Feel guilty

[penno]

Doing a private job today, 3sqm of black metro brick tiles on a splashback and a 3sqm bathroom floor, 60 x 30 on concrete. Got the job as i was in the tile shop when they came in to pick the gear up, basically asked me were they being over priced. Tiler priced them .....£840 labour only!! Really nice couple, only young and this bloke must have seen them coming a mile away. Thing is they have told me they will give me half the price they agreed with the other bloke, £420.
It is a brand new build, bottom floor apartment, they are not there today but leaving me the money in the office with the keys in the site office. Xmas or not i am really thinking of leaving £200 of that cash behind when i leave. Job is so straight forward, days work tops including a quick grout up in the morning. Reckon i would be as bad as the other bloke taking it.

 

[doug boardley]

it would be a nice gesture penno and acts like that can sometimes have long term advantages

 

[Gazzer]

I would take the money, you have saved them money after all. Some you win and some you lose....maybe its your turn to win !

 

[Gazzer]

it would be a nice gesture penno and acts like that can sometimes have long term advantages

yep they tell all their friends that you work dirt cheap...then you are stuck with it !

 

[doug boardley]

yep they tell all their friends that you work dirt cheap...then you are stuck with it !

meanie!:lol:

 

[Mike]

yep they tell all their friends that you work dirt cheap...then you are stuck with it !

it's not dirt cheap, £220 for a days work is good. well done on you penno, take an extra £20 and get yourself a nice bottle for xmas

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Whatever you do will be the right decision IMO as you have the right moral standings in your attitude. You will give value for money, the customer will receive a top class job at a rate you are happy with and they will have saved some money - everyone will win. If you are going into the 2nd day, it's more than you've said you'll want - and it's Xmas!
You have a good one.

 

[Stef]

I would leave them the money mate,

same as what Doug says, You will get more work in the long term with an act of kindness like that.

As Mike says its not cheap for a days work, roughly £36 m2. thats a good price.

Theres a lot of people struggling out there & i hate to see anyone getting ripped off with prices like that.

Flip side, the peeps were daft enough to only get 1 price though.

 

[Stewart]

I would keep it as that's the price agreed. Just make sure you give them a quality job!


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[Del W]

The fact that your thinking of giving back some of the money is the answer to your question.What trade would you pay £420 for the hours its going to take to do the job ?.They may be young & not have a clue but no one likes being ripped off.Plus if you take all the money,santa will know you havent been a good little boy & you wont get what you asked for. :santa_wink:

 

[hillhead]

I'd leave some myself if more work is to come from it,
If you take the whole lot and they talk to friends etc about near getting ripped off but you done it for X !! The friend might say you ripped then off too,
It might boil down to how much you need it though too, if you agreed that figure then you're entitled.
Nice story this, leave 100 if you go back. Might work.
Oh, good luck too penno.

 

[Stef]

A few comments coming in about this,

this tiler wanted £840 for job (£140m2)

Peeps offered job for £420 (£70m2)

Penno, if he gives the £200 back, £220 (£36.66m2)

Remember this is for 6m2, I would charge labour only £25m2,

What would anyone else charge for this?

 

[Andy Allen]

i wouldn't do a kitchen on a m2 price, and the bathroom floor would depend on weather i had to cut around the pan and basin.

if cutting round pan and basin, with kitchen splash back, my price would be around the £300

if it is a brand new house, she may have got the tiler from the site to price the work, and from my experience, they price high because they dont realy want it, they may be traveling miles to the site, and it may be more hassle to them than its worth.

 

[Stef]

Andy,

i never ever cut round a toilet or sink pedestal, i think its a terrible finish.

The Splashback is only 3m2, provided theres not a lot of sockets then i would give them a price on it.

I feel guilty at times asking some folks for £25m2 let alone getting £36m2

Where i live i couldnt get the prices they get round the country

Each to their own i suppose.

 

[Stewart]

So of I've got this right... The majority of you would give some money back to the customer after they offered you a price to do a job and you accepted!

I thought you were all self employed businessmen. No one is ripping anyone off, as both parties have agreed the price before hand, while also saving the customer 50% of the original price. Would you give the same deal to a builder who gave you the same offer?


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[Stef]

Stewart,

I think its a question of morals here.

I class myself as an honest tradesman, i would be more than happy to make an honest days wage.

imo the peeps were getting ripped off & what penno is doing should be applauded.

 

[hillhead]

I can understand both sides here,
It is a small job and I'd even do it in one visit so hard call.
Similar situations can explode into great contacts and work I know for sure.
It's a nice pull for penno anyway and only he will decide.
I suppose going by what some other trades charge by the hour too it mighten seem
too bad.
Get in there penno it's Christmas.

 

[Stewart]

Stewart,

I think its a question of morals here.

I class myself as an honest tradesman, i would be more than happy to make an honest days wage.

imo the peeps were getting ripped off & what penno is doing should be applauded.

Accepting a reasonable price you have been offered isn't morally wrong, it's sound business sense and as I asked earlier, would you do the same if a builder offered you the same deal. I also don't think £420 is excessive for the work IMO.

We all get different rates for our tiling and there is no argument that the first price was a ripoff, but I have accepted far more for far less work in the past from customers and builders to do a job at short notice and I sleep very well at night.


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[Ajax123]

If it makes you fel better and you think they need it more than you leave them £50 as a gesture. If on the other hand you have agreed the price and they have paid you and you are comfortable that your work is worth it then why on earth would you beleive it to be a rip off. It is only a rip off if one party in the deal feels aggrieved by it. Don't sell yourself short out of sympathy though cos that way lies the path to the "workhouse".

On the other hand they may be sitting thinkin they have got one over on you as they are only paying you half what the other bloke wanted.......

Maybe leave them a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates as a Christmas gift. Sometimes that means more than money as well.

 

[penno]

Splashback done, 1 hr 30 mins, deffo leaving the cash

Trying to stick a photo on, confused 🙂

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

Penno i would not leave them £200.00, i would leave them £100 and a note explaining that due to the fact that you encountered no problems and the timescale involved you felt that £320 was a more realistic price for the job, and that at the agreed price youn felt that you would be taking advantage of the situation and that all your jobs are priced on indivdual merits, ie difficulty size etc etc. That way if they do pass on your details you can price accordingly. Wish them a merry christmas and leave a few of your cards for family and friends.

chris

 

[kilty55]

i would stand by your initial price agreed and wouldnt leave anything i think its a fair price and you are after all running a business not just trying to earn a wage

i reckon they were overcharged if it is as easy aa job as you are describing so you have already scored points with them

everyones different though

 

[radim]

take money.buy toys.donate to charity.some child will b happy with new toy.well spent money IMO.I am going to ASDA tmrw to do that.:smilewinkgrin:

 

[TheWrightTiler]

leave the cash and note as cj said

 

[Mike]

i think the job will be finished now , it will be interesting to hear the outcome.

 

[Peter]

Everyone likes making a few quid over the odds but there's getting a good price and ripping somebody off. Makes sense to leave a few pounds back and the customer will think that the sun shines out of your hole.

Was in a similar situation last week. 5m bathroom floor and a very small kitchen splashback. Bathroom floor was an insurance job which I'd priced, kitchen splashback was what the customer wanted seperate. I felt that £220 was plenty for it. Got the insurance cheque (thought it was going to be about £150) which was around £310 for the bathroom floor only. She produced her cheque book and asked how much more I owed her for the kitchen. Could have stuck the arm in but said "That cheque covers it all, you got yourself a freebie for Christmas". Lady was obviously delighted, as was I getting an exta £90. Left the job in excellent terms and no doubt get a bit of work passed on as a result. What goes around comes around. You only stroke someone once but if you charge a fair price then you make more money in the long run.

 

[penno]

Forgot to post back. Ended up with the full amount, insisted i took it so did him a favor and put some shelves and a bathroom cabinet up for him 🙂
He is an eye surgeon at a private hospital, got chatting how i suffer from really dry eyes (also blind as a bat), booked me in for the new year for some free treatment to see if he can do anything and offer advice so a winner.
Also pricing a job for his parents tomorrow.

 

[Stef]

Well done mate.

Its always nice to be nice. 1 good turn deserves another.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Nice result Matt, and a very nice gesture on your part. Just goes to show that being honest and being a businessman is possible. Having had the pleasure of meeting you, all be it briefly. I take my hat off to you, I hope you reap the rewards you deserve mate.

Have a great Christmas, and sleep the sleep of the just.

Regards, Phil.

 

[rooders]

Penno you sound like a top bloke... so im sure whatever you decide to do will be the right thing. You have already saved them from being ripped off. just do the job for the amount you want. I believe in Karma

 

[rooders]

Just seen your reply penno.! Karma!!