#2011096 - 05/30/10 02:18 PM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Robb Russell]
|
trapper
Registered: 07/23/08
Loc: mequon, wisconsin
|
Nathan, if that works for you let me know. Like you said, everyone charges per animal so it might be hard to look competitive in the customers eyes.
For every job that I wish I would have charged by the job there is one where we get way more animals than either I or the customer expected. A good example is a muskrat job I'm doing right now. Small pond, customer said one muskrat. I looked it over and that's all the sign I saw too. Caught mom, dad, and two young so far. I'm usually pretty accurate on small ponds but this one had me fooled. I'm glad I'm getting paid for all of them!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011157 - 05/30/10 03:44 PM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: ccary]
|
trapper
Registered: 07/23/08
Loc: mequon, wisconsin
|
And how do you decide on that one price? Is it the same for everyone? How do you make it fair so there is nothing to complain about? Do you have more people turn you down with one price?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011240 - 05/30/10 05:46 PM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Trapping By Nate]
|
trapper
Registered: 07/23/08
Loc: mequon, wisconsin
|
With new customers we collect the service call when we set the job up. If they aren't going to be home we get the service call on a credit card over the phone.
If we get the service call we almost always get the rest when we bill them at the end of the job. If they don't pay, well collection agencies gotta live too.
The customers that are not around usually pay the best!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011370 - 05/30/10 07:26 PM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: ccary]
|
trapper
Registered: 07/23/08
Loc: mequon, wisconsin
|
No need to be sorry. Fact is, I'm not always real happy with our pricing system; that's why all the questions. Any time I can learn and improve, I will.
Nathan lives just south of me and if he finds something that works, it'll probably work for me too.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011609 - 05/31/10 12:40 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Vinke]
|
trapper
Registered: 01/19/07
Loc: Mt. Olive, IL
|
I have found that a hard Number beats a variable every time....
Exactly. If I take my vehicle in for a slight transmission slip and the guy tells me it's going to cost $800 to fix it, I'm good with that. If another guy tells me it might only need a filter and fluid change at $175, but might need some more parts, and it might need an entire tranny.... and I'll tell you the cost WHEN I'M DONE..... he's not working on my vehicle. There is no "set pricing" on jobs.... each is priced according to problem, distance to site, possible exclusion work, etc. The customer is given a cost for the job, but it will seldom be the same for any two customers, even with the same animal.... all depends on the variables. The key is excellent communication during the explanation of the service you will provide, as well as the desired result and/or the "best result possible" in the particular situation. If you tell a customer it "may only cost $275" but it might be as much as $550, the only number in his head is the $275... every time. The customer hears what he "wants" to hear. I worked in the service department of a huge motorcycle shop for 20 years.... and only about 5% of the customers can come to grips with costs of major repairs. Same goes for wildlife control. I would like to add..... why do I see so many who do bat work on a regular basis (which is never priced per animal) and obviously can price those jobs, but then can't figure out how to price animals other than bats? Try pretending your next coon job is a bat job.... maybe it will be easier to price it out?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011680 - 05/31/10 07:13 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Trapping By Nate]
|
trapper
Registered: 03/26/08
Loc: tennessee
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011721 - 05/31/10 08:11 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: ccary]
|
trapper
Registered: 06/12/08
Loc: Redwood Falls, Minnesota
|
I'm going to try that afew upcoming jobs, with pricing by the hour or the job. I had one guy turn me down for beaver control the other day. I think i'll call him back, and give him a new offer. I actually like the idea, of the per hour charge. I mean think about it, everything in life from working at a "job". To the service of your truck, plumber, electrician, basically everything today is billed hourly. I think around here that pricing all together, by the job. Would get me in trouble, if i did'nt charge enough up front. Chad
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011729 - 05/31/10 08:23 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Chad Kamolz]
|
trapper
Registered: 02/19/10
Loc: massachusetts
|
How would you determine what your time is actully worth per hour...I know depending on travel, job situation on hand ect...ect... but what kind of a ball park figure would you start out as ?? In making yourself & customer both feel like it's a good deal
_________________________
Joe Robidoux
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011763 - 05/31/10 08:57 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: swampdonkey]
|
trapper
Registered: 11/28/08
Loc: Burlington, WI
|
How would you determine what your time is actully worth per hour...I know depending on travel, job situation on hand ect...ect... but what kind of a ball park figure would you start out as ?? In making yourself & customer both feel like it's a good deal That is a good question. I know if I put down $100/hr I would never get a job. If I put $30/hr I would lose my shirt in a lot of situations. Also how would you charge for those jobs where all your doing is picking up an animal? On an average pick up I am on location for less than 10 minutes. Do you plan to charge for a whole hour or will you just charge for the 10 minutes you are there? If you have 5 calls at 10 minutes each you just burned a quarter of the day and only made a hours pay. Just things to think about when considering hourly.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011785 - 05/31/10 09:17 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Trapping By Nate]
|
trapper
Registered: 02/19/10
Loc: massachusetts
|
I'm thinking this would be extremly difficult to adjust...It' not like being a mechanic were they are stationary (for the most part)and customers bringing a vehicle to them.. there are alot of questions to this type of pricing that need to be aswered...I dont like the thought of cheating the customer or myself
_________________________
Joe Robidoux
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2011819 - 05/31/10 09:48 AM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: swampdonkey]
|
trapper
Registered: 06/12/08
Loc: Redwood Falls, Minnesota
|
How would you determine what your time is actully worth per hour...I know depending on travel, job situation on hand ect...ect... but what kind of a ball park figure would you start out as ?? In making yourself & customer both feel like it's a good deal Yes, their are alot of variables. But just like the per aniamal charge, your hourly rate could be ajusted. According to the situation, travel time, ect. You don't have to have a price that's set in stone. Each job can be quoted, by what needs to be done. That way theirs no set up fee, and no extra per animal fee. Chad
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2012187 - 05/31/10 04:27 PM
Re: Getting away from per animal charges
[Re: Ron Scheller]
|
trapper
Registered: 01/20/09
Loc: Mocksville, NC
|
I have found that a hard Number beats a variable every time....
Exactly. If I take my vehicle in for a slight transmission slip and the guy tells me it's going to cost $800 to fix it, I'm good with that. If another guy tells me it might only need a filter and fluid change at $175, but might need some more parts, and it might need an entire tranny.... and I'll tell you the cost WHEN I'M DONE..... he's not working on my vehicle. There is no "set pricing" on jobs.... each is priced according to problem, distance to site, possible exclusion work, etc. The customer is given a cost for the job, but it will seldom be the same for any two customers, even with the same animal.... all depends on the variables. The key is excellent communication during the explanation of the service you will provide, as well as the desired result and/or the "best result possible" in the particular situation. If you tell a customer it "may only cost $275" but it might be as much as $550, the only number in his head is the $275... every time. The customer hears what he "wants" to hear. I worked in the service department of a huge motorcycle shop for 20 years.... and only about 5% of the customers can come to grips with costs of major repairs. Same goes for wildlife control. I would like to add..... why do I see so many who do bat work on a regular basis (which is never priced per animal) and obviously can price those jobs, but then can't figure out how to price animals other than bats? Try pretending your next coon job is a bat job.... maybe it will be easier to price it out? Ncely said Ron, and I agree. I have tried it both ways and prefer to give a set price, or a price for set up and then per day of trapping. All exclusion is priced case by case. To each his own though...
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous Topic
Index