Cold Weather makes Plumber Happy

[Dunbar Plumbing]

Just getting in from running 8 service calls today. Came home for a bit between 8 and 9 to scarf down some food and head back out for more $$$$.


Back is killing me but when I wake up seeing that pile of credit card transactions and personal checks laying beside thee in the morning,

it's going to feel like warm sunshine when I make deposits on tuesday.



Started out with one service call that was scheduled, then between 9 and 1 I got 9 service calls and had to turn one away and scheduled one for monday.


Brought my tools/mc tank in tonight out of the cold, got my block heater plugged in on my diesel and it's $150/hour plus $50 service call fee to go out tonight.


During the football games tomorrow, ?


$753/hour plus $9 service call fee. Figured I'd give a reduced rate since they are spending so much on the hour.

Here's what I'm going to look like in the morning



Me at game time then after eatin salsa

Oh ****! too much salsa!

[master plumber mark]

I dont want to go out and thaw out a trailer.....

Really not in the mood for any of it this year.......

too much other stuff going on to spend my life
trying to thaw out pex pipes all night long.....

its ZERO this Sunday morning....their is no wind....

but if it picks up its gonna get very mean , mean mean....


and every little shanty and dump in town is gonna start calling... and some million dollar homes too


My min is $250 to thaw out pipes for the first hour

and 150 for every hour after that....


I think I will take the phone off the hook

[Redwood]

Mark... Go for a 2 hour min. charge!

[master plumber mark]

Hey redwood ....that really is not a bad idea......

although we have another plumbing company that
pulled a stunt something like that last year
and got written up in the paper over on the east
side of town.....



they went out and thawed out a bunch of trailers and
charged something like $1700 each to do the work..

( I dont know the particualrs )

but some people literally refused to pay the bill.

they wrote the atourny general, called the papers,
angies list and the BBB ..

they pissed and moaned to anyone who would listen.......



I really dont want that kind of trouble with my good standing in the BBB and Angies list..


but the two hour minimun would put the fear of
god in anyone who wants me to come out tonight.....
..

[Cookie]

I got a question that may sound stupid, but instead of gouging the people, why not just say no? (we all take turns being customers somewhere, somehow )

[Terry]

I like the phone off in cold weather too.
I've worked for shops that ran out in cold weather fixing broken pipes.
Didn't spend any time at home with family, but was out in the cold all day.
After two days, I would be missing work when things warmed up, sick in bed without pay.
One place I worked for, they found that the whole crew would come down sick, and they quit doing it too.

[master plumber mark]

I got a question that may sound stupid, but instead of gouging the people, why not just say no? (we all take turns being customers somewhere, somehow )

You are absolutely right cookie,
that is why I am not takeing calls today

But a lot of people have my mobile number and will
get through to me and I have to have a back up plan.....


Telling them I am baby sitting sometimes works,
although some have actally said to me to bring the kids over with me............

so I thiknk the two hour min bill is a good defence to stay out of the frozen...flooded..... 18 inch tall ...... crawl spaces......

[Terry]

What I've learned long ago to say is, I'm booked until Wednesday.

Or

I have plans and can't make it.

I don't "need" to tell them, that my plans are to watch the Patriots play San Diego and eat pizza, or to go skiing with my son, just like I don't need to know what they like to do in their spare time.

It's on a need to know basis.
They don't need to know why you can't come, only when you could come, Yeah, that would be like Wednesday. My first "open" appointment would be Wednesday.

Can you come sooner?
No.
Why?
I'm already booked.
I have prier commitments.
I'm hanging at home reading a good book with my feet up. (Don't tell em that one)

[Cookie]

I can't remember what I pay per month for caller ID, but, any calls that comes in private or I don't recognize the number or name, I let go to the answering machine. It is priceless.

[Nate R]

It's your business, it's your choice whether you want to work or not. I think leaving the phone off the hook or saying you're booked until Wednesday is a great idea!

[master plumber mark]

Actually Terry, that is the truth...


I AM booked all next week.......

got to get a 3 story building done....

got to do this and that ....



they really dont need to know anything more than that

[Cookie]

My son has his tv programmed when the phone rings the number comes up on the screen.

[master plumber mark]

all you do is go out and get sicker than a dog

[Dunbar Plumbing]

and some warm soup I got to enjoy my only day off even though today has been nothing but a chess game for service calls next week.

Got 2 main drain calls, one leaking shower faucet call and a guy who's going to be PISSED that I'm bouncing the start of a bathroom rework *toilet flange rework/set new tub/double bowl vanity setup* That's not including the calls that will come in tomorrow that I'll try to push off or give up.

I looked like freaking egore today all hunched over. Tried to clean the truck out and managed to do some, not much. I'll be regretting that tomorrow but my plans are to expire to bed early tonight, set up my space heater at the back of the truck and get it manageable.

I don't have the luxury of putting my truck in a garage. Someday I hope to where there's 14' ceilings, thermostatically controlled and tons of lighting, be able to pull in one door and out the other with garage door openers on both. Now I'm dreaming the good dream.

[got_nailed]

So far I haven’t had my phone ring yet today. But I did my far share this weekend. I don’t think I will be doing too much today. Its 11* right now with a high of 25* and snow tomorrow just a bit to cold to be in and out all day.