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I'm a very competitive person

No kidding. [Linked Image]

I am 42, my fondness for leaving work behind at quiting time far exceeds my need to be the best EC, I doubt that will change.

I work to live, I do not live to work. [Linked Image]

Not to say I do not give 100%, I actually made a service call on last vacation as it made good sense and the people over me appreciated it.

Now was it this question?

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Is it economically feasible to have estimators go to each job and price it up, then have installers come by later and perform the work? Or to have the 20 techs calling the estimator from the field and try to explain the problem over the phone and get a price?

Or does it make more sense to arm each technician with a manual that will guide them to pricing each job correctly, on the spot, and perform the work? Thus, saving the customer money, due to only having to make one trip. Saving time and increasing profit for the company.

I would call what you describe above as flat rate.

That is not the description I get from LK.

It appears to me that LKs position is anytime you give a customer a set price ahead of time that is flat rate.

I don't agree with that, perhaps I have misunderstood LKs position.

I also have a problem with the assumption that your flat rate method always saves the customer money or even that my goal is to save the customer money.

My goal in the field is to make money for the company and leave the customer satisfied / happy but not necessarily with a lower bill.

With honest, hard workers T&M will usually provide a lower bill to the client however I fully understand and agree that many people are not comfortable with T&M. Heck if I hire a plumber to work at my home I would want to know up front what the total will be.

Bob




[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 09-25-2006).]

Bob Badger
Construction & Maintenance Electrician
Massachusetts