Selling yourself for work- hanging doors

HawkEye244 · 3 Mar 2018

purpleroad said:
He did say 'do u do this kind of thing often?' and I said 'yeah'. Maybe I wasn't convincing enough. Maybe I need to blag it a bit with carpentry business cards etc. I mean it's all white lies anyway as my friend who does this kind of work is running the show and knows what he's doing I am effectively his carpenter's mate. I am mostly selling it and trying to get experience while working with someone. He also started asking about the what the doors were composed of etc and I wasn't convincing with my answer I would imagine. Who knows.

When talking to a customer what are the important questions? What to do- I guess a small spirit level on top of door lining. Check doors thickness, width and height of doors is same as lining? I didn't get tape measure out - maybe he sensed I myself am not a professional and I didn't say friend was running it to him. Cos' he might say'why isn't he here doing quote? '

I also always take photos with phone. Tell customer it's to remind myself, but really it's to send friend or ask someone if not sure about something. Not sure if customers like that

Bottom line is the job when finished is done well and on a personal level I get experience. View attachment 137641

I think you're spot on trying to self-analyse and figure out what/if you're doing wrong so you can fix it.

Ultimately a lot of people don't do that and always blame something or someone else for not getting the outcome they wanted.

I'd say put it down to experience. Likelihood is he did probably sense your slight lack of experience which is fair enough, you highlighted a couple of things that did probably work against you. Keep at it you'll get there.

Notch7 · 3 Mar 2018

I wouldnt be putting a spirit level on the head of the lining........unless you want to know if the door lining is level

It wont help you with costing hanging a door!

big-all · 4 Mar 2018

i would say never ever blag it but be honest
if you are still learning say so but you will charge 60% less per hour as you are learning on the job
when you are more efficient then 45 and then 35% less
you can charge for skill and ability but not for learning

ladylola · 4 Mar 2018

HERTSDRAINAGE2010 said:
Unless you are a chippy then forget hanging doors for a living.

You will come unstuck.

Andy

I am a chippy but I'd rather not hang doors for a living . Never really been a regular part of my work , I could go a year and only hang a single door or have a couple of dozen to hang in one go so I've never really had the experience to get particularly fast. Six internals a day is my best effort. I've worked with others that could do double that.

purpleroad · 4 Mar 2018

Notch7 said:
I wouldnt be putting a spirit level on the head of the lining........unless you want to know if the door lining is level

It wont help you with costing hanging a door!

Why not? Chippy mate wanted to charge £43 for lining that wasn't level and £35 for level ones

purpleroad · 4 Mar 2018

big-all said:
i would say never ever blag it but be honest
if you are still learning say so but you will charge 60% less per hour as you are learning on the job
when you are more efficient then 45 and then 35% less
you can charge for skill and ability but not for learning

I don't get why you say that. I am charging per door. If it takes a day to hang a door we get £35 for the day's work. £35 for good linings £43 for wonky ones

Brigadier · 4 Mar 2018

I have hung doors, but only as DIY.
Last one I did was magic. No matter how much I planed of the one side, it still was a gnat's too big for the opening

The pile of sawdust kept getting bigger, but the door wouldn't get any smaller

Took most of an afternoon before it learnt the laws of physics

big-all · 4 Mar 2018

purpleroad said:
I don't get why you say that. I am charging per door. If it takes a day to hang a door we get £35 for the day's work. £35 for good linings £43 for wonky ones

not aimed at you as you are charging by the job its more aimed at those who dont realize theres a value in learn't skills

purpleroad · 4 Mar 2018

Brigadier said:
I have hung doors, but only as DIY.
Last one I did was magic. No matter how much I planed of the one side, it still was a gnat's too big for the opening

The pile of sawdust kept getting bigger, but the door wouldn't get any smaller

Took most of an afternoon before it learnt the laws of physics

This is why any opportunity I get to work with someone experienced I jump on. I think it's the best way to learn. I get a job I can't do confidently then get my chippy or landscaper friends to do the job on condition that I labour with them. They quote what they want for job and get paid and get less but learn

HawkEye244 · 4 Mar 2018

big-all said:
i would say never ever blag it but be honest
if you are still learning say so but you will charge 60% less per hour as you are learning on the job
when you are more efficient then 45 and then 35% less
you can charge for skill and ability but not for learning

bigall I respect you a lot on here, so get me wrong when I say this, but very few people these days are paid hourly rate, it's almost all price work.

Perhaps it was a thing around your time, but trust doesn't exist anymore, especially not in inner city areas.

SirGalahad · 4 Mar 2018

purpleroad said:
This is why any opportunity I get to work with someone experienced I jump on. I think it's the best way to learn. I get a job I can't do confidently then get my chippy or landscaper friends to do the job on condition that I labour with them. They quote what they want for job and get paid and get less but learn

You seem to have the single best quality - honesty.

Don't ever let lost work put you off.

big-all · 4 Mar 2018

HawkEye244 said:
bigall I respect you a lot on here, so get me wrong when I say this, but very few people these days are paid hourly rate, it's almost all price work.

Perhaps it was a thing around your time, but trust doesn't exist anymore, especially not in inner city areas.

as i say i am always learning

i have a particularly utopian view on life

i have been out the rat race now for 5 years [retired at 59]and only do a few hours a week on average and only do challenging interesting jobs that by there nature wont pay well but give me great satisfaction most tend to be for friends family and people in the local community so more for pin money now to extend my expanding battery tool collection

purpleroad · 6 Mar 2018

How about Knocking up some business cards and when they ask if I do this sort of thing often say yes and list things true or not. They are things my friend can do and I working with him. Think you can be too honest.

purpleroad · 10 Mar 2018

Have another quote about work this Monday. Bi-fold doors. If he's happy with work there's d say boxing in work. I might say can we do both same day if he's happy with door work. Again mate will run show. I have sell it though and come across confident. Should I be honest and say friend is the real carpenter?

Will take tape measure in measure door and lining and check out track etc Just watched youtube lol

Notch7 · 10 Mar 2018

purpleroad said:
Have another quote about work this Monday. Bi-fold doors. If he's happy with work there's d say boxing in work. I might say can we do both same day if he's happy with door work. Again mate will run show. I have sell it though and come across confident. Should I be honest and say friend is the real carpenter?

Will take tape measure in measure door and lining and check out track etc Just watched youtube lol

I don think it matters who has the carpentry skills. Personally I would sell the job, then if you get it, at that point explain to the customer that there will be 2 people doing the job. 'The job will need 2 people to do the job, so when we come to site there will be me plus Dave, a fully skilled carpenter- Ive worked with him for years'.

You arent deceiving anybody, provided the completed work is done to a high standard and the custoner is delighted. The customer must be told who is doing the work as a matter of courtesy. Some people get worried by security and dont want strangers in the house.

Selling yourself for work- hanging doors

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