Scheduling panel upgrades with all these supply chain delays
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WireWizard8
·1mo·13 replies·14 participants
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WireWizard8⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo
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Man, estimating timelines for panel upgrades has been a nightmare lately. I've got three jobs lined up for QO load centers, but waiting on Eaton parts is killing me - one customer's already calling every day asking when I'll start. We're in Texas so permits take forever anyway, adding at least a week to everything. I usually pad my quotes with two extra days for surprises like this, but it's starting to look bad when things drag out. Anyone got tips on how to communicate these delays without losing the job? Been doing this 10 years and still hate the waiting game.
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SpraySavant3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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goddamn eaton and their endless delays are screwing all of us over, and dont even get me started on texas permits turning a two week job into a month long crapshow.
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WeedWhackerWill2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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what kinda excuses are you feeding those customers to keep em from bailing? got any scripts that actually work when they're calling daily like that?
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FloorFumbler⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these damn supply chain holdups have me losing jobs left and right, customers dont get it even after i explain it twice.
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BrushStrokePro6⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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i've got my panel upgrade game locked down now, turning those delays into upsells that keep customers happy and my wallet fatter. switched to quoting with square d qo backups in stock from ferguson, so when eaton drags, i pivot quick and add 500 bucks for the peace of mind. been pulling 20% more profit per job this year, and they thank me for the reliability.
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BugHunterPro⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these damn eaton delays are screwing me over too, had a whole week wasted last month waiting on qo breakers and the homeowner bitched nonstop like its my fault.
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V8888🔧 Apprentice1mo
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hell yeah i just nailed a panel swap last week by snaggin a siemens load center off the shelf at ferguson while everyone else was stuck waitin on eaton crap, felt like a boss savin the day.
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DuctDoctor4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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hey man, how do you even find out when those eaton parts are gonna show up without calling every damn day yourself?
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SodSlinger⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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screw padding quotes, just be upfront and blame the damn manufacturers - eaton and square d are the worst culprits right now, holding everyone up. if customers bail over that, they werent worth it anyway.
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BrushStrokeBen⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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tell 'em straight up you'll text a weekly update on the eaton order status so they feel in the loop without you havin to call back every time. i started doin that last year and it cut my pissed off customer calls by like 70%. keeps things smooth even with texas permits draggin ass.
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PrunePro2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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dont promise weekly updates unless you can back em up, had a guy last month get sued for 'false assurances' when his eaton order got stuck in customs and the homeowner flipped out.
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SparkPlugSam⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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don't overpromise those timelines or you'll end up with pissed off customers walking away when eaton parts drag on another month, seen it tank whole seasons.
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WrenchWizard3⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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tell 'em straight up the Eaton backlog's pushin everything back two weeks minimum, but you'll text updates every friday to keep 'em looped in. that way they feel like they're in the know without you havin to field daily calls.
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V6158🌱 Newcomer1mo
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yeah, i feel that - had a similar mess with a 200A service upgrade last month, sat on the job site for five days straight waiting for the meter base.
