Posted by JRSutton on December 17, 2013 at 06:02:27 from (100.0.77.120):
In Reply to: ot. need opinions posted by greg k on December 16, 2013 at 16:22:48:
Agree with others that the best time to have the conversation about your fees is BEFORE you do the work and send a bill.
But also, it sounds like you closed badly too.
It's a subtle thing, but telling him you're too busy to keep "messing" with it was probably the wrong thing to say. It implies your guessing has no value - a common mistake people make when billing for their time.
To his ears, what you said is "I don't have enough experience to do this, but I'd like to be paid like somebody who does, so here's my bill for trying".
(not a knock against you - just putting it in perspective)
It may have been better to lay out an action plan for him - of what you've done, and the next steps to try.
Diagnosing intermittent problems can be very difficult. It often involves guesses, and replacing parts that may actually be good.
What you get paid for is making the EDUCATED guesses - and avoiding the wasteful shots in the dark.
You should have laid out a plan of action: 1.) check X 2.) check Y 3.) replace breaker 1 4.) replace breaker 2 5.) replace fan motor 6.) replace wiring
If you feel you're too busy to complete those final steps, you could explain that, and still bill him for the steps 1 and 2 that you've completed, and leave him with an action plan on what to do next.
Then it'd be clear to him that he at least got SOMETHING for his money, if not a fix.
Granted, another electrician would probably have to start from square one anyways, but it's mostly about perception with your customer.
OR --- if you really DON'T have any idea of what to do next - never be afraid to admit that, but you can't bill him for not knowing - you're in the fixing business, not the visiting business.
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