While you are here can you?

[wardoursecure]

I guess we all have those customers who always add extra onto a job, you know the While you are here can you?'
Today was one of those days

An ad-hoc customer today had a scanner issue, then:

'While you are here can you?' see why that PC can't connect to anything (it was packed in a box but the network socket was damaged so fixed that)

Can you load Office on this PC (they didn't have a copy so word viewer was installed, seems the user needed to see a single document from his wife, not work related)

My printer won't print (no printer installed)

Of course all chargeable
I guess we all have those types of customers

 

[MichaelBits]

Do you bill by the hour or by job?

We bill by the hour. So if I go to a house and it takes me 15 minutes, I always ask, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

We bill an hour minimum, if that hour isn't used up with what they called about, I feel it's just fine to do additional things (so long as it won't exceed that hour). And that's from when I leave the shop, not when I arrive at the home. And I don't mean mop their floor or something...

Occasionally get the ones where... "Oh can you do this?" Me, "I'm sorry, but that would take longer than the hour we are billing you for, if you are ok with being billed more hours, I would be happy to." Or if I have another appointment, "We would need to schedule that as i don't have time right now."

 

[Calx]

When my customers find out "what a techno-guru" I am .. I get asked to things like
- explain how the TV remote works for the Digi recorder
- how to use a mobile phone
- setting the time on the microwave!
- changing light bulbs even
All good fun

- Drew the line at a kiss (see other thread)

 

[wardoursecure]

I bill this customer by the hour so its not a bad thing for me, I do mainly businesses. I had a couple of other minor jobs to do elsewhere but was not in a rush to get to them as there was no scheduled arrival time.

I have setup an EE TV box for an elderly customer before while sorting out her new EE tablet seeing as the EE Shop kept telling her a load of rubbish about why the WiFi was intermittant

 

[mraikes]

For onsite customers, which I bill hourly, I absolutely love the "while you are here . . . " opportunities. More $$ for me, more solutions for them. A win-win situation.

 

[HCHTech]

Amazing how many of them ask you that question after they have given you payment. "Oh, just one more quick question...I forgot about..." I'm not shy anymore, I just say I'll have to charge a little extra to do anything else -do you mind? If they were just trying to get some free work, they always pass, otherwise I add up the extra time and give them another bill.

 

['putertutor]

I don't mind that question, but I am amazed at the breadth of knowledge they expect I might have. Cell phones, TVs, satellite set up, telecom.... I'm pretty sure I'll get asked to change oil one day.

 

[mr m]

I also bill hourly so the more they need done the better.

This year, after fixing the clients PC's, I've also replaced the lockset in a front door and fixed a pellet stove. I offered to shovel 2 feet of snow off a walkway for an elderly couple but they said no. I told them no charge, I just wanted to help them out but she said she'd get her son-in-law to do it and couldn't stop thanking me.

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

I don't mind that question, but I am amazed at the breadth of knowledge they expect I might have. Cell phones, TVs, satellite set up, telecom.... I'm pretty sure I'll get asked to change oil one day.

Underfloor heating controller a coupla months back

 

[gikstar]

We just love the 'oh, while you're here' remark... $$$$$$ to our ears

 

[Highlander]

This ties in with a question I was about to ask,

Is there an app available similar to a taxi meter that could be used for charging by the hour? £XX for the first hour and then £YY for either full hours or fifteen minute intervals. I think some customers would like to see a figure correctly calculated rather than (in their eyes) an off the cuff price.

 

[HFultzjr]

When my customers find out "what a techno-guru" I am .. I get asked to things like
- explain how the TV remote works for the Digi recorder
- how to use a mobile phone
- setting the time on the microwave!
- changing light bulbs even
All good fun

- Drew the line at a kiss (see other thread)

^^^^^^^^^This.

"But it should be easy for someone like you!"

 

[cypress]

For onsite customers, which I bill hourly, I absolutely love the "while you are here . . . " opportunities. More $$ for me, more solutions for them. A win-win situation.

Absolutely. I love it.

 

[Moltuae]

I get all the non-computer related ones too ..... just seems to go with the territory.

Computers/IT has always been my second vocation though, with electronics design/repair/programming being my first. So, for customers who know that, I get asked about doing everything from repairing a toaster to helping them develop some gadget idea they've had. I've had numerous weird and wonderful things on my bench over the years as a result, including a rather expensive full-size helicopter camera gimbal, complete with high definition, broadcast quality camera.

The "While you are here ..." questions I get are often preceded by a "do you know anything about ...".

Had one a few weeks ago at dental practice customer: I'd finished working on the computer I'd gone there to fix when they asked "do you know anything about phones?". Turns out one of the surgery phones wasn't working; just a constant screeching tone coming from the handset every time it was picked up. I said, "I know very little about phone systems but, have you got a PBX?". After a few blank stares and explaining what a PBX might look like, I was led to a cupboard where all the telephone cables routed back to. I switched the PBX off and on again; fault fixed! Now they think I can fix anything ... just wondering what I'll be asked to fix next.

 

[PBComputer]

I have had a few all while onsite

Make some dentures.
MOT a Car (yesterday)
For help with a broken mobile in the EE shop, while sorting out a new contract for my sister.
Fix a WiFi network while I was waiting in the chippy one night (same happened in a pub a few years ago)

 

[NJW]

... while I was waiting in the chippy one night (same happened in a pub a few years ago)

At least when they ask, "What do I owe you?", the answer's easy.

 

[PBComputer]

At least when they ask, "What do I owe you?", the answer's easy.

That did happen they refused to take money for the food to there was no invoices end. Was buying for 8 people too.

 

[Martyn]

I've been asked to do so many other jobs over what I went in for. Network smart TVs, iPads, iPhones(mainly email), cameras(security and portable) etc. I charge by the hour so I'm happy to oblige.

 

[Altster]

If it is something that I don't really work on I send / refer the client to the Internet to do a look-up for the information they request. Anymore I don't do much on-site work like I used to do. I have a super hard time getting up from the floor - need help in fact (bad knees / overweight issues).