Pool mechanic etiquette - guy's coming to back to fix an uneven table a few months later since he guarantees his work - do I tip?

NYCnoob99

Registered
Paid a mechanic $500 to install my table a few months ago (no move, just install/level). He said he does a one-year guarantee on the level. A few months later there are some areas where the table is definitely not level. Probably floor settling a bit.

We are scheduling time for him to come back and take a look/level it.

Do I tip him when he comes back? Is this just part of what I paid for originally so no need to tip/pay again? Just trying to get a sense of what is considered the standard thing to do in this situation. It is my first table and first time getting it re-leveled so I have no idea what is normal.

Thanks
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Paid a mechanic $500 to install my table a few months ago (no move, just install/level). He said he does a one-year guarantee on the level. A few months later there are some areas where the table is definitely not level. Probably floor settling a bit.

We are scheduling time for him to come back and take a look/level it.

Do I tip him when he comes back? Is this just part of what I paid for originally so no need to tip/pay again? Just trying to get a sense of what is considered the standard thing to do in this situation. It is my first table and first time getting it re-leveled so I have no idea what is normal.

Thanks
No
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Paid a mechanic $500 to install my table a few months ago (no move, just install/level). He said he does a one-year guarantee on the level. A few months later there are some areas where the table is definitely not level. Probably floor settling a bit.

We are scheduling time for him to come back and take a look/level it.

Do I tip him when he comes back? Is this just part of what I paid for originally so no need to tip/pay again? Just trying to get a sense of what is considered the standard thing to do in this situation. It is my first table and first time getting it re-leveled so I have no idea what is normal.

Thanks
It’s your call and what you feel comfortable with. The mechanic’s skill in how well he re-levels it and his attitude should answer your question.

To add to my earlier response above, did the $500 assembly and level fee include new cloth and if so what quality of cloth? If it did not, unless there was a considerable distance / travel time for the installer, you were considerably overcharged for a job that should have taken a qualified mechanic no more than 3 hours by himself or 2+ hours with a helper, so in that case I would not be inclined to tip.
 
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maha

from way back when
Silver Member
tend not to tip the owner of the business but the worker. someone that contracts for a set price is the price you pay.
no different if someone sells you a cue for a price you dont tip him. but someone who works for a business that puts tips on, you do. but not the owner. he already got all the money for the job.
 

livemusic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What's slightly odd to me in this situation is that it seems kind of risky for an installer to guarantee a leveling. How can he control what the floor does? If it's level when he finished, what else could he do? But I am ignorant on what is 'normal' for installs.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
What's slightly odd to me in this situation is that it seems kind of risky for an installer to guarantee a leveling. How can he control what the floor does? If it's level when he finished, what else could he do? But I am ignorant on what is 'normal' for installs.
He is simply building the cost of going back to 2% of his customers into his standard rate. He isn't (because he can't) guaranteeing that the table won't move, he's selling re-leveling insurance in the original price.

Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk
 

The_JV

'AZB_Combat Certified'
Tip. You may need him again. You want him to want to want to come back .
Unfortunately this ^^^^

IMO, if you tipped the first time around, then there's really no grounds for tipping a second time. You paid for a service that included a "potential" follow up, and I'll assume tipped based on that original amount. So a service that you already paid for and tipped on, shouldn't warrant yet another tip.

The unfortunate reality is, not tipping means you're less likely to receive service more promptly or more improtantly extra care than someone that does. This is dependent on whether this a solo guy (owner/worker) or a straight up worker. The "boss" doesn't care about how much his cilents tip, just if they pay the bill. In the end, the boss decides who gets service. However, it's the worker who decides if they are going that extra mile. Whether that's a concern, is up to you to decide.

Personally.... I would make the decision during game time. If you get the same guy you already tipped, then his odds of a "re-tip" are greatly reduced, and are heavily contigent on performance. If it's a different guy, then the odds are in his favour, but performance is still of course counts towards the number.
 

Dead Money

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If he is a good guy and resolves the issue I would give him a little something. Christmas is in a few days...if you have some in the house I would offer him some Christmas cookies too. These guys are probably running from job to job right now setting up tables for Customers that bought them as Christmas gifts. I always treat anyone who comes to the house to do repairs as an honored guest who is there to help me. The average person is really shitty to service people and then they wonder why things don't always go so well.-Lessons learned from having a Southern lady as a mother.
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
If he is a good guy and resolves the issue I would give him a little something. Christmas is in a few days...if you have some in the house I would offer him some Christmas cookies too. These guys are probably running from job to job right now setting up tables for Customers that bought them as Christmas gifts. I always treat anyone who comes to the house to do repairs as an honored guest who is there to help me. The average person is really shitty to service people and then they wonder why things don't always go so well.-Lessons learned from having a Southern lady as a mother.

This for sure! Class always bears out.
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
Well you paid the man $500.00 for his or her service, what did they do at was beyond call of duty? Their job, if done right the best tip is telling about service, person seeking service. Price for item, service are based upon supply & demand.

Tipping is out of control, everyone wants a flipping tip. Waiter & Waitresses use to make like $2.37/hr., base rate in AZ. Now it is like $9.00/HR if they get tips. Don't have to work too hard at right place to make 20-25 bucks an hour.

I see tip jars in places they should not be IMHO. Fast food worker get tipped for what. Doing their job? If they were skilled workers they could get real jobs, that require more then 2 hours to master. They would make good money.

Maybe I am old school, when I agrred to work in factory for $1.25/hr that was what I expected, what I agreed to work for. Nothing more, if I earn raise I got it. If I got no raise, and felt I earned it, I was free to look for better job.

I also understand the price behind function, and brand name. You can by blue jeans from about $8.00/pair New, to very high $100.00/pair or more if they are some fancy brand. Both pair cover your body, function same, but the designer ones have more wow factor.
 
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livemusic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well you paid the man $500.00 for his or her service, what did they do at was beyond call of duty? Their job, if done right the best tip is telling about service, person seeking service.

Tipping is out of control, everyone wants a flipping tip. Waiter & Waitresses use to make like $2.37/hr., base rate in AZ. Now it is like $9.00/HR if they get tips. Don't have to work too hard at right place to make 20-25 bucks an hour.

I see tip jars in places they should not be IMHO. Fast food worker get tipped for what. Doing their job? If they were skilled workers they could get real jobs, that require more then 2 hours to master. They would make good money.

Maybe I am old school, when I agrred to work in factory for $1.25/hr that was what I expected, what I agreed to work for. Nothing more, if I earn raise I got it. If I got no raise, and felt I earned it, I was free to look for better job.
I tip but I agree, have long thought tipping is out of hand. Also, the tip rate has continued to rise, what was wrong with 10%? 10, 15, 20, 25, where does it stop?
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
I tip but I agree, have long thought tipping is out of hand. Also, the tip rate has continued to rise, what was wrong with 10%? 10, 15, 20, 25, where does it stop?

Well people are free do do as they wish, I personally do not see tipping a self employed person anything unless they are in such demand it become a brib for them to come service you if you off their normal area of coverage.

You know some places of business have policy again employees accepting tip, or gift above $10.00 retail value. I know in my State & other State EMS, Firefighters, and Law Enforcent is not allowed FREE MEALS, or DISCOUNTS. Get caught, get fired. I understand the reasoning behind policy. INTREGRITY THING.
 
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