Are all forums this bad??

[Aquaheat]

@Dave Simms

You clearly miss the point on many levels. Let me explain:

Firstly this is a DIY forum. As such it is for help with DIY projects and we offer very good help and advice to those choosing to DIY should it not involve working on any gas carrying devices, combustion, ventilation or safety devices. We provide good, SAFE advice. It is not a compare the market site, a design my system site or a join up to bitch about an attitude site. When people are given advice from a combined 100's of years experience and they choose not to take it then don't keep whinging and bringing up post after post just to argue. Click log out and f*ck off. You have a choice.

Secondly we do this for free, in our own time to help out. If advice isn't taken in the spirit it is given then again feel free to log out and f*ck off. You have a choice.

Thirdly why should we quote all works for free? Do you understand the basic concepts of business? I'll run it through for you in simple terms that you may understand. A business survives on making a profit. To make a profit you must have a greater income than your expenses. Now to do this businesses have a commodity that they buy or sell or both. As an RGI my commodity is my knowledge, skill set and my time. I have spent a very considerable amount of money to do this so to make a profit I sell my commodity.

Why should I come to a broken down boiler and spend and hour of my time to tell you which part it is that is needed to then hope for a call to come and repair it? I have spent my time, knowledge and skill set on you so you need to reimburse me. If you chose me to fit that new part then so be it but you have contracted me to tell you what is wrong with your boiler and I provided the service. You complete the contract by paying me.

If this bothers you then why do you not find a proper engineer? Most certainly all RGI's on here work to a no fix no fee policy as we aren't parts changers. We diagnose and fix. Maybe you should consider that before you choose the CHEAPEST engineer as opposed to the best and those that are willing to stand by their workmanship.

If I were to quote for a boiler install then I offer 2 services. One is free the other incurs a payment. The free one is a cursory glance and a quick guide to what you need and then a price and timescale. All information stays private and undetailed for a reason.

The second involves a proper site survey, pressure and flow rate measurements, gas tests, proper system design, a full spec of what materials are required and a schedule of works. Now this takes my time, knowledge and skill set so again I charge for my commodity. Why would I provide all the required information and measurements for free so that you can DIY it or pass the hard work on to the competition? On an install occasion the price of this is reimbursed on the final invoice should they decide that I do the job.

Do you now understand how a business and a forum works now @Dave Simms ?

Jon

 

[Dan Robinson]

Ironically, I do do free estimates (not design though).

 

[Aquaheat]

Me too Dan but I don't give them every specific detail and design things for them without a charge. As you well know this could run into 2 - 3 hours. Quote 15 jobs in a week and you have a free full time job! There is a time and a place for chargeable quotes and I tend to work them out about 2 minutes after I've got through the door!

Jon

 

[Dan Robinson]

Indeed.

 

[transam]

I hit the "ignore" button on one of the most annoying contributors on the electrical forum and I find it much better without his banal (clue) arguing

I press ignore as soon as I see someone being rude.
I also press ignore for people who are insanely verbose, or whose grammar makes me whince - though I have more tolerance for that than rudeness.
I must be ignoring dozens of people now.
It makes the forum a MUCH better place.

Oh dear perhaps you need to "Man up" ????

mind you I don't suppose those you are ignoring give a wat sit any way

incidentally what does Verbose mean ???

 

[monty9120]

i have been a member of many forums over the years. this one is challenging to say the least

because we talk about gas everyone gets hi rate about things. people are after advice. the newer combi boilers are problematic. mine is a pain in the arse. my grandad was a certified gas fitter before combis came in. if i ask him any questions he hasnt a clue really.

we dont all have the luxury to a council house where someone will come to fix your heating and living in a 1930s house its bloody cold

it just needs to be less of a slanging match really. id like to think some of you on a forum i specialise in (do you know what that is) i may save your bacon one day. just dont say the gas word. id be more afraid of the guy that fitted my log burner or someone that didnt fit my wheel back on my car properly if im honest but each to there own

 

[Twenty Four]

Well, Twenty Four, just how do you think that I could go to installations to do a free diagnosis and still support my self?

Like most trades do looking for work. If you have experience of freeloading 'customers' then maybe up your choice of customer or move area. If anybody comes here to quote and appears knowledgeable and reasonable they get the job so there is no point in pretending you're something you're not.

Perhaps you can explain what you do for a living and how that could support anything like.

Irrelevant but I retired early.

But I suspect that you are safely employed.

Incorrect

Why do you think anyone is a fool to pay me to diagnose their problem?

Simply because they is a plethora that won't.

Does your car mechanic, dentist, solicitor, accountant, or non NHS doctor give you free diagnostic visits?

Yes, every one of them. Where you get this idea of charging for diagnosing or consultation is beyond me.

 

[AGAS]

 

[Twenty Four]

Agile, if people are happy to pay you to come to their house and diagnose a fault then more fool them if there are thousands of professions that wouldn't survive if they insisted on that business model. That said, if you've dealt with freeloaders you might be a little peeved but it still wouldn't wash with most, honest or otherwise.

are you for real , another one that expects people time for FREE , it just proves people are only worried about costs . its the customer that tries to get advice for free , you don't have a clue how a gas engineer business model works so why comment.

Yes I'm for real, Forrest. I expect a professional diagnosis, a quote and then a return visit (if necessary) to do the job. If the guy is a womble or attempting to extort money he gets shown the door. In your case if the quote was written you'd get a short shrift for not listening at school.

 

[DaveHerns]

I used to work in insurance claims and the stock response was to ask people for 2 or 3 quotes. That means 2 or 3 tradesman have wasted their time if the claim was eventually settled for cash.

 

[dilalio]

Yes I'm for real, Forrest. I expect a professional diagnosis, a quote and then a return visit (if necessary) to do the job

Who is Forrest?
If you have several tradesmen visit and they all spend time investigating and providing you with a professional diagnosis, (which may differ!) for free, how do you decide which one to go with?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Who is Forrest

Suppose numb nuts means Forrest Gump, which is kind of ironic too considering this thread is about professionals being rude to civilians.

 

[Twenty Four]

Who is Forrest?

Our mate, Gump. Every forum has one and he has the title.

If you have several tradesmen visit and they all spend time investigating and providing you with a professional diagnosis, (which may differ!) for free, how do you decide which one to go with?

For starters I'd have done my research beforehand and always never go in blind. That often allows for early detection of the wafflers who have no more idea than the day they were born. I can't quite believe any of you questioning the normal way of going about things appear oblivious to it. Dan has already said he doesn't charge so why is it so difficult to understand? Do you all happily hand over money to trades you know little about assuming they know better?

Survival of the fittest (and best), not the feeding of the mediocre (or dangerous). If you lose too many quotes, up your game or struggle. Life isn't easy, it wasn't designed that way.