SylvanLMP
Hi Bill, as you know from my numerous postings I do give contract prices and T&M pricing and YES I. Quote my hourly rate over the phone.
There are way to many stumblebums who never in their lives had a successful business or operated a successful business now “experts in pricing”
I figure if someone calls to ask how much as main sewer is going to cost to be cleaned I have no problem quoting $125 minimum.
This gets rid of the price shoppers and lets folks know It is not going to cost one cent less.
There are many “normal” jobs that I can and do quote over the phone for example 50 gallon 10 year water heater installed (replacement) $970
75 gallon $1,200.
I do not have to waste my time or theirs driving to someone’s home to give a diagnostic look for a fee.
After all as a plumber I have installed at least one hot water heater in my career so I know how long it should take and have a darn good idea how much materials I will need.
As I said a 1,000 times I WILL NOT give a “contract price” on any job I know will be under $1,500 (I just raised it from $1,000)
It just not pay for me to send out a van with a mechanic to look at a job.
On jobs that do require a written estimate I charge for the time it takes for material take off and labor work up… NON Refundable fee.
This helps me get away from the folks who want to play “lets make a deal” rather then looking for quality 1st.
I normally change the specifications also when I see plastic drainage and adjust my prices accordingly if need be, as most of the time I can charge the same price for cast Iron as for plastic.
Being a professional I do not need the materials to make money, that is why I do charge enough for my labor rate LIKE A doctor or Lawyer or drain ligitimate drain cleaner. No materials required to make a decent living.
The flat rate unemployables who are now writing “how to price” why not ask them to show you ONE BUSINESS they actually owned, JUST ONE.
I am not talking about real professionals like Maio But the new wanna be contenders who lost money on every business venture if any they dabbled in.
Look at the educational back ground of these folks giving advice show me the MBA or extensive accounting background.
My God Bill would you really want to go to a doctor who either learned strictly by killing his former patients or a guy who has only on the job training but nothing in the way of WHY it is done but they THINK how it should be done?
Any plumbing/heating/roofing etc. contractor can figure out their OWN flat Rape system if they wanted to.
All you do is keep track of how long it takes you to do a certain task ADD 50% or more time to it to cover the unknown and then add 75% to your material cost and try your best to HIDE THIS RAPE of the victims your gouging.
Why should I flat rape a victim like the following
I go to install a kitchen deck faucet and the white metal nuts are frozen and it takes me time to loosen them plus the kitchen cabinet is small so working conditions are tight and it rakes two hours to do this job.
Next job I get in and get out in less then 20 minutes WHY should the easy job be punished for the bad one?
T&M the victims pay their own misfortune not AVERAGED IN.
The better jobs are rewarded with paying just the ONE hour service call plus parts actually needed
Once you educate folks that even if the job takes 30 SECONDS they are paying the service call rate ONE HR MIN.
How do you hide your hourly rate on a toilet stoppage that takes 3 minutes?
I don’t even try as I quoted over the phone as follows.
“Toilet stoppage $125 UNLESS the toilet has to be taken up NOW your looking at more time and materials” Done deal either they say come over or you hear the phone go click
Why send a truck out to see “STUFF” in a toilet to give a diagnostic fee?
I know what a blocked toilet looks like, ALL MY EMPLOYEES know what it looks like I am sure the home owner now knows what it looks like WHY diagnose it?
Why do I have to make some stumblebum low life unemployable Male Or female rich by buying their book WHEN I can figure out myself how much to charge for this stoppage?
Why do I have to S.C.A.M* these folks with a “service contract” to unstop a toilet WHAT am I going to do have a van parked outside their home waiting for the kids to fill the toilet up with paper and stuff
S.C.A.M Sewer Cleaning And Maintenance (contracts)
Personally years ago I used a fantastic pricing book called MEANS that gave every description possible.
As a stationery Engineer I had to have an idea what the contractors would charge.
The means was right on the money EVERY SINGLE TIME.
But these books were written by professionals not stumblebums who cant make it in “business’ so they sell their snake oil to unsuspecting contractor who have no faith in them selves LIKE the Franchise contractors who give a hefty KICK BACK to the home office guys who have no clue which end of a tool to use.
Before you buy a pricing/business book ASK what ON GOING successful business these bums selling these “basic” books own.
Bet you would think twice before throwing your money to feed these peddlers fecal reading.
Have a great one and thank you again for the very kind words. Sylvan
SylvanLMP
