Overcharge

An elderly customer called me a couple weeks ago. She wondered if I could be with her when she met with the representative of an electrical company who had done some work for her. She felt she was being taken advantage of. She also explained that the electrician told her that she needed new smoke alarms without ever looking at the ones she already had.

The company is called Mister Sparky Electric. It’s related to One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.

The issue that had her attention was that she was being told that it was now the law that she had to have a Carbon Monoxide Detector on her furnace. She put down a deposit on the unit that was going to cost around $500. After talking to her daughter and doing some research she found out that it was not the law and the units that Mister Sparky was selling were not even ready for sale yet. This made her angry and suspicious.

The three companies mentioned above are the type that advertises "No Surprise" Straightforward Pricing. What this means is a guy comes out, looks over the job and then gives a price. If you accept it then you sign a contract. It sounds good but what I keep coming across with many companies like this is the price they give seems excessively high. That’s not to say they don’t do good work, it just costs a LOT! A way the company drums up business is by offering “free” electrical inspections.

My customer cancelled the Carbon Monoxide Detector and said she would not be using this company any longer. She showed me the bill from the previous work and I was astonished at the charges. Here is what I saw: After doing an “inspection” the electrician determined she needed her whole house surge protector replaced. Contrary to the claim of pricing being up front, he replaced it and told her after. He also replaced three circuit breakers.

The cost for the whole house surge protector was $258. You can buy the surge protector for under $100 retail. That means the labor charge was over $150. The installation consists of disconnecting and reconnecting a few wires – maybe a ten minute job. The cost for the three circuit breakers was $251. The circuit breakers probably cost under $10 dollars each and about five minutes to replace. To me that is an excessive charge.

He also told her she needed a GFI on her kitchen outlets. He was going to charge $169. The parts would have cost $15 to $25 and maybe fifteen minutes to install. She was wise to turn down the job.

The truth is that most people have no idea how long these jobs should take or what the parts actually cost. They trust the company because the “troubleshooter” recommends them.

In my Handyman business I am fair and honest with my customers. If someone wants an upfront price I will take all possibilities into consideration when I give them the price but would consider it unethical to charge them two or three times what the job is worth.

The lesson is to look beyond shiny trucks, spiffy uniforms and well-known names. Find service people who do good work for a fair price. When you call The Handymen, I guarantee you will get both.

Philip

Would You Like $1000?

Would you like an extra $1000? Then be careful who you hire for service work. That’s what one of my regular customers learned today.

I received the call last Friday. Would I be willing to clean out a sump pump pit? It seemed that an odor was coming from the pit. It was located under the basement bathroom vanity that may need to be removed to get access to the pump.

When I arrived this morning I heard more of the story. They had called a plumber (AppleTree Plumbing) who told them the pit needed to be cleaned out but it seemed the plumber didn’t want to do the job. He also told them if the pump needed to be replaced it would cost $1200.

When I took a look at the sump pit I could see that it wasn’t very deep and the vanity wouldn’t have to be removed; that was good news. I removed the sump pump from the pit and found out there was a cement pad in the bottom of the pit. That was good because it keeps the pump out of the mud. There was a small amount of debris in the pit but not more than a handful.

I tested the pump and found out it wasn’t working. I picked up a new one and soon had the pit back in working order. The smell was probably coming from stagnation because the old pump didn’t work.

A new pump cost about $100 and with labor the bill was a little over $200. By calling me, my customer ended up saving $1000.

It hear this type of story on a regular basis. Companies take advantage of a customer not knowing what is involved in a job and how much it should really cost. Of course what they do is not illegal but I don’t think it’s ethical. I understand that when a job is bid there is a cushion built in for unforeseen circumstances but I think the difference between $200 and $1200 is what most of us would call a rip-off.

The lesson here is to be careful who you hire. It really means a lot to have a workman who is honest and cares more about helping you than making a quick profit.

Philip

Shower Head

Are you happy with your shower head?

For very little money you can change your shower head to one you are really delighted with.

I have two types in my home. Upstairs I have the massage type with an extension hose. With a turn of the dial on the head it can be changed from a refreshing rain to a pulsating massage. The extension hose is great if you want to wash down the tub walls and even reaches down if you are sitting in the tub.

Downstairs where some of my kids take a shower I have an extreme water saving model. It only used 1.6 gallons per minute. That’s about half of a regular water saving model. That really helps to save water during long showers.

The super water saver model shower head costs about $13. The type with extension hose and massage head ranges in price from around $30 on up to $60. There are also a lot of other choices in conventional and not so conventional shower heads.

You can see many different shower head possibilities at your local home improvement store. Installation is usually very simple. I’ll be glad to give you a hand with that.

Philip
303-232-3347

Freshen Up Your Home

Here are some inexpensive ideas on how to freshen up your home.

1. Buy new towels for the bathroom
2. Upgrade outdoor lighting
3. Install new doorknobs and cabinet handles
4. Make a centerpiece for your dining room table
5. Buy a new mailbox
6. Polish or replace your house numbers
7. Place fresh flowers or houseplants around the home
8. Buy color-coordinated pillows for the sofa and bed
9. Replace your worn doormat
10. Set out subtle potpourri or scented candles

A few simple touches can make your home seem like a different place.

I would be glad to help you with any of these projects or others that you may have. Give me a call and your home can be fresher, better maintained and an easier place to relax.

Philip

Thanks to Garland Thurman for the list.

What About the Warranty?

I worked for a long time customer today. The job was to replace the p-trap under the bathroom sink and to replace the stems in the faucet. It was a fairly simple job although I had to make a run for some specialized parts.

After I was done, we were looking at some repairs that she wanted done in the future. One was that her kitchen faucet was loose. It wasn’t that the faucet was loose from the sink but the body was loose from the mounting plate. Sometimes there are screws that can be tightened and other times the mount has broken. We talked about seeing on the next trip if it can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.

After I talked to her I remembered that the faucet should have a warranty as it was a good brand. I looked it up and found out that it had a lifetime warranty. I gave her a call and asked if she has her receipt or other paperwork. That will come in handy if it needs to be replaced.

This brings up the subject of warranties. Most products have them but you need the receipt or another proof of purchase for it to be honored. It’s a good idea to have a specific place where you keep paperwork like that. Even if you throw it in a box without any organization it will be there if you ever need it. In the case of this particular faucet the replacement cost is about $50.00. Of course they don’t usually cover labor charges but at least she wouldn’t have to pay for the faucet itself.

On another subject, I talked to a new customer this week about some sprinkler heads she needed moved. As we talked she told me about how she had hired someone to do various work after he came to her door giving his sad story and told her he was willing to do any work to support his family. She said he did several repairs okay and then he asked for some money upfront for some painting he was going to do. Of course you can guess the rest, the painting was never done. Another reminder to be very careful of who you hire and especially if they ask for money before the job is complete.

Philip

History Builds Trust

I had similar conversations with two customers in the last week. Both recalled that when I first worked for them, their oldest children were infants. One of those kids graduated from High School last week and the other is in college.

It’s that history that enables the trust they have in me. The customer whose daughter graduated from High School left me a blank check that I filled out when I was done with her jobs. We met in the morning to go over the list and then she left for work.

While we were looking at the jobs she had, she told me that she had recently hired someone to build her a new fence. She paid him up front for the materials and after that he didn’t do the work. I could tell that she was very upset by the loss of the money but more importantly that she had trusted someone and then been ripped off.

When I work for someone it is very rare for me to ask for any money ahead of time. My custom is to complete the job and then collect for labor and material costs at that time.

If you are asked to pay money ahead of time you better be very careful. Why does the person need the money and what assurance do you have that they will buy the materials and complete the work. It seems that when many people get money up front, their motivation to do the work evaporates.

History builds trust both that the job will be done right and in so many other ways. Customers trust me in their homes when they are gone and they trust me to be honest with what I charge them.

It really meant a lot to me when I received a call from my customer who had been ripped off saying how glad she was to have someone who not only does a good job but who can be trusted. I can’t imagine doing business any other way but I know that in this day it can be very hard to find trustworthy workers.

I have been in business since 1984. I have an excellent rating with the Denver BBB and have many customers ready to vouch for my work ethic.

Let me know how I can be of service to you.

Philip

Tax Credit for Home Buyers

I came across some information that I wanted to pass on to you. If you or someone you know is in the market to buy a home as a first-time homebuyer, you could get a big boost with a tax credit.

The following is courtesy of Jeff Galligan who is a realtor in the Harvey Park area.

The government stimulus package recently gave real estate a big shot in the arm with the introduction of the tax CREDIT for first-time home buyers.

The plan works like this:

Qualified First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

• Must Buy and Close on a New Residence Before 12/1/2009
• Enjoy Up To $8,000 in Federal Income Tax Credits

How to Qualify:

I. If neither you nor your spouse has owned an interest in a principal residence (in the U.S.) during the last 36 months ending on the date of the purchase of your current residence (if you owned one).

a. But you do NOT buy:

i. From a related party (such as a family member)

ii. Property located outside the U.S.

2. You are buying the property to become your primary residence (not an investment property).

3. Property may be a single dwelling, condominium, houseboat, or mobile home.

How Much of a Credit:

1. Up to $8,000 (not to exceed 10% of the home price) and if your 2009 adjusted gross income (AGI) does not exceed $75,000 for single and $150,000 if you are married filing jointly.

2. No credit if your 2009 AGI exceeds $95,000 for single and $170,000 if you are married filing jointly.

3. Partial credit if your AGI is between $75,000 and $95,000 for single and between $150,000 and $170,000 if you are married filing jointly.

4. If you have no tax liability for 2009 and have a credit, the IRS will actually pay you the credit amount when your 2009 tax return is filed.

Important:

You must continue using the property as your primary residence for 3 years. If the property is sold or no longer your primary residence you are liable to compute and payback the portion of the credit that was not earned and report it on your tax return for the year of change.

Philip