# service call



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

I would only bill for the work done on site. I wouldn't charge for talking to the POCO on the phone.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

backstay said:


> I would only bill for the work done on site. I wouldn't charge for talking to the POCO on the phone.


 
Time is money, if you are on site working in the customer's interest, it is billable.

If you are off site some of this should be billable.


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## Mr Rewire (Jan 15, 2011)

The Caseys store droped a phase I billed until the utility showed and I confirmed that everything was operational. I also stayed on site while waiting. It was a total of 1 1/2 hours from portal to portal,


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## 8V92TA (Jul 27, 2010)

I see the open line fuse... What caused the phase to drop?


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## Mr Rewire (Jan 15, 2011)

8V92TA said:


> I see the open line fuse... What caused the phase to drop?


 Didn't find a cause the utility service guy said he had done three that day.The transformers were just installed a year ago when the place was built so he thought it may just have been a bad fuse.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

I think the OP left the job after calling the POCO. Then got called again when the POCO didn't show.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

No dead squirrel on the ground? Center phase is more likely to catch such a critter nosing around up there ...


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

You should bill for your time involved. That's only fair. You also should try to upsell a emergency generator in case some ones pet ferret goes into cardiac arrest when there is a power outage and they need emergency services.


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## Mr Rewire (Jan 15, 2011)

hooch said:


> Just went on a em call at a 24/7 animal hospital and found they lost a phase. I called the utility company and they would be out asap. one hr later they call and say the have a em and when is the power going to be restored for there 3ph X-ray?!?! after calling back the utility company and spending 1/2 hr on the phone they tell me it will be at least 2hr. my question is is all this time billable?


 If you bill for the 1/2 hour on the phone you will probably lose the customer. You are probably on the fence with this customer because you left them hanging or at least thats probably how they feel.I usually have the tech stay on site until the utility is restored that way if thier is a secondary problem he is able to fix it, if for some reason ,and it is rare, I need to have the tech leave I have them tell the customer to call if the utility company is not on site in 30 minutes so we can follow up.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Had the same issue the other night. Outage at 2:00 PM, we responded and were n site by 3:00 PM. At 5:00 PM the utility said they were not sure when they would get there. We had checked everything on the customers side was OK and left the decision to the customer if we should stay or go. We left, and were on call to return if needed. It was 2:00 AM before the utility restored power.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I've hung new fuses for commercial and manufacturing customers before. If the utility isn't willing to be responsive, I am. 

Certainly, if they hired you to restore power, the time waiting on the PoCo is billable. Quite often, they want you to dump load and reload when the new fuse is installed. That requires an electrician. Very often also, you have hours of running around resetting various items, like motor starters and breakers that tripped upon restoration of utility power. Single phase some customers for very long, and you have a couple days of motor replacement work.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> I've hung new fuses for commercial and manufacturing customers before. If the utility isn't willing to be responsive, I am.


You are clearly out of your mind.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

BBQ said:


> You are clearly out of your mind.


I think it depends on your abilities and equipment. We have men hat have worked HV and have the equipment. It is electrical work just on a different level. 

Problem is here touching the utilities pole is verboten.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

brian john said:


> I think it depends on your abilities and equipment. We have men hat have worked HV and have the equipment. It is electrical work just on a different level.


That had nothing to do with my comment at all.



> Problem is here touching the utilities pole is verboten.


That has everything to do with it.

I had a customer pay us 24/7 for a few days to babysit a generator and pumps because the utility could not come out and do something I was capable of doing in 30 minutes. I don't touch their equipment unless I am working for them.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

brian john said:


> Problem is here touching the utilities pole is verboten.


Yeah if I put fuses in myself the poco guy that shows up would have a cow.

Sent from my Droid


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## Mr Rewire (Jan 15, 2011)

I dont have the material to rebuid a fuse and I also don't have the insurance coverage to do high voltage.


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## hooch (Sep 18, 2010)

backstay said:


> I think the OP left the job after calling the POCO. Then got called again when the POCO didn't show.


that was the case


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## hooch (Sep 18, 2010)

Mr Rewire said:


> If you bill for the 1/2 hour on the phone you will probably lose the customer. You are probably on the fence with this customer because you left them hanging or at least thats probably how they feel.I usually have the tech stay on site until the utility is restored that way if thier is a secondary problem he is able to fix it, if for some reason ,and it is rare, I need to have the tech leave I have them tell the customer to call if the utility company is not on site in 30 minutes so we can follow up.


did not leave them hanging.I found the problem and called the right people. to stand a round and have them pay me to do nothing did not seam in the best intreats of the customer


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## hooch (Sep 18, 2010)

up date: atlantic city came out 10 min. after i called and every thing is good. On monday I will be back to talk them into a back up gen. thanks for all the in put


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