trying to learn how to charge customers

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southernboys#2

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Hey guys get a service call the other day for lights not working. Get out there cans in kitchen dont work. Customer also wants me to check out flourecents in garage. Line voltage is good Ballasts may have gone bad. Sugest hanging new lights. Now do I charge for service call or per project. As I charge more to hang lights than I do for routine service call? thanks
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

Why do you charge more to hang lights than for a "service call".
T&M is T&M isn't it?

Charge for the time you are on the job. Down time, etc. should be taken into account in the T&M rate.
Sometimes I do charge for supply house runs if it is specifically to get material for a repair or replacement part during a call.
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

I think its still part of the service call.But then our company answered a service call that turned into a million dollar repair.So perhaps the first part was a service call and the second is remodeling.Time is time but still some jobs are harder to do and rate higher pay.
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

It just dawned on me that Southernboys are mixing up the "flat rate" and "T&M" methods of charging for service calls.

For time and materials, the first hour is usually billed at a higher rate. If not, there is a "truck charge" associated with showing up. All time involved is multiplied by the number of men. All materials used are added up. Add all of this together, and you get your bill.

For flat rate, you have a thick book with every electrical task under the sun listed in it. Once you determine what you need to do, you look up each price for each task in the book, write it up, and have the customer sign to okay it. When done, present a bill

Speedy noted that he charges time for supply house and shop runs. I do the same thing about 90% of the time. If I have to run for something that I really should have had, I don't charge. Even though a brown 3way switch is rarely used, I should have a few on the truck. If I have to run for one, I can't bring myself to charge for it, since I rightly should have had one.
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

shunk are there any good price books that you can sugest out there? Or is it something you decide over time?
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

what i do is,,
2 hour min.+ parts
with one way travel,,
i tell people this when they call,,then there are no issues.
if they think a couple hundred bucks is a lot, then they can get there fathers, brothers, cousins,friend,who new a guy that was an electricians helper to fix it,,,,,,,,,
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

Is there a common price book, say, like Uglys is a common reference book, is there a common price reference or is this done by local area?
 
Re: trying to learn how to charge customers

Originally posted by RampyElectric:
Is there a common price book, say, like Uglys is a common reference book, is there a common price reference or is this done by local area?
Click to expand...
There are alot of good books out there, but IMHO they do not apply to service work, or old work.
I do alot of work in a large industrial facility. Adding an 120v rec can take two days when one has to work arround production and run conduit off a 40 foot lift. It also can take 1/2 hour if it is next to the panel. Flat rate doesnt work for me here.

Purhaps if you are bidding a purely new construction job, the flat rate would be handy.
 
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