Hows the year been so far for plumbers?

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by graceland, Jan 30, 2013.

  1. graceland

    graceland Active Member

    Have all you plumbers out there had a good start to the year and been busy?
     
  2. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    Who ever heard of a plumber without any work!
     
  3. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    fat tony, plumbers often have no work, usually in summer though, winters are busy, the reason you think we are always busy is because, the last people we do work for is landlords, they want you there asap,they want good quality products installed at low prices, always with the 'carrot and stick' approach,and they are ALWAYS late payers, so if a landlors approaches me I say, Sorry mate I'm chocker, my criteria being, Its better to stay at home and make nothing than to work all day for nothing,
     
  4. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    I pay my plumbers by bank transfer immediately I recieve their invoice. I agree with you Tom. Bad payment and messing tradesmen around is short sighted. My guys have been with me for years.
     
  5. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    Its good to know there are good landlords about fat tony, but I have never met one, sorry if I made asumtions, but thats my experiance of landlords, 
     
  6. petertheplumber

    petertheplumber New Member

    I have not been very busy with plumbing work as yet but since I do other things I have been as busy as I want to be. I do have one of my boilers to service tomorrow and another one to do this week. but that is not what I would call busy. But then since I am semi retired I don't want too much.;) Also tom I don't have a very good opinion of landlords either (sorry tony) they always want the cheapest boilers, the cheapest shower fittings, the cheapest way of doing something. And a receipt for every penny spent, or charged. :(
     
  7. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    I agree with you too about landlords Peter. I determined that when I became a landlord I would be different. Do the job properly with quality products and pay promptly. It has served me well. With over 100 properties over the last thirty years or so I have only ever evicted one tenant too - for malicious damage. I have no problems getting my tradesmen (employees or contractors) to do work for me and I have a waiting list of new tenants.

    I have always belived that you should treat people as you would wish to be treated.

    Satanists excepted.
     
  8. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    Tom. I was a plumber on the tools before I moved into property development. I rented my own house for a few years too - so I know what its like to be a working man at the bottom of the food chain.
     
  9. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    the good thing about being at the bottom of the food chain is, gravity, it pulls all the shiote down here,
     
  10. petertheplumber

    petertheplumber New Member

    Sounds good, if you can live up to that statement then you are an exceptional landlord. I don't wish to be judgemental but it is a lot easier to say it than do it. If you do well good on you.
     
  11. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    Its actually the opposite. Treat tenants fairly and they will pay their rent on time and stay with you, when they do move on they will have a friend to reccomend to you as a new tenant.

    Treat tradesmen fairly and above all pay on time and they will look after you when you need them pronto to sort out an emergency.

    Deal sensibly with councils and they will be helpful too.

    The only people you cannot form a relationship with to develop  a better business are the banks. They are bloody awful. I run a family credit union for family and friends to lend and borrow from -  done properly and above board. Way better than relaying on high street banks.

    In business it does not pay to go out of your way to make enemies. You may well need them one day.
     
  12. tom.plum

    tom.plum Screwfix Select

    I applaud your way of working fat Tony but, why is it, that in 30 years of being self employed I have never have anyone treat me like you treat your staff/subbies/tenants, I bend over backwards when I deal with a new builder/landlord/businessman who has the potential to give me steady work, but every one of them with no execeptions want to wizz in my wellys and tell me its raining, most  want to me to supply materials do the work and then wait for payment, sometimes months, I've  heard all the excuses you can imagine, and more, and Its the richer people that are the worst for doing it,It almost seems they want me to go bust, once they owe me a couple of grand they start with the " just wait for another week till my boat comes in, meanwhile I need you to start another job right away", so they have you over the barrell, if you don't start the other job, you will have to wait longer, if you start the job, you getting in deeper, :'(
     
  13. Fat Tony

    Fat Tony New Member

    I am in it for the long haul. I take a long view on investment and intend to leave a sound business to my heirs one day. So shafting people for short term gain is not part of my business.
     
  14. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    Tomp, I have found that it's the people who have the most money, who are the worst payers. Chap I have worked for before, is (on paper) a multi-millionaire. Drives round in a Bentley and lives in a 10 bedroomed property, with all mod cons etc. He probably earns more in a month than I earn in a year, yet when it comes to paying tradesmen, he has every excuse under the bloody sun for either drawing out the payment for months, or for not paying whatsoever. Last time I did any work for him, was about 7 or 8 yrs ago, and I charged him £30 at the time. I'm still waiting for payment, and he's that thick he doesn't know why I have refused any work from him since. He last phoned me about 18 months ago and I basically told him to go forth and multiply. ;)
     
  15. Crowsfoot

    Crowsfoot Screwfix Select

    Could this be how he became a multi millionare on paper JJ?

    Tappy,
     
  16. MarkAdams

    MarkAdams New Member

    Well, I read this and wanted to add my pennys worth.

    When I was a plumber in Sussex, I did a fair amount of work for a couple of landlord/property developers, one residential and one commercial properties.  Both were Fantastic people to work for, really nice people, prompt payment and no hassles.  The commercial developer had an account at most of the merchants and I just booked all the parts to his account so I just changed for my time.

    They treated me right so I did the same with them, they got first priority when they wanted anything done.

    I think sometimes plumbers will say they are busy just so the customer does not think they can knock down the price because you have no work.
     
  17. petertheplumber

    petertheplumber New Member

    Nice to hear mark, lucky you. I have never pretended to be busy when I am not.
     

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