Oxo Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 LOL, used to look after The Ministry Of Sound, Ex loved the call outs, she would come with me for a dance and a handfull of freebie CD`s. I was the nearest engineer and would take the job off the others hands if they were busy/tired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonOfOz Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 As everything in life, fortunately we have balance. I'm sure we all have some phenomenal clients who go out of their way to make sure we feel valued and are well taken care of. They are happy to pay for a great service and make a note of paying us early or on time. They even take us out to lunch with their senior directors - now that's Partnership! I don't know about you but I certainly try harder for people like this - just motivates you to want to do better and live up to their expectations. Having been on the client side myself, I'm postive I got more out of my contractors with this approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.wilson Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 jason, on any project like that we are last in and as such last to complete. get you works finalised in writing and expect an in date for wheen you can start. when that is missed you defend against it. I'm sure we all have some phenomenal clients who go out of their way to make sure we feel valued and are well taken care of.] few not most securitywarehouse Security Supplies from Security Warehouse Trade Members please contact us for your TSI vetted trade discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterJames Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I think most of us are swimming in poo on a a daily basis and the bigger you are the deeper and thicker the poo. I resent customers representatives complianing about the bill, anyone would think its their own money the way they go on. And then you get the customer who thinks he can rip you off, try and tell you that the kit doesnt work. I love the fact that alarm systems have a log that can tell you most of what has gone on. H&S is mostly the least of my daily troubles but it does come up quite regularly, existing customers that want a site specific risk assesment for a maintenance, but dont want to pay for your time to do it. I could rant all day about customers, but at the end of the day it's what motivates me to put my prices up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotmod Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 It's the game of contracts, invoices and politics Jason. All falls under the lovely world of "business" The only advise I can give to you is if your backside is covered at the tender stage, you can **** on them from height at the handover. Point in case, one of my old managers told me this story and it's stuck with me since. A little gem that has honestly helped me no ends in situations like this. His friend was a wet works/piping sub-contractor doing a drainage job from one of the catch all contracts. In the tender it was stated that the client would provide all water to allow for testing purposes etc. No quantities, no pressures, just water. The deadline is approaching, the client is pushing the contractor and in turn the heat gets turned up on the subby. Two days before the handover the subby asks for his water. He is presented with a hose attached to a domestic water outlet on an outbuilding. "Theres your water, now on you go" The guy was dumbfounded, he had near 5 miles of 6 inch pipe to fill and with this water supply it would take days to just fill it. never mind test it. Voices get raised, job gets delayed and damage claims start flying about. It all got messy and ended all in tears. Point of the lesson? Treat everyone as a liar. They are always looking to one-up you to make themselves look good to their peers. Small clarifications or questions at the start of the job can save you so much hassle. Over the years you get to know what questions to ask, I have a list for any tender that I send right back for clarification. The client is providing me with power? Brilliant! When can I get it? What power am I getting? When is it available? If there's a problem who do I contact? I was once doing a handover similar to yourself, site had no power but I was promised this before making the two and a half our drive that there would be power. I turn up, ready to commission a large fire alarm system and i'm greeted with a handyman and some car batteries. It's power jim, but not as we know it. The CC everyone thing is also brilliant. Imagine if you had a reply from some fanny foreman 2 weeks prior promising you a permanent supply to your panel for commissioning prior to handover on X date. Who would look like the prat? Not you anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrHappy Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I'm sure we all have some phenomenal clients who go out of their way to make sure we feel valued and are well taken care of. its the 9th of November not the 1st of April ! Mr Veritas God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonOfOz Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Point of the lesson? Treat everyone as a liar. They are always looking to one-up you to make themselves look good to their peers. Small clarifications or questions at the start of the job can save you so much hassle. Over the years you get to know what questions to ask, I have a list for any tender that I send right back for clarification. The client is providing me with power? Brilliant! When can I get it? What power am I getting? When is it available? If there's a problem who do I contact? I was once doing a handover similar to yourself, site had no power but I was promised this before making the two and a half our drive that there would be power. I turn up, ready to commission a large fire alarm system and i'm greeted with a handyman and some car batteries. It's power jim, but not as we know it. The CC everyone thing is also brilliant. Imagine if you had a reply from some fanny foreman 2 weeks prior promising you a permanent supply to your panel for commissioning prior to handover on X date. Who would look like the prat? Not you anyway. Scotmod, spoken with resounding experience and wisdom! And, yes he does look like a prat but why doesn't he know it? A shame that common sense seems so uncommon. ps. I'll remember to bring car batteries - good tip! ;-) its the 9th of November not the 1st of April ! MrHappy I accept they are few and far between but even if you had just one of these type of clients (and we all have at least one - surely!) makes up for all the others - well it does for me anyway.... Maybe I should be MrHappy???hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Need to dig out that customer care manual I wrote... Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james.wilson Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 the one that says the lad on site was wrong? securitywarehouse Security Supplies from Security Warehouse Trade Members please contact us for your TSI vetted trade discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxo Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 1, grit your teeth, 2, Write or record everything. 3, Grit your teeth 4, Listen to the lies again. 5, Grit your teeth, That one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.