Here's my take on "neatness"
I treat every customer like they know as much as I do....and come to find out down the road that some have very good knowledge of the profession and know what to look out for.
Never do I leave drips on copper piping and for numerous reasons. There are exclusions and I cover that below.
For one, you might be the fool that has to come back and cut that pipe again someday and install another fitting or the like and since you didn't wipe the pipe clean, you are now taking that section completely out because wiping it with a rag (which you probably didn't) won't remove the flux corrosion near those drips and when you go to reheat and remove those drips, you spend 5 minutes and questionable solder joints because you cannot get the pipe clean completely.
When it is extremely cold like two weeks ago and I'm soldering I wear gloves and I can twick the solder bead forming on the joint and instantly bring heat back to it.....or I'll take the solder wire itself and quickly move it across the solder drop and will remove most of it without disturbing the closing joint.
Since my soldering is mostly limited these days due to service work, I will take it even one more step and do the "shoe-shine" approach on the piping where I'll take a long section of sandcloth and brush the copper, joints included to a high shined finish that involves the section I worked on from top to bottom.
It stands out completely from the last plumber ultimately and if you lose that customer......they'll wonder why the next one isn't performing the same professionalism. Taking an extra 10 minutes and straightening out a swing joint or piping hanging down from the ceiling when you know damn right well that if you spend extra time, j-hook the piping up,,,,it will actually make your work easier to do since you're not angling the pipe that you have to reconnect to.
And professionalism is exactly what that is. Putting the top notch work out there so your competition works below you.
Agreed, there are times I cannot remove the solder.......especially in areas where even the torch barely reaches. But in open view I make it look as good as possible and in new construction back in the day......I'd do the same.
Plumbing is artwork to me and I respect it because I'm in this boat for a limited time only due to physical limitations.
The last thing I want to be known as in present and past is that I had no respect for my profession.
And to brag, I just nailed the super service award through angie's list again, making it 4 years straight. 4 A reports in just the past 5 weeks. People can diss that system all you want but being in my position in that system is a money generator and I'm getting a good wage and they are getting top notch service. That system is growing in leaps and bounds and contractors are trying to get on that list. Being on the back end of stick on that list will drive your income down if you are a pisser and moaner of giving bad service to homeowners. Being on that system in bad view is a black eye that hurts for years, not 3 years like the BBB offers with no in-depth technical data around the bad workmanship.
I have a great deal of pride for my profession,,,,,,don't know if anyone knows that by now but I beat to a drumroll all my own. I'm not the best but I give the best service I know how. I leave
nothing behind for the next plumber to criticize my workmanship.
That's being realistic in the above statement. You should only expect 70% of your customer base to like you no matter if you worked for free and left candy.
LOL! I do that now. I figure I'm delaying my diabetes diagnosis someday in the future and now when I bring the bill through the door.....
I leave a couple pieces of candy and my business magnet on their kitchen counter as a way of saying thank you for your patronage.
I leave before they start choking on the hot cinnamon candies to avoid a lawsuit.
Charging by the hour allows the above to be a normal and usual practice without complaint.
All plumbers are not created equal.......and by no means am I the best. I'm just the best at what I do for my customers, in my mind and no one elses.
word!
