customer wants part numbers

[fo3oz]

Re: customer wants part numbers

Cras wrote:Martin wrote “I think your ‘terms of contract’ need a little refinement especially when you refer to the “the £36 acts as a deposit” bit. I think that there lies your problem and that if you define the £36 more specifically as a “set diagnostic/call-out fee” you wouldn’t have this problem.”

i like the words set diagnostic fee i may use that in future :)and in fairness i dont actualy tell them it acts as a deposit at the point of booking i only mention this after they have agreed for me to do the job as lots of customers think they have to pay the “set diagnostic fee” 😉 on top of the estimate i give them and on the odd occasion i have nearly lost the job when they think its got to be added on top of my estimate.
Cras
I have a call out of au$77, that’s my diagnostic fee, it applies even when I say “buy a new one” rather than repair.
As said by others, my job/contract with the customer is to diagnose. At the time I don’t even know the part numbers of anything. I may remember the prices, but not the part numbers.
So all I do on site, as part of the diagnostic fee/call out, is list the options and approximate charges.
If they say that want to repair, then I call suppliers/look through manuals etc to get part numbers and exact prices. This part of my time is unpaid, so only do it if they have given the go ahead to look into repair. The customer isn’t owed part numbers or other info because they haven’t paid for this, this part only happens due to good will on your part that they will follow through with getting you to repair it.
Suppling part numbers means they can get someone else to quote sight unseen and find the lowest quote to fit them. They aren’t owed that information because that’s work you did after you left the customer in good faith, not part of any call out/diagnostic fee paid for on your on site visit.

edit: charge call out/diagnostic fee regardless.
When I was starting out, yeah people complained, maybe lost 10 jobs a year. but I priced it at what was viable for me. It’s still priced at what is viable for me (not much of an increase, mainly just $10 for more expensive petrol). Yeah, those cheap jobs I didn’t attend haven’t hurt me, and I’m one of the cheapest now compared to the rest…
But hey, the only whitegoods/appliances I touch are fridges, I mainly do air conditioning, so the game is different, the stuff it is not user replaceable but fixed equipment. Eve the fridges I touch are only the ~£1000 side by side or 4 door ones, that’s all that it’s worth looking at for me.

You whitegoods guys have it hard on the earning money front, but so easy in all the other ways. Never having to crawl through 60C ceiling spaces, jump up 2 storey roofs, or carry a few hundred kgs worth of gear into some inaccessible location for compressor changes etc. Also being out of pocket $6K for gear and labour you paid for, and waiting to get paid before you can even afford more work…

But I also get the “not my floors”, this fridge is slightly too noisy, and crappy fridges with crappy support, and getting screwed by manufacturers and suppliers

[lee8]

Re: customer wants part numbers

I agree never isolate unless they agree the repair and paid both a call out charge and a deposit for parts and be sure your receipt clearly states deposit are non refundable unless the parts are obsolete or above a reasonable level, the law is used more now, so the days of hand written paper work are well and truly over, you need to invest in terms and conditions printed on the back of everything.

Saying that, so that you don’t aggravate the situation write back giving your stock part numbers and your retail price of those parts, offer a discount of 25{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} percent on top of those prices if bought from you, but price so that your price is slightly lower than the average price elsewhere. Expalin your charge only covered the call out, time and your costs etc etc and that due to the time frame, (your not obliged to chase the client)you will not refund.

That way you look reasonable to anybody giving them advice, hell you offered a discount in a time when inflation is growing, so a price 9 months ago will differ from today anyway.

If that does not work, tell them to refer any further correspondence to your solicitors who will act on your behalf.

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