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Thread: Dear Domestic customers....

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    Dear Domestic customers....

    Dear domestic customer, despite the high crime rate in South Africa it is not fair to assume that we, qualified registered processional electricians are trying to rob you. Yes we accept there are some dodgy unqualified and unprofessional electricians out there but it is us, the qualified electricians are left scratching our heads wondering why when you don't question how Billy Bob the Builder can come in at half the price that that your licensed, registered electrical contractor does. You just go, OK. Then pay the price later.

    Also I can't speak for all other electrical contractors but when I do a Compliance Certificate, I do it TO THE LETTER. On the day I test your property, I'll bet my own mother on the the fact that I have done the testing to the best of my ability. I'm sorry if that if you decide to plug in a dodgy toaster that your earth leakage trips. No your earth leakage is not faulty, its working exactly as it should. I'm sorry that if at the time of testing it wasn't raining and I wasn't aware that your old light fitting which you don't want to pay to replace starts letting water in causing problem trips. Next time we, electricians will ensure we thoroughly hose the house down before we do our tests.

    Also APPLIANCES ARE NOT PART OF THE COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE, I'll say it again A P P L I A N C E S A R E N O T P A R T O F T H E C O C.

    We cannot be held accountable for you also plugging in 4 heaters into one extension lead.

    I personally don't do domestic COC any more, reason being you will always choose the R600 guy to come in and have a quick look around over me who will charge more and check it properly. Good luck with that. Also when I do a COC, I get a call a year later with someone screaming and shouting down the phone sayings its my fault that there Geyser/cooker/toaster/outside light is full of water is causing them no end of problems. Quite frankly, I don't need that shit, especially when I know the day I was there, everything I tested was right and its just not worth the headache.

    Another thing, yes you have seen lots of DIY program and no, that does not make you project manager. I'm not even going to go into that one. Yes we will give you a price for a socket, if you decide to move it, or add another one(usually as an after thought after the painter is just putting his final coat on your nicely finished wall) it may cost a little more than the first one because we have to for example, go home and get our chasing gear out (again) go to the wholesalers and buy more conduit/recessed boxes etc and we may have to undo stuff we have already done to facilitate you spur of the moment decision to add another socket.

    MOST ELECTRICIANS ARE REASONABLY PRICED ITS YOUR INDECISIVENESS WHICH IS EXPENSIVE.

    Also electricians are reasonable people. We have an idea in our head how long it will take to, for example refit a house. In our minds we think maybe 3 months from start to finish. If your poor project management makes the job drag on for 10 months then don't expect us to be able to drop everything for you when 7 months after we thought the job would be finished you call in flap and expect us to drive 70km leaving 6 people standing on a shut down which has been planned for a month to come and fit your one socket. We can't do it and if do drop everything and come running at your call, be prepared to pay.

    Finally if you don't believe what we are telling you, ask someone else. If you ask an expert his expert opinion, maybe you might want to listen. Its down to you to check weather or not your dealing with an expert. I'm happy to show you all my qualifications. I worked hard for them. I'm the dog bollocks at what I do. I'm not saying i know everything but I'm good enough at what i do to work out most things. Its called experience. Something you don't have when it come to project management.

    And please finally, get drawings done on bigger projects. You give it all that "i'm not paying for drawing blah blah blah" It will save you money in the long run.

    Enough, I have to go to work now.....

    Thanks for listening

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    Reginald (28-Jan-14)

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    Diamond Member Blurock's Avatar
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    That's what the Forum SA is for!
    Excellence is not a skill; its an attitude...

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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blurock View Post
    That's what the Forum SA is for!
    Blowing off steam?

    I debated saying something earlier, but this is why I don't let my electricians break bad news to clients. That is only done via the office, or with serious office supervision.

    Good sparkies, much like IT techies, aren't exactly known for their tolerance and diplomacy. At least not in my experience.

    These are the hazards of being in the game. Get good at handling it.

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    Bronze Member dfsa's Avatar
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    The biggest electrode boiler can not blow off STEAM like that!!

    Skatingsparks I am with you all the way on this. Unfortunately in this Country the attitude will never change.

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    Diamond Member Blurock's Avatar
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    I have learnt that the cheap option often works out far more expensive than the higher priced option.

    Once you go for the 20% discount item and it does not work, you end up paying for the 100% value option any way. Add the wasted cost of the 80% special and you end up paying 180% for the same thing if had just applied your mind!

    Goedkoop koop is duur koop!
    Excellence is not a skill; its an attitude...

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    Chrisjan B (12-Sep-12)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Blurock View Post
    I have learnt that the cheap option often works out far more expensive than the higher priced option.

    Once you go for the 20% discount item and it does not work, you end up paying for the 100% value option any way. Add the wasted cost of the 80% special and you end up paying 180% for the same thing if had just applied your mind!

    Goedkoop koop is duur koop!
    Ive got a perfect example, just yesterday I was called to a house to replace a socket outlet which had melted with the plugtop of the tumble drier.
    I got a new socket outlet and when I removed the old one I realised that it was an illegal chinese import and the entire insides had melted. I brought this to my cussies attention and showed her the Crabtree I was about to install with the SABS Stamp on it. Afterwards I did a little inspection of her bathroom at her request, no extra charge, and what I saw horrified me. There was a false cieling with 220 volt downlighters which were 1.7 meters above the water level f the bath, completely illegal, as well as a towel rail and associated switch less that 300 mm from the edge of the bath also illegal. She now realises the dodgy work of her previous "electrical contractor" who, by the way, never issued a COC for any of this work. Now she has to have the entire job redone at the correct price.
    So now its time for the bill for changing the plug and she gets most upset at the cost. She only expected a few hundred rands. I explained that "a few hundred Rands" gets her the type of work that the previous "electrician" had done and almost cost her the house when the plug caught fire.
    I have started issuing my customers with my registration details with the DOL every time I visit and encourage them to ask others for the same in order to weed out the chancers.
    To make a mistake is human, to learn from that mistake is knowledge and knowledge is strength.

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    Bronze Member mikilianis's Avatar
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    The best I had 6 months ago you worked on that plug (socket outlet) now the T.V. does not work, kind of saying that you worked on my brake lights now my brakes dont work

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