What's going on guys? It's Stu, Troutel Talk again, and this week I've got another podcast for you.
This time it's Steph Lise, and she's talking to Chris about quoting jobs.
Do you guys quote using WhatsApp? Do you quote from pictures and videos using WhatsApp or Messenger?
If you're not doing that guys, and you're a domestic plasterer, and you're doing sometimes small jobs,
as you know a lot of my work is small repairs, so we do a fair bit of water damage sealing, stuff like that.
And in those circumstances we can quote jobs just by looking at a couple of photos or a short video sent on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp's an ideal platform for quoting because you can also attach documents and stuff like that.
So give the podcast a listen. Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments,
and what are some of the challenges that you're facing when you're quoting these jobs?
Do you get a lot of messes? Are you getting messed about? It's one of the big issues, isn't it?
We do deal with a lot of tyre kickers when it comes to quoting jobs.
And Steph talks about that as well. So it's a decent interview while worth a listen.
So again, have a listen, guys, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Don't forget to subscribe to the channel. Take care.
Fix Radio. Time to crack on.
I'm Chris Frediani, joined now by the pink plasterer, Miss Steph Lees.
Now, Steph, a few weeks ago we had someone on to talk about the maths behind quoting for work.
Now, today I want to talk about the quoting process from our perspective as plasterers and dealing with customers.
Now, first of all, do you like quoting for work?
And where would you rank it in terms of favourite, least favourite aspects of our trade?
To be honest with you, it's not my favourite thing to do, but it's a necessary evil because, you know, without the quoting, we don't get to work, do we?
So, but it is used to be a bind, but now it's a lot easier since COVID.
We can get away with doing a lot of things online, which is great for me.
What have been your experiences quoting from pictures?
Can you talk us through quoting from pictures, please?
So, when I realised I was spending more time on the road than spending time at home, I realised this process must be easier somehow.
So, I thought, well, I do a lot of conversations through WhatsApp through family, so I'm sure I can possibly quote some stuff through WhatsApp as well.
So, I instituted a voicemail, which was said, we are booked up until a certain amount of time, and if that's okay by you, please send me some pictures or videos with your requests of what you are doing, and we can give you a roundabout figure and some dates on when we can get to you.
And to be fair, it sorts a lot of the driftwood, to be honest, as well, because you're actually initially saying, I can't get to you next week, but I can get to you in a few weeks' time,
and I can give you a reasonable price instantly.
I mean, who doesn't like that?
So, you know, it's been going down a storm, to be honest with you.
Yeah, I was going to say, that's a very, very clever idea, because you know yourself, you can waste time going to look at a job, and it's basically, they've put in a new door lining, and they want you to make good, you know, they don't explain it very well on the phone, can they?
So, and then on the flip side of that, it might be massive, and it's going to tie you down for three months, and you, you know, if you add photos,
you could sort of, you could let them know straight away.
I really, really like that.
That's a very clever, clever way of getting your foot in the door, so to speak.
So, what are the jobs where you would still go and quote in person?
To be fair, anything that's bigger than a couple of rooms.
We'll go and see, like, whole houses, or anything that looks like there may be some remedial work to be doing first, like joists and things like that.
So, you know, if you've got a ceiling that's collapsed, you can't really do that off a photo.
You'd be able to go and check joists and levels and whether they need another store putting in or whatever.
But initially, even if somebody sends me a photo of that, I can say, well, listen, you know, worst case scenario,
you are looking at another ceiling, and, you know, what will cost you X amount of money?
So, again, you saw it in a week from the chat, and being able to tell people what they're actually looking at as a reasonable quote,
you know, I can say to them, a three-bedroom house currently is costing around X and X and X for a full skin.
So, they can say, right, okay, well, we'll get you over to look at the full house.
So, again, you're quantifying your needs before you're going out the door.
It's great.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, that's very, very good advice.
What have been your experiences quoting in person in the past?
Have you got any stories you can, you know, because you've told us about the way you do it now.
In the past, going round, any good stories, bad stories?
You lose a lot of time going round quoting, but also the thing is, I think you're not as confident in person when you're in front of somebody,
working out your figures and giving them the correct number.
Now, some people like to give you the chat and try to get a cheaper price out of you.
I think, what's that? I'm able to give me price and hold firm because I'm not being asked to knock this off, knock that off.
And can you just, can you just?
You're not getting that.
You're not rushed.
So, if anybody's new to quoting, you get time to sit at home and say, okay, there's my material.
How much do I really need to earn that day to get me through my day's wage?
And you've got the time to be able to do that and then go back to them and let them know what that is without feeling like a used car salesman, should we say.
So, it is for me.
It's about being able to, you know, look at what I might have missed on the day as well.
So, the things that I do do is when I go round and see a quote, I take photos and videos of the actual job.
So, I can remind myself at home when I'm typing up the quote, what it is that I need to put into that quote.
Because, you know, obviously missing a few boards here and there wasn't an issue before, but now the price rises.
It is, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, and I also like it because it's almost, it works both ways because they can't knock you down at the end of it because you pull out your phone and you say, look, that's the amount I sent you.
You agreed it.
Yeah.
So, there's none of this.
Yeah, exactly.
Oh, I thought you said 600 and now you want 900.
You know what I mean?
You've got it written down.
No, that's a very, very good idea.
Steph, how do you feel when a customer asks for a breakdown of costs in a quote?
I'm a bit aggrieved sometimes, but then when I actually write it down, I realise how much I am actually spending.
So, I always give the customer the option.
If they feel a little bit insecure about the whole thing, I'll give them the option to go and get their own materials.
I give them about two days before they come back and tell me that they want me to get the materials.
Because obviously we can get it at a discounted price.
We can put it in the van.
They've got to get it in a car.
They don't think of the delivery costs of things like thermoboards and stuff like that.
So, if they're trying to get a delivery at home, they're going to charge 25 quid by the merchant to get it to their house.
Whereas for us, we're doing it for free.
So, it's all those things that they don't see.
If they buy a couple of beads, it's going to cost them a fiver.
We buy 50 beads for 50 quid.
There's a difference, isn't there?
So, they work it out themselves eventually.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because when I was a sole trader, back in the early days, I can remember doing a price.
It was quite fiddly.
So, I said, look, I think the best way for both of us is to do it on a day rate.
And when it got to the end of the job, they quibbled about my time.
I was getting there sort of 8 o'clock in the morning, but I was booking from half 7.
And I said, how do you think the materials got from the builder's merchants to your property?
I'm not going to do it in my time.
And once I explained it, but it was like a bit, it sort of kicks you in the shin, doesn't it?
When you think, look, I'm only trying to cover my time for your job.
And you're trying to knock me down.
So, my question to you is, how do you feel when someone tries to knock money off or argue with you at the price at the end of the job?
What's Steph's sort of golden rule?
Oh, my golden rule is it's there in writing.
We've agreed to it and that's it now.
You know, at the end of the day, if I think, if I feel that somebody is going to be dodging over payment, we put an interim payment in the job.
Right.
So, if we say we're doing a whole house and we do three rooms upstairs, it gets to three to four days of the job and we're just, you know, three rooms upstairs, a bathroom, and we're just going to start on the whole stage land.
And ask for an interim payment and say, are you happy with the work?
Yes.
Great.
So, if you don't mind making payments on those three rooms, then we can keep the budget for the materials topped off.
You know, we make a little excuse just so that we can actually get that money and see that money coming in so we know they're good for it.
Because, let's not forget, as well as cowboy builders, there's cowboy customers.
Yes.
Oh, yes, there is.
And I was just about to ask you, I think, I believe I've got a good six cents over customers.
When I knock on the door and I start looking around, I think, there's been someone here before me.
And I think, and I start asking myself, where's the plasterer that done a really nice job?
Why is he not here?
And you start building a little questions of, you know, yourself against the customer.
So, are you any good at spotting time wasters?
And what sort of clues do you look for when you go and price a new job?
Yeah, totally.
I'm the same as you.
You know, I'll go past the living room and walk up the stairs and think, well, that looks a nice deal.
And who's done that?
And I'll ask them and they'll say, oh, yeah, I just couldn't get hold of them again.
And I think, well, there's a reason why they've bounced you off and you're not going to be a hold of them again.
And I thought, you're obviously crippled with the price or you've not paid them or whatever, whatever.
And if I feel like that's the case, then sometimes I'll just ask for a deposit for the materials and see what happens.
You know, get that up front.
And it just is, you know, if I feel like this isn't going to be the right job, I will actually say, you know what, sorry, we can't fit this in.
Or, you know, I'm really not sure about whether we can do this job in our capabilities.
It might make you look stupid, but at the end of the day, you're not going to go away with no payday.
And that's the most important thing, isn't it?
Of course it is.
I mean, I'm loving these tips you're giving the youngsters out there because there's, you know, there's no point going to work for a week and not getting paid is there.
So if you can see, foresee even, these problems occurring, then the best thing, don't even start the job.
You know, if you, what's the saying, if you smell a rat, run.
Yeah, too right.
I've actually said to customers before, so I've got, like yourself, I've gone around, I've had a look at it, and I've actually turned around to the customer, right, okay, now I'm going to get back to you with a price.
And the thing is here, I've got to be able to trust you as much as you've got to trust me.
Although you want the work doing, I've got to make sure that you're going to pay for the work that I'm doing.
So you're right, there's got to be an element of, it's got to work both ways, hasn't it?
The relationship.
It's a two-way street.
Absolutely, two-way street.
And the thing is with the WhatsApp conversations, you can keep them going every night.
I mean, what I tend to do is if it's a big job and they're living off-site, I'll send photos of the room who's completed and say, what do you think?
And they're like, yeah, it looks brilliant.
So that by the end of it, I've got a little caseload there to say, hang on a minute, you said it looks brilliant.
You know, just all those little things.
Get them involved in the process so they feel like they can't pull out at the end, you know?
Yeah, yeah.
No, Steph, these are all good points.
I'm loving the taking the pictures because, you know, as you know, I've been doing this 34, 35 years and I still today walk in, the lads are skimming away and I think, do you know what?
I didn't see that return on the sides of that stairs that once felt EML.
You know, when you get on the side of a winder.
And I think to myself, well, how did I miss that?
Well, because it wasn't boarded.
And then the customer says to me, well, yeah, I showed you that.
And you think, no, you didn't.
And the photo would help you out.
You know what I mean, Steph?
You've done it, haven't you?
You know what I mean?
You look in a room and you think, oh, yeah, you've measured that one next door.
You've measured that one.
You think, okay, it's a 3 before ceiling, 2.4, I, four rooms.
Then you go in and then they've cut a little recess and they've got all these little shelving that's built in the stud work.
You know, working shower, wet relief.
I didn't see that.
And by taking photographs, it's a good reference to when you go back to start the job.
Steph, I could talk to you for absolute hours and we are going to get you back on the show because you are giving some top, top tip for the young spreads out there.
I want to thank you for joining me on the plastering show today to talk quotes.
Fix Radio.