I'll tell you what the problem is......
Everyone is an electrician!!!!!!!!
An example: I quoted a guy a few years back R200 to connect his stove for him (travelling to PTA from Kempton). This is really a good price as I could hear he is an elderly chap, and my fuel would cost me R?? (at the time). He said I am crazy as it is simply pushing three wires into a connector block with a piece of pipe etc..... he'll rather do it himself.
A better example? A guy hires backyard electricians do rewire his house. Why? Because they are cheaper, and they install rubbish. For the next year after the installation I had to go back to sort problems out. I would assist him with the specific problem ONLY, not allowed to touch anything else, this would cost him money. And as luck would have, after a period of time the next item/poor workmanship packed up.
Thing is, if you talk to guys they'll tell you that they do their own work, they don't need any electrician to connect a few simple wires, and if they really need a guy they get one off the street as he is dirt cheap. Once they move house and ask for a COC and get a quote for R20k+ because the entire installation is rubbish, they want to argue, kick and scream!! They then get the one or two bad apples you guys are referring to who sit in their bakkies and write the COC and the problem moves on. The next owner thinks all electricians are bad.
Sorry for carrying on, sore point, I am an electrician, but not one of "these electricians" people refer to. If you buy scrap expect scrap........and ask the guy for some reference on his qualification if you want, if it meant I can get more work, I would print mine on T-shirts!!!!
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