No Qualification

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Hi Fellas,
I'm gonna start plastering as a business after doing a 3 week course with Goldtrowel. I was just wondering what you guys with no formal plastering Qualifications tell customers who ask? I was thinking of just saying don't pay me til I finish the work and I prove my ability. What do you lads do? ;)
 
Hello,

Well congratulations, how did you get on with the course.... did you mention the forum??

Jeff is a legend...lol

Well I did the same course and basically the trick is when you go and see a customer, bubble with confidence and dont hesitate bullshit blag do whatever it takes and when you say a price say it with confidence and say if its a £1k just say it like it only £50!! the amount of people that accept when I say yeah thats easy it will only be £600...lol

If they ask I say that I am certified and I have MANY years bla bla I also have a portfolio in the van and offer it too them.

Most people I do work for now are reccomendations so I have nothing to prove.

I also mention that you wil get misses and that your not a machine so dont expect a mirror finisish you can play snooker on... they dont expect too much then and when you exceed their expectations they are soooo happy....lol I then phone up a few days later and make sure they are still happy and offer tpo go round to put anything right... normally they just ask for advice on painting and a handful of business cards.

I hope this is of help

Danny

PS GoldTrowel are exceptional in what they do
 
the first few jobs will be the hardest once you get into it im sure you will be fine the quoting side i found hard. what was also dishartining was when i left the customer i thought yes ive got that job then you send them the quote and never hear from them again.
i suppose what im trying to say is dont expect to get every job. i hope it goes well for you.
 
Thanks Lads,
I could plaster anyway to a standard through my roofing work but Goldtrowel gave me confidence and speed for larger jobs. Gonna get a portfolio started and register for NVQ 2 after a year.

Keep Spreading......Plaster not Legs!

Roofer2Plasterer.
 
tell them you got a book out the library and this is your first job ;D always gets a laugh. personally i think the quality of work is really what it boils down to so if you are uneasy with the time scale be vague for eg.question so how long you been doing this mate ....... too long.... or say you done it for years but are only getting back in to it basically any old bulshite to put customers mind at rest as long as your work is good and you are putting out an air of confidence youl be fine ;)
 
You don't get payed till you have done the job, so the customer is in a pretty good position as far as im concerned!
If you can do the job, and do it well, then thats all you need! Its not against the law not to be qualified (on paper) to be a plasterer.
When you do a good job for one person, they WILL pass your name on. I have never advertised in my life, its all word of mouth for me, and although im quite quiet now (always in January, and i dont do site work, you never get payed what your due!) it will pick up again. I have next week booked in for 5 different jobs. But the week after is pretty bare. But getting around seven hundred quid in my pocket for next week is enough. And i have no qualifications whatsoever!
Ive done a helluva load of jobs in my life, but plastering kinda stuck. Been doin it for around six years now, and if i can offer one peice of advice to people who are starting out, pricing etc...
The customer is NOT doin you a favour! This is a common misconception of the plasterer customer ::)
True, they are paying you, but you are working for it! and damn hard too!
Never let a customer, be it domestic, or industrial, tell you what they want from you. You see the job that needs done and you tell them what needs done and how you will do it, then a price.
If they dont like it, then they can get the next plasterer they find! Chances are, they will do the same!

Bit of a rant there, sorry :D But im sure others know where im coming from:D
 
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