Cost of call out charge

[Jonathan S]

how do you calculate this?.....most of my callouts are a 45 mins drive from my base.
I don't like doing them but I have certain clients I want to look after and don't want to be out driving at my cost.
Any help appreciated.
Jonathan.

 

[Rorschach]

Your hourly rate multiplied by the travel time there and back plus a proportional cost for using the vehicle.

 

[sunnybob]

I agree with the above, but..... how much income does that customer bring in during the year? If its a very substantial customer, then 1 hours wages (but let them know they are getting a discount on their turnover with you).
NEVER do it for free, EVER. Todays privileges becomes tomorrows rights far too easily.
Anyone else, full whack to discourage future taking advantage of. (hammer)

 

[Rorschach]

I completely agree you should never do it for free, even for your best customer. I wouldn't have different rates for different customers though, companies talk and you want a level playing field really.

 

[Myfordman]

Have a single rate charge for all but discount it if new paying work arises from the call.

 

[nev]

What is the call out for?
To price a job? free call out.
To remedy a job you've previously done? free call out
To do a job? goes in the price of the job, calculate as required, time + costs
To change something already done and signed off but they've changed their mind? as above.

 

[powertools]

I don't know what type of business you are running but I think that you would be better off finding customers nearer to your base. If you start charging customers 45mins away a charge for your driving time you can rest assured that they will find someone nearer to them to do the work.

 

[Jonathan S]

I don't know what type of business you are running but I think that you would be better off finding customers nearer to your base. If you start charging customers 45mins away a charge for your driving time you can rest assured that they will find someone nearer to them to do the work.

Naturally I wouldn't charge to price a job and haven't ever been back to remedy a job I've done.....most call outs are to get clients Into wardrobes that the espagnolette has jammed or gearing jammed on European windows..... jobs most carpenters don't want to do.

This is the type of work I do http://fineinteriorwoodwork.com/
Unfortunately this type of work is non existent where I live and I can't afford to live where my clients are.

Ive taken notice of what you guys have said and will now start charging sensible for calls outs.

Cheers guys!

Sent from my SM-J530F using Tapatalk

 

[Trevanion]

I know someone in the trade who charges £50 flat-fee for pricing new customer's work even if it's a relatively small job because he was getting loads of non-serious time wasters asking for prices and it seemed he spent more time pricing jobs that never came off than actually doing the work, but he will refund the £50 back into the job if he acquires it.

It's actually very worked well for him as he mainly only does top-end work now for people with quite deep pockets and much less of the tat and time wasters.

 

[Myfordman]

This works quite well for the small job call out terms
"The first hour on site is charged at £45 and includes all travel costs within the (insert your area) postcode areas. After that we charge £15:00 per half hour."

 

[sunnybob]

The last company I worked for in the UK (1994-2008) charged £75 call out, to include the first half hour on site. After that. the charge was per hour (from memory, it was £45, but thats a 12 year old memory :roll: )
Most breakdowns were fixed within the first hour.
They were very advanced for their time, we had PDA and then XDA (or was it the other way round) sets which required a click to time us on site, ALL the paperwork was on the thing, and the customer signed it to stop the clock.

 

[Rorschach]

I know someone in the trade who charges £50 flat-fee for pricing new customer's work even if it's a relatively small job because he was getting loads of non-serious time wasters asking for prices and it seemed he spent more time pricing jobs that never came off than actually doing the work, but he will refund the £50 back into the job if he acquires it.

It's actually very worked well for him as he mainly only does top-end work now for people with quite deep pockets and much less of the tat and time wasters.

That sounds like a good solution.
In a slightly similar vein I started a charging a deposit to get onto my waiting list. It really stopped a lot of time wasters contacting me. Putting some money up front really shows who is serious and who isn't.