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call out

View the thread, titled "call out" which is posted in UK Plumbers Forums on UK Plumbers Forums.

hammers4spanner

hammers4spanner

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What do you all define as a call out ?
Had a few recently where custs have asked about doing work and said they don't want to pay a call out , these jobs have been through the day not out of hours .I always say first hour is £40 and they still seem to think its a call out ????? On some plumbs vans i see no call out charge, so what are they working for free??

I always view call outs as out of hours or am i missing something?
 
To me a call out charge is being charged before any work is done then also paying an hourly rate.

What I always say is I do not charge call out I charge x amount for the first hour and x amount after.
 
to me a Call out is the charge for being called out to a job thats not planned, not applied to normall work done. Its there to cover your cost of being available to attend a job when needed, normally out of hours and weekends/ holidays etc....

The problem arises when companies take an upfront charge before sending an engineer and call it a call out charge. Its infact an upfront charge to ensure no loss is made.

advertising "no callout charge" mean nothing really but probably looks good to customers.
 
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I don't have a call out charge, I have a minimum charge which covers the first hour regardless of if its a 1 minute or 1 hour job. I define a call out charge as a charge made to come out before charging for the time spent there doing the job.
 
I advertise as 'no call out charge'. I see it as I'll come and give you an estimate without charging you for doing so.
I do charge more than an hours rate for <1hr jobs though. i.e. I wouldn't change a syphon on a closed coupled loo for £25 + materials, it wouldn't be worth doing the job for that and would devalue the trade.
Would that be classed as a call out charge as it's more than an hours rate or just the price of that job?
 
mfgs said:
I don't have a call out charge, I have a minimum charge which covers the first hour regardless of if its a 1 minute or 1 hour job. I define a call out charge as a charge made to come out before charging for the time spent there doing the job.
Click to expand...

As above, however because I can travel an hour or more to reach a job I explain it as ...
The fee covers all the travelling time & expenses and up to the first 1 hour on site after that it is £x per hour or part of (x being a very reasonable rate), rarely have complaints but I only work Mon - Fri 8-5pm
 
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If a custard phones me in or out of hours & tells me they have a problem they want fixed ASAP I tell them there's a call out charge. If a custard asks me to look at a job & quote (change leaking rad valve as example) I charge call out, give a quote & tell them I'll deduct call out if they use me.

I also tend to gauge custards, I can tell on the phone if they're messing me about it just want me to tell them how to fix the dripping tap. I charge £40 to look & either fix or quote.
 
I'd charge call out if
1) being called out to a job out of hours
2) going to a job to view/do work but potential not doing any work (i.e not having parts to fix it there and then but then if I got the job that cost would be deducting some cost)
3) going to a job to find a fault/problem like a leak and then being asked for a price to fix it

Although if I go to a job ill charge first hour then less for second hour to cove time spent off the job
 
I will go and price any job I choose to go to for free, but if get any tools out I charge my hourly rate regardless otherwise they don't come out (tools)
 
Call out charge? Hmmmm.
I advertise a 'No Call Out Charge'. That simply means if I came to quote for s job, I will not charge you. If the tools come out and are used, even a screwdriver, I will charge my minimum charge.
A month ago, I went to quote for a boiler replacement. After I had finished and informed her I will be sending in the quote in a day or two, she asked how much I wanted for the 'call out'? Confused, I asked what do you mean? She told me the other two plumbers who attended charged £80 and £50 for attending and quoting for the job. Made me think I was doing something wrong?
 
village idiot said:
Call out charge? Hmmmm.
I advertise a 'No Call Out Charge'. That simply means if I came to quote for s job, I will not charge you. If the tools come out and are used, even a screwdriver, I will charge my minimum charge.
A month ago, I went to quote for a boiler replacement. After I had finished and informed her I will be sending in the quote in a day or two, she asked how much I wanted for the 'call out'? Confused, I asked what do you mean? She told me the other two plumbers who attended charged £80 and £50 for attending and quoting for the job. Made me think I was doing something wrong?
Click to expand...

So your offering free estimates

and you charge for work , isn't that a call out then?
 
I don't charge for estimates and don't have a call out charge per say, but a minimum call time of 2 hours(which includes travelling time)£60 for most jobs i'll do(unless it's cash then min £30).

It's not worth my while sending out invoices for £35...
 
If its local (within a mile or on my way home etc) i'll say i'll have a look free of charge. But if someone calls saying i need a quote to fix my toilet or boiler i just tell em it is my hourly rate. Not really interested in people who want a quote for a repair as they want it done for nothing
 

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