How's the work flow In today's economy?

**Mr_David** · 03-22-2010, 03:36 PM

I have worked for the same company for over 20 Yrs. Never have I seen the flow of work to be this slow. It's a small shop. I was just told to stay home because the only call he had scheduled for this morning just called and cancelled.

I've seen slow periods off & on over the yrs but never this bad. It was really busy about a month ago. I'm curious if it's slow all over or just that my Employer is loosing his touch on generating work.

Austin · 03-22-2010, 09:02 PM

Everyone I've talked to says it's slow all over. My brother was on a trim crew working with the owners son and every one on that crew got layed off. The owners son got moved into another Department and isn't doing so well now. Things are rough all over, I'm afraid.

**majakdragon** · 03-23-2010, 01:22 AM

Things are slow all over. New housing is going to get even slower with the new Fire Sprinkler requirement for new homes. Things where I live were still going strong for a year after the slump started, but now is the same as everywhere else.

**phishfood** · 03-23-2010, 02:48 AM

It is really slow here. When I came back to work for this company 3 1/2 years ago, there were something like 400 employees. Last I heard, we were down to about 60, and there have been layoffs since then. Around Christmas, as one of the more experienced installers at the company, I was bushogging the company property and painting gangboxes, as there just wasn't anything to do.

I keep hearing that things are looking up, that there is more work in the pipeline, but very few jobs actually pan out.

Maybe I should have agreed to go run remodel jobs in Alabama 2 weeks ago?

**Chris** · 03-24-2010, 04:12 PM

Things are pretty slow out here as well. I have been unemployed for the last month but also working on starting my own company and so far there is bidding going on but not alot of work actually being done.

**DUNBAR PLUMBING** · 03-25-2010, 02:45 AM

I've been busy, rolled right through the down economy. Still turned down work all the way through.

Busy is 20-24 billable hours for me, so I'm not out to kill it, just make a living.

One thing that is important:

I raised my prices, not lower. A lot of my competition did just that, which is suicide for the next few years because no one is going to accept a drop, then a raise in price like that.

I charged more, had to because the freqency wasn't there like it used to be. I thank my years of good work for customers that remembered to call me for service as time moved on. Thank goodness. I really need to pull out of the yellow pages but the calls are coming in, hate to give it up.

Austin · 03-25-2010, 07:30 PM

So Dunbar you're recieveing a lot of repeat and not alot of new business or is it both?

**DUNBAR PLUMBING** · 03-28-2010, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin

So Dunbar you're recieveing a lot of repeat and not alot of new business or is it both?

Both. I've been in business 8 years so I have a fairly established customer base.

It seems a lot of customers are not loyal to their service providers, otherwise I wouldn't be in homes with new water heaters recently installed along with other major repairs to their plumbing.

Service plumbing was a good move for my career. Just like a nurse, you'll always have a job.

Austin · 03-29-2010, 04:43 PM

As long as it pays the bills it can't be that bad right?

**Mr_David** · 10-20-2010, 06:20 AM

Last 3 weeks has been pretty busy. Hope it stays busy so I can stimulate the economy by buying stuff.
That's why I haven't been hanging around this forum much lately.