Prices Ethics

[NooNoo]

I quote a fixed price for a straight format and reload of windows, then if they want more programs adding back in and their data, it's half as much again. The format/reload takes place on my bench at home. I explain that it will take 3-6 hours depending on the updates downloaded. For 90% of the time I am not working on the computer - it is doing things and I come back and check it from time to time.

If I deliver it back to them and they ask me to hook it up to whatever, it's a straight per hour basis.

For example, I got round to one guy who wanted it hooked up to his wireless router, no problem - then I found that he wanted a printer hooked up as well (no problem either), then he wanted his email set up, another profile and the list grew longer and longer.

Then he said - are you done yet? I need to go!!!!

I just billed him for more labour than the hardware was worth... and he paid without a problem.

After all, if you take your car to a mechanic, you expect a fixed price for a particular service and you pay extra for the bits and pieces you want done as well. If the mechanic finds something they phone and tell you how much it's going to cost on top of the fixed price. If the garage has always served you well in the past, you are quite likely to just authorise the work and pay up.

[HipHoper]

"Then he said - are you done yet? I need to go!!!!"
That is not nice - BUT - I guess we need to disconnect emotionally from our clients (I mean those one that pay :O)

This is an interesting point, That the garage calls you, But if you say in advance how long it's about to take, So as long as it's in the aproximated time, Usually you don't here a skweak from the client...

I know I do things as fast as I can, And my real profit is when I install windows from my "images" (now with the universal restore I wrote in my posts), And then I "finish" the computer in an hour or so and charge for 2-2 1/2 hours (Depend on client restore data amount). That is the cases that are most benefiting to me, because it takes me less time than it really should.