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I have customers phone me and ask if I charge a call-out fee, as we all get asked. I am currently unwilling to go on a call unless the customer is prepared to pay.
With the cost of running a shop with associated staff and vehicles, I currently think £30 (+VAT) is reasonable for call-out including providing an estimate and insulation testing of the appliance (which is a must).
If the estimate is deemed too expensive by the customer, I will still charge my £30 (+VAT).
Before a visit to a customer, I explain that I have a call-out fee.
However, an increasing number of customers express their unhappiness about paying a call-out charge and shop elsewhere.In order that I might not lose their custom, I feel pressured into reducing my call-out fee. Lets have your views on free call-outs and free estimates. Do they make good business sense or not?
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
Now you’ve started somthing……………. 😆
The man who works for nothing is always busy earning nothing
Of course thats just my opinion 🙂
SteveRe: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
There was a large thread on this recently Dal and it got quite heated. 😉
To be fair though it was also a damn good discussion from which the consensus was that it works for some, not for others.
K.
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
Try these threads:-
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
Martin wrote:Try these threads:-
http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … =free+call
http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … =free+call
Are those 2 threads not in fact…………. exactly the same thread ???
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
wsts wrote:Are those 2 threads not in fact…………. exactly the same thread ???
Well spotted! 😉
Slip of the rodent, don’t ya know? 😳
Here’s what what my mouse-clicking should have posted:-
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
😆 😆 I aint even going there 😳 😳
My lips are sealed
Richard
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
nationalhomecare wrote:
The man who works for nothing is always busy earning nothing
Of course thats just my opinion 🙂
SteveYorkshireman’s advice to his son.
Hear all see all say nowt
Eat all drink all pay nowt
An’ if ever Tha does owt for nowt
DO IT FOR THISSEN!Amen
Steve
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
Dal,
This issue of call out charges is an old chesnut and as has already been said the last discussion got lively to say the least.
That said I came to realise a fair while ago that joe public has the word Call Out Charge etched into their heads and in my opinion a lot of people in this trade spend far too much time talking about call out charges.
Each of us have our very own way of dealing with this problem and the bottom line is why should you be expected to work for nothing ! its just not reasonable is it ?
My own solution to the Call Out Charge discussion is this, Customer rings and starts a conversation of how much my call out charge is.
Before it goes anywhere I disarm them by telling them that I do not have a call out charge to come to there house. However we do have a labour charge for working on their appliance which is a fixed labour charge and in the event that the appliance is BER we will reduce the labour charge to a lesser charge.
If they then say that this is still a call out charge I ask them this.
When you go to work do you charge your employer a call out charge to arrive at your place of work ? No ? Well you natrually require payment once you start work don’t you.
Most people can then see the difference and I have a 98{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} take up on these terms. You can end up going round in circles with customers over the call out charge issue and I have little or no time for this boring discussion. Try it and let me know how you get on.
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
Squadman wrote
If they then say that this is still a call out charge I ask them this.
When you go to work do you charge your employer a call out charge to arrive at your place of work ? No ? Well you natrually require payment once you start work don’t you.
Nicely put, a carefully worded reply to those lovely people who expect a call out charge to include everything but fitting a part.
Tony C
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
I went to a hairdressing salon today in downtown Basingstoke, (no jokes please, yes I don’t need a quote for a haircut, thank you! 😉 ) The proprietor rang me yesterday to enquire what my charges were, I told her and the job was a good ‘un. Anyway, I called because the door hinge had broken on her washer/dryer. Sorted that and charged her a total of £60…everyones happy. 😀
Then she tells me that 4 weeks back she called a local guy out who advertised “No Call Out Charge”…he came and changed the motor brushes, was there 10 mins and demanded £75 😯
Big argument ensues, the guy stands his ground, the lady pays up saying she won’t be calling him again, he gives a two fingered salute and leaves with the dosh, jumps on his horse and Hi Ho Silver……Awaaaaay!
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
Ah she should live round here then.
She would be well pleased.I presume WM machine?
Door hinge and hinge leafs = £45.00
Carbon brushes (asume GEC type motor) £49.00
Richard
Re: Free Call-Out Charges – Good business sense?
An old quote but still true nevertheless
It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s unwise to pay too little.
When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do.The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it’s well to add something for the risk you run and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.
John Ruskin (1819 – 1900)
Steve
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