How to charge when client gives you a grocery list

[sharpwitz]

How do you charge when a client gives you a grocery list of things to accomplish and that list ranges from basic to advance fixes?

If you quote too high, they run?

(1) Back up only Quicken records and some selected word and spreadsheet docs to an ext. HD.
(2) Advice on Welcome Center (turn off on startup)
(3) check for virus and adware
(4) Do i need to create system recovery disks? I followed the instructions but the
photos folder is blank?
(5) Should I remove programs AOL, Netzero, etc
(6) Use Quicken 2008 to load files moved from old computer
(7) Upgrade to Explorer 8
(8) New laptop
- connect new laptop to Verizon DSL
- load security software
- create recovery disks
- HP total care advisor ?
- hook new laptop to multiple printers
- remove pop ups
- Symantec email proxy cannot scan email message
- C o n f l i c t i n g p r o g r a m s ( M c A f e e s e c u r i t y c e n t e r a n d N o r t o n )
O p e n f i l e s e c u r i t y w a r n i n g ( n a m e - C : \ U s e r s \ B J T \ A p p D a t a \ R o a m i n g \ t w e x . e x e
M i o n e t
- remove Kaspersky, Norton, McAfee
- P C H e a l t h - W a r n i n g t o i n s t a l l P C H e a l t h
D - D r i v e h a s o n l y 1 % a v a i l a b l e s p a c e
(9) transfer data from old computer (windows 98) onto new computer
not sure how much data I am dealing with
(10) L e s s o n o n W D A n y w h e r e B a c k u p

 

[angry_geek]

Charge them for a new machine set up plus your hourly rate times however many hours it takes to do the rest. You don't know how long it will take. Give them an approximation, and try not to exceed it. However, let them know it could take longer.

 

[iisjman07]

Tell them you will do as much as you can during the first hour and if the problems aren't fixed they'll have to pay more

 

[MrUnknown]

as the others have said, charge by the hour. give the customer an estimate and go from there if they agree.

if you mostly have fixed-prices, when I set my fixed-prices I had an ideal per-hour charge in mind. Charge that as your hourly rate.

 

[Doctor Micro]

Don't be shy...

The client has given you a list of no less than 10 tasks. Even if you assume each task only takes 10 minutes each, that's an hour and forty minutes, minimum, and to be honest, some of those tasks will take you MUCH longer than 10 minutes. If you low-ball your estimate, even though you may get the job, you've set the bar low for everything you do for that client from now on. Don't do it. Give them a reasonable estimate, and if you think they'lll choke on it, break it down in small chunks, listed in order of what you recommend to be most important. Then they can draw the line in the sand at whatever cost they think they want to spend on that job, and you're not underselling yourself or being taken advantage of.

 

[NTS]

I would charge by the hour... you could offer a discount after going over 2 hours or so (if you wanted to be nice).

 

[Markus]

The shop I work for charges by the hour. It works great for this type of situation when you get on site and the customer has a list of things they want done.

 

[atlanticjim]

I have a similar client now. . I told them from the start that I had two hours to devote to their problems on the day that they wanted. I did what I could ( and it was less than I thought I would do because they needed a bit of teaching . . chargeable time). At the end of the two hours they had more to be done but they said "you know exactly what you are doing . . you did more in two hours than anyone has done in four."

Charged them hourly rate. . . I was paid as I left. . . going back tomorrow for another two hours.