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I know there aren’t many people doing free call out nowadays but I guess there may still be one or two on here. I often wonder how people who do free call outs deal with 5p in the front filter, toddler moved the spin selector to no spin type calls ?
Do you just absorb these calls ? I know you can filter them over the phone but an odd one will always creep through.Allan.
Re: Free call outs
I think this is where confusion sets in with terminology. What is your definition of free call outs? The fact that you fix the machine even if it is user error dosen’t mean you do it for free. Does it?
Re: Free call outs
I can see where your coming from Tim but customers perception of a free call out can differ from that of the engineer.Something as simple as turning a spin selector knob, they may feel does not count as any form of a fix and this can lead to conflict.
Allan
Re: Free call outs
Free call out is the same as ‘No charge to attend’…
If you get the machine working then there is automatically a charge.
The charge is for your service + the cost of the parts.. in this case there would be no charge for parts but I would imaging your repair cost to be somewhere within the scope of £25 – £65 depending on the distance travelled and whether you were on your way to another call (or other similar factors).
George
Re: Free call outs
An engineer must have many talents to succeed in this game. Those that make a profit from doing free callouts must also dole out lashings of bullshite in order to get paid for simply switching an oven timer off ‘auto’ or resetting ‘child lock’….(for example).
Failing that the ideal candidate over 6 foot tall, tattooed, shaven headed and showing a very persuasive and intimidating persona.
The rest of us charge a call out so that your customer knows, not necessarily who is coming, but what its gonna cost them when they arrive!
Re: Free call outs
Failing that the ideal candidate over 6 foot tall, tattooed, shaven headed and showing a very persuasive and intimidating persona.
I match two of the above. I will let you decide which two.
🙂Re: Free call outs
I stopped doing free call outs as such some years ago and with fuel at £1.50ish per Litre I’ve not intention of starting.
However, it doesn’t mean I won’t do them at all. If the circumstances are correct and it’s not going to cost me too much time or fuel I’ll do it.
My criteria is:
I must be in and around the area or passing, (or willing to wait a few days until I might be passing)
I can get enough information for a pre-diagnosis before hand.
I then make a case by case judgement call.Had one yesterday that the lady in question waited 2 days until I passed her house. She’s not getting her dryer fixed but she’s kept my card and has taken a few for her friends. She was appreciative of the effort I made. Ten minutes, fifteen at the most and was I was driving past her house so nothing lost but might gain in the future.
That said, most are not interested and if you won’t drop everything and rush out and give them a free estimate straight away, they don’t want to know. About 85{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the time it’s a, thanks but no thanks. 😀
Re: Free call outs
Most reasonable people expect to pay for someone to come to their property. Free estimates have to be balanced out somewhere in the business. i would suspect by over charging on other jobs. Running around pandering to the people who want something for nothing are not the customers i would want. Fair price for services/skills provided is the best way.
Re: Free call outs
untill a magic carpet is invented that can transport me and my spares about,a call out fee will apply.we are skilled guys,self employed,and have the usual expenses to run a business.
most people on paye have no idea of what its like to run even a small businessRe: Free call outs
Customer psychology is simple, free estimate = free repair ,customers abuse services and engineers they perceive as free.stopped doing them a few years ago and never looked back 😀
Re: Free call outs
First call on the phone this morning,zanussi washer stopped full of water.Explain my £30 charge for diagnosis, “oh i dont want to pay for somebody to come out i just need it draining so i can get my clothes out ” . Tell her that its not a free call out and i charge for my time ,”oh i will leave it then, we want a new one anyway ” :rolls: .So happy i now charge just to get these wasters off my back 🙂
Re: Free call outs
The value of the call is not how easy it is to fix.
Its you having the knowledge to know how to ‘fix’ it. This is what you are primarily getting paid for.
Does that make sense??
Re: Free call outs
Had a customer today with a Neff integrated fridge not working,stays in a big house in the sticks about 15 miles away, said i would call tomorrow she the comes out with do you do pensioner discounts i only charge £30 i told her i couldnt discount any more, oh! she says i’ll get back to you, 2 hours later she comes on after phoning a couple of other guys i know, wanting me to come after all , i gave her Neffs n/o and told they might do a pensioner discount and then they might not.
Re: Free call outs
Cras wrote:First call on the phone this morning,zanussi washer stopped full of water.Explain my £30 charge for diagnosis, “oh i dont want to pay for somebody to come out i just need it draining so i can get my clothes out ” . Tell her that its not a free call out and i charge for my time ,”oh i will leave it then, we want a new one anyway ” :rolls: .So happy i now charge just to get these wasters off my back 🙂
That about sums it up nicely, it just always amazes me still that they expect someone to take their own time, vehicle, Running Costs etc to drop what they are doing to make a call to their house to solve their problems all for the princely sum of F*** All !!!Its a shame that some of the indies will still do FREE callouts as if we all stuck as one we would be able to educate the nice folks out there.
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