FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I GIVE FREE ESTIMATES: I will come to your home or office. Listen to what your needs and priorities are. Evaluate the situation. And write an estimate based on how long I think it will take to do do the work and how much i think the materials will cost. If you don't like my estimate, I'll leave. No problems, no charge.... I like to keep my pricing as simple and honest as possible... 1...I charge $50 an hour for labor (most electricians charge $75 - $100)... 2...I charge the cost of materials plus 20%. This is to cover the added cost and interest from putting the materials on my credit card (most electricians charge 2 - 3 times the cost of materials). I don't have a problem with a customer purchasing their own materials to save money but I can't warranty the materials unless I purchase them... 3...You can keep the receipts for your taxes if you like.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
Troubleshooting a loss of power to part of the house.... Kitchen and bathroom remodels.... Recessed lights and ceiling fans.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
I you're looking through the phone book, make a mental note of the phone numbers and license numbers. if you see ads for different companies that have the same numbers don't call them. They are operating under multiple names because they get sued all the time.... When you call, ask if they are a contractor or a referral service. Stay away from referral services.... Stay away from anyone who claims to give future discounts if you pay an annual club or membership fee. Its a total ripoff.... The person writing the estimate should be the electrician who will do the work. If one person writes the estimate and a different person shows up to do the work, there will be problems and confusion.... Make sure that the electrician who shows up is from the same company that you called. If the name on the van or the paperwork does not match, send them away.... Your electrician should have a journeyman card available if you ask to see it.... There can be no misunderstandings. Your electrician should be able to effectively communicate what they are going to do using easy to understand language. Sometimes a language barrier can, unfortunately, cause the wrong type of work to be done.