working weekends- what price to charge

[huggytree]

I havent had weekend calls for months...this weekend i got 3

1st one said 'how much are you going to gouge me today'...what a jerk...like i should charge normal rates for weekend work...he asked 'do you really need to charge me that?'....he said he'd call me back...when they do that i never answer the return call...either take me now or goodbye...typically they DO call back because no one else answers..

i charge an extra $100 to show up....my 1st hour w/ trip charge is typically $159 and on weekends its $259...i also typically double the parts cost too(on week days its typically 50 percent markup)...

is $259 excessive?....some larger companies will charge $500+, but a few hard up guys will charge normal time...

i end up driving 30-45 min to and from the job...typically weekend emergency calls are quick(less than 1 hour, many times 30 min)...so i make $259 for 2+ hours when you consider drive time.

the 3rd call this weekend was thrilled to find someone available and gladly paid $300 for me to repair a burst pipe...

what do YOU expect to pay a trademan for weekend emergency work?

[Dan Furman]

Your prices are fine - your weekend time is valuable, and should come at a premium.

[Evan]

I don't know whether your prices are fair, as I don't know what all of your competitors charge, and the type of area you are in (which has a heavy influence on price). A plumber in NYC is going to cost more than in Omaha, Nebraska.

For emergency service on the weekend, it depends on the nature of the problem. Many people consider Saturday to be a normal service day for business, and not an "emergency" day. Sunday is another story.

[jamesray50]

I think anytime you call a service company for an emergency after hours it's okay to charge extra. I had to pay extra one time for a stopped up sewer. And I was glad to do it.

[huggytree]

the one i did this morning took me away from church & made me almost miss my kids swimming lesson....when you consider the time i spend on the road i didnt make much compared to a normal day...i normally take in $1,000-1500 a day (including parts)...i made $295 for 30 mins work, but had to drive 1.5 hours......so my average is actually lower working on Sun than a normal day....i probably should have said no today......

the good news today is it was a condo association....the old plumber is out of business, so i may get their future business...i work for 1 other condo association, so i know what the president likes...i made a point of letting her know i will always answer the phone if im awake and put repeat customers top on my list...id love to have monthly work...the good thing about condo associations is the guy who writes the check doesnt care what you charge..they just want perfect service so they dont have to spend any extra time.. get it done!

my first call this weekend was just horrible....the attitude that charging extra for a weekend call is gouging....i dont really know what others charge for weekend work except the large service guys...they just rape people...typically $500 for the first hour.....i charge $100 just because its what its worth to me...id prefer to charge more....i shouldnt take any jobs that arent close by

[thewebwriter]

By the time you figure out your monthly overheads and your non-productive hours your rates are not high.

Unfortunately, most people base an hours work their own hourly wage. They don't realize all the extras you, as a business owner, have to charge even if you are a sole operator. You still have mileage, rent, income tax, utilities, health plans, retirement savings, marketing etc. etc. etc.

So long as you state your hourly rate and hours of business, you're covered. If they want extra cover, they need to pay extra fees. I would charge time and a half for out of hours and double for Sundays.

[huggytree]

i think this may be the first post ever where everyone agree's with me?

[Steve B]

I thought about commenting that the rates seemed a bit high, but I think I was probably just envious. I've chosen not to charge extra for weekends and I don't get as much as you in the first place for a service call. My business wouldn't get away with much higher. I charge $85 for a service call. If it takes me less than 1 hour, that's all I charge them. My competitors charge fairly similar and we don't need the specialized skill or tools that a plumber needs.

Now that I've got a second business delivering dog food, I love service calls because 30% of the time I sell them dog food. Before the dog food business, I hated the service work because it was so hard to really make money.

[Patrysha]

Now you just need to add doggie supplies to your website and you'll have a nice little triangle of related streams of income ;-)

[Steve B]

That's certainly possible Patrysha. My suppliers have all kinds of things I can buy at wholesale (dog beds, dog doors, toys, etc.) Right now, storage (my garage) and shipping costs prevent it from being a good addition right now. It also doesn't allow a lot of room for me to add value thus putting me in competition with the big stores that sell all that stuff. If I can find a few specialty items that aren't easily found at the local feedstore I might add them.

With the dog fences - I add value by installing it, training the dogs, and providing customer service when there is a problem. With the dog food I add value by giving them access to healthier foods than are found in the grocery stores, and I deliver it to their door. With the supplies, the delivery would be the only thing I'd be adding. The margin on supplies is also very low.

[Patrysha]

I was thinking more along the lines of affiliate or drop shipping...not really a significant line of income but one that work well for little work within a niche market of people willing and able to invest in their pets health and safety...could be as simple as blogging about pet costumes around Halloween and Christmas with affiliate links to sites that sell them.

[greenoak]

i dont think our heating guy charges extra for weekends..... i would feel kind of gouged if he did......id hate to do service because wouldnt weekends be part of it for sure? when your furnace or plumbing goes out you need help fast....i wouldnt really buy from someone who wouldnt come out at a bad time....thats usually when things go wrong....like the first sub zero night etc etc..... .
.WE bought all the machnery from our guy and WE cant work on anything.......also with his great service he has us for all our heating needs....and thats about 5 furnaces, 2 AT THE STORE, 2 AT HOME AND ONE AT THE LAKE......

[Spider]

Ann has a point. If one has chosen to go into business as an emergency service provider, or providing service in emergencies is made an interal part of one's business, shouldn't the serives be available at regular fees in the case of emergencies - whether they occur at weekends or otherwise?

My wife's pet grooming and boarding business means that we don't get public holidays. That especially means we are at our busiest during the Thanksgiving and Christmas period. She doesn't charge extra for weekends or public holidays - that's when the business functions.

In the case of a plumber or HVAC that offers emergency service, I see a case to argue that fees should be established that apply across the board, not jacked up for Sundays. Or, make it clear in advertising, etc. that you only do maintenance and installation work, Monday to Friday, and don't do emergency work anytime.

To do otherwise is like the fire brigade not putting out fires on a Sunday!

Interesting dilemma.

[Dan Furman]

Ann has a point. If one has chosen to go into business as an emergency service provider, or providing service in emergencies is made an interal part of one's business, shouldn't the serives be available at regular fees in the case of emergencies - whether they occur at weekends or otherwise?

My wife's pet grooming and boarding business means that we don't get public holidays. That especially means we are at our busiest during the Thanksgiving and Christmas period. She doesn't charge extra for weekends or public holidays - that's when the business functions.

In the case of a plumber or HVAC that offers emergency service, I see a case to argue that fees should be established that apply across the board, not jacked up for Sundays. Or, make it clear in advertising, etc. that you only do maintenance and installation work, Monday to Friday, and don't do emergency work anytime.

To do otherwise is like the fire brigade not putting out fires on a Sunday!

Interesting dilemma.

I just wrote a website for a Mr. Rooter plumber. One of their big things is "no extra charge for emergencies/weekends/holidays".

So I guess I'll amend my answer to Huggy - if you want to be a plumber who offers emergency service, you may want to look at what the competition is doing. Or, if you don't really want to work weekends, then don't.

[Steve B]

I brag about working evenings and weekends so my prospective customers will like that they don't have to burn a vacation day to get their dog fence installed. I imagine it has brought me more business over the years, but it's hard to tell. Of course, I have the ability to hire someone to work those hours if I want, so it doesn't meanI have to. For me, it's no big deal and it allows me to justify having lunch with my kids as school or attending their play that is during the day.

Remember, Huggy is from a Union area of the country, his industry is highly unionized, and he is in a Union himself. It's just the way it is in his field. At some point, it will be harder for a plumber to charge extra, but, for now it doesn't affect his business.

[huggytree]

any company that doesnt charge extra for weekend work is a very high priced every day...ill bet they charge as much as i do M-F as i do on a weekend

some small hard up guys do work sat. for same price

most companies charge extra for weekend work around here...id be shocked pay normal price for a weekend emergency call...the unions could be part of it

either way its my company and i can charge what i want...take it or leave it...im not a service plumber...i do it just because its there....i dont want to do it.....bottom line is i need service calls to gain new customers and keep old customers happy.....

bottom line: id never work a weekend for the same price and id never expect an employee to do the same

when i only have a 1 hour service call on a weekend i end up spending 1-1.5 hours just driving...that extra $100 pays for the drive...there is really nothing extra in it for me

[J from Michigan]

How much more do you pay your employees for weekend work?