I think we all get the price shopping phone calls or even estomates where the customer wants to question your rates. It normaly starts like:
-How much do you charge to cut in a cieling fan?
$220 or $200 more than 1.
-Whats your labor rate?
$70 per hour.
-How long will this job take?
With 2 electricians about an hour a fan.
-Why so long, I only need this, and that?
-Then how much does that parts cost?
They are included.
-Why would you charge me $220 if it only takes an hour?
I am guessing their are 2 answers to this:
1. That is our price. We provide the the best of service. When can I schedule you? No..
Then have a nice day.
Just get the person off the phone cause they are waisting you time or not the customer you want. Or has anyone turned around they call to $$?
2. We need to charge this to pay for insurance, taxes, overhead, etc..
Some seem like they sugest to take is so far as to say this is my costs.
Like some one elce said you might as well show them your taxes to show your not getting rich. The idea is tying to educate the customer. I don't know if this really does any good except to lower yourself to cry poor. Most peolple have everything provided for them at their job. You say $70 an hour and they think an uneducated person tring to get much more than they make in their great job. They have no concept of costs. With out getting out you monthly accountant statments they proibly will not believe you.
Educating them is not really not the point. They just want a deal.
If there is no deal then they might start on how someone elce is cheaper or just call the next guy in the book.
Mabe the real answer to to not provide a labor rate to the customer. Like:
Labor Rate, the nice thing is we don't have one cause we charge by the job.
The same type of customer wants it both ways. A fixed price before. But then they want it by the hour if it's less.
Tom
