I just talked to my previous boss which is also a customer of mine and i'm feeling a little bothered. I just did some cabling for this customer and dropped the invoice off and when I talked to him today he mentioned the fact that I charged $65/hr for the 5 hrs I worked. He said "I know your just starting out but I don't want to see you price yourself out of business". The job I did was 14 cable drops totaling 1400' of cable, he helped with it but was on his companies time. Am I just being silly or did I really charge to much? Sorry just needed to vent.
Am I overcharging for this
- Thread starter axem56
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14049752
Well-Known Member
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- 174
I just (today) did a 5 hour job and charged $90 an hour. When I gave the customer the invoice he said "That's a lot less than I expected." and tipped me another $50.
You didn't charge too much, if anything you're charging too little. That varies a little bit based on where you are, but $65/hr is very reasonable.
You didn't charge too much, if anything you're charging too little. That varies a little bit based on where you are, but $65/hr is very reasonable.
He is your old boss, he knows you and he trusts you enough to work for him after you've left his comfort zone. Based upon local competitor rates and the quality of work you did, do you think it's a fair rate for the work?
IMHO he's playing on your past working relationship to see if you would cut your price to bring him below his budget. I hope you didn't cut your price under his pressure and you should feel confident that you did a good job for a fair remittance.
Trust me it gets easier, if you do a fair job for a fair price you have nothing to feel guilty about and you should look forward to your next job with greater confidence. Earning an honest crust for a good job done is one of the biggest buzzes you can get, just be aware he wont be the only one to try and get a cheap job done.
Well done though, working for an old boss on your first job is a tough call!
nonchalant
Member
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- Oz
You say he 'mentioned' how much you charged. Was that a complaint or was he really saying your not charging enough? Ive had that said to me in the past when I was charging < $50/hr
I feel that my rates are in line with others in the area and the job that was done is well worth what I charged.
I defiantly didn't cut my price after his comment and wouldn't even consider doing so, as I feel confident in the work I do. Thanks for the comments and reassurance from everyone.
Same here although if we are wiring a complete office I may go down to $100 per drop plus materials.
"The right price" is not something set in stone on a mountain somewhere, it's a matter of relativity. So, call around to other companies that do similar work for similar companies, price them on the same job. If your price is way higher, then you're probably doing something wrong. If your price is way lower, then you're probably doing something wrong. If it's anywhere in between, stop fretting about it, customers have not done the research you have to make sure your price is reasonable.
seedubya
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- Carlow, Ireland
The way you've reported what he said it sounds like he was possibly saying he thought you were charging too litte. Is that possible or just me picking it up wrong?
From a couple other comments he made I'm positive he was saying that I was charging to much. I wouldn't have thought twice about it if it was a random customer but since it was a boss I had a lot of respect for it got under my skin. I'm over it now and feel good about what I am charging for my area.
MrMille
New Member
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- Dublin, Ireland
I don't think you are charging too much.
But thank him for his input.
But thank him for his input.
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