had working for him. Gave him the bill that was double what we quoted him. He gladly wrote us a check and gave each of us a free computer repair and said we could have charged him twice what we did and he still would have paid it. The customer does not complain after the job unless you make it look too easy. I usually disarm them by saying after doing a hundred of these I had better be good at it. If that does not defuse it then I say next time we will send someone with less experience.


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## drs (Jun 17, 2011)

Nothing is ever the same. You must put eyes on it. I hate price shoppers.


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## Sewer Saint (May 5, 2012)

Horizon in SE PA are a major scam. The recently took a neighbor of mine for over $22,000. They charged $12,000 to replace an air conditioner and $10,000 for replacement of a 12' PVC sewer line, 4' down and in Type B soil. No sidewalk, no utilities crossing, just dirt.

Then she came over to me, after they did all of the work and asked me if she paid too much. I could only look at her, then look at the big, yellow trench digger in my front yard, and then look back at her. 

I just said "Yep. I would have done the excavation for $1000 dollars and a plate of your Christmas cookies and I have a friend who owes me a big favor and would have done the air conditioner replacement for you at cost."

What can you do with some people...


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## SHAUN C (Feb 16, 2011)

Sewer Saint said:


> Horizon in SE PA are a major scam. The recently took a neighbor of mine for over $22,000. They charged $12,000 to replace an air conditioner and $10,000 for replacement of a 12' PVC sewer line, 4' down and in Type B soil. No sidewalk, no utilities crossing, just dirt.
> 
> Then she came over to me, after they did all of the work and asked me if she paid too much. I could only look at her, then look at the big, yellow trench digger in my front yard, and then look back at her.
> 
> ...


Horizon with the bright orange box trucks? Those guys were charging astronomical dollars when I lived up there.


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## Sewer Saint (May 5, 2012)

Yep. A little side on them. Both of their owners are married and it seems they decided to sleep with their respective administrative assistants. Too be they were using the same admin...so they are eskimo brothers. Needless to say there are some fireworks happening at that company.


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