Fixed prices based on estimated timescales.

[WaterTight]

Let's say you give a fixed price for a job you expect to take somewhere between 1 and 2 hours. It could rarely take less than 1 and could rarely take more than 2. When you work out your price (presuming you don't supply custard with explanation of how many predicted hours were allowed for - but aware they could ask how long it will take) which does your price most reflect?

1. A mid-range between 1 and 2 hours, i.e. 1.5 hours money. Meet them halfway on risk.

2. The full 2 hours. Perhaps because you need to allocate a time slot for full time it could take.

3. More than 2 hours money, if only a little, because a fixed price means you can't increase cost if job becomes complicated and someone has to assume risk.

 

[Ermintrude]

3 or 4 hours easy. If u went to job to have a look there is 1hr
Travel, quick and easy way to loose money if wrong.

 

[Paulus]

It's great customer relations to provide a higher fixed price and then be able to turn round to them and say " it didn't take as long as I would normally expect so the actual price is less".

Your customer will definitely pass your name around and tell others what an honest guy you are.

 

[WaterTight]

3 or 4 hours easy. If u went to job to have a look there is 1hr
Travel, quick and easy way to loose money if wrong.

You'd allow up to 4 hours money for a job that would normally take 1-2? I'd be worried I'd be turned down too much.

 

[Millsy 82]

I've always quoted the full time so if you think it might be 1-2 charge for 2 then if something goes wrong you have a little extra time. Not had many people moan either if I'm finished after 70 mins as I usually just give 1 price parts and labour. I don't agree with dropping your prices if you finish quicker if your there for 3 hours will they pay you more? Some might most wont.

 

[Killy Bing]

I dont know if its due to my inexperiance, but ive done a few jobs where say four hour max have turned into a day with complications.

i prefer to price for more, if they accept and it goes bottem up you havent lost money.

if it ends up taking a much shorter period i explain and knock money off, more often or not they still pay the full amount and you get a good rep for it.

i priced changing a toiler filler at 160 quid and explained how awkward it will be cutting an access panel in and doing it blind.
regular toilet completely boxed in and tiled over, expensive jobby too.
They accepted as everyone else quoted to rip it out and retile the area.

i was done in just over the hour and said 80 quid.
still paid the full amount.

if you price too tightly, it goes wrong, i feel the customer will sense you have the royal hump and wont want to use you again.

i suppose its different clienteles that you end up aiming for

 

[hammers4spanner]

Lost count the amount of times i have said hours work and been there 5 hours or so because its opened a can of worms .

I now normally say it should be about 40 quid however have been in scenarios like this where its escalated into a headache so i say 40 quid but if it dont goto plan then expect 30 quid more on top .


If you give them an idea in first instance then they know its no hidden charges, i do alsways say as well that mr bobajob will prob do it cheaper but its upto them if they want to work for nothing which gives them a hint its not always easy

 

[WaterTight]

I dont know if its due to my inexperiance, but ive done a few jobs where say four hour max have turned into a day with complications.

i prefer to price for more, if they accept and it goes bottem up you havent lost money.

if it ends up taking a much shorter period i explain and knock money off, more often or not they still pay the full amount and you get a good rep for it.

i priced changing a toiler filler at 160 quid and explained how awkward it will be cutting an access panel in and doing it blind.
regular toilet completely boxed in and tiled over, expensive jobby too.
They accepted as everyone else quoted to rip it out and retile the area.

i was done in just over the hour and said 80 quid.
still paid the full amount.

if you price too tightly, it goes wrong, i feel the customer will sense you have the royal hump and wont want to use you again.

i suppose its different clienteles that you end up aiming for

done a few of those and did the same. it turns out it actually doesn't take any time at all to make a neat hole before doing a job. even in a tiled surface. but pyschologically you're just like, "ooooh this is a tough one."

 

[Killy Bing]

done a few of those and did the same. it turns out it actually doesn't take any time at all to make a neat hole before doing a job. even in a tiled surface. but pyschologically you're just like, "ooooh this is a tough one."

This one was a mare, nice thick porcelain tiles
had another toilet next door so it had the soil running through the boxing, along with the hot, cold, flow + returns and blue mdpe.
the cream ontop was it was a cheap import, had to take the cistern off too!
justified the preemptive extra charge incase

 

[lame plumber]

if your giving a fixed price on estimated hours, isnt that normally defined as a Quote! However if you give them an estimate, based on best estimate of time and parts, thats an estimate and it can rise and fall depending on if it takes more or less time. So either call it an estimate or quote and work from there is my advice, remembering if you quote you can end up sad if it goes pearshaped.

 

[Nostrum]

I have steered away from fixed prices recently for a lot of things, or where there is a questionable amount of time involved.

I now quote my rates and estimate how long I expect it to take with a variation so that the price is not final. Customers seem to take it well so far as they know what they are paying for and at what price.

Killy, just be careful when your getting a feel for the job, people don't like to and to be fair shouldn't pay for your inexperience in my opinion. That's not putting you down, but if I come across something I am unfamiliar with I normally make an allowance if I make a mistake or need to replace parts that weren't needed. Take a small hit in profit on the chin, I see it as paying for the experience which should come in handy in the future.

Just this week I went to service an ideal isar, removing the fan I pulled the connector block off and the circuit board snapped in half instead. Best part of £100 down the pan and customer without a boiler for an evening but if I'd have charged them for it, I'd have been the biggest asshole out there so I just had to pay up and move on.

 

[Chalked]

I wouldn't even quote for two hours work. I would say I will do the job and invoice how long it takes.

 

[cr0ft]

I do that fairly regularly. It works very well!

It's great customer relations to provide a higher fixed price and then be able to turn round to them and say " it didn't take as long as I would normally expect so the actual price is less".

Your customer will definitely pass your name around and tell others what an honest guy you are.

 

[Paulus]

I do that fairly regularly. It works very well!

I don't mind losing a few quid on a job if it gives me a good reputation and loads more work.

A couple of months back I did a flush valve for an old dear in a local village. It was a simple twist off bayonet in the cistern and bung in a new one. I charged a tenner on the condition that she gave out 20 of my business cards to neighbours and friends but didn't tell them that I had done the job so cheaply. Within a couple of days I did the same job for her neighbour, £50.

Last week I got a call from a guy in the village and earned £80 for a couple of hours work. He wants me to fit a new bathroom in the summer. He also told me that the village put out a list of trusted tradesmen to every householder and he had phoned me because I was top of the list.

From small seeds great trees grow.

 

[WaterTight]

if someone said they'd do a job for a tenner if i handed their business cards out i'd tell them there's no way i'm talking to my neighbours and ask to pay full price

 

[Paulus]

You must have really crappy neighbours.

 

[WaterTight]

i'm the creepy neighbour.

i've lived in all sorts of places and always gone out of my way not to get to know anybody on my street.

i only have about two friends too. two sides of the same coin i suppose. you wouldn't call me a people person.

 

[Paulus]

I would never have thought that judging by your posts on here. You need to get out to the Arms more and loosen up.

 

[WaterTight]

I'm personable and friendly. Easy-going. Good at conversation. It's just that the whole time I'm waiting for the very first excuse to run away and be on my own again. It's pretty commonplace. Social anxiety.