How many pints can you buy for £1500?

[bobokines]

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Just thought I would follow up on a previous thread about estimate charges.

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … 0&start=30

Following advice from Martin and Alex (and others) I now charge an estimate charge for any call where I open my tool box. Previously I would usually give advice and do a free estimate.

Since November last year I have charged over £1500 in estimate charges! 😀

Thanks again guys, I owe you more than a pint!!! :tup:

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[mbdas]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

I used to do free estys but got to busy and got pig sick running around for nothing 😡 Ive now uped my charges and charge for the estys and Im still running around like mad but getting paid for it 😀
The free esty thing was good whilst setting up the business and getting your name out , 4 BER’s in a day is too much to lose

Mark

[matkins]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

Now I know what I’m doing wrong, or do I? I work, no call out charge, No fix – No Fee, Discount to pensioners (Discretionary – Not advertised, some of them are better off than me) and yes I run around a lot, I also get enough paying work to sort the mortgage out, better than kicking the heels waiting for the phone to ring, given up reworking merlonithingy’s for resale it’s a greater waste of time. Give me a single Mum with two kids that you can sympathise with, sort the blocked discharge pipe or pump out, charge them twenty quid for ten minutes of your time and I’ll be happy with that. I go home each night with a clear conscience. 😀

[kwatt]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

Free estimates = mug’s game IMO.

I always advised anyone that wanted to continue to offer it that the estimate was free on a repair over, sat £60 or £70, the figure isn’t relative really other than to you but it means that if it’s a quick fix, pump, door seal, valve etc. you can usually get paid on the spot for it. If it’s over your preset limit then fine, do a freebie and try to get a sale out it so all is not lost.

If nothing else it weeds out the timewasters.

Yes it’s legal to still advertise a free estimate so long as you state the conditions clearly.

K.

[goosegreen]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

Matkins,
I know were you are coming from on this subject. I work on the same principles as yourself, Alway 8 -10 jobs per day and I make a living. Never going to get rich, But Like you I go home happy.My database of past customers has just reached 9500, So i don’t have to advertise anymore and my overheads are very low. I am also sure that if I give a free estimate on the washing machine, I will be called back to repair the dishwasher, cooker and dryer, And I will usually take some money of them.
😉
Goose

[bobokines]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

I still do free inspections and if a machine is obviously not worth repairing, without even a few minutes in the house, then I will do a free of charge visit.

However… I am not a charity! It has cost me money to get there! and I now make it clear on my initial telephone contact that there will be a diagnostic charge if it can be repaired.

I try to give a good indication of the expected repair charge prior to the visit and I will only do a free visit if my telephone estimate is totally wrong… and then only within a few miles of my home base.

I still sleep very happily with a clear conscience and I pride myself on only having “happy customers”.

My feelings on this subject have changed totally over that last few months and I can only thank those that have pointed me in the right direction.

I wouldn’t take my van to the garage and expect them to inspect it free of charge…

Bob

[kwatt]

Good for you Bob, I applaud that mentality.

K.

[Martin]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

bobokines wrote:I wouldn’t take my van to the garage and expect them to inspect it free of charge…

Ah! But the garage would indeed give you a FREE estimate in the likely knowledge of doing the work. 😉

That’s the very same philosophy our FREE estimate colleages rely on. Once the foot is in the door and all that follows. £20 to clear a blocked Hotpoint on a housing association estate but that same job in a big posh house with a Merc in the driveway is £40…!!

I’m pleased your change of policy has reaped your just rewards Bob, nice one. :tup:

Others may like to reconsider their business ethics and bring them in line as you have. Free estimates as Ken says is a mugs game and your ‘customer’ is taking you for one. 👿

[maltheviking]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

Martin wrote: Free estimates as Ken says is a mugs game and your ‘customer’ is taking you for one. 👿

We all know there is very little in this life that is free 😕 unless someone knows different

I could not justify free estimates, an average of 15 miles per call, the time taken to drive there only to be told by the appliance owner ” thanks for the estimate” I will let you know. So they call the next guy out who does free ests. Find out he gives a similar quote and gives him the job, or rings you up to do the repair, another journey.

If you don’t get the repair Muggings has lost income and wasted his time, which he could waste doing something he enjoyed. 😈

One free piece of advice that was given to me years ago was that you work all hours you can, so what is your spare time worth? What is the point of working what could be up to one day a week giving free estimates 😯

My philosophy is to have the customer know where you stand, a set charge plus spares for a repair, if they decide not to have the repair done you still charge. We are professionals in this industry and time is valuable. 😉 It works for me and generally most of my customers appreciate what I do and a level playing field 😉

[goosegreen]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

Just read Mals post and was suprised that his avarage distance between his calls was 15 Miles. My whole patch is about 12 miles long x 7 miles wide. I can get to 3 calls, with out driving more tham a mile, And Perhaps this why I can operate without charging a call out fee, As I know If I lose out on one the next one is just round the corner. I aslo have to admit that if I was driving that sort of distances between jobs I would not do it for nothing.So it all seems to be about where you operate from and the size of your patch.

Goose

[DDSDDS]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

I charge a tenner to go out and inspect the machine, if the customer has the work done then the callout is scraped if i sell them one i knock it off the price of one.
the only time i charge just ten pounds is if i go out say fault is x and the customer says ok well i will do it myslef or similar.
the bonus is once they have paid ten pounds towards it they are more likely to stay with you and a tenner aint much to anyone so does not put many people off, except those timewasters.
to go out costs me
time
petrol
wear and tear on a van
having a van
insuring it
insuring myself
staff
having tools
and also not being in my workshop building a machine i could get 2oo quid for
charge them 🙂 you dont owe anyone a favour
our knowledge is a valuable thing

[robbra]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

So what does everyone charge?
Me…Call out/ estimate £20
Labour….£38.50
12 month guarantee on job done
Seems fair to me and DDSDDS is right, once you have some cash in your hand they are more likely to have either the job done or a new machine from you.
Rob

[Martin]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

goosegreen wrote:I can get to 3 calls, with out driving more tham a mile, And Perhaps this why I can operate without charging a call out fee, As I know If I lose out on one the next one is just round the corner.

You are very lucky Goose in generating work in such a small patch and the ‘win some lose some’ approach. If you recon it works for you then fine. But I would like you to at least consider bobokines recent policy change as the way to go and in so doing increasing your earning potential.

I know how the ‘Free estimate’ system works and to be honest it’s not good for our trade. Tell me, how often do you make a call and have to go back because the lady says “My husband hasn’t left me any money, can you call back tomorrow?” or perhaps “Can you fix it and my partner will drop the money round your house tonight!” or even “£40 eh, my husbands only left me £30?”

Small patches like yours are generally a close knit community, word gets around. You often get repeat business off the back of the call before you, neighbour tells neighbour etc. All good for business but unless your pricing is fixed and consistant you could end up in a spot of bother?

[DDSDDS]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

I charge £35 per hour plus vat so its £41.13 the fact that the customer gets the ten pound callout discounted off the repair gets me a lot of business on callout that would sooner ring around for estimates or do the job theirselves.

[goosegreen]

Re: How many pints can you buy for £1500?

I have changed my attitude to my no Call out charge philosophy of late. As i now get about 30{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of my work from letting agents and Landlord I am guaranteed a payment as I have always charged commercial customers a call out fee. When my private customers call and ask if I charge for a call out my reply is: If i can repair the appliance within 30 Min without fitting any spares There will be a charge of £30. If parts are required I will not charge a callout and quote for for the repair Not had any customers turn down my offer as of yet. This may be a compromise between the Call out and No call out camps.

Goose

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