Anyone tired of calling people to look at work you need done and them coming out acting eager to do the work, say they will get back to you with an estimate and then they disappear of the face of the earth? Have called two electricians recommended on Brownstoner, they came out acted happy to do the work and now won’t bother to get back to me with a price. In the meantime have no lights in my kitchen. Guess they just don’t give a ****.


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. If this is something small, say a couple of hours, may I suggest calling someone and asking them to come out and do the work as opposed to providing a quote. You may wish to ask them their hourly rate when you call. With that, they may offer up the price for the service call and then an hourly rate after an initial time period. Of course, you have to know what you are getting into before you give them the go ahead, so when they look at the job, it is fair to ask them to estimate the cost of the time and materials.

    The reason they may be walking away is, if it is a small job, they may be spending more time preparing a quote and running back and forth, than actually doing the work. If they are busy, they will just keep moving with the work that generates income as opposed to generating paperwork. I know it does not sound nice, but that is the truth of working with potentially small jobs.

    Also, when calling a contractor to come out and do a repair without providing a quote, it is better to use someone based on a recommendation – so at least you can have some assurance that they will be fair or that their estimate will not change.

    I can offer up someone who customers of mine have used and told me is very fair – Tom at Munetz Electrical. His number is 718-416-2686. I will tell you though, he is busy and some people have told me hard to get.

    As for me, I do not do electrical work. You should always used a licensed professional for electrical work.

    Steve
    http://www.thetinkerswagon.com

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