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Panasonic TH-42PX60B

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Turnip:
Hi Nick,
  As usual, my customer doesn't want to spend any reasonable cash, These Norfolk folks are the business, and they usually do well in government.

  Thanks, in penuary - Chris.   

 

 

   

 

ex ttg:
Hi Chris
I find that charging half of your total labour charge as an inspection charge weeds out the timewasters.There's 2 plusses to this:
1.If they've already paid you half the labour,the final bill doesn't appear so daunting.
2.If they refuse estimate at least you've got something for your time.
OK so some people still expect freebies from our trade(not from other trades strangely enough) so they will put the phone down yearning for the free estimates of the past.Yes we could do it in the past cos we knew the customer couldn't fit a loptx etc.Now if you tell someone for free that say the inverter,screendriver,y-sus or so is faulty they can say 'thanks very much for your FREE service,now i'll pop on ebay and buy my own'.
'No fix no fee'  has no place in this trade,most of us will have 20+ years of experience so why give that experience away for free when you're battling to earn a living.
 :brinda: :brinda:
Nick

Turnip:
Hi Nick,

   Thanks for your thoughts. Must confess that I have always worked rather differently doing basic jobs really cheaply with no inspection charge. Anything I had doubts about after 10 minutes I turned down, informing the customer the same day.

   Pretty well all other Telebashers in this country area gave up years ago, but with friends in low places - local tips, and such, for defunct LCD and Plasma - (storage is a problem) I forge on.

  Thanks again - Ex-Visionhire and Rediffusion (Norwich area) - Chris.

brainstorm:
Hi,

We charge a deposit on every repair and then refund it against the cost of repair if the customer goes ahead with the estimate. We get very few refusals and everyone seems happy to pay a deposit.
You will always get the odd one or two who won't pay, but in my experience they will complain whatever you charge!
Also as technology advances it will become more and more difficult to diagnose faults, and if you misdiagnose the fault who ends up paying for the board? You!

Regards
Brian

Turnip:
Hi Brian,
  
  Thanks for your thoughts - In these days where spares and service manuals are a bit of a problem, my 'Ten minute' rule seems the business.  If I don't know or haven't got the panel I usually get the set for spares, as no-one these days of 'throw away' actually really expects a repair, I get lots of sets for spares. Just need a few acres more for the spare panels, and Norfolk is said to have lots of empty space, seems the business, but it costs.

  Neighbours are all Tories, with many horses and 4 x 4's - makes one puke  - Chris.

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