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Do you put money in the Salvation army bucket?

Kathi said:
:clap The ripoff of the day.
Click to expand...

See what I mean about women?! All they can see is the dollar signs. Experience doesn't mean anything to them, job circumstances doesn't mean anything...they're all like, oh well you should be properly equipped, yes, you should be licensed and insured. It should take you the full hour to do the job, if it doesn't come do something else for me to eat up the time...:lol

I got called out one time at night on overtime. Bitter cold, A couple feet of snow on the ground. When I get there, they're all sitting around with their coats on. As I'm walking down the basement stairs, I ask them, when's the last time the furnace worked? It worked before I changed the filter two days ago and not since. Bingo, they told me what was wrong with it. The blower door has a safety interlock switch, and if you don't get the door back on properly and tight, it will not depress the interlock switch and allow the unit to function.

I couldn't resist giving it a fonzie when I walked up to it. I took my fist and gave the blower door a bang in and down. The door seated properly and the burners immediately fired up. I turned around to them all doing the what what? and said Ayyyyye and struck a fonzie pose.

I charged them an hour of overtime. Was this a ripoff too? Am I supposed to leave my family at night and drive through the snowy streets to do someone a favor that I don't even know? They had a lot nicer house than I do, nicer cars in the driveway than I've ever owned. This was no ripoff. Skills and experience are worth something. I got them heat when they needed it. So what if I didn't even have to lift a screwdriver.

Do you want the service man who comes out to be experienced and know what he is doing, or do you want some kid who's still learning, and guesses half the time because he doesn't understand electrical circuits? They call those guys parts changers. They start changing parts and then feed you a line of crap and charge you 1000 bucks when it should have been 200. "We'll mamn, it had a bad control board, which short circuited and fried the gas valve and transformer..." Bull cookies. 1000 bucks, 5 hours and many trips to the supply house? Uh-uh, red flag.

Experience is worth it. That guy who banged the engine or whatever with a hammer was worth it. That's impressive. He could've sold them a new 30,000 dollar motor. he didn't. that's worth 1000 bucks. good man.

You can get a guy off of Craigslist for 30 or 40 bucks an hour to fix your furnace. Is it worth it? It's iffy. Men who are worth their salt know it and can charge more because their worth it and know it. More knowledgeable people are a little more expensive, but can usually go right to the problem and not be wrong. You get what you pay for.
 
I lost a bid for a furnace install last week and I bid 1500. That's cheap. But honestly, It would've been an easy job and I am a Trane dealer and have been with them so long, I can get a top of the line Trane for as cheap or cheaper than the fly by nights can get budget equipment... I lost the bid. Some guy probably did it for 1200 and installed them a piece of crap, and stole the misc install materials from his day job. They'll make their money. They will cut corners and hack it in. You get to pay the price for it. They think they saved 300 dollars. I doubt it.

They got cheap equipment, and the hack install will probably cause the unit trouble functioning in the future. Then I'll be called out to patch it up and make it right. I've done that dozens of times, patch up hack installs. Sometimes paying less...isn't.
 
There's also the guys who are professional gougers. They'll come change your furnace for 8000, and they will put in good equipment and it'll be done right. These are the companies that have salesmen, and good installers (they usually trim their pay if they can. I've worked for that outfit before.

The way to get a big job done is to get three bids and take the middle of the road guy. You're usually safe there. You don't need to pay 5 or 10 grand for a furnace. you can get top of the line for 3 or 4 thousand, tops. Anything more is a gouge.
 
Edward said:
I lost a bid for a furnace install last week and I bid 1500. That's cheap. But honestly, It would've been an easy job and I am a Trane dealer and have been with them so long, I can get a top of the line Trane for as cheap or cheaper than the fly by nights can get budget equipment... I lost the bid. Some guy probably did it for 1200 and installed them a piece of crap, and stole the misc install materials from his day job. They'll make their money. They will cut corners and hack it in. You get to pay the price for it. They think they saved 300 dollars. I doubt it.

They got cheap equipment, and the hack install will probably cause the unit trouble functioning in the future. Then I'll be called out to patch it up and make it right. I've done that dozens of times, patch up hack installs. Sometimes paying less...isn't.
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Yea, you've been in the business for a while. :cool
 
for_his_glory said:
Chopper, say it's no so that you are Scrooge!!!........................:nonono......................but, then again his heart was softened :yes.................just jesting with ya :biggrin
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I thought I'd get a rise out of someone. :lol
 
Volunteered a couple times several years back. Even brought my dog one time. He wasn't quite patient enough for the job, constantly whining and even occasionally barking at people as they went by because of his restlessness. Wasn't bad enough to mess things up, though.

541353_389690761138940_2032351946_n.jpg
 
The Nonprofit times reported that in 2012, the Salvation Army total revenue for that year was 3,353, 200,000.
Yes, that figure is correct, 3 billion, 3 hundred and 53 million, for the year 2012.
I know they do good things but I have a family down the street that can use the money more than them.
 
Rollo Tamasi said:
The Nonprofit times reported that in 2012, the Salvation Army total revenue for that year was 3,353, 200,000.
Yes, that figure is correct, 3 billion, 3 hundred and 53 million, for the year 2012.
I know they do good things but I have a family down the street that can use the money more than them.
Click to expand...
Is the SA supposed to spend money searching out that particular family? Why don't you phone the SA, and see how you can orchestrate some help for that family through the SA. They will try to help if they are aware of a need, but they shouldn't be expected to be mind readers.
 
There are no food banks or offices run by the Salvation Army up in my county.
It is easier to give to the family than to seek out a distant Salvation Army.
My county is the armpit of Central Florida.
If they chose to, they would be here.
 
It is interesting.
I just found a local phone number for the Salvation Army for my county that provides services, but when I called it, it is no longer in service.
And then the thought came over me, what difference does it make?
It's always been in my heart to help people that God puts in my heart rather then give my money to some organization and let them do what they want with it.
God continually puts people in my pathway that need help, I don't have to go anywhere else.
 
Rollo Tamasi said:
There are no food banks or offices run by the Salvation Army up in my county.
It is easier to give to the family than to seek out a distant Salvation Army.
My county is the armpit of Central Florida.
If they chose to, they would be here.
Click to expand...

What's stopping you from starting your own food bank?
.
 
Gary said:
What's stopping you from starting your own food bank?
.
Click to expand...
Hi Gary, glad to hear from you.
My church serves 2 hot meals a week to the poor as well as a food bank once a week.
The needs in my area go well beyond that.
 
Rollo Tamasi said:
The Nonprofit times reported that in 2012, the Salvation Army total revenue for that year was 3,353, 200,000.
Yes, that figure is correct, 3 billion, 3 hundred and 53 million, for the year 2012.
I know they do good things but I have a family down the street that can use the money more than them.
Click to expand...
Did you know that the founder of the Good Will is a billionaire?
 
Rollo Tamasi said:
Hi Gary, glad to hear from you.
My church serves 2 hot meals a week to the poor as well as a food bank once a week.
The needs in my area go well beyond that.
Click to expand...
Yes,but that is very nice what your Church is doing.God has commanded these things.
 
Kathi said:
Did you know that the founder of the Good Will is a billionaire?
Click to expand...
No, I didn't know that.
But Goodwill in 2012 had a gross revenue of $4,894,712,975.
That ranked them number 2 behind the YMCA.
 
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