Fees - revisited

[K.divad@AOL.COM]

In a message dated Fri, 12 Apr 2002  5:13:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Wimblees@AOL.COM writes:

>In a message dated 4/12/02 1:15:31 AM !!!First Boot!!!, rohde@pdnt.com writes:
>
>
>> List,
>>     I read with interest the discussion on how techs charge...hourly fees, 
>> etc.   If we base ourselves on hourly fees, do we not hurt our income in 
>> the long run?  I know how long it used to take me to do an action 
>> regulation on a Yamaha Grand.  I now can do that same job in less than half 
>> the time due to speed gained through experience.  Am I now to be docked 
>> because I've attained more experience and skill?   It seems wrong that a 
>> person like myself who has been working for 30+ years should have to 
>> contract more jobs just to keep up with the novice.  Even the auto repair 
>> industry has manuals listing hours per job to charge. 
>>     Interested to hear responses.
>>  
>> Thanks!!
>>  
>> Ted Rohde - Central Illinois
>> 
>
>There is no law that says you can't charge more per hour. If you used to take 
>10 hours to regulate an action, and charged $40 per hour, and it now takes 
>only 5 hours to do that job, you have obviously become more experienced. So 
>reward yourself, and charge $100 per hour. You'll get the same money for the 
>same job, but you're only working half the time. But don't stop at just 
>action regulation. You aren't just more experienced in action regulation. I 
>am sure you're also more experienced in doing key rebushing, tuning, bridle 
>straps etc. So now you can charge the same amount doing all you r jobs. And 
>when it come to charging for something you've not done before, you know how 
>much to charge: $100 per hour. 
>
>Wim 


I agree, also when charging by the hour the idea should be similar to the way mechanics charge by the hour.  Their rates are based on average times to do a job, if they beat the time they make more money, they don't give the customer back the difference.  How many of us has bid a job only to run into problems that can take considerably more time than we expected.  We should be able to call the customer (just like your mechanic)and tell them it will cost more. To be honest I feel reluctant to do that, especially on the smaller problems.  The speed and effeciency I have gained from experience will allow me to absorb a little extra work needed.  
I have learned to call the customer on more complicated problems and charge them accordingly. 
This isn't the same business it used to be with respect that I used to go out and bid a job doing little inspection and normally lump the bid into catagories rather than itemizing (i.e. action rebuild, restringing-repair and refinish soundboard).  In the end I would ususlly end up paying the costs of overlooked problems.  Today I spend considerable time doing an evaluation, which I charge for and itemizing my estimate down to the last detail.  I know most of you do the same but here in Texas there are still many techs who do the lump estimate system.

David Koelzer
DFW