To charge or not to charge...

[breff]

CHARGE HIM!!!!!

YOU are one of the GOOD guys,

you dont appear on Rogue Traders,

like you say if you were a cowboy he would have had a new bell fitted and 2 hours labour.

[Chris Teague]

When S/Employed, I used to be inclined to agree with Richl and would have looked at it as a potential new client or a recommendation (a one off).

You soon realise that some will push it too far and expect it as the norm.

We always tell them there will be a call out charge if non contracted & if it's out of hours it's more & at the Eng's discretion.

I've never called out a plumber or mechanic expecting not to pay.

Chris

[xx badwolf xx]

I would charge for this its your time that is being used just becouse the fault had nothing to do with the alarm system you have every reason to charge.

we got called out to the same thing last week i was covering call for an engineer when a customer on contract phoned at 8.00 explaining that they could not turn the alarm system off and that we had to attend straight away. i phoned an engineer told them to go straight there instead of coming into the office. customer had phoned 6 times asking why we where taking so long when he got there he had great delight in pointing out it was the interlinked smoke detectors causing the problems. then the customer said do we have a callout charge for this. he had pleasure in saying yes

[Guest MSI New York]

My service charge plan: I charge $65 to ring the doorbell. If I have to open my toolbox, it goes to $85 dollars. If I have to replace something and I end up selling the guy a new part, thats different, but I won't show up for less than $65.

On one occasion, the customer gave me bad directions, which made me angry, so I ended up charging her $125 to discover one of her windows was open ("Oh, I forgot that window had an alarm on it").

The guy calls you for service, and you drive there fully willing to stay there all day to fix whatever's broken, if need be. Because you got lucky and found the problem quick he should get a discount? Shyah.

Imagine if you haden't dicovered the beeping wa coming from the bags, you'd still be there looking.

[andyhodson]

I love that: 'I charge $65 dollars to ring the doorbell. If I have to open my toolbox, it goes to $85 dollars'

The decision is that I will charge him, thats my gut feeling and seems to be the consensus on here.

[Wooly-bobs]

My god... you lot actually agree with me, thats a first!

Whenever somebody phones I always tell them the call out rate so theres no arguments.

One customer refused to pay me for fixing a shutter contact saying it went wrong during the warranty period. You should of called me during the warranty then...

Are you coming or what he says in his own accent (think you know what I mean)

No I say, not if your not paying. Glad to see the back of the pillock. Someone else is now no doubt regretting taking him on, him and his constant advice.... because we all know they know more about alarms don't they.

[Alarm Protection]

You have to charge. After all he called you out and you found the problem!

[Guest]

Glad to see the back of the pillock. Someone else is now no doubt regretting taking him on,

70202[/snapback]

I could not agree more, one less deadbeat on the books.

[Guest G.J.M]

charge

my wife called out an engineer for the washing machine.It turns out he was there all of ten secons as the machine won't start until a certian amount of washing is in and he picked this up straight away.

cost £40.00

i will do the same always although sometimes you feel a bit guilty.

[jb-eye]

I have just come from an electrical wholesaler. There was a very jovial posh chap at the counter and he had the staff replacing burnt out lamp holders on his 5 arm centre light. I enquired about why he hadn