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| Once Upon a Time in the Land of Plumb... |
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Okay, I must completely spoil my clients, or other plumbers really enjoy stiffing theirs. I just went to dinner with my family this evening at a fantastic little Mexican restaurant called "The Rusten House" out here in Lancaster, Ca. While I was there one of the managers saw my truck in the parking lot and asked a very good question, (at least it was good fodder for this bit of education.) "Do you guys charge a customer if you pull their toilet to snake the drain, then break the snake off in the drain?" WHAT!!!??? Did some plumber out there seriously pull the toilet and break the cable without advising the client that it could happen and that there are other viable solutions to clear a drain other than pulling the toilet!? I of course had to let them know that no, we would not do that , that our time is valuable but so is theirs. If we can't fix a problem, we do not charge unless we have advised them beforehand that something like this may happen, let's face it, accidents do happen but being prepared causes them to happen less. I can see no reason why the previous technician broke the cable unless there was already either a weak spot in the snake or he did not know what he was doing. If it was the former, the line should be checked after each use to prevent such occurances and if it was the latter, well that is why they were asking me in the first place.
I strongly recommend being an informed customer, ask questions before committing to buy a service. Ask what the worst case scenario is with regards to price as well as the physical aspects of the job. Any good technician should be able to address these concerns before coming to an agreed price for an estimate. If you, the client just trying to find the cheapest fix to a problem and allowing the final settling point to be price, good luck. A good technician will cost you a fair price, that may not be a cheap price, but it will be fair price. Do not go out trying to blow the wad on the most expensive game in town. Look for a plumber who knows what needs to be repaired, can give you several different options, and can tell you the pros and cons of each without trying to get the royal family jewels in trade. Another trap to watch out for is the rotating prices, commercial jobs often cost more due to job site hazards and special circumstances with regards to time frames when work can be done. Look out for varying prices for similar services i.e. cabling one drain 65' to clear a blockage costing 50% more than another at 45'. Same machine, same cable, 5 extra minutes that does not justify a severe difference in price. Never be afraid to be informed, in the same way that self defense can keep the bad guys at bay, questions can keep a rip off artist away.
My clients will sometimes ask if there is a more affordable way to repair the problem, Good News folks, there is. If you provide the parts, you will save money. You will sacrifice quality and integrity of product, but you will save money, My recommendation, budget to have the job done completely by your professional of choice with his/ her parts to eliminate confusion and guaranty a good job with quality repair parts and a thorough warranty to give you piece of mind, now that's a value. But there are always those who can see the justification in saving a few bucks and good for them. To those of you who shop only for price and want to settle for the aforementioned plumbing company, I wish you the best luck...
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Posted by Plumbtruth on 2009-09-29 01:47:32 | Rating: | Views: 9
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