NeutronTech
Active Member
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- Grayling, Michigan
I'm restructuring my onsite charges. Right now I charge a flat rate in shop, and hourly onsite. One problem I'm facing is that I'm making more money for a typical repair in shop than I am onsite. So, obviously I need to be charging more onsite. However, I don't want to scare people off with a high hourly fee and was thinking of a flat rate fix. Possibly even selling prepaid blocks of visits for a discounted price.
Problem with that is that I might get a company or person that signs on for 5-10 prepaid visits, but saves all their problems up for a while and has me fix them all at once on the same trip. I could end up spending all day on a single job while only using a single visit. Should there be a time limit on a single job? Should there be a limit on computers as well? I don't want a single service call being used for 10 computers at the same time. I would think that one visit is valid only on one computer or something to that effect.
Right now my onsite prices are highly variable. I will adjust them up or down for a variety of reasons. I'd like to standardize this more. I also do want to charge businesses more for the sole reason of the priority service I will be giving them. But I don't want to to advertise a priority service option because I wan't all my customers to feel that they are equally important and of equal priority. I also don't want to be accused of charging a business more just because they are a business.
Right now I don't have a standardized method for after hours pricing either. I'm not, in the normal scope of business, going to take time away from my family just because a customer can't be home until the evening. However, I do understand that this may be the ONLY time a customer has available. I also understand that sometimes businesses can't just shut down their computers during business hours, and all maintenance will need to be done after they close. While I do understand these situations, I will need to make additional money in order for my business to invade my family time. Even then, it will have to be on a very limited basis. Basically I'd work it out on a case by case basis. I don't want customers to think that they can pick an after hours time as a choice when they are available at normal times. I also won't go out of my way to set up an after hours call if it's one of "those" customers.
I have also been thinking about adding one more service rate for in shop. Right now I have basic, and advanced. I was thinking of having a third one just for nuke n paves. These things are too time consuming. But I would include backup, data restore, browser settings and plug in restore, install whatever software they have keys for, and whatever else is needed. I might even include the drivers, but I might just charge extra for that
j/k BTW
I'm open to suggestion. I would rather use flat rate pricing if I can make it work. I like the simplicity and the clear expectations of me and the customer.
Problem with that is that I might get a company or person that signs on for 5-10 prepaid visits, but saves all their problems up for a while and has me fix them all at once on the same trip. I could end up spending all day on a single job while only using a single visit. Should there be a time limit on a single job? Should there be a limit on computers as well? I don't want a single service call being used for 10 computers at the same time. I would think that one visit is valid only on one computer or something to that effect.
Right now my onsite prices are highly variable. I will adjust them up or down for a variety of reasons. I'd like to standardize this more. I also do want to charge businesses more for the sole reason of the priority service I will be giving them. But I don't want to to advertise a priority service option because I wan't all my customers to feel that they are equally important and of equal priority. I also don't want to be accused of charging a business more just because they are a business.
Right now I don't have a standardized method for after hours pricing either. I'm not, in the normal scope of business, going to take time away from my family just because a customer can't be home until the evening. However, I do understand that this may be the ONLY time a customer has available. I also understand that sometimes businesses can't just shut down their computers during business hours, and all maintenance will need to be done after they close. While I do understand these situations, I will need to make additional money in order for my business to invade my family time. Even then, it will have to be on a very limited basis. Basically I'd work it out on a case by case basis. I don't want customers to think that they can pick an after hours time as a choice when they are available at normal times. I also won't go out of my way to set up an after hours call if it's one of "those" customers.
I have also been thinking about adding one more service rate for in shop. Right now I have basic, and advanced. I was thinking of having a third one just for nuke n paves. These things are too time consuming. But I would include backup, data restore, browser settings and plug in restore, install whatever software they have keys for, and whatever else is needed. I might even include the drivers, but I might just charge extra for that
j/k BTW
I'm open to suggestion. I would rather use flat rate pricing if I can make it work. I like the simplicity and the clear expectations of me and the customer.
), they will realize that it is in your best interest to do 8 1-hour jobs per day rather than 4 2-hour jobs, so that if a job takes longer, you're not just milking it to charge more. Also, you can make sure your minimum for gas etc is covered in the first charge
