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.