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Down the Drain: Advice on hiring professional, honest and reliable plumbers Pt. 1

9/19/2019

12 Comments

 
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​Picture this: A technician is hired to fix a leaky faucet or a clogged toilet, and suddenly what was supposed to be a simple, quick repair turns into a job costing thousands of dollars and dozens of hours...

Who hasn’t heard of this horror story?

Of course, technicians do sometimes come across legitimate, unexpected problems when performing routine repairs, but unfortunately there are other instances where a sudden jump in cost and time is unwarranted. An increase in services and cost could be the result of a commission-paid plumber eager to pad his paycheck. A customer might be without any plumbing experience and at the mercy of “the expert.” If an expert says something is necessary, most of us will follow the expert’s advice. (This is true when it comes to any service technician in any industry, but plumbing in particular has a poor reputation for it.) The bill can also increase if the customer is advised to add unnecessary services or more costly options to a basic job, or if the technician is not motivated to finish in a timely manner. It’s a sensitive topic. 
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Many service technicians are out working hard, doing their best to be honest in their assessment of the problem at hand, but there are enough technicians who are not, and that is why the issue needs to be addressed. Consumers can be sure they’re working with an honest technician by considering how they are paid, which is usually one of two ways. The first is commission-based, which is when the plumber gets paid a commission percentage based on the total price of a job that they complete. The other is hourly pay, when a company pays employees for hours worked.
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Here are some differences between Commission-Based Plumbers
​& Hourly-Wage-Based Plumbers!
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Commission-Based Plumbers 

Since commission-based plumbers are paid a percentage of how much they “sell” to their clients, this may naturally encourage the plumber to focus more on the “sales” aspect of the job, as opposed to providing the best plumbing services they have to offer. In some cases, you may also find that commission-based plumbers will push products or services not required or needed to complete the original job, also known as an “upsell” or “add-on” to push the total price of the job up, resulting in a bigger payout for them. Since these plumbers are not paid for things like travel time or estimates, it’s not surprising that they would try to make up for unpaid time worked. For example, a simple replacement of a thermocouple on a water heater yields less money than a complete replacement of the water heater. This would potentially be a difference of several hundred or even a couple thousand dollars more than what was really necessary. When you go to the doctor, would you rather the doctor focus on treating your ailment, or on how much he’ll get paid for performing the work?

​Hourly-Wage-Based Plumbers 

In contrast to a commission-based plumber, hourly-based plumbers get paid a set rate per hour for all work. They are paid from the minute they are on the clock to the minute they punch out, whether they are providing an estimate that may not get accepted or driving from one job location to the next. In this case, the plumber is less likely to try and “upsell” you and instead focus on simply providing the best service possible. They know what the job requires, and they work until it is completed to the best of their ability. An hourly paid plumber won’t feel like they need to rush through a job, as rushing will not yield another or larger payout. Also, with each job billed to the client at an hourly rate with each part itemized, it is easier for the client to see exactly where the money for the job went (parts/labor).



Come join us next time to learn more about FLAT RATE PRICING and What is fair! Be prepared for when you need a reliable and honest plumber in Pt. 2 of Down the Drain by Mark Bush ~ VP of Operations at R&L Plumbing

12 Comments
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11/25/2019 12:56:10 am

Thanks for this blog you post. It is very helpful to me I hope you post more help from us. So that we can learn more about how to manage this kind of problem. Prevention is better than cure so it is important to prevent it before you get sick of this problem.

Reply
rachel frampton link
1/29/2020 01:05:29 pm

I have a runny toilet and a leaky faucet, which is why I was thinking that maybe there's something wrong with my septic tank. That's why I'm currently looking for a plumbing service that will be able to address this concern. It's great to know that since they are being paid from the minute they start working, plumbers don't try to upsell and focus more on providing the best service.

Reply
Jake Martin link
2/12/2020 07:08:28 pm

Keep up the great work! Thank you so much for sharing a great posts.

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2/23/2020 10:28:46 pm

Thanks for posting this blog. I read the whole blog and I learned a lot of ideas. It is very important to hire the best service for you in order to fix your problem successfully. I hope you post more blogs so that we can learn more.

Reply
Plumbers Napier link
9/2/2020 03:58:28 am

This concept is very good which give us information regarding the advice on hiring a professional honest and reliable plumbers.It is a pleasure worth reading this article. I enjoyed reading this article and would suggest others to come In this particular blog and get all the information regarding it. I have also found this resource https://mepplumbing.co.nz/useful and its related to what you are mentioning.

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9/30/2020 04:14:34 am

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10/26/2020 12:32:29 am

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Jake Martin link
11/13/2020 06:37:20 pm

Well worth a read. Got great insights and information from your blog. Thanks.


Reply
Chris Pederson link
11/18/2020 01:58:40 pm

Thanks for sharing that commission-based plumbers get paid a percentage of the total price of the job. This sounds like a good way for them to get money and for my work to get done. I'll see if there are any local plumbers like this.

Reply
Bob Deans link
1/26/2021 05:20:58 am

Some good info here. Its sure is a challenge to find a good plumber who will actually show up

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Mark Jones link
1/26/2021 05:22:09 am

Some good advice here, will need to find one in my area as have a issue with my drains.

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Eli Richardson link
2/1/2021 01:13:45 pm

It's great that you mentioned how important it is to hire a professional and qualified plumber for your home's needs. A few days ago, I visited my sister's house, and I noticed her faucet and the drain were acting weird. I asked her about it, and she said it was nothing to worry about. Now, she just told me that it has gotten worse and that she needs to find a plumber as soon as possible. I think that reading your article will help her out. I appreciate your tips about how to find a reliable and trustworthy plumber.

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