“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.”
John Ruskin (1819-1900)
Incredibly, that was written over 100 years ago and the truth contained in that quote still applies to today. No matter what it is that you are buying, the same rules apply. No one likes to pay too much and no likes spending money wastefully.
Let me explain how that applies when shopping for a professional plumbing company. When a potential new customer calls our office, after inquiring about availability, some will ask how much it will cost. Unfortunately, answering this question is not as easy as it may seem and the honest answer sometimes puts us at a disadvantage.
Our pricing method varies depending on the job. Some tasks are billed at a fixed price because the task is identical no matter what home we are in. An example would be pulling and resetting a toilet. The other method is billing for Time and Materials due to the uncertain nature of the task and unforeseen variables.
Quoting a price over the phone is not fair to us, nor is it fair to the customer. The best we can do is offer a ballpark figure. There are plumbing companies in Myrtle Beach that will quote a lowball number just to get their foot in the door and then will try a bait and switch once they get into your home. Quoting an hourly rate does not give you a valid way to compare one plumbing company to another. Remember, the hourly rate is only one part of the equation. The amount of time required to do the task is the other half of the equation. Allow me to demonstrate:
Company A: Hourly Rate = $80.00/hr. - They are honest, but most of their plumbers have limited experience.
Company B: Hourly Rate = $100.00/hr. – They are honest and they employ the best plumbers in the industry.
Plumbing Complaint – Water meter is spinning indicating a leak.
Company A – Completes their diagnostics and determines the is a leak on the main water service. Since there is no indication of water outside, they begin randomly digging and hope to uncover the leak. Eventually they locate the leak and make the repair. From start to finish, the job takes 3 hours for a total of $240.00.
Company B – Completes their diagnostics and determines the is a leak on the main water service. There is no indication of water outside; however, with their extensive experience they are able to pinpoint the most likely place the break occurred. They dig down, locate the leak and make the repair. From start to finish, the job takes 2 hours for a total of $200.00.
If you had shopped based on an hourly rate only, you would have spent $40.00 more for the same repair. The above scenario assumes both companies are honest. When shopping for a professional plumbing company whether it be in Alabama, South Carolina, or Maryland, the MOST IMPORTANT qualifications should be the company’s integrity, reputation, and warranty.
We will NEVER advertise that we are the cheapest plumbing company in town. As an associate once said “Good plumbing isn’t cheap and cheap plumbing isn’t good.” When we hire plumbers, we DO NOT hire the plumber wanting to make the least amount of money. If they were being paid a rate less than the average plumber, one has to wonder why. Two things come to mind – either their previous employer did not think they were worth more or the plumber lacks confidence in his/her ability. In either case, this applicant would not meet our high standards and most importantly, would not meet your standards.
What Fogarty & Fogarty Plumbing Co. offers is the BEST service and quality for the most competitive price. This is referred to as VALUE and we deliver everyday! We also offer 24/7 Emergency Service to our Service Contract Customers. All others are subject to availability.
