Yesterday we got a call from a consumer telling us they bought a home and needed 4 new locks. When we asked him why he thought he needed new ones he said it was because he didn't want the old owners keys to work.
We explained that unless he wanted to upgrade to high security locks he only needed to re-key the old locks, not replace them.
He was elated on two counts:
1. Flam's was the only company that told him the truth, the first 2 companies he
called quoted him on new locks and were ready to do the job
2. The cost of re-keying was a fraction of the cost of new locks
Our ethics were about to pay off until he asked how much our service call was and when we told him $75.00 he said we were too expensive compared to the first 2 companies he called.
We just saved him from being ripped off for probably hundreds of dollars by unethical locksmiths and didn't get the work. Now he was taking our knowledge and shopping for the cheapest re-keys.
Please consider the bottom line on your bill, not the 'service call' line.
There will always be someone with a cheaper service call but fewer with integrity.
These are the times when we shake our heads and wonder what the consumer will be left with if companies like Flam's are not around to protect them in the future.
These are also the times when we remember that we can sleep at night, along with the majority of our clients.
This is a constant of life - everyone has a sliding scale of "too cheap" and "too expensive", and sometimes they overlap depending on exactly how you word your proposal.
ReplyDeleteYou saved them $500 on parts but would cost $20 more for the basic service charge - Oh Well... If they insist on being foolish and getting ripped off let them keep looking. You did the right thing.
I'm an electrician with a very small outfit at roughly the same hourly rate level, and often get undercut - by the Handyman (no license, no insurance) who hasn't a clue other than he manages to make it work most of the time...
And then there are the "Big Chain Companies" (usually found in HVAC and Plumbing) who can charge triple the rates and not bat an eye - especially when they start layering on Double Keystone (200%) markups on the items.
And then there is the "Emergency contract waiver" to get around the CSLB 3-day recission waiting period - only needed so you can't just stop payment on their check (they can file a lien) when you find out just how badly you got burned.
Then they layer on the "Emergency Service Charges" and the $75 "Open the Wholesale House" charge to get your water heater - when they had a few extra heaters in the back of their own shop for just that reason, but they aren't going to tell you that...
Some service companies are openly corrupt and in collusion with their employees - they tell their employees they are free to pad the bill as much as they can with fees and inflated prices, and they get 40% of everything they can tack on above the base price as Commissions. Katy, Bar the door.