Do you put money in the Salvation army bucket?

[Kathi]

Reminds me of a story a friend told me. Probably made up, but demonstrates the point.

An engine on a ship was malfunctioning and making a bad noise. None of the young mechanics onboard could figure out what was wrong. They went into port and called an old grizzled maritime mechanic to look at it. He listened to it run for a few minutes then struck it a few times with a hammer and the noise went away. Then he handed the captain a bill for $1000.

The captain was furious, saying "All you did was hit it with a hammer a few times. I want and ITEMIZED bill of what I'm paying $1000 for!" So the mechanic wrote out an itemized bill:

Striking engine 3 times with hammer: $3.00
Knowing where to strike engine with hammer: $997.00
Total: $1000.00

The ripoff of the day.

 

[Obadiah]

The ripoff of the day.

I don't know. Is it a rip off? Or is it payment for the value of many years of experience that got the ship back underway in a hurry saving them from spending days in port and paying tens of thousands of dollars in docking fees???

 

[Kathi]

I don't know. Is it a rip off? Or is it payment for the value of many years of experience that got the ship back underway in a hurry saving them from spending days in port and paying tens of thousands of dollars in docking fees???

Ya,it is a ripoff.

 

[Obadiah]

Ya,it is a ripoff.

Of course (assuming the story was true) the mechanic could have decided that he just wasn't going to get up and leave his house if they didn't want to put any value on his years of experience and all he has learned, and just stayed home. Then the ship's captain pays maybe $10,000/day in port fees (not unusual for a cargo ship) plus lost revenue due to late deliveries of his cargo while his less experienced mechanics spend days or weeks standing around scratching their heads, trying things that don't fix the problem, and waiting for delivery of replacement parts that may fix the problem or may not.

 

[Willie T]

I've been a GC since 1984. One word: CONTRACTS !

 

[Edward]

Even when it's a bid job it's a good idea to have a stipulation where change orders are part of the contract. But maybe you don't run into much of the unexpected like can happen on large construction sites.
Engineers can wreck havoc on the best of bids. And then there's natural things like a layer of bedrock on one corner of a building of several condo units. Excavator can't dig it, call in a licensed blasting company. Change orders are a good thing.

:yes Yep. That's in my contracts. Not included: Change orders & add-ons not specifically described in this contract,...

 

[Edward]

Reminds me of a story a friend told me. Probably made up, but demonstrates the point.

An engine on a ship was malfunctioning and making a bad noise. None of the young mechanics onboard could figure out what was wrong. They went into port and called an old grizzled maritime mechanic to look at it. He listened to it run for a few minutes then struck it a few times with a hammer and the noise went away. Then he handed the captain a bill for $1000.

The captain was furious, saying "All you did was hit it with a hammer a few times. I want and ITEMIZED bill of what I'm paying $1000 for!" So the mechanic wrote out an itemized bill:

Striking engine 3 times with hammer: $3.00
Knowing where to strike engine with hammer: $997.00
Total: $1000.00

Oh those are my favorite ones! Sometimes they don't like the bid for the repair so try to send me away without any money. FR don't work that way. There's a diagnostic fee. "But you didn't do anything!!" I sure did. I diagnosed the problem. Or service call charges. What's that for? That's to get a licensed, knowledgeable and equipped technician to the house, before he even does anything ( I guess they think we collect expensive specialty & diagnostic tools for a hobby?. Lately some people have called to ask if I'll come by and give them a free estimate on a repair. I can do that over the phone. Service call and one hour labor minimum, port to port, lol.

Most of the time I'll give free estimates on new equipment. But if it's out there a ways, it's 10 or 20 bucks for the estimate, which will be taken off the price of the bid if I get the job. I'm so tired of driving all over and spending 2 hours at their house answering questions and then they take my bid and plans and call around to other companies...can you beat this bid to do this job (the job I lined out.)

 

[Obadiah]

Oh those are my favorite ones! Sometimes they don't like the bid for the repair so try to send me away without any money. FR don't work that way. There's a diagnostic fee. "But you didn't do anything!!" I sure did. I diagnosed the problem. Or service call charges. What's that for? That's to get a licensed, knowledgeable and equipped technician to the house, before he even does anything ( I guess they think we collect expensive specialty & diagnostic tools for a hobby?. Lately some people have called to ask if I'll come by and give them a free estimate on a repair. I can do that over the phone. Service call and one hour labor minimum, port to port, lol.

Most of the time I'll give free estimates on new equipment. But if it's out there a ways, it's 10 or 20 bucks for the estimate, which will be taken off the price of the bid if I get the job. I'm so tired of driving all over and spending 2 hours at their house answering questions and then they take my bid and plans and call around to other companies...can you beat this bid to do this job (the job I lined out.)

Yeah, I can relate. I run a business mainly delivering RV trailers but I also do some minor work on them and do permanent setups and such. I learned the hard way that almost without exception when you do someone a favor, they take unfair advantage of you. No one goes into business to work for free.

 

[Edward]

Yeah, I can relate. I run a business mainly delivering RV trailers but I also do some minor work on them and do permanent setups and such. I learned the hard way that almost without exception when you do someone a favor, they take unfair advantage of you. No one goes into business to work for free.

Yeah, I go with the flow of reasonableness and understanding. If the people are being reasonable, then I will too. I'm flexible with the service call charges, and even diagnostic fees for FR pricing. If they're trying to beat me up and just get as much as they can for free, many times they try to demand that the diagnostic fee is included with the price of the FR repair, it isn't. But I can easily waive it, if I can see that they're struggling but being reasonable also, then I can do that for them. I like to do this on my terms though, at the very last when the bills being written up and they're asking how much should I write the check for. That's when I like to spring the discount on them as a nicety, and not because they demanded it or trying to beat me up. Give me a chance to be reasonable is all I ask.

I even have a special place on the invoice for "Other Charges". Usually it's for the listing of permit fees and so forth, but in some cases, like...fixing a stopped up toilet. If the toilets stopped up, most people have enough sense to quit using it. Others will heap it up, not caring for the health or working conditions of the poor plumber (me). So that's a "fecal charge" . If the lady's in a wheel chair or something, that's different. But some people seem to like to make fun of me having to work in the smell and make cracks like...oh you're prolly used to the smell huh, lol...(Fecal charge) :wink

 

[for_his_glory]

I give as much as I have to give when I walk out of the store. I know where the money goes in our area as they help many and not only on the Holidays, but everyday and even pay for Hotel rooms to those who have been burned out of their homes and help them to refurnish clothes and such that they have lost. Every so often throughout the year the Salvation Army store gives out free clothes to those in need. I buy a lot of my clothes there as it helps others and you can find some nice clothing there.

 

[Chopper]

HUMBUG!

 

[for_his_glory]

HUMBUG!

Chopper, say it's no so that you are Scrooge!!!..............................................but, then again his heart was softened :yes.................just jesting with ya :biggrin

 

[jasonc]

my nose is big because the air is free

 

[Pizza]

The ripoff of the day.

It might be, it if were a true story. Simply hitting something and making a sound stop is a nonsensical example.
But the POINT of the story is valid, Kathi: Experience and expertise are valuable.

For example, in my industry, a good technician costs $75 to 110 an hour. A good engineer will cost you $200 an hour.

The company sent me to Moab, Utah this past March. I went into a Potash mine to try to diagnose a problem they had been fighting "for a year now". Our dealer had tried and tried, but he could not figure out what was going on. In talking to my dealer, touring the facility, and testing the equipment, I figured out the issue in less than an hour. In another hour or two, I had demonstrated to them how to solve the issue.

As part of the deal, they paid in advance for my visit - $5400.


My story is as near as you can get to a REAL WORLD example of the story above. SOMETIMES, it takes finding the right person to fix the problem.



(They implemented my remedy within two months, and report that everything is working well now. I was almost sorry to hear that, Moab is an almost magical place and I'd like another free trip out there!)

 

[jasonc]

It might be, it if were a true story. Simply hitting something and making a sound stop is a nonsensical example.
But the POINT of the story is valid, Kathi: Experience and expertise are valuable.

For example, in my industry, a good technician costs $75 to 110 an hour. A good engineer will cost you $200 an hour.

The company sent me to Moab, Utah this past March. I went into a Potash mine to try to diagnose a problem they had been fighting "for a year now". Our dealer had tried and tried, but he could not figure out what was going on. In talking to my dealer, touring the facility, and testing the equipment, I figured out the issue in less than an hour. In another hour or two, I had demonstrated to them how to solve the issue.

As part of the deal, they paid in advance for my visit - $5400.


My story is as near as you can get to a REAL WORLD example of the story above. SOMETIMES, it takes finding the right person to fix the problem.



(They implemented my remedy within two months, and report that everything is working well now. I was almost sorry to hear that, Moab is an almost magical place and I'd like another free trip out there!)

moab, named after the son of lot by incest.the irony.

 

[Obadiah]

It might be, it if were a true story. Simply hitting something and making a sound stop is a nonsensical example.
But the POINT of the story is valid, Kathi: Experience and expertise are valuable.

For example, in my industry, a good technician costs $75 to 110 an hour. A good engineer will cost you $200 an hour.

The company sent me to Moab, Utah this past March. I went into a Potash mine to try to diagnose a problem they had been fighting "for a year now". Our dealer had tried and tried, but he could not figure out what was going on. In talking to my dealer, touring the facility, and testing the equipment, I figured out the issue in less than an hour. In another hour or two, I had demonstrated to them how to solve the issue.

As part of the deal, they paid in advance for my visit - $5400.


My story is as near as you can get to a REAL WORLD example of the story above. SOMETIMES, it takes finding the right person to fix the problem.



(They implemented my remedy within two months, and report that everything is working well now. I was almost sorry to hear that, Moab is an almost magical place and I'd like another free trip out there!)

Yep, as I said I don't think my story (the one I was repeating that someone else told me) was a real one, but it was meant to illustrate a point. Your real life story is a great example of the same point I was making.

 

[Pizza]

If you liked that, watch for my new book "My 14 weeks in a Nuclear Power Plant"!

It'll be a story of the most interesting industry in this country - I just haven't been able to come up with a love interest to make the story suitable for Lifetime TV yet.

 

[Kathi]

It might be, it if were a true story. Simply hitting something and making a sound stop is a nonsensical example.
But the POINT of the story is valid, Kathi: Experience and expertise are valuable.

For example, in my industry, a good technician costs $75 to 110 an hour. A good engineer will cost you $200 an hour.

The company sent me to Moab, Utah this past March. I went into a Potash mine to try to diagnose a problem they had been fighting "for a year now". Our dealer had tried and tried, but he could not figure out what was going on. In talking to my dealer, touring the facility, and testing the equipment, I figured out the issue in less than an hour. In another hour or two, I had demonstrated to them how to solve the issue.

As part of the deal, they paid in advance for my visit - $5400.


My story is as near as you can get to a REAL WORLD example of the story above. SOMETIMES, it takes finding the right person to fix the problem.



(They implemented my remedy within two months, and report that everything is working well now. I was almost sorry to hear that, Moab is an almost magical place and I'd like another free trip out there!)

When I was married I could take my car into a repair shop.They would hassle me.I would bring my husband in with me who knew a tremendous amount about cars and they would totally change their attitude.So if they can rip someone off who they think is naive then that is what is going to happen most of the time.

 

[Pizza]

Im not sure how that is a repsonse to my post above, but I will say that I am convinced that:

1) 90% of dealership's service departments are dishonest.
2) 75% of independent repair shops are dishonest.

But there are some good, honest places that you can take your car, no matter your gender. In Cumming, Georiga, I highly recommend Glover's Garage and in Atlanta (if you have a German vehicle) Buckhead Imports! ;)

 

[jasonc]

Im not sure how that is a repsonse to my post above, but I will say that I am convinced that:

1) 90% of dealership's service departments are dishonest.
2) 75% of independent repair shops are dishonest.

But there are some good, honest places that you can take your car, no matter your gender. In Cumming, Georiga, I highly recommend Glover's Garage and in Atlanta (if you have a German vehicle) Buckhead Imports! ;)

sounds about right.