Does it mean you are a bad tiler if you have slow patches?

[jonnyc]

Just been reading this thread and tacked back to some of 1st job.
I nearly lost my business beginning last year because I employ 5tilers full time and I hit a bad patch for first time in 25 plus years.
i don't think my company is bad at our job though.i survived by offering greatly reduced rates to old clients cleaning and resealing floors that we have fixed over the years.

also did a number of fixing jobs , in fact gary the tiler very kindly put me on to one of his old customers who was a real perfectionist but you know what Charlie he was really pleased to get me in a quiet time and me him.he didn't know me from adam but he let me loose in his pristine house. Gary had never seen our work in person.the client was not suspicious just grateful I think to get someone at short notice who I hope turned out a good job . I got paid!!!

 

[Brian the Tile]

Absolutely fantastic,
My m8 had a ball in the strippers,
He loved seeing me in suspenders!!

good man ,cant beat a good stag night

 

[The D]

Just been reading this thread and tacked back to some of 1st job.
I nearly lost my business beginning last year because I employ 5tilers full time and I hit a bad patch for first time in 25 plus years.
i don't think my company is bad at our job though.i survived by offering greatly reduced rates to old clients cleaning and resealing floors that we have fixed over the years.

also did a number of fixing jobs , in fact gary the tiler very kindly put me on to one of his old customers who was a real perfectionist but you know what Charlie he was really pleased to get me in a quiet time and me him.he didn't know me from adam but he let me loose in his pristine house. Gary had never seen our work in person.the client was not suspicious just grateful I think to get someone at short notice who I hope turned out a good job . I got paid!!!

Amen to that

 

[charlie1]

Just been reading this thread and tacked back to some of 1st job.
I nearly lost my business beginning last year because I employ 5tilers full time and I hit a bad patch for first time in 25 plus years.
i don't think my company is bad at our job though.i survived by offering greatly reduced rates to old clients cleaning and resealing floors that we have fixed over the years.

also did a number of fixing jobs , in fact gary the tiler very kindly put me on to one of his old customers who was a real perfectionist but you know what Charlie he was really pleased to get me in a quiet time and me him.he didn't know me from adam but he let me loose in his pristine house. Gary had never seen our work in person.

We all get quiet spells. But you reinforce my point Johnny!! Your quality of work is at the very top, and you say you hit your first quiet spell for 25 years, that makes sense to me, even for a guy that employs 5 tilers. I have ambition to expand and pass on my skill one day, not that I ever want off the tools, I just want bigger projects to challenge but that's for another thread.

 

[jonnyc]

The other thing I noticed looking back at Brian the tile post was that he said he would not want to be paid till he had done job to satisfaction.
i found this interesting as Phil Hobson said same thing about a recent job he now has a problem on.
i think this is an old school outlook and nothing wrong with it.
but in this day and age I think clients are not as honourable as they were.
i am not old school but have been in tiling over 25years .i have never done a job without taking at least material deposit to book my time in.
you probably won't believe it but there was a long period when I took materials plus 50 percent labour just to book me in.
this is another debate.

 

[Brian the Tile]

yes jonny i can see your point there with taking a deposit ,and have often said that i would do that also,i suppose i have been lucky in my time as that has only happened to me once ,and i went in with my hammer and smashed every tile i had fixed but that also is another tale,i am owed no money thank the lord

 

[jonnyc]

Last point I want to make is that up until few years ago I had never been on a forum and even now never been on a forum for anything other than tiling.
i think we in this country have a trade in tiling that is probably like no other in western world .
Rainer from germany who is a member here and a tiler of the highest quality I have ever seen , loves this forum for the simple reason that we have such a mix of tilers. In his country the pros who do time served courses like he did would not even consider talking or communicating to self taught /short course tilers.
there is such a cross section of probably four types of tilers in this country who have strived and now make a living and forums like this give us all an opportunity to learn a bit from each other.respect is due to all who are ultimately in the same boat

 

[Stef]

Jonny, well said..
If we all put out work of the standard of Rainer then it would be a very different world we live in..

 

[Brian the Tile]

I also felt so bad for Phil and that could happe to any one of us ,it happened to mea long while ago and now i tend to let people know the situation and state payment on completion of work,we are the only trade i think where people expect credit ,you cant go to tesco and tell them you will pay next week,

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

What happend to phil then Brian ?

 

[jonnyc]

Jonny, well said..
If we all put out work of the standard of Rainer then it would be a very different world we live in..

Don't think enough people could afford jobs like rainsco nationally unfortunately.
but for someone who is hungry to
move forward .i don't think you could go wrong copying a business model like Rainer to some degree,
but you would need the skills that he has in tiling but also in way he presents jobs to clients.plus back ground in IT. To present visual drawings.german style is diffrent to uk but anyone with his skills could make a very good living in london

 

[afright]

you watching planet of the apes. is it any good might watch it on plus 1

also travelling from wales would cost you,

I was watching that as well disappointing ending he just can't get away from them dam monkeys.

 

[afright]

The other week asked for a deposit for the very first time since I started tiling,the bloke hit the roof ,needless to say did not get the job.

 

[Brian the Tile]

i have often thought about asking for a deposit but not done it as yet,i think there is a fine balance to whey up when you are pricing the job up as whether you trust them or not,and so far ive been lucky,i think if they are are going to do it on you they will no matter how good the job is there are some hrrible people out there

 

[Brian the Tile]

or maybe i always get payed because i look an evil b......d is the reason they always pay up lol

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

or maybe i always get payed because i look an evil b......d is the reason they always pay up lol

Brian lol, I look like one of the cast from the walking dead just now.:yikes:

 

[Brian the Tile]

chin up Phil its an awfull thing that happened to you,i reckon she knew what she was going to do right from the start,and it must be one hell of a blow for you,i think i know how you must feel right now ,when you are a honest man and have been doing the job as long as we have ,it must make you feel like throwing the trowel in (pardon the pun)

 

[Brian the Tile]

but for my life Phil i wouldnt let her get away with it

 

[Dan]

I know a few good tilers who have had rough patches just lately. Increased competition in the area, and customers assuming the cheapest quote is the best one, are both contributing factors in those cases. And it's a real shame, ones one of the best tilers in the country.

 

[The D]

I know a few good tilers who have had rough patches just lately. Increased competition in the area, and customers assuming the cheapest quote is the best one, are both contributing factors in those cases. And it's a real shame, ones one of the best tilers in the country.

Me??

 

[Dan]

Me??

You're not quiet are you?
I'd describe you as one of the best tilers in the country that isn't slack at the mo'.

 

[The D]

I'd describe me as the best tiler in my house

 

[Gazzer]

I'd describe me as the best tiler in my house

Do you live alone

 

[The D]

cheeky sod :lol:

 

[jonnyc]

The other week asked for a deposit for the very first time since I started tiling,the bloke hit the roof ,needless to say did not get the job.

I really dont see why you should not be asking for a deposit.
you are another old school and maybe that is the way you started out and have just carried on in thius way from habit.
i would say that if the client wont pay a deposit i would be worried about working for him .
I always ask for a material deposit but it does depend on how well i know my client as to when i ask for it.
if they are long established customers i will ask for full material deposit when i start . if i have not had a long established relationaship then i ask for deposit to secure my company to do work.
Reason i do this is because twice now about 8 years ago i was booked by a builder and on both occasions I turned up at site week in advance to check they would be ready and the stonework was already underway.
they would never have done this if a deposit had been paid. in one of those instances i even had a written order from contractor and he just laughed when i said i would pursue him in court.

Materials nowasadays are much more expensive than before with all the sub floor prep stuff as well and we should not be expected to shoulder the cost and act as a credit facility regardless of whether we have a 60 day account.