Tricky

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Oakey

Oakey

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New Jersey
I went on a service call today for a local blimpies. In the Northeast thats a sandwich shop. At 4:00 pm the customer said "you need to get here right now my signs not working". Made contact, went up on the roof and got the info I needed got a price from the warehouse etc. When I went inside to give the price the storeowner handed me a paper and pen so I could draw the wiring schematic of the ballast and detail on paper all the parts so she could buy them from big orange. Do these ppl really think we are that stupid??? I almost laughed in her face really..Why should I fall for this so her brother can fix the lights. I left giving her nothing but a price.
 
Oakey said:
At 4:00 pm the customer said "you need to get here right now my signs not working". Made contact, went up on the roof and got the info I needed got a price from the warehouse etc.
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I would have given my hourly troubleshooting rate before driving there, much less climbing on the roof.

There's a difference between pricing a job and performing real work (which is what you already did).
 
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Hey, a service call is a service call, regardless of whether they let you do the repair work or not. "Eighty-five dollars, please."

Consequently, I don't rush around for imagined emergencies. Sign lights not working is a genuine non-emergency.
 
I find when I start getting these types of calls I raise my rates and they stop. Its like there is this underground network of people looking for you to do the work for free or with there "help". Its the supply and demand curve. If your rates are high enough it weeds out the types of calls where you end up troubleshooting for free; and shifts your customer to them waiting at the door with payment after you have completed the job. If you have done it right, they pay you for your proposal, after you explain to them what is needed before you start. Communication is an important part of sales and doing the work after the sale is closed will increase profits and allow you to work half as much.
 
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Oakey said:
I went on a service call today for a local blimpies. In the Northeast thats a sandwich shop. At 4:00 pm the customer said "you need to get here right now my signs not working". Made contact, went up on the roof and got the info I needed got a price from the warehouse etc. When I went inside to give the price the storeowner handed me a paper and pen so I could draw the wiring schematic of the ballast and detail on paper all the parts so she could buy them from big orange.
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"Oh, sorry -- they don't sell this stuff at Orange Cheapo."
Oakey said:
Do these ppl really think we are that stupid??? I almost laughed in her face really..Why should I fall for this so her brother can fix the lights. I left giving her nothing but a price.
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I'd tell her you can't give out that information for liability reasons. If she screws it up after you gave her a schematic, it'll come back and haunt your license. Then ding her for a service call and walk. Make a note to never respond to any future calls from her.

Some people don't realize what they get with a free estimate is a price.
 
When a customer calls and says "come right away my sign doesn't work", that's a service call not an estimate. Next time explain that on the telephone to who ever it is, and if it's a business charge them for travel time. We've all been taken advantage of when new in the business, you learn and move on with new knowledge. Think about this, if you don't feel well and go to the doctor, you don't only pay him for what he did that day, but for the knowledge and experiance he has when it is needed. Think of all the time you put in to learn the trade.
 
"Hi, I see you give free estimates."

"Yes, we do."

"I'd like an estimate for getting my _____ to work again."

"That's troubleshooting, for which I charge $85 for the first half-hour, then $85 per hour, plus any materials needed."

"Well, how long will it take for you to fix it?"

"I have to start working on it to tell you, unless you can tell me what is wrong."

"No, I have no idea."

"Then I have to troubleshoot it to tell you."

"How much does that cost?"

"$85 for the first half-hour, then $85 per hour, plus any materials needed."

"I thought you give free estimates."

"I do, and I just did: $85 for the first half-hour, then $85 per hour, plus any materials needed. That's my free estimate."


No charge for that. I never drive anywhere for free for troubleshooting. Never.
 
The local Ford dealership charges about $75 just to plug in a diagnostic tool to determine the problem.

If I get the work done there they forget the $75, if I drive off and fix it myself after getting their diagnoses they keep the $75.

Makes sense to me.
 
Bob,

You would think it makes sense. But there is a raging debate amongst electrical contractors on whether you should actually charge people money to do work for them or not. I don't get it.

Hey, how does you company handle your service calls to far flung reaches? I assume that you guys get your hourly rate for travel, but does the company charge the customer for travel, or eat it in the working rate? Min charge?
 
My company charges from the time we leave the previous job (or the shop in am) til we finish the job. If it takes 15 minutes to get there, we add 15 minutes to the acyual time to do the job, including clean-up/pack/up. If it takes 1 hour, we add 1 hour, etc.
 
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