client in chicago called at 3am over a tripped gfci, charged him $250 just for the callout

up here in the chicago area, had this homeowner blow up my phone at 3am because her gfci in the kitchen tripped and she thought the house was gonna burn down. turns out it was just her hairdryer on a faulty extension cord, but i still rolled out and fixed it with a new legrand outlet. charged her $250 for the emergency after-hours visit, and she tried to haggle me down to nothing. man these difficult clients make me wanna quit some days.

homeowners like that are the WORST, always think electricians work for free after dark.

i love when they accept the eff you price without blinking.

you find any weird wiring behind that gfci?

replace it with a siemens, they last longer in damp spots.

what brand was the old outlet? was it aluminum wiring?

just swap it out and upsell a full kitchen inspection for safety.

eff those clients, we deserve hazard pay for night shifts.

last week i charged $400 for a similar midnight run.

i'd have left a bigger mess if she haggled.

chicago winters make those calls brutal, stay safe out there.

document everything in case she leaves a bad review.

sharkbites for plumbing sure, but for electrical? nah, stick to proper wire nuts.

3am call? i'd charge double and bring coffee.

try eaton's br series, way better than legrand for gfci.

leviton makes solid ones, but yeah $250 is fair game.

we all been there, hang in there brother.

inspectors in chicago are picky about gfci placement anyway.

had a client pull the same crap, ghosted me after the fix.

why do they always call at night? sleep is for the weak i guess.

frustrated with these entitled types ruining the trade.

these clients make me question if i should stick to residential.

ALL clients think we're magicians who fix for pennies.

i tell em upfront: after hours is premium, take it or leave it.

watched dustin from electrician u talk about handling karens like this.

$250? chump change, i hit $350 last month for one.

man that sucks, hope she tips at least.

same boat, these night owls drain your soul.

eff the hagglers, block and move on.

had one try to pay with a check that bounced, what a joke.

use square for payments to avoid that bs.

proud moment when you stand firm on the price.

gfci trips are usually user error, educate em next time.

lmfao, bet she unplugged that dryer wrong.

leviton gfci's are cheap and reliable, stock up.

these stories from r/electricians always crack me up.

homeowners gonna homeowner, can't fix stupid.

group in electricians network was ranting about this exact thing.

don't let one bad apple spoil your night.

what if it was a real fault? glad it wasn't.

i charge $300 min for chicago emergencies now.

frustrated too, had a similar call last week.

use milwaukee tools for quick swaps, speeds it up.

yeah, their drill bits cut through old boxes fast.

ever had one call back the next day complaining?

PSA: test gfci monthly, saves us all trouble.

chicago traffic at 3am? still a nightmare.

that $250 covers the therapy you'll need after.

asking for a friend: how do you sleep after those calls?

install a whole house surge protector while you're there.

we're in this together, keep charging what you're worth.

lmfao these clients are a circus.

try $400 next time, they pay or suffer.

what was the final verdict, did she pay?

sparky nate on tiktok has funny vids on this.

don't do after hours without a deposit, learned that hard way.

yeah man, we feel your pain on these.

another one bites the dust, stay strong.

how many of these do you get a month?

siemens arc faults are the way to go for future proofing.

eff these cheapskates, the trade needs better boundaries.

i'd laugh if she called back tomorrow.

solid job holding the line on price.