# I'm 3.5 x more expensive



## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

So I had an interesting conversation with the service coordinator for a large fast food chain restaurant I do service work for. It actually started out as an invoice number question as I forgot to provide the store number, so she was just wondering which one it was for. Then it got interesting, when she asked about a particular work order which was on a Sunday. Basically I went out on a Sunday to an entire restaurant backed up. This system is royally screwed up with a septic system and grease system on a shared leach bed that is shot, and they pump the tank and interceptor once a week. Between jetting and snaking and discovering a rotted out cast iron line, it was a 3 hr job not including the 45 min drive there. I wound up opening the floor and fixing the drain the following night and inspecting the drain and jetting and snaking more. 
So my bill for the Sunday was $575.00 this only included 2 hours of snaking and a Sunday fee...I did not include the jetter charge as it didn't do anything.
I told her that my charge for snaking is $250.00 for 1 hour then $62.50/30 min thereafter. She says ok! I was just wondering because our previous plumber charged $69.00 to snake I said "judging by the conditions of yur drains when I began doing service work I would say he's merely a hole poker, and a sizzle top popper". So then I asked "so are ya tellin me your concerned about my pricing?" She says "oh no! Not at all! The truth is we always had call backs with him, it seems like he was always snaking, always snaking the same restaurants over and over. But since we began using you, we don't have continuous issues." So I informed her that should they ever have concerns regarding my invoices to not hesitate to let me know and we can discuss the particular issues. She said "no your fine"! 
So have any of you had that situation with your commercial customers where you were considerably more than the other guy. Then informed about it, then told everything is fine. Did you notice yur call volume decrease or business as usual. Am I reading too much into this?


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

She obviously values the work you do and the fact that you aren't back there over and over again. I'm sure she saw that his cheap prices for multiple trips added up to more $ than what you charge to get it done right.


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

I think you are reading too much into it. You may have actually found a customer who believes in getting what you pay for, I know crazy right?

Keep em happy as long as they pay


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

I had a similar situation with the only property management company I work with. He basically told me after a disagreement we had that I'm too high anyway. A few months later he's called me back to work for him and he has never questioned my price since. I never asked him why the change of heart. As long as he's paying my invoice. 
One reason I don't really do commercial, realtors or property management companies.


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

Unclog1776 said:


> I think you are reading too much into it. You may have actually found a customer who believes in getting what you pay for, I know crazy right?
> 
> Keep em happy as long as they pay


I actually believe this to be true. So many long stories. Ill just say that between myself (my business) and my father in laws business, whom I also work for as a contract water systems operator, we have bailes then out of some deep deep crap with the health dept. and the state water board. They pay within days of getting my invoices, and have never questioned the price (as in, so what did u do for that much) on any job from small repairs to a $75,000.00 septic system earlier this year. As well as the current project i am working on that will be north of $120,000.00. This week should tell the tale


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

Shoot'N'Plumber said:


> I actually believe this to be true. So many long stories. Ill just say that between myself (my business) and my father in laws business, whom I also work for as a contract water systems operator, we have bailes then out of some deep deep crap with the health dept. and the state water board. They pay within days of getting my invoices, and have never questioned the price (as in, so what did u do for that much) on any job from small repairs to a $75,000.00 septic system earlier this year. As well as the current project i am working on that will be north of $120,000.00. This week should tell the tale


Sounds like a great account!!!


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

Unclog1776 said:


> Sounds like a great account!!!


Very good! Which is why I've been reading a lot into it!


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

Shoot'N'Plumber said:


> Very good! Which is why I've been reading a lot into it!


Read this much into it, you gave her the perfect opportunity to discuss any issues with the invoice, most people jump on that if they have issues. I also bet that the last plumber she had out there might not have been as easy to deal with either. It sounds like she trusts you. That's big.


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

I have a jetter and a few large sewer machines capable of pushing 250' of cable, we have a large customer that only calls us when the other 75' hole popper they use can't get it . I don't have an issue with this because the calls are always at night or on the weekend and the average call is 850+ just to run the sewer machine because of the size of their grease systems. If we pull the jetter out the price doubles.


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## LAsercut (Jul 19, 2015)

Hey shoot, where was this screwed up system located at?? Doesnt sound like a typical socal setup at all, is this place like super old or something?


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

Dude, that was last year.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

How old the post is doesn't effect LAsercut's question. Stirring up old posts can be good sometimes. 

Makes me wonder if he is still servicing that restaurant and if they have had any more issues with his fees. Basically an 8th month update on if Shoot'n has experienced a decrease or business as usual which was a concern.


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

chonkie said:


> How old the post is doesn't effect LAsercut's question. Stirring up old posts can be good sometimes.
> 
> Makes me wonder if he is still servicing that restaurant and if they have had any more issues with his fees. Basically an 8th month update on if Shoot'n has experienced a decrease or business as usual which was a concern.


No issues, I still service the franchise. In fact have a shut down repair tonight ill be leaving to in about 3 mins. If anything, I think I may need to hire someone this year. 

This septic system is still an ongoing issue. Just wrapped up an 8 week bioremediation project that didn't have the result I was hoping for. They are in a current lease dispute with the property owner over a long term deal...so they don't want to invest a bunch of money into someone else's property without enough time for a ROI. And yes I'm in Cali!


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## cjtheplumber (Mar 9, 2012)

Working for the big chains or management companies is not always easy. You have to know how to deal with them.

I got an account that used to jet their lines every 3 months by another plumber and they always had clogs. When I got the account I did it every 6 months. I was told a few times that I was expensive and the jetting was costing too much. This is after a few years of doing work for them.

I get along very well with the regional manager so we had a conversation about how they always had clogs and how they had to jet every 3 months before me. We spoke about how they no longer had issues or major clogs. I was told the owner wanted to buy their own jetter to save money.

A few months ago their maintenance guy who thinks knows everything talked them into finally buying that jetter. He has no clue on how to use it. I was expecting a harben or usjet. They got a small ridgid with the wrong nozzles:laughing:. Nothing wrong with the jetter just in the wrong hands. But not even close to my equipment. I'm not going to lie I was a lil worry about his safety:whistling2: and I was also worry about loosing the account but I also knew that anything the maintenance guy touched turned into disaster. I've seen his plumbing work:blink: He is not qualify or licensed 

I no longer do the jetting. But this guy always screws something up or can't jet a line:laughing: So I now do more repairs. This works out better for me. I know of him jetting from the roof when there is a clean out he can use. He has no clue on the layout of the plumbing and what cleans what. They no longer get discounted rates from me. I now only get called on emergency and for repairs. I charge normal rates and they don't complaint .:thumbsup:

I have no idea how spending on a small jetter, paying the maintance guy and me is cheaper. But I won't complaint I'm the one they always call when the maintenance guy can't get it done and for some magical reason I always make it work:laughing: 

To say the least I got another repair I need to do for them in a week:laughing: It was actually this week but I just didn't have time to get to it.

So as you can see ShootNPlumber you are still doing their work. They will always come back because they know you won't put a band aid. :thumbsup:


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