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  1. #1
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    service fee

    i got a call from a friend yesterday complaining that he had to pay R285 for a call out fee....which got me thinking about rate which i get charged by my accountant R700 per hour...doctors R300 - 2000 per hour...car service mechanic R500 per hour to replace my engine oil etc.

    here is the thing...the next time a person complains about my rate i charge i will take it as a serious insult...and you want to know why...because i get a call to lets say fix a machine...

    i get in my vehicle make sure i have all the equipment to carry out the tests required.
    drive to the factory wherever it may be...risk my life on the road...worrying about getting hijacked and have to sometimes sit in traffic jams which waste my time because i dont get paid while sitting in traffic.
    i trace the fault in the shortest possible time.
    then if spares are required i get back into my vehicle...back on the road again...travel to the wholesaler or sometimes there suppliers to collect the part...return to the factory and replace the part...test the machine then leave...if it breaks with a month they expect me to go back and repair free of charge...maybe i should try what the doctors do...give me a call in a weeks time and i will charge you another call out just to make sure i fixed it correctly ...what i should charge for such a call out:

    call out fee...a minimum of R450.00
    travelling R4.50 per km including to go and collect the spares.
    a minimum of 25 % mark on the spares i have to buy.
    plus my hourly rate R450.00
    total bill expcluding spares around R1100 for the call out excluding vat...which would take around "2.5-3 hrs" from the time i get the call till the time i hand in the invoice...i would say you getting a bargain at only this much....if i started charging for telephone calls like lawyers do you would need to add another R120 onto the bill...

    it normally wouldnt cost this much but i just wanted to give you an idea what it should be.

    think about it you go to a doctor...they charge between R400 and R600 per visit for less than 15 minutes...you have to drive to them waste half and hour sometimes and hour waiting for them...they then make you go collect your own medicine which has a bout a 500% mark up and then tell you to go back 2 weeks later just in case they didnt diagnose the correct problem...now we arent talking specialist who charge R1500-R2000 per 10-15 minutes...and people say to me but they went to university for 5-7 years.

    well i have also been at apprentice school for 3 years...2 years of technical college a further 1 year night school...training seminars and have the most important qualification 27 years of experience...everyone for their own skill...i am not saying i am smarter than anyone else...just dont insult me when i ask for a R250 call out fee...it is actually pathetic the rates electrical companies charge for the service...the minimum rate for a qualified electrician shouldnt be less than the amount i mentioned above...electricians are regarded as high risk by the insurance companies so if you took that into account i think an even higher fee wouldnt be unjustified.

    and a meesage to all those electrical companies only charging R450 for a coc and R250 per hour...you making it difficult for everyone to make a living wage.

  2. Thanks given for this post:

    Dave A (16-Mar-10)

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