Re: Rob Blaire

[Jim <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 2:48:17 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
> "Jim" <> wrote in message=20
=20
> I'm kinda in that mode now too. (Price it stupid)
>=20
> The job list is two pages long and I do the ones that I like to do and ma=
ke=20
> the most money with the least amount of work. CCTV seems to be the latest=
=20
> thing. They're real easy to install now, along with DVR setup. No RMR but=
=20
> ..... the income is pretty good. As always, I'm so diversified  (Alarms,=
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> Audio, Video, TV's Surround sound. whole house audio (Sonos) CCTV, Pool=
=20
> audio, automated Lighting, residential and small commercial Ethernet wiri=
ng=20
> and WiFi network enhancement.)etc, etc.  I don't get bored. Every day is =
a=20
> new adventure.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>=20
> You know I do most of that stuff too, but I don't really find it challeng=
ing=20
> anymore.  Its not much fun at all.  I used to get a big kick out of fixin=
g=20
> things or finding ways to do what other contractors couldn't or wouldn't.=
=20
> Most of the time the second hardest thing I have to do is just read up on=
=20
> the product.  Then I look around to see if the MFG is honest or not.  Its=
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> not really challenging.
>=20
> The most difficult thing is dealing with certain customers.  Most of whic=
h=20
> fortunately I have managed to send elsewhere.  Sometimes charging them a=
=20
> stupid amount of money isn't enough.  Sometimes I actually have to tell t=
hem=20
> why I am charging them a stupid amount of money.
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> I also do access control, paging and background music, commercial phone=
=20
> systems (certified on a couple large systems), and sometimes design (blac=
k=20
> box mostly, but not always) special control and monitoring systems.  Some=
 of=20
> my special systems are still working after more than 20 years.  At one ti=
me=20
> I was big into satellite.  I was still in high school (graduated in 82) w=
hen=20
> I first started installing satellite systems.  Finally gave them up as no=
t=20
> worth the headache anymore around 2002-2003.  Currently I am leaning more=
=20
> about the theory side of electronics as my "hobby" and I am working on so=
me=20
> ideas for medical monitoring and diagnostic hardware.  I've got three=20
> projects working in that area.  That's where its nice to have my shop nex=
t=20
> to my house.  When I have a burst of inspiration I just put on my slipper=
s=20
> and wander out to the shop.  Now if the owner of this stupid f'in=20
> contracting company would his damned inventory the H377 out of my way I'd=
=20
> have some elbow room to work.
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> Back in the day (and even recently) I have customers who are (were) thril=
led=20
> to have somebody who could just fix or install all of their special syste=
ms.=20
> Often I would get a call for the alarm system and wind up doing everythin=
g.=20
> Phones, network, access, video, intercom, and sound.  Its nice for my goo=
d=20
> customers.  They tell me what they need and I take care of it, but it can=
 be=20
> a pain for difficult customers who keep trying to manipulate stuff in on =
top=20
> of the job.  Its pretty bad though for buck passing assholes in supplemen=
tal=20
> trades.  I just document the whole situation and give it to the customer.=
=20
> The customer may not understand it, but they know I found and pinpointed =
the=20
> problem when the buck passing sleazoids (like some copper line providers)=
=20
> don't even try.
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> I stayed in the contracting business I'd dump alarms and change the name =
to=20
> "Special Systems."

I don't seem to  have the difficult customers that I used to have but that'=
s mostly due to the fact that I don't deal with it as diplomatically as I u=
sed to have to do. Also, on any given job, I work a little and then get pai=
d a little. then I work a little more and get paid etc, etc. This way, if i=
t gets to be a problem dealing with them, I'm not forced to stay and take a=
ny s__t because they owe me a lot of money. I guess they call it experience=
 or wisdom or something like that, but eventually I reached a point that it=
 was more important to be comfortable and interested in doing the job than =
in the money. And that the money usually comes anyway. And although you can=
't do that when you're first starting out .... it's certainly gratifying wh=
en you finally attain that level of confidence, expertise and income to be =
able to pick and choose what you want to do with your life. Like they say, =
I'll never be rich but I'm comfortable enough to be able to call my own sho=
ts at this point in my life. Sometimes when I look around me at other peopl=
e I think that maybe I am rich .... but not so much because of what I do or=
 did but because most of the others who complain all the time, didn't do en=
ough. Some people just never get it.=20

Any way, good luck and keep your head going. If you keep using your head yo=
ur body will keep working lots longer. =20