Tradesmen salaries

[Derlyn]

I have learnt that there is someting that everybody wants/expects in business: Price, Service and Quality. But you can have only two!
A Cheap price often accompanies poor quality and service. You never see the fly-by-night again.
You may have good service at a reasonable price, but the quality of materials are not the best.
If you want all three, good quality, service and price, be prepared to pay for it.

Have pride in your work or product. Don't lower your standards. The people who were bitten by the fly-by-night operator or bakkie brigade will eventually come round to ask for your service. Ask for referrals and accolades to add to your reputation.

It's not right to refer to the bakkie brigade as fly by night operators.
The person/persons who came up with that name as a description of operators without integrity, is an idiot in my opinion.

The chairman of the ECA in our valley operates from a bakkie, as well as 99% of all the well capable and decent electricians I know.

Fortunately I cannot be referred to as the bakkie brigade as I operate out of a car. ( 1999 station wagon or an estate, whichever you prefer )

[Dylboy]

Haha I am also a car brigade haha, paid off ford focus 2011.

But besides that I am seeing that the bigger guys with multiple teams actually do the cheap and fast approach. Time is money and need the team to do at least 2 calls a day or do a project ahead of schedule.

Just looking at a friend's newly built House... Shoddy ! Sure it works and legal but looks shoddy with poor poor material use. Heck even his DB cover was wired on as the screws broke off due to cheap as chips plastic DB.

Again it is a huge complex so the numbers and all is big, so I guess to win the "tender" is to use cheap material. As well as very little thought process to the wiring of the place.

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[Derlyn]

Yep. Dunno what vehicle one must drive. Maybe if you use a double cab then you are not classed as bakkie brigade. Who knows ?

[Isetech]

At the rates electrical contractors work for, who can afford a bakkie in this day and age, you need a residual, then a payment plan with another residual.

It is time for me to invest in a new vehicle, had a look at the price to replace my vehicle, just over a million bucks At the rates electrical contractors charge, you can understand why most small electrical contractors cant afford decent bakkie. Why use a registered elctrical company when you can get card board electricians at a fraction of the price and now you can get a green card and charge more than a cardboard electrician and call yourself "an installer"

I have less than 2 years, then it time to make a a lot of changes. I have proved my point achieved a goal I didn't think I could and not many other the Tee shirt, I will start wearing. I am surprised I ahev mad eit this far, looking at how the industry is winning the race to the bottom.

[Isetech]

This last project is good example of why I have so much work, I just need another contractor to work on the same site or boot a customer so that they have to get someone else to fix machines or just do work in general on a site.

I just grin.

what is the big deal, where do we start?

I never drop staff on site and collect at 4pm.

its the simple things that makes all the difference,

I dont bullshyte customers, if I dont know what I am doing I tell the customer and let them decide if they want me to continue. If I cant fix a machine, I dont charge for the time.

We tell the customer if we mess up and let them decide how we can fix the problem.

I finish what I start in the time frame that is required ( this is in the top 5 of best practices, do this and you are already doubling your word of mouth enquires).

We look after the customers property, simple things like wiping your feet when you enter the property, putting protective covers on surfaces and just generally, be a little considerate.

We dont take what is not ours, in other words, we dont help ourselves to the customer food or drinks in the fridge, use the customer tools and equipment. In other words show a little respect and leave stuff alone that doesn't below to you

Be polite and be nice to the pets, a good sign of a good person is when the pets like you. If the pets dont like chances are you not get the work or you are going to watched very closely.

If you pitch up in an old vehicle full of rust, but your vehicle is clean and your equipment is clean and tidy, chances are your will get work again.

Arrive in a dirty car with junk everywhere in the vehicle, and just be an untidy person in general, chances are you not going to be called back.

we have all the equipment required to do any thing that has to done on site, If we dont have it, I go buy it.

If you want to get thrown off a site where I am working, drop off a team that doesn't have all the equipment and watch how quickly you are requested to leave. This is becoming a bigger problem by the day.

The staff loose the tools and equipment due to negligence, dont tell the boss, then walk around asking to borrow, that people is where the fight starts, you want tools to go missing watch how quickly it happens when these team leave site.

[Sparks]

Agreed, don't chase for business, rather retain good customers.
Do business on your terms and never compromise on your values.

I fully agree. By me the client is never right. I am the one who still after decades studies and keeps up with the regs. I am the one taking responsibility for the client's safety and that of his family, pets and property. If he does not like what I say or charge, he can find a fool to bend to his will. I maintain that electricity is the worst kind of dog you can get, you cannot see, hear or smell it, but when it bites, you will have a funeral. I stopped advertising a long time ago, I have more work that I care for, I want to stop working but clients who have been with me for what seems like forever are hard to say now to. Being appreciated by clients is rare, but deliver good service and they will remember you and always come back with their friends and family.

[skatingsparks]

At the rates electrical contractors work for, who can afford a bakkie in this day and age, you need a residual, then a payment plan with another residual.

Yep. I bought a Nissan NV350 panel van in 2015 for R212000 from nissan with 12000 on the clock after working out of a nissan hardbody for a few years.

If I lose that van it's game over. I could NEVER afford a similar vehicle today not even in the ball park.
I took a gamble back then, put a deposit down and threw everything I earned at it to pay it off just before vehicle prices went crazy.

Recently took another gamble on a Suzuki E Eco - needed second vehicle because the km's on the Nissan were getting high, it's way cheaper on fuel and having my guys on site whilst driving around in a big mobile tool/material store wasn't working

It's not paying off. Can't really make it worth it paying off the cheapest van on the market.

Running cost in SA are to high to make it worth it.

Just came back from the UK - they claim it's tough times.
They also claim that 4 down lights, a pull cord switch and fitting an extractor fan in hole pre drilled by the builder is 500 pounds (R11500). Just connecting a cooker is R1400 - R1500 if local.
Full rewire that side 3 bed, 4 - 6 down lights per room, average 4 sockets per room quotes were between R120000 and R140000.
I'll just grab my passport...