kevinjohnsonmbe

Agreed, actually, I’d say it was a phone discussion where I asked the service manager what the likely cost would be, he shouted over the mechanic who said 2hrs, service manager said 2 hrs @£50/hr + parts. I said, £200 should cover it then, he said, yeah, easy. All informal, just decent blokes agreeing a ball-park figure for planning purposes. If, on collection (or perhaps more appropriately before proceeding) someone had said, Houston, we have a problem, we’ve opened her up and found a burst appendix, do you want us to order parts and crack on, that would have been perfectly acceptable. But rocking up with a 2x estimated bill with absolutely no knowledge or explanation of what / why, is going to make me look at the detail and start asking awkward questions about why they’ve added dubious elements such as cleaning and top rate for a whole can of white grease when maybe a 1/5 of a can would have been used, why the 4hrs Labour comes in at £60/hr rather £50 etc etc. So far as I can discern, there were no unexpected tasks, no extras etc. Absolutely no justification and that’s why they just pulled the bill and issued another @£188 seemingly, without batting an eyelid. So yes, a verbal estimate, not binding, but if you’re gonna bump it’s up you’d better be ready with a good justification.

Paying a pro for a pro job is what I wanted, and set out to do. Being invited to pay near double the quote without any explanation was the point I was highlighting. I’d cut my own tree down....?

Absolutely nothing Pete, but still they seem to do it. You know who I’m referring to in my story and I’ve chosen not to say it out loud. I absolutely recognise the overheads issue but so must service providers recognise the importance and value of generating positive customer feedback. My experience was a piss take and it won’t be repeated anytime soon.

SE Cornwall?

2 & 3 are achievable.... 1 is near impossible - either for reasons of irrational emotional attachment or the complete absence of a punter willing to part with folding which equates to the Herculean effort of (a) milling it in the first place and (b) moving it around the yard twice a year for 10 years.... It is the ultimate fools errand!

Do the same as most do (myself included.) Mill some timber, stack it with illogical precision and symmetry...... Then move the stack(s) around the yard at least twice per year (every time it gets in the way of some other job) for the next 10 years until it reduces itself to unusable mush. Then repeat....

Gotta look on the bright side.....

Are you predominantly urban (chip removal) or rural (chip remain on site)? Reason I ask is, if rural, a dinky little trailer for the tracked chipper would be ideal. I've often wished I had one like pic 1. I tend to use IW GX125 for chipper / MultiOne which allows for plenty of extra space for ancillaries but makes for a long vehicle / trailer combo. Can't grumble though, it's been a good combo. Just ordered the Auto Vox W7 wireless reversing camera. Going to lash on the back of the trailer for awkward reversing jobs. Planning to tap into the lights rather than the reversing light so as to have a constant rear view on screen when lights are on rather than just when selecting reverse. Never tried putting chipper on the tipping trailer, it would be a high centre of gravity.

You are only an apprentice miserable bastard Kevin, Thank you kind Sir, that’s the nicest thing anyone has said for ages ?

They don’t expect people to check / question their work....

Mecca Bingo?? ????

Best be prepared....

Ouch! The owner of the outfit I used lives just up the road. I’ve done a bit of stump grinding for him in the past. Nice bloke - but, I suspect, quite detached from the day-to-day business and customer feedback. That’s likely to change when I next see him! Im about equal distance from the established depot at Fraddon, and the recently opened depot at Holsworthy. Both about 30 miles away. I don’t venture across the border often so thought I’d have a trip out across the Tamar to where the roofs are thatched. They had to send a fitter from Fraddon to Holsworthy to do the service ? I wonder if the 2 hrs extra Labour I wasn’t expecting was his travelling time each way?? Id just have well have taken it to Fraddon in the first place.

As a courtesy, you’d expect them to supply & apply if theme gonna bend you up like a pretzel ?

ArbTrak 150. I know what you mean about quality. It takes time to do it yourself but you’re looking at everything and going the extra mile rather than rushing through a tick sheet to get it finished before tea break. I seem to be constantly disappointed by big name, flash showroom main dealers whether it be vehicles or machinery. A small independent doesn’t have flash sales staff, admin, premises and bosses salaries to cover. The bloke on the spanners isn’t getting any big bucks, it’s all being pissed away on overheads. Won’t be taking my business back there.

That’s very fair!

Just chopped it in ½ and said it was because service manager hadn’t seen it before it was finalised. My mate ‘was’ working out of a barn 500m away but has now got himself a unit and has changed business direction otherwise he’d have done it.

Just put mine in for dealer service, I like to keep on top of such things and I prefer not to do the 'mechanicals' myself. Quote was 2 hrs labour @ £50/hr + necessary ancil's. Bit rich perhaps but a necessary and justifiable expense. On collection I find 4 hrs labour @ £60/hr and other costs such as 'cleaning' and £6 for white grease. So where I was expecting a couple of hundred quid the invoice was close to twice that. A little bit peeved wouldn't be an entirely accurate description of my reaction. OK, I can see a few sprays of white grease around the appropriate areas - but certainly not a whole £6 can full. I know it wasn't cleaned because it was 'king mint when it went it. A short discussion ensued which resulted in the person on the til undertaking to discuss the matter with the service manager who was currently out at lunch. Chipper loaded and off I toddled without having settled the bill waiting for the phone call which had been promised. Apparently, the service manager had not seen the bill before it was compiled and presented to me. It's been "adjusted" from just shy of £400 to £188. Now I know I'm a miserable bar steward at the best of times but there are occasions when you feel like someone is trying to pull your pants down (negative grease) and it pays to say "...hang on a minute....." What sort of money are folks paying for chipper service?

Think I'll pop down to MVF and have a top up on shotgun shells tomorrow.... https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ammunition-sales-soar-response-coronavirus-133400231.html

Its not at all implausible.... China have rolled out an app for citizen tracking. Can't see that being abused at all! China's coronavirus detection app is reportedly sharing citizen data with police THENEXTWEB.COM Last month, China rolled out an app for people to test if they’ve been in ‘close contact’ with people exposed to the...

You sly old fox! You still trying to catch up with that mystery tree guy you had a previous fleeting, ships that pass in the night ‘moment’ with back along?? If only I could remember the thread title..... ????

Indeed Mr S, just we don't have the benefit of his encyclopaedic knowledge anymore.... Ever since "StumpGate" ???

TCD was a font of knowledge on such matters.