Am I overpricing?

[Leo21]

With prices like that. You'll only get crap customer referrals. Customers will always moan about prices, just like us when we get are vans or cars serviced.

 

[Keefy]

With prices like that. You'll only get crap customer referrals. Customers will always moan about prices, just like us when we get are vans or cars serviced.

I agree ^

They'll tell their neighbours that they know a very cheap plumber and that's what they'll expect when you turn up. Tell them first time round that if they want any more jobs doing you'll consider a discount.

 

[armyash]

Before I left the army I went on a 2 day business start up workshop. Obviously you can't learn everything in 2 days but it was intense and there was some very good information available. Everything from marketing, customer service, business plans, financial managment etc. Some of it I already knew from my own research but it was aimed at forces personnel (most of which have had their arses wiped for them the last 22 years) so it was structured towards people who know very little.

With regards to pricing the guy said don't start too high as you will struggle to find any customers to establish yourself, start too low then you will, as other guys have mentioned in their posts, work all the hours god sends. Not only that but they will be very reluctant to stick with you when you do up your prices as they will look for someone who has the same low prices as you previously did. Not only that, some people will be scared to up their prices as they will be scared to lose any customers they have worked hard to to get. The longer you leave it the more difficult it will become and it'll reach the point where you are working so hard to make peanuts and see no way out.

The answer is to offer a fair price and do an excellent job, resolve any customer issues. Everyone makes mistakes but by dealing with them professionally and quickly you can still get good recommendations.

Although I attended a self employment workshop I am working for a company at the moment. Always keeping an eye on going it alone, the stress and hard work and pressure will be do me fine. Everyone is different, I work hard for my company and I enjoy it but I am building my experience and learning at someone else's risk. This is the same for any company they carry the risk of our mistakes.

Try and get price lists from companies in your area or even get them in to do some quotes in your own home for work to get an idea. Then ask yourself what you would do the work for. Obviously don't undercut them massively just compete with their prices and offer a good service.

 

[Dannypipe]

What I find amusing on this forum is how most people are so cloak and daggers about their hourly rate.

 

[mfgs]

What I find amusing on this forum is how most people are so cloak and daggers about their hourly rate.

I charge £** per hour lol.

 

[Dannypipe]

I charge £** per hour lol.

Oooooooh, double figures. Expensive! LOL

 

[nicro3]

The only person who knows what the going rate is YOU!!

 

[Ray Stafford]

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/plumbing-forum/40598-labour-rates-plumbing-heating-engineers.html

We'll be starting the research for this years survey in a couple of months time - so you can all tell Uncle Ray anonymously.

 

[TFGplumbing]

OP I think your rates are good if not to cheap as the other boys have said.

I always think I'am too expensive. I charged £136.59 To diagnose a fault with boiler, order part and return and fit part. it was a flow turbine for a worc 24i junior, custard 30 miles from my house.

 

[Dannypipe]

One of the first things people ask when they call me to discuss work is: "how much do you charge?"

So I tell em. You can hardly say, "It's a secret, I'll tell you when I'm finished"!!

 

[turnpin]

I think you need to step your rates up after all you can always give a discount if they agree to pay promptly but just try and charge them any extra if the job takes longer when it go`s wrong you are after all providing a service and you need to make a profit good luck and don`t get disheartened regards turnpin:20:

 

[erpkid]

There is a good time after being self employed for many years when you can walk away from business ( it takes a lost of graft / embarrassment and plain cock ups to get there but worth it in the end ).Now when a customer says x ( as this is the other blokes price ) amount to change a boiler for example I start my walk to the door. There is unfortunately a glut of customers who are hard up. Times are hard and their access to price comparison information is unrivalled so they call us savvy or at least goggle savvy. They believe that there are an infinite number of plumbers just waiting to deal with their problem.This is not the case no matter what we may think as we foolishly partake in a race to the bottom. We have to be strong and not work for scraps or as near to be as makes no difference. With solidarity given a few business cycles we will all be able to earn a decent living from this "game "

 

[Dannypipe]

I get a gut feeling quite quickly. My radar is normally pretty reliable.

I can suss out the people who want a good job, and the people who want a "cheap" job.

If you want a cheap job, call someone else. Because it will be cheap for a reason.

No one buys a Primark jumper and throws a hissy fit when it bobbles on the first wash surely? It cost a fiver what did you expect?!

Same applies so just everything. You can normally tell the difference between a premium item/service to a budget one.

Of course there are the extremes, mad cheap prices, and total rip offs, but we're talking middle ground here.

 

[Dannypipe]

Whoops typo above, can't edit it!