# Tile contractor Hack



## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Had a customer call me today that is having a party tonight with a broken toilet handle and wanted me to come right over,I was in between jobs and could go right away so I agreed and got about 1/2 mile before she called back and said her TILEman offered to install it for her.......I said "Well ok maybe next time" she said "I have alot of plumbing work coming up after the 1st of the year I'm going to want done and I will call you" I say..."Hey I'm about to tile my kitchen and I need a good tileman...who do you use?" She gave me the guys name........I'm not sure what I'ma do but I'ma teach this guy a lesson some how.  I have a friend with a large empty building on a concrete slab...maybe I will get an estimate to tile the whole 10,000 sq ft building and then string him along for a few weeks thinking hes got the job. Then tell him he lost the job because a friend said you cross trades and do plumbing so I cant use a hack to lay my tile.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Maybe he will snap the corner off of the tank..


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

slickrick said:


> Maybe he will snap the corner off of the tank..


 That the 1st thing I said when I hung up the phone..."I hope the bastard turns the nut the wrong way"


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

let me get this right,, your gonna f with the tileguy over a toilet handle


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

GREENPLUM said:


> let me get this right,, your gonna f with the tileguy over a toilet handle


Thats what I was thinking. WHo cares? Anyone can install a handle. It doesn't matter if you are licensed or skilled or have a 45 IQ.:laughing:


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

GREENPLUM said:


> let me get this right,, your gonna f with the tileguy over a toilet handle


 Well I want to. I know its stupid. I mean wtf the guy just voluntered to take my job......and I was already on the way.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

plus if he broke the toilet he would prolly go get her a new one and install it. F that guy.


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

TheMaster said:


> Well I want to. I know its stupid. I mean wtf the guy just voluntered to take my job......and I was already on the way.


Its about as hard as changing a light bulb. Let it go.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

I've seen a lot of broken tanks it's so easy sometimes.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

You don't have to be a plumber to change the handle.


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

I changed a lightbulb last night, maybe the electricians will be calling me a hack now.:laughing:


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

I think I'm on both sides on this one :jester:.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

ILPlumber said:


> You don't have to be a plumber to change the handle.


 I never said you did and i dont hafta be a tileman to grout a bath floor but I dont because I'm not a tileman...and a tileman shouldn't be offering to do anythign with plumbing.


service guy said:


> I changed a lightbulb last night, maybe the electricians will be calling me a hack now.:laughing:


I know an electrician who makes a living changing light bulbs in grocery store and shopping center parking lots......Yes he would call you a hack if you started changing light bulbs for anyone other than yourself after they have called the proper person.


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

Imo, the annoying part is that* the customer called to cancel while you were on you're way.* She shouldn't be calling a master plumber for something so small and easy, and then canceling when she realizes that someone else can do it.

I would be mad at the customer, not the tileguy whom I never even met.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

F that tile guy. 

How about this. The Master is at the customers house, replacing a tank handle. Sanchez is a no sho (sleeping it off?) Customer really wants to get the grouting done. TM is a little slow, so he says hey, I'll grout the floor, muchacha (senorita, whatever). How would the illegal feel then?

And REALLY? NO LICENSE NEEDED FOR A TANK HANDLE????? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND. 

REPLACING A PART ON A TOILET, WHETHER IT BE A FLUSH VALVE, BALLCOCK, OR TANK HANDLE IS DEFINETLEYPLUMBING!!!

Hey TM, Make sure you make him come back several times, change tile selection, layout, etc:thumbup:


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

service guy said:


> Imo, the annoying part is that* the customer called to cancel while you were on you're way.* She shouldn't be calling a master plumber for something so small and easy, and then canceling when she realizes that someone else can do it.
> 
> I would be mad at the customer, not the tileguy whom I never even met.


 Its all annoying. It had nothing to do with the money as to why she cancelled.....it was because that ******* opened his mouth when he should have kept it shut. When she called i was already in my van and immediately was on the way to her house......it just piss's me off. Its not about the money with me either its just the idea of it all. If she would have called and i wasn't available and the tileman wasn;t around...I would be the *******. i'm pissed at both but I'm not sp stupid as to close her account when I will make plenty off her....so that leaves that tile guy to be mad at.:laughing:


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

:laughing: I love this place.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Ya know, I just don't care what other trades or DIYers do. Fly at it. Good luck with that.  Generally they botch it and I or another plumber gets called in the end anyway.

The worst are the tile or laminate floor guys who always say, "We can reset that toilet for ya, no problem!". Then they cause a big leak and wreck the new floor they just put in by either trying to re-use the old seal or by not putting enough seal in since they built up the floor.

Had one customer whose laminate guy came back after a flood he caused, replaced the floor again and reset the toilet again (warranty). Guess what? It leaked again, wrecking the floor a second time. Customer called a different floor guy that time and called me to reset the toilet properly. Made me laugh.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

I dont like it that the tile man inserted himself after the call was made. I think its annoying and even though I wouldnt go thru the effort to teach a lesson it is not cool...calling a plumber isnt a losing prop..the plumber gets to look at that bathroom and other things can be checked and TM had the option to not charge or catch it on the next one or charge a full call..not the tile mans place.


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

The tile guy should be shot in the head and then have his corpse hung out in public square for offering to do a 5 minute handyman job while he was there. I see that clearly now.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

service guy said:


> The tile guy should be shot in the head and then have his corpse hung out in public square for offering to do a 5 minute handyman job while he was there. I see that clearly now.


 Thats a bit over the top...


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

stillaround said:


> Thats a bit over the top...


This whole thread is a bit overthetop! :laughing:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

What other 5 min. plumbing related items should we endorse for the handyman?


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

stillaround said:


> Thats a bit over the top...


 Ya, atleast give him a proper burial after you shoot him in the head. Geez you guys are hard core...


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Round here except for my tileman friend ( the one who gets me work), the tilemen are a bit arrogant and have caused nuisances. They are all on probation as far as Im concerned and violation of that probation..the penalties are higher. So, no burial.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I am with TM. Where does it end? He's a tile guy. Not a plumber. Not a plumber. Not a plumber. Not a plumber. That wasn't paste and copy, either.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

jjbex said:


> I am with TM. Where does it end? He's a tile guy. Not a plumber. Not a plumber. Not a plumber. Not a plumber. That wasn't paste and copy, either.


 I feel ya.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Yea. Power to the plumber...


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

slickrick said:


> Yea. Power to the plumber...


 Right on.


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

your going back. tack on some misery money on next time. man you need a different hobby. breid..................:rockon:


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Sounds fishy to me...TM You sure that tile guy didn't catch you doing some tile work on the side, and get his wife to call and mess with you??
:whistling2:


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Airgap said:


> Sounds fishy to me...TM You sure that tile guy didn't catch you doing some tile work on the side, and get his wife to call and mess with you??
> :whistling2:


I know the lady who called me. Shes a Dr.'s wife. So not this time.:laughing:
If the tileguy knows whats good for him he would not let his wife spend to much time with me on the phone...I have majical powers with women.:yes:


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## pipe dope (Oct 27, 2009)

GREENPLUM said:


> let me get this right,, your gonna f with the tileguy over a toilet handle


My thoughts exactly. Once I got chewed out by my boss for changing a lock for a tenant in her apartment. Janitors do that for this property and don't charge the building but still. I agree, don't do someone else's job- but I don't think his intentions were bad.
I would be pissed too, no doubt. Same thing happened to me- I got in touch with a tenant a few hours after receiving a work order to unclog a sink and she says her friend just came and took care of it.
The trend here is for janitors to start doing more and more jobs to save money for the real estate companies.
The company I work for is employed by a very large real estate company. About 6 months ago they started training their janitors to do more simple repairs to save money.
The janitors now regularly change handles and flappers, do toilet rod-outs, clean out vanity traps, toilet seats. The list just keeps growing.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

pipe dope said:


> My thoughts exactly. Once I got chewed out by my boss for changing a lock for a tenant in her apartment. Janitors do that for this property and don't charge the building but still. I agree, don't do someone else's job- but I don't think his intentions were bad.
> I would be pissed too, no doubt. Same thing happened to me- I got in touch with a tenant a few hours after receiving a work order to unclog a sink and she says her friend just came and took care of it.
> The trend here is for janitors to start doing more and more jobs to save money for the real estate companies.
> The company I work for is employed by a very large real estate company. About 6 months ago they started training their janitors to do more simple repairs to save money.
> The janitors now regularly change handles and flappers, do toilet rod-outs, clean out vanity traps, toilet seats. The list just keeps growing.


 And your in Chicago right? Home of the 200lb codebook?


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## PLUMB TIME (Feb 2, 2009)

So, let me get this right. When I do an electric water heater replacement, garbage disposer, hot water dispenser, circ pump, dishwasher etc. I should just do the plumbing only and then walk out? Just askin.:whistling2:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

PLUMB TIME said:


> So, let me get this right. When I do an electric water heater replacement, garbage disposer, hot water dispenser, circ pump, dishwasher etc. I should just do the plumbing only and then walk out? Just askin.:whistling2:


I think the conclusion was that we can do as we need to, but no one touches plumbing or any part there of.....


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

pipe dope said:


> My thoughts exactly. Once I got chewed out by my boss for changing a lock for a tenant in her apartment. Janitors do that for this property and don't charge the building but still. I agree, don't do someone else's job- but I don't think his intentions were bad.
> I would be pissed too, no doubt. Same thing happened to me- I got in touch with a tenant a few hours after receiving a work order to unclog a sink and she says her friend just came and took care of it.
> The trend here is for janitors to start doing more and more jobs to save money for the real estate companies.
> The company I work for is employed by a very large real estate company. About 6 months ago they started training their janitors to do more simple repairs to save money.
> The janitors now regularly change handles and flappers, do toilet rod-outs, clean out vanity traps, toilet seats. The list just keeps growing.


 Janitors were doing that 25 years ago. They need side jobs so they can end up owning 5 or 6 buildings.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

PLUMB TIME said:


> So, let me get this right. When I do an electric water heater replacement, garbage disposer, hot water dispenser, circ pump, dishwasher etc. I should just do the plumbing only and then walk out? Just askin.:whistling2:


Only if you're union.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

slickrick said:


> I think the conclusion was that we can do as we need to, but no one touches plumbing or any part there of.....


 I dont see anything wrong with that comment.


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## plumba (Nov 12, 2009)

maybe the guy had to use the toilet really bad, and didn't want to leave a mess in there...


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

plumba said:


> maybe the guy had to use the toilet really bad, and didn't want to leave a mess in there...


Hello plumba.. Would post an intro please. Are you a licensed plumber?


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

I think you guys are letting the HO off the hook. The tile guy didn't benefit from his services, the little lady did. I say make a bunch of appointments on the same day under phony names with her doctor husband and pull a mass no show. Then, her bread winner can feel your pain.


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## bigdaddyrob (May 14, 2009)

PLUMB TIME said:


> So, let me get this right. When I do an electric water heater replacement, garbage disposer, hot water dispenser, circ pump, dishwasher etc. I should just do the plumbing only and then walk out? Just askin.:whistling2:


I don't know about anyone else, but us In Maryland have to carry a Limited Jrny Electric License now to work on/replace all of the above.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

I'm over this now......I cant seem to hold a grudge anymore.


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## Regulator (Aug 20, 2009)

TheMaster said:


> I'm over this now......I cant seem to hold a grudge anymore.


It's for the best, you'll live longer this way. Lowers your blood pressure.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

TheMaster said:


> I'm over this now......I cant seem to hold a grudge anymore.


 The benefits of comiseration


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