# Growing Trends & and a Saturday at Work



## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Something I've noticed lately, and I'm not complaining because I try to avoid them because flat rating and never getting the majority of the calls,


But my customer base has been slowly moving towards contract installs on water heaters, both from big box stores and places like Sears without thinking twice about involving me into the equation.


I have no animosity about this because if I had my choice, I'd rather not go through the nonsense involved with them. Sounds funny given I've put 6 in the past few weeks but I'm not giddy about doing them, ever.


But the customer base is being swayed by the 2 being paired, no pickup of the water heater, no "unknown" brand name coming to the door, wondering if the plumber has embedded profit into the equation.

Customers love to do price/quality comparisons, and unless you have an established comfort zone (not found in new customer clientell) the customer will veer left or right of you if you mention an uncommon name such as Bradford White, or Rheem, Ruud, State. 

Most I've spoken to almost have to take a picture to send to me to find out if it is gas or electric. !!! 

Given larger companies, they can absorb the blind call with little or no info, bring a water heater and then find out it's the wrong size, wrong application, needed gas when it was ordered as electric. <<< Constantly happened when I worked for a company that did the big 3 in the area for water heater installs.


Trips back and forth to the store, no biggie. Those contracts embed usually a 17 store range, so driving/fuel/time is made up somewhere in the jobs you do accomplish and go smooth, based on averages. 


But the question I pose: 


Would you be offended by your customer if they had another contractor replace the water heater in the structure, instead of you? 



I am not. and even though it's income on the table... I don't like the time slot it requires when I'm accustomed to nailing down numerous service calls in a day.


Yesterday (Saturday) I did 2 service calls that was planned for 4, by 4pm my helper and I were amazed at the time block that became of 2 calls (Drain reroute on a RPBA at a business and Faucet replacement (kitchen) that had issues) between traffic, problems that arised, and the effort for both to get the finished product correct.

I started late (11am) because I can :thumbup: and nice to enjoy a saturday morning. 


I constantly get drilled on price on water heaters, and it almost feels as good when this happens that when I arrive at a new customer's home, I'd rather see the majority of the older plumbing replaced instead of being asked to do a total gut out, wanting rock bottom for the entire job.

I see the value in both designs, but I'm speaking on behalf of a service plumber that wants to keep the window open for the new calls coming in.

I had a call to work on the 5th floor of this building yesterday:










The one on the left with the angled roof.

Clogged kitchen sink drain, non-working garbage disposal. 


I turned it down because I was dirty from my first two jobs, and even though I have a substantial amount of coverage for liability,

I turn down calls in those high rises because if anything, I mean anything goes wrong, and water, sewage, anything goes wrong? Some of those flats are million or more a piece, and could exceed right passed my coverages and leave me as a memory.

I get calls, once or twice a year for people looking for a plumber. Those 2 buildings in the center?

We had to replace a water heater that was in an 11' tall ceiling, had to suspend it from the ceiling, ran 2 drains that were basically flat almost 100' to a floor drain at the complete opposite end of the flat.

Everything came with its conditions. 


I've come to the reality that the sensation of saying "yeah, we worked there" has lost its luster to me, and probably any clientell that is willing to care we even worked there. 

I'm sharing the work basically with the competition, a good thing in a lot of ways. Some risks I just won't take anymore for the benefit of the big game.


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## sheeptown44 (Oct 31, 2010)

The big box store installs are Not Exactly PRETTY to us plumbers.The customer buys soley on price and could care less about any thing except they now have hot water. Really sad. I think most use some sort of credit card. I could further my comments but I will just leave it at that. peace.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

I have found that code upgrades are seldom done when installed by box store plumbers. They should not get away with doing subpar work.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

easttexasplumb said:


> I have found that code upgrades are seldom done when installed by box store plumbers. They should not get away with doing subpar work.



The one I saw yesterday doesn't have any thermal expansion protection when the heater was replaced, and I know for a fact in that county, those meter yokes are built with a check valve right at the meter pit.

They try not to follow code and go for the heater sale because those code infractions can lose the sale, have someone else do it with wasted time with a heater on the truck, installer burning the clock up.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

sheeptown44 said:


> The big box store installs are Not Exactly PRETTY to us plumbers.The customer buys soley on price and could care less about any thing except they now have hot water. Really sad. I think most use some sort of credit card. I could further my comments but I will just leave it at that. peace.


 

I rarely, if I believe ever, am asked if I'm a licensed plumber.


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

i got outbid by lowes yesterday for installing a 40 gal gas w.h, i just laughed at the customer when they said lowes is cheaper :no: cuz it is hardlined in with an old gate valve, not strapped and with a recirc pump, hahahaha just wait til they show up and find out its not a direct swap out with flex lines :laughing: that price is gonna jump quick, if they even send someone competent to do the job.:jester: 
 them


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## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

Had a buddy who had the Lowes Contract in Dallas / Ft. Worth. They would pick up water heater at store it was purchased and install it for around $225 or $250.

The way they made money on installs was when they had to bring items up to code, then they stuck it to the customer.

For me I have a hard time competing with a the Craiglist plumbers who most are unlicensed and doing it for around $250 for a install. I am sure install is substandard and no code issue are met.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> ..But the question I pose:
> Would you be offended by your customer if they had another contractor replace the water heater in the structure, instead of you?...



Mr D,

First...If they are MY customer I would like to believe they would not feel the need to price shop since they have experienced the value of our services. So if they call Sears and don't call me, then I have to wonder where as a company we failed to provide proof of our value. I start here because I always check the mirror first. I'm not sure I would call it offended but it does bug me.

Second...Consumers are never as loyal to our brand as we think they are. They are however hopelessly yanked by the next best offer and the water cooler stories of how cheap Fred got his water heater installed (Fred probably lied by the way so as not to look like an idiot). Couple that with the Loss Leader (aka Bait & Switch) approach that the box stores use when selling water heaters and by many of their installers. It is no wonder we don't get every job every time.

Third...Some consumers have an odd way of determining who they will call for a particular job. I've had a clients call us for major sewer work but routinely call a handyman for small repairs. Still others think a water heater is just another appliance so they are supposed to call Sears to get a new one. Again, I believe this shows a lack of insight on our part by not properly informing our clients of what is "PLUMBING" and WHY they should be consulting with their licensed plumber for all of these tasks.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> But the question I pose:
> 
> 
> Would you be offended by your customer if they had another contractor replace the water heater in the structure, instead of you?
> ...


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## frugalrooter (Dec 10, 2010)

one thing people forget you get what you pay for nothing else....


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

It happened again tonight, totally okay with it because guess what; I'm there, they called me and I'm making money:


Customer called from a hospital, said she was heading home with her husband that just had a pacemaker put in.

Toilet is clogged, probably leaking at the base (couldn't tell) and I found out my closet auger was broke when I went to unclog it.


Right when I get done, they show up, I go over the fact that someone took the refill tube off the fill valve and had it spraying outside the overflow tube. I explained to her that I've been installing them for 23+ years and I'm not about to put a customer in a bad way like that. 

She agreed, and said that her husband recently messed with the inside of it. Explains the clogged toilet as it is short flushing.

Before I left, she says, "Oh! You have to see my new bathroom in the basement!" 

This bathroom was so freaking nasty when I worked on it twice over the past couple years that I almost thought less of these people, but I never saw how immaculate they kept the upstairs. 

They spent 8 grand, had a remodeler come in with "his" plumber and turn this basement bath into an amazing, beautiful bathroom. I was impressed.


But, I was not upset they had another plumber in their home. Why? Because these people that still have me back, employing me right now.. and scheduling even future work? How could I be letting them down.

To think that would be greed, trying to control every aspect of the customer's desire to spend money on their plumbing needs. 

I can't be that way because I myself tend to not always be loyal to one company or profession, and it has nothing to do with one's offer of services. It's just normal consumerism and it'll stay that way.

But I really enjoy the repeat base of mine that doesn't call me for "everything" because it works well, keeping me sharpened to what I do best, and that's short/fast/in and out calls that frees me up for the next one. 

I charged $85 for 3 minutes turning a broken auger, chatted with their family, talked about food and health and the woman said, "In the spring we are going to have you come back and put a new toilet in that bathroom." 

I just nodded my head in agreement, but the statement before that was, "We're thinking about making that bathroom larger, changing the location and making it roomier." 


She had a terrific experience with her remodeler, and that remodeler has a good relationship with his plumber. It's not my place to intervene and look like I'm begging for every dollar there is to be made.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Your box is full Dunbar. :laughing:


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> It happened again tonight, totally okay with it because guess what; I'm there, they called me and I'm making money:
> 
> 
> Customer called from a hospital, said she was heading home with her husband that just had a pacemaker put in.
> ...


 

i agree totally, some people get a great combo price on bathroom remodels especially nowadays and i fully understand why they do it, can't blame them, i'm not gonna be pissed that they saved some cash doing so, like u stated we are in there a house again and again for a reason, even after there great experience with a g.c


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