Hourly rate for Sparks?

[Taylortwocities]

Don't point that thing at me eg do you expect me to talk

 

[Gees]

You should look closer at what is actually being quoted for, decide what you actually want, and be more specific when asking for quotes in the future

I was very specific and showed them all the same things that needed doing, and still I got VERY diffrent quotes !

If one of them had been honest with me regarding costings then I would have gone with him, but they where all cagey about markup !!!

 

[timtheenchanter]

must remember to ask the manager in Morrisons(or any other supermarker to keep to fair) what the mark up is on beans...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not just any other supermarket - all of them.

And you should ask for a breakdown of all of their costs, so that you can tell if any of them are taking the p*ss.

Any caginess on their part and you should leave, and refuse to buy the beans, because deciding if the price is OK based on just the price is, err, not OK.

 

[Aragorn84]

A perfect example of this in action can be seen at your local kwikfit. (although they are generally a ripoff anyway it highlights the principle)

If you request a set of pads and disks for your VW Golf, they would say something like "Pads are £100 and the disks are £150" They dont actually have a labour charge, they just put all their margin onto the parts prices, and then fit them for "free"

Your local garage might charge £20 for the pads and £40 for the disks, then put three hours labour on top at £60 an hour

Its the final figure that matters at the end of the day.


Personally, i would prefer if the parts were priced at or just below retail price on the quote/invoice, and the rest marked up as labour, as it removes the "i can get these parts cheaper at B&Q" effect that would occur if they inflate the prices too much, and if it was my company thats how i'd work it, but it still comes down to the baseline figure when comparing firms.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Its the final figure that matters at the end of the day.

Not to people like Gees, for some unfathomable reason.

it still comes down to the baseline figure when comparing firms.

Only if you are rational.

 

[Goldberg]

Very little annoys me more than self employed people moaning about their overheads.

You should see mine - even my overheads have overheads.

Don't talk to me about overheads. My overheads are so big that when they went to cross the road, I swerved to avoid them and ran out of petrol!

I wouldn't say that they're ugly, but every time my overheads put on lipstick, it tries to crawl back into the tube.

I say I say I say - my overheads have no nose. No nose?! How do they smell? Terrible.

What's the different between the taxman and a catfish?
One's a scum sucking bottom dweller, and the other is a fish!

My overheads are so big that helicopters keep trying to land on them.

 

[NewOrder]

Wow I miss this thread.

I am an IT technician and I am self employed. I run my own business doing it. I charge £30 for the first hour and £25 after that, but I also have to cap certain jobs. E.g for virus removal for the most I would charge is £100 max and that is only if it has been a very tough job which may have taken me 8 solid hours.

I cannot charge £12 an hour because I have insurance, tax, fuel, car running costs, training, software licences etc to pay for.

If a customer asked me to justify my charges I would tell them to politely get somebody else to do the work. I simply tell them that trust has been broken and I have to be able to trust my customers I have a feeling your attitude has shown when sparkies have done quotes and that is why you have been quoted so highly in some cases.

For parts I generaly charge slightly below retail but above trade. My customers may be able to get cheaper but I have had to go out of my way to my suppliers to get them for you.

Some people may think I charge a lot at £30 an hour, but the reality is I work 40 hours a week for less than tesco shelf stacking wages. However I love my job so I don't moan.

 

[chapeau]

How much more do you think you would make if you were to politely explain to your customer

I cannot charge £12 an hour because I have insurance, tax, fuel, car running costs, training, software licences etc to pay for.

Instead of telling them that 'trust had been broken' and to pay somebody else while you sit idly earning nothing? What a strange thing to say, what sort of referral business would you expect to gain from that?

There are a few interesting posts by dizz on the current consumer unit thread. Required reading for anybody in business as he discusses and explains marginal rate.

 

[Goldberg]

Instead of telling them that 'trust had been broken' and to pay somebody else while you sit idly earning nothing?

He's not alone with that business policy. If a customer ever hints to me that they think I've overcharged them, I asl them (a) to pay what they think the fee should have been, and (b) never to call me again.

What a strange thing to say, what sort of referral business would you expect to gain from that?

In my experience, it will be an excellent and rewarding one, doing work for customers who truly appreciate his integrity.

There are a few interesting posts by dizz on the current consumer unit thread. Required reading for anybody in business as he discusses and explains marginal rate.

dizz's view of overheads and pricing is a joke. His description of "marginal cost" (not "marginal rate") is woeful.

 

[NewOrder]

How much more do you think you would make if you were to politely explain to your customer

I cannot charge £12 an hour because I have insurance, tax, fuel, car running costs, training, software licences etc to pay for.

Instead of telling them that 'trust had been broken' and to pay somebody else while you sit idly earning nothing? What a strange thing to say, what sort of referral business would you expect to gain from that?

There are a few interesting posts by dizz on the current consumer unit thread. Required reading for anybody in business as he discusses and explains marginal rate.

Obviously I don't quite put it like that. However I have said it a couple of times (out of over 1000 customers). Its usualy always on the phone when they get shirty with me. The problem with my job is you often don't have a clue how much something will be till you start the job. Especialy with viruses what can appear to be a straight foward malware removal can be a nightmare.

You are a lot better of without cheap customers that question everything, they want the world for nothing it is not worth it.

What I actually say is if you think my prices are too much then go to PCWORLD and see how much they are (knowing they are twice the price).

 

[comms]

Well heres my breakdown for you...you did say a cu swapout?

Change cu (this includes testing all circuits upon completion & certifiction & notification) £350 - £450

Rectification of any circuit faults that are picked up pre cu change £27.00 ph + materials with a 20% mark up.

Upgrade of main equipotential bonding £150