Wise Up Wednesday! How To Beat That Aggressive QS!

Our Wise Up Wednesday Guides are sometimes quirky, sometimes hard hitting, but always guaranteed to make you think and take no more than 2 minutes to read.

The Contractor’s Aggressive QS

Construction Enquirer recently reported that there is now a super-aggressive quantity surveyor employed by Contractors for the specific purpose of saving them money no matter what.

Back in the day quantity surveyors made sure that the works were valued both fairly and objectively.

Most QS’s back then would be RICS qualified, and being a QS was a very respected profession. Now, an awful lot are not RICS qualified, and ignore the rules about integrity, honesty and objectivity.

Nowadays, the role of a Contactor’s QS is often to get away with paying as little as possible, as late as possible and to look for any reason whatsoever to set off or counterclaim whether that claim is valid or not.

Over the years, here at Streetwisesubbie and in my work at Ashmore Consulting, we have seen far too many spurious and made up claims, and  some have sadly resulted in the insolvency of the sub-contractor. So please, don’t be a guaranteed meal ticket and bonus for the Main Contractor’s aggressive QS.

What Can You Do About It?

Firstly, recognise that it’s happening. This might sound over simplistic, but you would be surprised how many subcontractors fall for the QS’s “I’m smarter than you” BS…

Secondly, take a deep breath and stand back from all the noise and hassle and take a few minutes to consider the best course of action and the following thoughts about what to do;

  1. Don’t get angry, frustrated or any other emotional response. Stay calm.
  2. Don’t rush or jump or buckle at the first figure or argument put forward.
  3. Don’t fall for the “it’s this or we won’t pay another penny” routine.
  4. Don’t agree to anything you don’t understand and if you need to, don’t be shy about taking time out to get advice.
  5. Make sure you follow the procedures set out in the contract – and make sure your view of the valuation is realistic and properly evidenced.
  6. If your account is being undervalued escalate the problem to a higher level in the Contractor’s organisation
  7. Don’t waste time trying to persuade someone who doesn’t want to understand
  8. Recognise when it’s time to change your approach – don’t just wait for things to change on their own – they won’t

Want To Know More?

“Understand Your Contract to Minimise Risk and Maximise Profit”

“Introduction To Contractual Awareness and Using JCT Subcontracts”

WHEN/WHERE IS IT? The dates and fast access venues are as follows;

16 October – Village Hotel Hull Close to M62 and M180

17 October – Village Hotel Leeds South Close to M62 and M1

30 October – Village Hotel Liverpool Close to M62 and M57

31 October – Village Hotel Manchester Bury Close to M56 and M62

13 November – Village Hotel Newcastle Close to A! and A19

14 November – Village Hotel Leeds North Close to A1 and M62

Don’t see a date/location that suits? Contact us for future dates.

Here’s what your fellow Subcontractors said about our last event;

“Easily digestible information delivered in an interesting and easy to understand format”

“Very detailed and informative”

“Very informative and well delivered”

“We were struggling to get paid; not any longer!”

THE HEADLINES

Session 1 – Contract Formation

Session 2 – Introduction to JCT Contracts and Construction Act

Session 3 – Time, Notices and Delay and Disruption

Session 4 – Instructions, Variations and Maximising Return

Session 5 – Getting Paid On Time and the Right Amount

Session 6 – Resolving Conflicts and Disputes

Session 7 – Putting It All Together

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Our events are exclusively for Specialist Contractors so you are in the friendly company of other Specialist Contractors, and everything is designed to provide a broad appeal for all Specialist Contractors staff including;

Estimators, Contracts Managers; Project Managers; Commercial Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Credit Controllers and Directors

WHAT WILL WE GET OUT OF IT?

The Secrets To Getting Paid and Minimising Risk and Maximising Profit!

Specialist Contractors don’t get paid because they don’t understand the contract or don’t apply it when they should. We will reveal all you need to know to enable you to understand the fundamentals of those subcontracts, and how to get paid.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

The value of this whole days training is £350 + VAT, however, you can get your Early Bird booking  discount and enjoy the reduced rates as follows;

  • 10% discount when you book one place
  • 20 % discount when you book 2 or more places
  • And if you are a member and StreetwiseSubbie Buddy (or join us now), you are eligible for even more heavily discounted preferential rates.

All rates are subject to VAT

Booking couldn’t be simpler, just contact Jo or Tanya directly on 01773 712116 or email  info@streetwisesubbie.com to confirm your places.

But hurry our last round of seminars sold out very quickly.

I hope you enjoyed my Wise Up Wednesday email and that it gave you some food for thought, and I sincerely hope to speak with you soon.

Best regards

Barry

P.S. Please remember if you want to protect your business from onerous terms, or have a problem, take action sooner rather than later. If you’re not sure what to do or just want a second opinion, please give us a call on 01773 712116, or email info@streetwisesubbie.com


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Derbyshire
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