Advice The Home Improvement/Automation Thread

Just seems like a high cost for moving furniture and possibly a little prep - that hasn't been revealed. Even if the house has 12 rooms and requires $2k in really good paint, it's probably only a $6-8k paint job. I have about 3,000 square and I've been quoted as low $3500. They expect you to move valuables and unload heavier cabinets. Every crew has someone who excels at running from room to room with spackle, painters caulk, etc. and make quick work of any fill work. Ditto for any taping. I've done a shit ton of this myself and just don't see $2k getting nipped off a paint job. Maybe $500


Well, there's including something in the bid for "shit happens" type stuff, and then there's padding it way high and acting like you're doing them a favor when you're really just bringing it down to where it should've been in the first place.

No idea the size, condition, or amount of furniture in their place.

We used to do this on rentals a lot and there's always crap you simply couldn't see the first time.

Few scrap pieces of different thickness of sheetrock and spray texture, etc. stayed in the truck at all times. You gonna walk in somewhere and start patching holes that were hidden behind dressers and pictures and stuff.

Or they left a bunch of crap there, they're gone, and the only person to move it is you.
 
Well, there's including something in the bid for "shit happens" type stuff, and then there's padding it way high and acting like you're doing them a favor when you're really just bringing it down to where it should've been in the first place.

No idea the size, condition, or amount of furniture in their place.

We used to do this on rentals a lot and there's always crap you simply couldn't see the first time.

Few scrap pieces of different thickness of sheetrock and spray texture, etc. stayed in the truck at all times. You gonna walk in somewhere and start patching holes that were hidden behind dressers and pictures and stuff.

Or they left a bunch of crap there, they're gone, and the only person to move it is you.
All true. But he made it sound like a crew came and banged it out in a day or two. Anyways, I have no argument with the end of job discount idea, just speculative that someone could misquote by $2k on a job of that relative size and complexity. As a percentage it seems pretty bad - either that customer was willing to pay for a big padding or the business was willing to take a risk of losing the same percentage. It's like the owner at one tool shop told me, being the new estimator for the entire grinding department. "Eddy, if Sam(salesman) comes back with more than 50% of the quotes accepted, I'm gonna have to fire you. And if he comes back with less than 50% of the quotes I'm gonna have to fire ya." Then he had me shut his office door and we had a nice shot of Scotch from the bottle he kept in his desk. Sorry I yelled "Burnt!" I'll do some work now, so we don't have to pad this mother too much.
 
The correct way to start a day around here it seems is with an argument.

The other day it was cameras. Today I guess it's paint contracting.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.

How much to tip at restaurants is usually good for a hoot.
How much do I tip the gal who cuts my hair? She snips out a few grey eyebrow hairs as an extra service but I wash my hair, trim my ears and nostrils at home before I go there.
 
All true. But he made it sound like a crew came and banged it out in a day or two. Anyways, I have no argument with the end of job discount idea, just speculative that someone could misquote by $2k on a job of that relative size and complexity. As a percentage it seems pretty bad - either that customer was willing to pay for a big padding or the business was willing to take a risk of losing the same percentage. It's like the owner at one tool shop told me, being the new estimator for the entire grinding department. "Eddy, if Sam(salesman) comes back with more than 50% of the quotes accepted, I'm gonna have to fire you. And if he comes back with less than 50% of the quotes I'm gonna have to fire ya." Then he had me shut his office door and we had a nice shot of Scotch from the bottle he kept in his desk. Sorry I yelled "Burnt!" I'll do some work now, so we don't have to pad this mother too much.


I think we're probably just missing the kind of details that would help this all make more sense.

He said the bid was reasonable, they did a good job, customer and contractor are both happy. Seems like a good result to me.
 
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I've never been a fan of the percentage. I could be sitting there enjoying a $3.00 beer for an hour, taking up a bartenders seat and would never tip only 25% of that... I usually always start with $6 bucks and depending how long we're there and how good the service is, it goes up (as long as it's always over, at least 20% of the bill).

Because really, these people are usually making $2.50/hour plus tips. It's not easy work and I appreciate them putting up with me for an hour or two. I try to tip well because I've been there and it's fucked up that restaurants get away with paying their employees so little.
 
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I've never been a fan of the percentage. I could be sitting there enjoying a $3.00 beer for an hour, taking up a bartenders seat and would never tip only 25% of that... I usually always start with $6 bucks and depending how long we're there and how good the service is, it goes up (as long as it's always over, at least 20% of the bill).

Because really, these people are usually making $2.50/hour plus tips. It's not easy work and I appreciate them putting up with me for an hour or two. I try to tip well because I've been there and it's fucked up that restaurants get away with paying their employees so little.
He said restaurants, so think food. Or we can fight about what he meant!
 
I've never been a fan of the percentage. I could be sitting there enjoying a $3.00 beer for an hour, taking up a bartenders seat and would never tip only 25% of that... I usually always start with $6 bucks and depending how long we're there and how good the service is, it goes up (as long as it's always over, at least 20% of the bill).

Because really, these people are usually making $2.50/hour plus tips. It's not easy work and I appreciate them putting up with me for an hour or two. I try to tip well because I've been there and it's fucked up that restaurants get away with paying their employees so little.


I can't drink that slow so just throwing a dollar in the tip jar each time I get one works very much in their favor.
 
I've never been a fan of the percentage. I could be sitting there enjoying a $3.00 beer for an hour, taking up a bartenders seat and would never tip only 25% of that... I usually always start with $6 bucks and depending how long we're there and how good the service is, it goes up (as long as it's always over, at least 20% of the bill).

Because really, these people are usually making $2.50/hour plus tips. It's not easy work and I appreciate them putting up with me for an hour or two. I try to tip well because I've been there and it's fucked up that restaurants get away with paying their employees so little.
How much do you tip @fly?

:lol:
 
I tip in cash and don't calculate exact percentages. Just kinda round things up or whatever makes an even number or common bills.
I doubt it hits 25% but it goes straight from my hand to hers so she doesn't have to fork it over to the other waitresses who did not serve me.
 
I've never been a fan of the percentage. I could be sitting there enjoying a $3.00 beer for an hour, taking up a bartenders seat and would never tip only 25% of that... I usually always start with $6 bucks and depending how long we're there and how good the service is, it goes up (as long as it's always over, at least 20% of the bill).

Because really, these people are usually making $2.50/hour plus tips. It's not easy work and I appreciate them putting up with me for an hour or two. I try to tip well because I've been there and it's fucked up that restaurants get away with paying their employees so little.

Yep. As an ex-bartender/server, I'm ridiculous when it comes to tipping. First, bartenders give so much shit away it's amazing and I always wonder if they'll get caught so I pay for all the liquor regardless + 25-50%. Comp 1/2 my drinks, you get 125-150%.

I was just out for dinner & the bartender had just opened a new private-label hot sauce & set it in front of me to use. I've bought them before, $4 each, and asked if they had extras to sell. 25% of the time they don't. So she checks & came back & said she checked with the mgr, but didn't have any more unopened but said I could 'just take' that one[that she just gave me]. When the check comes, there's no hot sauce charge so I ask her about it. "No, no. You can just take it." Me: +$10 for you.

If they do the slightest extra in customer service, it means the world to me. They deserve it. Big money comes if they're giving my date that extra customer service. It always bugs me when they only want take care of the person paying the bill. . . And I think that most food & bev establishments now know that when they go the extra mile they get really great loyalty.
 
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