Glad this one got away opinions please

[CJ CERAMICS]

hi all
went to quote on a job on sunday
Job consisted of 600 X 600 B&Q polished porcelain (not my favourite Tiles)
Tiles were covered in transit wax and the customer had sealed the tiles without removing it.
12 sqm conservatory all ready tiled.
now the tiles that were down were laid into a cement screed by the conservatory company just after they had finished building it (15yrs ago).
there was a crack line running right down the middle from doorway to doorway probably due to shrinkage of cement when curing.
There was also a lot of hollow sounding areas.
proposed to the customer that imo they needed to be ripped up and the floor rescreeded/levelled before tiling.

Customer seemed happy with my proposals and asked if i could do a full written quote explaining reasons, materials, timescale and labour charges (including stripping of sealent and wax and resealing)
so that she could run it by her son who would be paying.

This i duly did and delivered it on Monday, explaining that if they were happy with the qoute I could fit the job in before christmas if they didnt mind me working late. Total price to remove tiles, make good the floor, retile material and labour £550.00 . 1day to remove tiles and screed floor, 1 day to tile, 1 day to strip back tiles reseal and grout maybe a bit longer but only charged for day.

Receieved a phone call from the son today asking me why i was charging to remove the old tiles as surely this was part and parcel of my job??
and anyway another tiler who had also qouted on the job said that the tiles did not need to be removed as they had been down for so long now that although they had cracked and did sound hollow in spots due to length of time they had been down they would be ok to tile on top of???

and that the other tiler had quoted a price of £250.00 including materials. At which point i politely explained that again in my opinion this was the wrong way to go about the project and that i would only take on the job if I could do it my way.

He decided to go with the other tiler.

In your opinion Was my price to expensive and would you want to remove the tiles?.

chris

 

[Gazzer]

Your price seems very reasonable to me.....maybe you will get the job next time it cracks

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

thank you, i didnt think my price was too bad either just really lopoking foe confirmation that really the tiles should have come up
because to me they should.

chris

 

[doug boardley]

your price was good Chris, along with the advice you gave

 

[jolly fix]

i would have taken tiles up Chris,price fine too.stick to your guns and always do it the way you think/know is best.

 

[nybor62]

you were spot on chris they wiil probs ring you in a couple of months, to sort it out , good on you for sticking to your guns , price was fine imo

 

[CJ]

Nothing wrong with your price.

These numpties are alway on the look out for a cheap price, regardless of "doing it right"
they deserve all they get tbh.

Got no time for these thicko's

 

[Mike]

you pay peanuts.......you get monkeys, springs to mind, we've all seen it before, it's hard competing with cowboys.

 

[paul flight]

chris , it seems like we are banging our heads against a brick wall at times:mad2: , we give good advise . which we have gained over many years of do good work and these idiots do not listen coz they think that they are saving money . makes me mad..:incazzato:

 

[Stef]

Chris you seem to get stuck with them, its not that same "Cowboy" they are getting in?

Smile in about 6 months time when they phone & ask, "Can you come & have a look at this floor please"

 

[White Room]

That seemed a reasonable price and considering there was hollow areas the prospect dos'nt look good for tile over tile..

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I have just walked away from a job, similar circumstances Chris, I always like getting the call months down the line. Could you come back and sort my floor out?

One of my favorite sayings is the old "pay peanuts get monkeys" another one that makes no sense at all, but always makes me smile is, " you can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead" I'll get me coat:lol:.

Let them get on with it Chris

 

[kilty55]

hi chris,leave them to it and put out your mind mate you know your advice was spot on just a couple of plonkers

the minute abuse or smart arse comments start i put the phone down

why did he even bother to call you if he was nt going to use you?

 

[Ian]

I've done an almost identical job this week, 12 m2, remove old and replace with new, floor SLC'd after removal and your price is cheaper than mine. My point is that I provided a quality finish, using quality materials and correct prepping and fixing methods. The customers were delighted and thought it was great value for the job they received. You may never find out whether the new floor will last or not but, at least you don't have the worry in your mind that you had cut corners and done a job that a) probably won't last and b) could have ruined your reputation.

 

[Dan]

As said really; advice and price spot on mate. You'll always get the builder or plumber doing a bit of tiling going in at a silly rate not knowing really what he's getting involved in.

I'd have said to the customer 'well make sure you hold him to that when problems occur, try to get it in writing from him that he said it is okay' just to give them something to think about in the back of their mind.

 

[Peter]

Can never understand customers who ring back to complain about your price then say they're using somebody else. :mad2:

 

[Colour Republic]

if thew £550 inclued mats then i'd say you were to cheap not expensive!

I assume the other guy planned to do it all in one day??

 

[Musivarius]

I think that it's only with experience, whatever your trade, that you realise you have a standard that you won't drop below. You realise that you just can't do what the customer wants because you know that even if it doesn't go all Pete Tong straight away you'll walk away wondering when you'll get that call.