# Customers watching you work...



## plumbcrazy81 (Jun 17, 2012)

Do you guys feel distracted having H.O.s watch you work? I know its no big deal if your doing something simple, but sometimes its down right distracting, even if they're not saying anything and just standing there. Personally, I never tell people to scram, but I really wish they wouldn't linger. Ive heard my father tell people on several occasions "I charge extra for lessons! Catch my drift?" Curious as to what you guys think.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

plumbcrazy81 said:


> Do you guys feel distracted having H.O.s watch you work? I know its no big deal if your doing something simple, but sometimes its down right distracting, even if they're not saying anything and just standing there. Personally, I never tell people to scram, but I really wish they wouldn't linger. Ive heard my father tell people on several occasions "I charge extra for lessons! Catch my drift?" Curious as to what you guys think.


I usually welcome it. It's boring working all alone.


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

plumbcrazy81 said:


> Do you guys feel distracted having H.O.s watch you work? I know its no big deal if your doing something simple, but sometimes its down right distracting, even if they're not saying anything and just standing there. Personally, I never tell people to scram, but I really wish they wouldn't linger. Ive heard my father tell people on several occasions "I charge extra for lessons! Catch my drift?" Curious as to what you guys think.


Even when you're not being watched, you're being watched.

It's 2012.

I don't mind people hanging around but I try to avoid the BS because it can become a distraction that can lead to stupid mistakes. I'd rather explain what I'm doing and why I am doing it rather than talk about sports and cars.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

plumbcrazy81 said:


> Do you guys feel distracted having H.O.s watch you work? I know its no big deal if your doing something simple, but sometimes its down right distracting, even if they're not saying anything and just standing there. Personally, I never tell people to scram, but I really wish they wouldn't linger. Ive heard my father tell people on several occasions "I charge extra for lessons! Catch my drift?" Curious as to what you guys think.


Mostly I tell them to get a chair and keep me company, but I move around a lot, I don't want to run you over so I do need personal space. There is no way they are going to pick up the trade watching what I am doing, they won't know the "why" of it.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

I stop working when customer want to talk to me.. they are paying me by the hour since I can't listen/hear/talk while I'm working. For long jobs, boiler repiping or replacement, I pulled out my hearing aid for total silence and no noise distraction.


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## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

It doesn't bother me as long as they are either being helpful or staying out of the way. It nice that they take an interest most times.

If they get in the way and _aren't_ trying to be helpful I get irritated. 

I have at least one time "accidentally" stepped on someone's foot who was getting in the way


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## UN1TED-WE-PLUMB (Oct 3, 2012)

It used to bother me when I was still pretty green, but anymore it doesnt bother me. I will usually explain what Im doing why Im doing it..also point out differences in the material Im using vs. the material Im replacing....Its a way to add value to the customer when they see that I know what Im doing.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Gives me a chance to show em they are getting their moneys worth! If I am augering a sewer I always offer to let them try it :laughing: One actually jumped in and helped when I was running the big eel, he was slinging cables like a pro he even grabbed and helped me carry them back outta the basement and back to the truck :laughing:! It's funny the hardest working customer I ever had also has DR at the beginning of his name! He is also my Dentist and a heck of a nice guy!

It doesn't bother me at all if they watch, gives me someone other than myself to talk to!


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Except for that one property manager, I call the office to have him removed from the site.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> Except for that one property manager, I call the office to have him removed from the site.


 this exactly


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> Except for that one property manager, I call the office to have him removed from the site.


 






Was it Jnosh?..................:laughing:

(I had to)


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

It depends on what she looks like...


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Tommy plumber said:


> Was it Jnosh?..................:laughing:
> 
> (I had to)


Lol laughing.. it was his brother...lol


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Doesn't bother me. I'm TM so if they start getting on my nerves I'll just tell them it may run the bill up if they keep distracting me. Most customers who watch end up real happy they called...."wow you made it look easy but it was way more complicated then I thought". 

If I was to stereotype annoying customers, it would have to be engineers.


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

prices are cheap, but you get the gist.


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## Nealfromjpt (Oct 10, 2012)

if they ask i usually tell them it takes more time, to answer all questions. but i never act rude or try not to , i also NEVER let them carry anything or help in any way , too much risk for a lawsuit


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

It's the norm here. It does piss me off when the goof who broke what I'm working on is giving me advice and is in the way in a tight space. We did have one lady who was incapable of being quite. We had to call her husband to get her out of the house so we could locate a leak.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

gear junkie said:


> Doesn't bother me. I'm TM so if they start getting on my nerves I'll just tell them it may run the bill up if they keep distracting me. Most customers who watch end up real happy they called...."wow you made it look easy but it was way more complicated then I thought".
> 
> If I was to stereotype annoying customers, it would have to be engineers.


 oh yes the engineers. and the web surfers. (i was on youtube and they did it like this!!) but all and all most of the time i don't care if they watch or not. it's there house they can do what they like. if they talk alot i just nod my head. and every now and then. say things like (you don't say) (oh thats cool) pretty much the same thing i do to my wife!!:yes:


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I don't mind them watching at all. I like to watch them write the check.


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

I always go out of my way to show them what I am doing. It's a great time to ask questions and discover other items that need attention.


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

Let them watch, I like the attention.


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## Plumbing Wolf (Oct 23, 2012)

Hi Plumbcrazy81, this is an interesting question and a good one for those who have some experience or even extensive service and/or installers experience. Since I am a new member as of to day, I do not wish to come across as a story teller. My personal view is the useless question is the one that noone asked! 

Briefly, having experience in pretty much, all aspects of commercial, industrial, and residential plumbing, heating and pipe fitting, both new construction, and service, as well as hving my own business for approximately five years, here is my response:

In my experience, before you even walk through the customers door, this situation is more likely than not to occurr. Consequently, I ask myself :

1) What am I going to do if the customer wants to watch me?
2) What is the context of the watching? i.e.; Is it curiosity? Is it nefarious or are they trying to sharp shoot you? Are they looking to attach some liability to you because they would like to distract you so that you will not install something according to code and therefor sue you? Did they already attempt a repair and failed? Do they want to watch what you do so they do not have to pay anyone anext time they run accross the same issue so as to gain what you and try it, right wrong for themselves? Did they get their steriotypye of a plumber from a television show, and have a predisposed image before you walked through the door. But cautiously last, may customers may want to watch you, because unknown to you, they have a larger job and they want to see you perform something small first, and if done well, ask you or your company if you would like to do a bathroon remodel, or a kitchen etc..

Final comment: One, two or all could apply, you can get clues by looking around for signs, for instance; you are called for a routine, ha ha!, leaky toilet and it is not serious, just a bad five dollar, flapper. You drove an hour to get there, and your losing money on the call. You noticed tiles falling or about to start falling, with calking as a homeowner type fix. You might suggest or offer to repair it. Every situation is different, and theres no one right way . I had this happen to me more than one and
found that even though, I or mycompany was losing money, I said nothing and became the best darn toilet flapper installer I could be and smile as if I was Installing a new heating system in an easily accessable mechaical room, and when I finished, the customer asked do you people do bathroom remodel? I said yes we most certainly do. They asked me when do you think you could do it because everyone they called said no sooner than a few weeks. My response was " When would like me to do it? They said as soon as you can, I said is tomorrow to soon? They said really?, and I walked out of there, turning a five dollar flapper, into a fifteen thousand dollar bathroom remodel, Hope this helps Plumbing Wolf[email protected]


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## Plumbdog (Jan 27, 2009)

Plumbing Wolf said:


> Hi Plumbcrazy81, this is an interesting question and a good one for those who have some experience or even extensive service and/or installers experience. Since I am a new member as of to day, I do not wish to come across as a story teller. My personal view is the useless question is the one that noone asked!
> 
> Briefly, having experience in pretty much, all aspects of commercial, industrial, and residential plumbing, heating and pipe fitting, both new construction, and service, as well as hving my own business for approximately five years, here is my response:
> 
> ...


Nice first post, but you need to go to the intro section and tells us about yourself.
And there should be no calls that you loose money on. If they could change the flapper or knew it was the flapper that needed to be changed they should have done it themselves, but since they called me they get charged accordingly. And I'm not doing this to loose money.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I use customers talking to me as an opportunity to mold them into the customers I want. I have a list of approved topics so to speak in my head and rotate them based on how I feel the customer is. If the customer is a cheapskate and thinks prices are too high, that is when I casually talk about over head or something like that. Like man have you been following gas prices lately? It takes me 200 bucks a week to keep the needle off e in my van. 

If its a DIY customer I feel, I tell a story about the last guy to do the the,selves and ruin their flooring of something like that. You have to be good at reading people, otherwise it looks way too obvious. Once you get good though, I would say any customer I get to talk to is exceptionally happy, I've gotten good at telling them what they want/need to hear.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Why so much distrust of your customer that you have molded?

RW very good answer.

Who cares who watches whom? The more a customer is around me the more information I receive about them and I can influence decisions. There is no convincing, there is no persuading, and there is no manipulation. The more I know and confirm I heard correctly the more mutual trust respect, and rapport is built.

The great thing is I can get him or her to hold the flashlight, see the issue and comprehend that I am in fact an expert at what I do and have done this hundreds if not thousands of times. It looks easy because it is easy. It is all about you setting customer standards and expectations and not the customer setting them for your company.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

It is not what you say it is how it is said that makes the difference.

You do not have to mention flooding or a loss of something to get a predictable behavior out of your customer.


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## plumberdad70 (Sep 29, 2012)

i let them watch, and they get to see why i get paid what i get paid and 99% of the time they are happy to pay it!!!!!:thumbup::thumbsup:


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## 89plumbum (May 14, 2011)

I don't usually mind it at all but I did have an older couple with there 45 year old son stand in the bathroom doorway watch me change a wc a while back. It was eerily silent. At one point I had to go to the van and they just stood face to face with me for a good 45 seconds:blink:. I guess im also interested in what makes people tic because I could have said excuse me.:laughing:


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## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

89plumbum said:


> I don't usually mind it at all but I did have an older couple with there 45 year old son stand in the bathroom doorway watch me change a wc a while back. It was eerily silent. At one point I had to go to the van and they just stood face to face with me for a good 45 seconds:blink:. I guess im also interested in what makes people tic because I could have said excuse me.:laughing:


I think I've done that very thing before once. Every once in a great while you meet some people that just radiate weird :yes:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

I only have one cust. that is distracting, he talks non stop and I have a hard time communicating with the help, and they are usually slab leaks at his house. I'm telling them to do something, and he is trying to answer. All pays the same, and it takes twice as long at his house. So if wants to pay to play plumber, have at it.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Yeah I don't mind, and if they are watching they often see me uncover problems they didn't know they had. I say wow that's a problem about to happen, want me to take care of that while I'm here?:yes:


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

Epox said:


> Yeah I don't mind, and if they are watching they often see me uncover problems they didn't know they had. I say wow that's a problem about to happen, want me to take care of that while I'm here?:yes:


THIS! The more involved they are, the more trust you can build, the more $$$ you can make by bring things to their attention.


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## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

JK949 said:


> THIS! The more involved they are, the more trust you can build, the more $$$ you can make by bring things to their attention.


:blink:

I like the way Epox said it much better :yes:


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