What's wrong with this story?
 

So I'm visiting me mom's and find one of the toilets not working. Handle that moves the flapper is corroded off. It's a small piece of bent wire that looks like part of a coat hanger and costs about 2 cents to make.

I call the biggest plumbing company in the Yellow Pages—who also have the highest Better Business Bureau customer satisfaction rating. Lots of pictures of smart looking plumbers wearing bow-ties etc. (I'd do the job myself, but don't have the time or the tools handy).

I give company the Kohler toilet model number on the phone, and tell them I need a new handle and describe it to them. I don't ask about price.

Guy comes yesterday, spends 10 minutes, and says he doesn't have the right Kohler part. None of the six handles he brought along fit. Comes back today with the right part and installs it in 5 minutes. (I timed both visits)

Total cost: $354.38 Total work time: 15 minutes. Total labour costs: $278.- (which works out to an hourly charge of $1,112.- per hour!) BTW travel time is negligible—the place is 5 minutes away—and this was during normal business hours.

Breakdown:

1. Yesterday's visit charged at "minimum initial visit charge" of $180.- plus $31.- in parts for a piece of copper wire used for a temporary fix, plus taxes.

2. Today's visit charged at "continuation rate" of $98.- per hour(or portion thereof), plus $24.- for the actual part, plus taxes.

Total: $354.38

Yes I paid. (Didn't have the time or energy to feck around with this guy.)

Relative of someone you unsuccessfully defended or represented trying to "get square"?

Karma, you think?

Perhaps you're right.

Simple, really.

He added in the Porsche tax. He obviously knows you own an expensive sports car and can afford to pay a "bit" more than other folks.:rolleyes:

Why didn't you repair it yourself?!?


KT

Just visiting. I had no tools and no time to chase down the part.

Damn, did you get at least get a kiss or some cuddle time afterward? :)

Kohler stuff is very expensive too.

I get far less than that for a house call.

You do house calls? Your a doctor?

Unheard of in these parts!

Hmmm.

Just for reference:

You can do this job, including travel time, shopping, a disposable pair of pliers and install for about $20 and one hour...


Just sayin'


KT

A cheap tool set at Home Depot + parts, about $40. I'm sure the plumbers are laughing about this one.

you sure it wasn't a Ducati toilet?

The plumber was just letting you know that YES, you do have the time to chase down the part.

I purchased a pretty good set of basic tools to leave at my mom's house for such emergencies.


I once ended up replacing her shower controls while chasing down a leak for my parents............on a Sunday.............without access to Home Depot or Lowes.

it didn't match but it worked.;)

you also could have just gone outside and pee'd behind the garage or something...

What is wrong with the story is you...

The few times I need a repairman in my house.. When he enters the house I ask him for a ballpark estimate before he does any work.

If his estimate isn't crazy, "yes go ahead"

If he tells me $500 to replace a flush valve.. Its adios...

Shoe string would have worked :D

That's what we do round here in the sticks.... Hell I can change the flush lever in my toilet in 5mins with just my leatherman

I've had this happen on a few toilets and always got some cheap, Chinese junk kit at Home Depot and fixed it myself in 15 min. Never cost more than about $10. For what you paid, you could have bought all Snap-On tools for the job and still done it in less time than it takes to drive to a hardware store.

Moral of the story: Learn to fix it yourself. Even if you're a hack. I suck at fixing things, yet I will fix almost anything.

Things I won't do:

Drywall & texturing
Copper piping
Changing oil in the cars. Motorcycles - no problem

Hmmmm..... can't think of anything else.