atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Dont Nationals Get it when it comes to cost??

About 1997 or so, I negotiated my National contract. My saving clause is the 20 mile trip radius. Sure, I give them a 20% discount on service rates, as opposed to 16 2/3% for all other Nationals, but, after 30 minutes or 20 miles, the meter starts :-)

It works out that I do my own county and the county to the north for no travel...not a bad deal because that's where the bulk of my cu8stomers are anyway, but any travel outside that radius is sort of a win-win because I'm getting reimbursed for my travel out of the zone.
My budget includes spending 20,000 miles for the vehicle anyway, so anything I get, trip charges, hourly wages, etc. offset the $10,000 annual expense. For the most part, the ends pulling at each other only becomes a factor in the summer season if I'm running service. Normally, everything is scheduled and works fine.

When the Nationals give you 20-30% of your business, it's hard to say you don't need them. Besides, with those accounts, I can always refuse a job if I have something else scheduled. You can't do that with your own customers. I remember back in the heyday, when some contractors were getting 90% biz from Nationals. Wow did they get a rude shock when the bottom fell out of the market!

So, how is that bad? Almost like 9 to 5 hours, steady work, and genuine overtime. Yeah. I'll still keep it.

Carl

About 1997 or so, I negotiated my National contract... When the Nationals give you 20-30% of your business...

Everybody correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think anybody here has a long term commitment with a national especially where they send you all the work they have in your area. If I was guaranteed a large percentage of jobs from them each week and was paid on time I would have a different opinion. But my experience has been that you will be one of many whom they call infrequently looking for the lowest price and probably wanting you to show up on their terms.

So we are talking apples and oranges and you sir are very much the exception.

-Hal

Well, I missed another chance to retire rich today. A national called me and said they were in dire need of someone to work on a cabling project tonight (9pm-6am)9 hours and 2 hours travel, pay $180.I was not surprised that they were in dire need.I figured after travel and gas I would have been down to about $15 an hour.Sad part is, thats about their typical wage, dont know hoe they ever get anyone.

They do in this area every time.

Sounds like a platform ticket.
They're likely not a "national" but someone who picked up a contract or work order pack in a area they have no business taking it in and are looking for a schmuck to make them money for doing nothing.

The real problem isn't them as much as the pinheads that will take these types of calls.

We work with nationals selectively, and get reasonable rates from them all.

The low ball garbage doesn't even get my attention other than the maybe a repair escalation because their 15.00 per hr knucklehead messed something up (these tend to be profitable heh)

This is a national outfit that has multiple cabling jobs for a major dept. chain( JCP) and they all pay the same thing.Theyve got several more on their bid list in my area. I often wonder why they dont understand you get what you pay for.For what they pay the quality cant be much.I also work for other nationals that pay a fair wage but it seems its getting harder and harder to get it.

Mind if I ask who?

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