ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area mininum charge for service call

Did anybody finish job in half an hour, and get offered a cup of coffee to fill out the hour the customer was paying for?

No they usually find something else to look at or at least thats my expirence.

Ronald

I am a Service Electrician for a small shop in Colorado Springs Colorado. We charge $50.00 service charge and $55.00 per hour. We do not charge drive time. Cost is $100 per hour if I have an apprentice with me.(if he is needed) We get alot of work in town and alot of repeat customers do to the fact that we charge in 15 min.increments. I usually do around $1000.00 per day.

$50.00 including first hour, $55.00 per hour after that residential. $85.00 and $55.00 commercial.

Does anybody charge a separate charge for the service vehicle, and show it on the invoice?

We charge $50 an hour per j-man (first hour includes drive time), $25 per hour for an apprentice, and a $25 charge for the vehicle. Most of our residential calls still work out to $75-$100 with no materials, and thats ballpark for around here.

Hello From Colorado!!!

Dallas,
At the company I am with we only charge extra for the bucket truck. $75 per hour.

Jon

I recently started doing something new. I changed to a two hour minimum and a $40 flat rate per man hour. So far it has led to less questions about the billing and who is on the job and at what rate. The clock doesn't start ticking until we pull up to the jobsite and ends when we leave.

$125.00 for the service call and one hour minimum @ $65. Then again my service calls are always at night and on the weekend. Last summer I had a good one.. 2 lights in a stairway were not working needed to change 2 A bulbs. Total cost to me 90 cents. Total cost to the yuppie homeowner 190.90. I wish they were all like that.. Then again it was 2:00 in the morning on a Labor day weekend.

James

$45.00/manhour 1 hr min. Have waived or reduced fee depending on customer circumstances. Smart alec yuppies $65.00/manhour 2hr min.
work at a sslow pace for DIYers who mess up what was good work.

hi,
i usually can get away with $45 for a residential call, $55 commercial, $65 industrial..then that same rate for every hour after that, but i cant say that i have had many jobs that did not start out as a serv call and end up a bid..like a panel change out...it might come up as a service call then find out its a lot of work..

if the job ends in an hour then i try to think about the next time they may need some help...i would rather build a repeat customer base than have poor customer relations. i have made a lot of money off the fact that the client likes and respects you..

i am not too sure about all this talk about charging based on attitude. if the customers attitude is one that is disagreeable, i usually decline the work all together.

i always tell a client who complains about a charge to consider what is involved with running a business from a legal standpoint and a business approach, they tend to realize that a business is meant to make a profit. i have a lot of customers who want to supply thier own materials or try to figure out what the materials are costing me...i always let them know that t here are many different types of materials available and the price varies with manufacturer, quality and where and how much is purchased...i have to charge for my time as far as material handling and sitting at the supply house...

-regards

frodo