# Do you turn work down?



## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

Seems like I've found my niche. Passed up a 1400$ easy job to be with my kids last night. I made 5k this week already what the heck do I care? Am I crazy? Or is this normal?


----------



## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

Your Normal. Time off, Family, Health and more is more important than money to me. I have passed on many a job to be with family and do what I want.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I usually find time to get the work done and still have time with the family...

However, if I sense the customer is one of those out to screw me over they will definitely need to call a competitor. It's much better for everyone in that case...


----------



## Rexticle (Nov 12, 2011)

I used to work for a company that would grind us into the ground, always pushing to do one more call or work on Saturday or Sunday. 

When I went out on my own I told myself that I would take time to smell the roses every once and a while. I will not be defined by my bank account or the number of jobs I can squeeze into the day. I cringe at all I missed while trying to keep others happy.


----------



## Workhorseplmg (Apr 10, 2013)

I turn down jobs on a weekly basis. Everything from a new house to a service call. I do usually end up working six days a week from August to October, but it feels good to turn stuff down for people you don't know. Next year my goal is to take on less so I'm not stuck working 6 days so much.


----------



## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Turn down every General Contractor or out of town property management company that calls.


----------



## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Turned down roughly 10k of work on sewer replacements and misc plumbing in last month. It happens and means you're busy enough to decide where you want to be. ....however busy does not mean making money.


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I have been passing up a lot of drain calls....

I think I might be pissing off the company I send them to because the guy on call today got 5 of them from me...... 

and of course its been stopped up since thanksgiving day and they finally get around to calling today around 3pm..??:blink::blink:

I dont want them, and dont care about your story.... .:no::no:... .


----------



## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

as i read this, the shop is closed. call me monday.


----------



## BOBBYTUCSON (Feb 8, 2013)

SchmitzPlumbing said:


> as i read this, the shop is closed. call me monday.



lol


----------



## Lucky Jack (Nov 14, 2015)

Take what you want, tell the others "NO". I had 4 daughters and hoped they learned the value of saying no! Lucky Jack


----------



## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

As a counterpoint I never turned down a call,

Now I have 30 yrs of regret of missed time with family and kids


----------



## jnaas2 (Dec 6, 2012)

Depends on the customers attitude, When they start telling how to do the job and how long it should take I let them do there own work since they know so much


----------



## Lucky Jack (Nov 14, 2015)

jnaas2 said:


> Depends on the customers attitude, When they start telling how to do the job and how long it should take I let them do there own work since they know so much


The very first people I turn down are the ones that say "all you have to do is" at that point I'm all done! Lucky Jack


----------



## Nathan901 (Feb 11, 2012)

It should only take you 15 minutes...


----------



## PPRI (Aug 27, 2013)

I would say we have to turn down about 3 times as much as we take on. This year we only worked for repeat customers. We hated turning new clients away but until we expand we can barely keep up with our existing clientele


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

JERRYMAC said:


> As a counterpoint I never turned down a call,
> 
> Now I have 30 yrs of regret of missed time with family and kids












Jerry, your post reminds me of what an older plumber said to me some years back, "you can always make more money, but you can't make more time."


----------



## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

"I would do it myself, but I'm just too busy". Then when you do the work they just sit there and watch you!


----------



## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

I turn down rfq's when I think they are a waste of my time. If a job looks like there is going to be a problem with money or work organization, I decline by saying we're too busy.


----------



## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

89plumbum said:


> "I would do it myself, but I'm just too busy". Then when you do the work they just sit there and watch you!


 I get that from time to time. Most of the time we can knock it out in 1/3 of the time, plus we bring all the materials.


----------



## crackerjack7575 (Nov 27, 2015)

You only get so many hours, don't want to spend them all on the clock. 
I completely shut down a steady side job business when I switched companies and got a pay bump. Don't regret it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Pacificpipes (Oct 1, 2013)

Nathan901 said:


> It should only take you 15 minutes...


 Plus the years it took to do it in 15.


----------



## dragit (Jan 16, 2015)

Always a sure way to jinx me!


----------



## tims007 (Aug 31, 2013)

With 5 kids I turn stuff down alot or i get them to realize it's not a emergency and just schedule them out.. if It is a flood and I'm nearby I'll swing by and shut it off then go from there. Alwayse carry spare tools and clothing and an invoice or two in the back of the excursion.


----------



## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

With 5 kids a bus is another great option. : )


----------



## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

dhal22 said:


> With 5 kids a bus is another great option. : )


He may then be tempted to carry full inventory.

To the OP - Not only is it normal, it is WISE!!! :thumbup: Took me a while to figure out that the world was not going to come to an end because we told a customer "no."


----------



## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I find myself doing less all the time. Especially when my kids and grandkids are in town I'm not too interested on taking emergency calls. And we take weekends regularly to travel and see them. At 58 I'm glad I don't push the after hours gig and am happy to do what I can in an apprx 8 hr day 5 days a week. Works well for me.


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Epox said:


> I find myself doing less all the time. Especially when my kids and grandkids are in town I'm not too interested on taking emergency calls. And we take weekends regularly to travel and see them. At 58 I'm glad I don't push the after hours gig and am happy to do what I can in an apprx 8 hr day 5 days a week. Works well for me.



I agree with your atitude...I too am finding myself not in the
mood to go out as much as I used to do.... Just dont care to be on call all
the time....


I did out on sunday and repaired a small leak in a wall behind a vanity... 
It took me longer to drive across town than to do the work,,, 
the total bill was $350... 

I did not mind going because everyone else was watching the Colts get their ass kicked 51-15 by someone.... I could not stand to watch so I had 
an excuse to get the hell out of the house...:laughing:.


----------



## tims007 (Aug 31, 2013)

Phat Cat said:


> He may then be tempted to carry full inventory.
> 
> To the OP - Not only is it normal, it is WISE!!! :thumbup: Took me a while to figure out that the world was not going to come to an end because we told a customer "no."


well i am trying to convince the wife we need a 4x4 tall long ford transit .. family in the front tools and inventory in the back . :whistling2: she would kill me


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

In the famous words of Joe Walsh "Just leave a message maybe I'll call ...". 

No it's not quite that bad yet but I've hit a serious burnout wall over the last year or so. I used to drop everything to answer the phone no matter if I was in an 18" crawl space with a torch in my hand or not. Now, most days, I keep the ringer off on my phone. If I feel it vibrate I'll answer it, if not, I check the voice mail pretty frequently. When I get home the phone goes on the charger with the ringer off and is not touched until the following morning. 

I just turned 50 last month. There's just other stuff I'd rather be doing. 

It gets even worse this time of year, Oct. 15 - Jan 31 :whistling2:!


----------



## tims007 (Aug 31, 2013)

smellslike$tome said:


> In the famous words of Joe Walsh "Just leave a message maybe I'll call ...".
> 
> No it's not quite that bad yet but I've hit a serious burnout wall over the last year or so. I used to drop everything to answer the phone no matter if I was in an 18" crawl space with a torch in my hand or not. Now, most days, I keep the ringer off on my phone. If I feel it vibrate I'll answer it, if not, I check the voice mail pretty frequently. When I get home the phone goes on the charger with the ringer off and is not touched until the following morning.
> 
> ...


this is what i do but ringer on low volume .. my wife has a ringtone that i will answer infront of a customer.. she knows to only call if its an emergency.. she answers the work calls .. she will text me if it is not important or fi i need to anwer the phone for a bit when she is at drs apointments or kids schook apointments. we use a google app for our phones that alowes buisness in bound calls and buisness outbound calls on my persional phone .. its called google voice


----------



## Fatpat (Nov 1, 2015)

I would love to be able to turn work down:grin:


----------



## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

I have tried to cherry pick jobs the last few years. Since Thanksgiving the phone has rang off the wall, But I have had to turn down a few good jobs this week, But oh well it just part of it. Can't run em all...


----------



## Fatpat (Nov 1, 2015)

Hearing you guys talk about turning down 50 calls a month makes me go crazy.

A bit jealous I have to admit


----------



## jnaas2 (Dec 6, 2012)

Been self employed since 1990 and suffered severe burn out twice, Took a break and worked for someone else for a while then back to self employment
Now I pick and chose which ones I want


----------



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

jnaas2 said:


> Been self employed since 1990 and suffered severe burn out twice, Took a break and worked for someone else for a while then back to self employment
> Now I pick and chose which ones I want


I'm in serious danger of turning into a screwdriver plumber :laughing:.


----------



## jnohs (Jan 27, 2012)

We work to live not live to work!!


----------



## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

I turn down jobs since I'm semi-retired. I wish I could be all-retired, but the SS just doesn't cover all the bills.

I have cut out all commercial work because it's (for me) a loss leader. Too many are hard to collect from, if you ever collect.

I do work for one apartment owner because he always brings me a check the same day and the apartments are only about a block from my house.

I no longer work on trailers - none.

Sad thing is, I could use more work, but I just can't do a lot of things anymore. No more crawling for hours on end. Every time I work, I pull something. 

I'd like to get more drain-cleaning jobs, but these days, here in this little burg, everyone wants a price over the phone, site (or sight) unseen. I just can't bring myself to commit myself on something I haven't even seen.


----------

