ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Senior Citizen Pricing

Lk,

I agree. I used to set my prices by what other contractors were charging. I no longer do this. I now use breakeven software to calculate my rates. I saw one ad in the newspaper that read master electrician $29.50 per hour. For service work my rate is over $100.

Some time ago, I read a book "What Auto Mechanics Don't Want You To Know," or some similar title.

The author did a very good job of explaining such common schemes as the "$59 Brake Job" coupon, or the "lifetime guaranteed brake shoes."
The point being, many of these "discounts" are the means the dishonest use to get their fingers in your wallet- then watch out!

Just because we haven't seen any "expose's" of contractors doesn't mean the crooks have left us alone....where there's money, they show up. Hustling Granny is one of the oldest scams around.

Keep your eye on YOUR ball- not the other guys'.

I had a handicapped customer (he must have weighed 500 pounds) the other week. He asked if I could do anything with the price because he was on a “fixed income”. Now I got this job as referral and I know he owns several properties and isn’t by any means “poor”.

I bid the job based on a day and a half of labor but I told him that if I could finish in one day I’d knock something off. As it turns out my estimate of time was right on. Sorry Charlie but I’ve got bills too.

If anyone has an appropriate response to, “I’m on a fixed income,” I’d love to hear it.

Depends what you classify a senior citizen?

Is 55 a senior, 65?

I look at it a couple ways, first they deserve a break for making it this far.

Second, I look at it as: How do I want to treated when I get there?

I know some of you disagree, but that's just me....


Dnk....

Hey, most of the 'old folks' I know, (like me, f'rinstance!) grew up in a time when if you couldn't afford it, you didn't buy it. Don't assume were all poor-as-church-mice crumbling old farts whose brains have fallen into our pyjamas! My disposable income is a lot, lot higher than many folks round here slogging their guts out in the work ethic, trying to raise a family with a mortgage tied round their necks. I want no favors, just a good job done at a fair price. You want to get business, we oldies have got the money, not those young poser smart-arses up to their eye-balls in debt!

Rant over.

Alan

"Fixed income?"
You lucky bastard. Mine keeps going down.

I think the general consensus is not all old people are poor people. My dad turns 65 next month and is retired. He also just sold his business to his partners and made a very good living before that. He has more income from interest than most of us make as a living. He doesn't need a discount. On the other hand, my grandmother, who passed away a year ago, lived on a social security check of $750/month with no other income or savings. She needed any discount she could get. So I try to judge the customer based on any hints I can get and give a break if we can, but in the end we have to cover expenses and make a little profit on every customer. Some customers may have to use another contractor or dare I say a "handy"man that may have less overhead and can afford a lower price.

"Fixed Income" does not tell you what that income is.

It also assumes that the rest of us that are not on a fixed income can just make more if we need to. 'Cause if it's not fixed, it must be flexible, right? Or maybe it's not fixed 'cause it's broken!

Your income is not fixed because gas is a buck a gallon more than it was last year, your insurance bills went up across the board, your supplier just told you there is an energy surcharge on your materials and some bozo just robbed your truck.

"Fixed income" looks pretty good

What ever happened to random act's of kindness? 40 bucks is not alot of money in this case, I would of ask them to make a donation to a charity and wished them a good'ay.Also they more than likely would give you a good referall to their kids and family and it's pretty hard to get those these day's when it seems to be all about the money.