BUSINESS AND TRAINING
• Invest in the right equipment
• Specialist doctors charge more, so a specialist
plumber can charge more too
• Make sure you do your costings to profit from being
a specialist
Access and decide what is needed in your area:
• Green energy is popular
• Back up water is popular
• What is next?
- Purifying water?
- Reusing water?
- Water saving products?
- Infection and contamination prevention?
- Water-based heating and cooling?
- Gas?
“All of these areas of specialisation are going to start
becoming more important in the coming years, and if you
as a plumber can specialise in some of those, you are
going to have an advantage over your competitors. Equip
yourself as a specialist plumber by getting the right tools to
do the job correctly.
“This includes software for design and accounting – if you
have to spend a bit of money to be the best plumber in
your region or area of specialisation, then that’s what you
have to do,” says Harris. “Get POS machines like Yoco next
to your cell phone: for something like an R800 investment
you can never have a customer saying he can’t pay you on
site if he’s got a credit card. I can’t understand why every
plumber doesn’t have one in each of their vans.
“Do online courses on your chosen specialty, which haven’t
become popular in South Africa yet but are available. If you
can source these, it will lead to better jobs and more work
for you. You need to accumulate CPD points and these
online courses are good for points – and free. Speak to
the suppliers, some of them offer free courses for you and
your staff.”
How to charge
• Know your costs of being in business.
• Don’t phone around and ask what other guys charge
– they have different needs to yours.
February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12
• Go into the details, more information leaves less
room for error: “R1 000 charged for ‘plumbing
done’ may seem expensive to a customer, but
R1 000 for an itemised list may in contrast
seem value, and they also can’t argue with you
afterwards if you’ve detailed everything you’ve
done.”
• “Don’t price per point, as this results in
comparisons with other plumbers, but rather detail
what needs to be done.”
• Do good work and charge accordingly. Are you
proud of the job you have done?
• Customers will use you again automatically if they
were happy with the experience and there are no
comebacks.
• Learn to charge correctly for your skills.
• Quote before you take on a job so that the
customer is expecting the bill.
• Itemise your invoices: This protects you and makes
a customer happier to pay R7 000 to replace a
geyser, which seems expensive, but
R7 000 to drain a geyser, remove old tank, supply
new geyser, drip tray, vacuum breakers, install
system to relevant SANS, check pressure valve
and pipe safety to valve to outside, seems more
reasonable.
• Now there can be no argument on what was done.
41
“Harris
suggests
keeping
hand cleaner
and a can of
deodorant in
the vehicle to
make oneself
presentable.
Other tips are
to take boots
off or have
a separate
pair for going
indoors.”
Time to Plan
Spend time working out your quote and what you
need for a project; order stock in time, as having stock
means no hold ups, the job is finished quicker and you
get paid sooner.
Planning also results in:
• Less pressure on you as your supplier has the stock
on hand
• Consult with professionals before you begin
• Manage expectations by under-promising and
over-delivering
“Remember, your ultimate goal is a happy customer,
because a happy customer uses you again and refers
you to friends and colleagues. A happy customer is your
best advertisement. If you get that right, you’ll be the
busiest plumber in your market,” says Harris. PA
www.plumbingafrica.co.za