# "why do you charge so much?"



## pawirenut (May 28, 2008)

I just don't get why home owners all assume that this trade is just playing with wires. The last customer said "why do you charge so much i don't even make that an hour" 

I'm thinking of making up a business sized card with a bulleted list of what is included in my rate. The heading will say "Why electricians charge what they do" or something like that. Then whenever they ask why i just whip out that card and say here is why.

I remember doing work for this real cheap ass that had a problem with his drains when i was working in the house... He had roto rooter come out and snake the drain took about 25 mins and cost roughly $250 and he didn't say a word just cut the check but my price is too high hmmm

I just play with wires like a cat plays with yarn:laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Show them this list and ask them which line items they think you could cut back on or eliminate:

*Building
*Building 
Warehouse Space
Trash Removal
Lawn Care
Snow removal
Upkeep & Repairs
*Office Expenses
*Computers
Stationary
Copy machine
Fax machine
Forms
Printing
Software
Office Equipment
Computer maintenance
Files
Postage
Office Supplies
*IT
*Internet service
Email accounts
Web site
-Initial creation
-Updating
-Maintenance
GPS services
*Benefits
*Vacation Pay
Holiday Pay
Uniforms
Uniform Maintenance
Unemployment
Bonuses
Incentives
Retirement Plan
Christmas Party
*Taxes
*Property Taxes
Tangible Taxes
Pay Roll Taxes
Income Taxes
Sales Tax
*Training
*Management Training
Office Training
In-House Training
Tech Training
Mfg. Training
Training Equipment
Safety Training
Update classes
License testing
*Insurance
*Building Insurance
Liability Insurance
Employee Insurance
Life Insurance
Business Insurance
Workers Comp.
*Utilities
*Gas
Electricity
Telephone / Fax lines
Internet Service
Toll Calls
Telephones
Pagers/Cell Phones
Radio Maintenance
*Vehicles
*Vehicle Maintenance
Ladder Racks
Interior bins
Fuel
Truck Signs / lettering / vinyl
Tires
*Financial
*Accounting
Loans
Tax Preparation
Interest
30+ Day Receivables
Bank Charges
*Travel
*Hotel
Meals
Airline / vehicle
*Unique to the electrical trade
*Permits
Licenses
Bonds
Inspections
Trade Association
Subscriptions
Memberships
Dues
Retainers
Safety PPE
-Lock-out/Tag-out kits
-Fall prevention harness
-Arc-flash clothing
-Hard hats
-Safety glasses
-Hearing protection
*Tools
*Company Tools
Safety Equipment
Ladders
2-way Radios
Test Equipment
Replacement Parts
Parts Storage
Damages
Tool Replacement
Job site storage
*Misc.
*Trips to Supply House
Theft
Uncollected Money
Collection fees
Unbillable Hours
Commissions
Call Backs / Warranty work
Shortages
Bad Checks
Delivery
Credit Card Sales
Drug Testing
*Legal 
*Legal advice
Law Suits
Incorporation / LLC fees
*Advertising
*Marketing
Business cards
Signs
Radio / TV
Newspaper
Flyers / brochures
Material Purchases
Inventory
*Labor
*Wages
Salaries
Dispatcher
Answering Service


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## Mike Guile (Jan 14, 2010)

*Those*

I hate those people. 

Here's a list of ideas. If you make, let us know and i'll buy a 1000 off you.

I tell people our job is like an iceberg. You only see the top. Here is the bottom.

Driving to supply houses
Insurance
Phones
Internet
Vehicle Depreciation
Overhead
Licenses
Paperwork
Restocking/Cleaning up/Purchasing
Designing
Phone calls
Collections
Warranty
Returning items
Talking time with customers
ETC...

Can anyone add some more...


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

pawirenut said:


> I just don't get why home owners all assume that this trade is just playing with wires. The last customer said "why do you charge so much i don't even make that an hour"
> 
> I'm thinking of making up a business sized card with a bulleted list of what is included in my rate. The heading will say "Why electricians charge what they do" or something like that. Then whenever they ask why i just whip out that card and say here is why.
> 
> ...


 
I laugh when people ask that. I say I dont I charge a fair price to make a very dangerous thing that will kill with indescrection and no mercy safe for them to use and enjoy. With out my training tools continued education etc you are putting your family in possible danger. Why does the mechanic or hooker charge sooo much right?


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## Mike Guile (Jan 14, 2010)

*Small*

Ignore my puny list now...shrugging shoulders walking away :laughing:


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

pawirenut said:


> I remember doing work for this real cheap ass that had a problem with his drains when i was working in the house... He had roto rooter come out and snake the drain took about 25 mins and cost roughly $250 and he didn't say a word just cut the check but my price is too high hmmm
> 
> I just play with wires like a cat plays with yarn:laughing:


 
Good point. Same people willl take thier car to a garage and not blink when paying $75.00/ hour.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

crazymurph said:


> Good point. Same people willl take thier car to a garage and not blink when paying $75.00/ hour.


Dealers here are over 100 hour!


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

crazymurph said:


> Good point. Same people willl take thier car to a garage and not blink when paying $75.00/ hour.


Or call The Geek Squad from Best Buy and happily write a check for $125 an hour.

Last time I went to the doctor, he spent 5 minutes with me. I was charged $180. Does that mean the doctor makes $2160 per hour? No.


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## 10492 (Jan 4, 2010)

pawirenut said:


> I just don't get why home owners all assume that this trade is just playing with wires. The last customer said "why do you charge so much i don't even make that an hour"


 
How many times does this happen a week, or month?

Have you tried to keep track somehow?


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## pawirenut (May 28, 2008)

I verbally tell some customers a short rundown of why i charge what i do and some say "well that's part of running your business we shouldn't be paying for that"

The only things customers want to pay for are materials and labor they don't want to pay a red cent for anything else. It's "our responsibilty" for the rest of the overhead.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

pawirenut said:


> I verbally tell some customers a short rundown of why i charge what i do and some say "well that's part of running your business we shouldn't be paying for that"
> 
> The only things customers want to pay for are materials and labor they don't want to pay a red cent for anything else. It's "our responsibilty" for the rest of the overhead.


 
Show them their own car in their garage or drive way. Point out the sticker on the back from the dealer. Tell them they paid for that sticker.... like it or not.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I think I pay to many taxes, some folks complain about the cost of gas, food, school and on and on. 

It is what it is, about the best you can do is try to educate them some, but with some folks it will be a lose lose.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

we charge so much because we like houses and cars and boats and chicks and beer and guitars and amps and cds movies and when i get all that im raising my rates so i can work less while making the same ,,so i can enjoy my stufff,,,,,so you should get it done today before the price goes up,,,thats what i tell them.......


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

i will argue that not only does the average electrician not charge too much, he probably doesn't charge enough...

but the reason you get asked that question is because too many guys don't charge enough...they are comparing your pricing to the guy who thinks profit is a dirty word...


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

zen said:


> we charge so much because we like houses and cars and boats and chicks and beer and guitars and amps and cds movies .......


And all we need is just a handful of people who are more than happy charging $8/hr., live under a bridge, eat CheesyMac and drive a '76 Yamaha dirt bike to 'train' the public that's all we're worth.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

zen said:


> we charge so much because we like houses and cars and boats and chicks and beer and guitars and amps and cds movies and when i get all that im raising my rates so i can work less while making the same ,,so i can enjoy my stufff,,,,,so you should get it done today before the price goes up,,,thats what i tell them.......


I spend my on wine, women and drugs, then there is paper, gas, rent, trucks, accountants, lawyers, HVAC, utilities, phones, internet, secretaries, a desk and on and on, oh did I mention I like to eat.


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## Old Spark (Nov 18, 2008)

I do nothing but commerical, so it's the general contractors we work for that say....why do you charge so much. They think 5% over head with 2% mark up should be plenty to run my small company. When I say my overhead is 22% and I need to make 5%, they say well we can run our company one the 5% and 2% why can't you. I say your $10 million dollar volumn allow's you do to that, my 1 mil. vol. does not. They say will I'm not using you if you have to have that much % to run a business. How can some running a 10 mil. business not know the difference? 
P.S. I know that most of you guy's are not involved in this part of the business, but you need to know how hard it is for the employer to make money.


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

brian john said:


> oh did I mention I like to eat.


Yes, you mentioned women.


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## Old Spark (Nov 18, 2008)

Dealer are chargeing $120 per hr here.


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## ralpha494 (Oct 29, 2008)

I just copied and pasted 480's list into a Word document (with some modifications) and noticed profit wasn't even on the list. 3 full, single spaced, columns of expenses and profit wasn't even there! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!! (For 480: Alpha Zulu Four Eight Niner.)


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

David Channell said:


> I do nothing but commerical, so it's the general contractors we work for that say....why do you charge so much. They think 5% over head with 2% mark up should be plenty to run my small company. When I say my overhead is 22% and I need to make 5%, they say well we can run our company one the 5% and 2% why can't you. I say your $10 million dollar volumn allow's you do to that, my 1 mil. vol. does not. They say will I'm not using you if you have to have that much % to run a business. How can some running a 10 mil. business not know the difference?
> P.S. I know that most of you guy's are not involved in this part of the business, but you need to know how hard it is for the employer to make money.


very simple - 3 people in an office bidding enough work to get $10mil general contracts...total compensation - $200,000...office $20,000/yr, no equipment, no shop/warehouse, utilities -$20,000/yr, some misc expenses...

and yes, they are at 5% of the $10mil total...problem is, they pay $9mil of that $10mil to subcontractors...and over the $1mil left, their overhead is actually 25%...

just because they generate a lot of $, doesn't mean they are smart...


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

ralpha494 said:


> I just copied and pasted 480's list into a Word document (with some modifications) and noticed profit wasn't even on the list. 3 full, single spaced, columns of expenses and profit wasn't even there! Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!! (For 480: Alpha Zulu Four Eight Niner.)


 
What is 'profit'?









Roger Arizona 489er...... clear to land on runway 12 East.


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## Amish Electrician (Jan 2, 2010)

When I got my contradtors' license in 2008, I though the hard part was past. Boy, was I wrong .... It seemed every time I turned around, I was looking at another $1000 expense, one that I could not avoid. Or, for that matter, expect the business to pay for in my wildest dreams.

Limiting myself to required licenses / government permits alone, I needed, in addition to my State contractors' license, the following:
- Workmans' comp (technically with a private firm, but mandated);
- Business licenses from the State, each county, and every town I worked in. In my case, that was none - in an area that a total of four towns;
- A separate annual license from the state, with fingerprint and test fees, to do ANY work in a mobile home;
- Asbestos certification, which has an annual renewal PLUS an annual 'refresher course;'
- EPA refrigerant licensing (lifetime, one time);
- OSHA 30-hr course (lifetime, one time);
- EPA lead (one time, so far ...)

Apart from the costs of these licenses, there is the fact that I can't be making money while I'm sitting in class. Those licenses alone, average out (over a ten year period) at more than $300/ month. 

Note that I have not included a single cost of operating a business. 

My parents have lived a very nice, orderly life. Get up, go to work, save the paycheck. They, like your customer, were pretty innocent in the costs of doing things. Over the past few months, they've had an opportunity to look into my books, see just how I could bring in $20,000 of business and wind up $10,000 in the red. They're beginning to understand the costs of running a business. Every time you blink, you're getting hit with another expense.

It's like riding a tiger; jump off, and you get forever lose any chance of making that money back. You can't stay on, but you dare not fall off.

On a side trip, my dad recently went looking at treadmills. He thought the $65 delivery fee was excessive - 'why, I can rent a U-Haul for $30" - until I pointed out that paying two guys for an hour would be $30 in wages alone. Suddenly he understood that the delivery fee wasn't so bad after all.

You customer isn't a bad person; they're just completely uninformed as to what things really cost.

Folks eyes glaze over when you todd out vague things like 'overhead,' or a blank, endliss 'laundry list' of expense categories. If we're going to change things, I think business owners will have to OPEN THEIR BOOKS. Let the general public see exactly why our rates are 'so high.' They have to see exactly how every tax, fee, and mandate comes through to the bottom line.

Maybe then folks will understand why their neighborhood hack can charge so much less. 

We need folks to respond to the hack's sales pitch the same way they would if they were offered, say, a new Rolex for $50. We need them thinking 'there's something wrong here,' .... rather than 'what a deal!'


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## codeone (Sep 15, 2008)

ralpha494 said:


> noticed profit wasn't even on the list.


 Profit! Whats Profit?:whistling2::laughing:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I have had people say OMG it is $xxxx.xx and I say yes I cut you a deal because you are such a ____________ (Fill in the blank), the price should have been $XXXX.XX+XXX.XX. Throws them off guard sometimes


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## codeone (Sep 15, 2008)

Just get them to see your Workers Comp Bill!
Biggest Rip Off!


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Or call The Geek Squad from Best Buy and happily write a check for $125 an hour.
> 
> Last time I went to the doctor, he spent 5 minutes with me. I was charged $180. Does that mean the doctor makes $2160 per hour? No.


I didn't know TOOL REPAIR was so expensive :laughing:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

codeone said:


> Just get them to see your Workers Comp Bill!
> Biggest Rip Off!


I carry Comp and have no employees, $1000.00 a year wasted and I'm not even covered 

I carry it for working with builders and most businesses want a certificate also or THEIR rates will rise :no:


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

480sparky said:


> And all we need is just a handful of people who are more than happy charging $8/hr., live under a bridge, eat CheesyMac and drive a '76 Yamaha dirt bike to 'train' the public that's all we're worth.


 What's wrong with cheesy mac?


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

mattsilkwood said:


> What's wrong with cheesy mac?


agreed, that stuff kept me alive for a few years in my early 20's.......and I know I am not the only one. Thank you Kraft.......:laughing:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

mattsilkwood said:


> What's wrong with cheesy mac?


nothing, once in a while. Just as long as in the same week, I can have steak as well.

~Matt


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

TOOL_5150 said:


> nothing, once in a while. Just as long as in the same week, I can have steak as well.
> 
> ~Matt


pair you steak up with cheesy mac.........ghetto gourmet.......:thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BCSparkyGirl said:


> pair you steak up with cheesy mac.........ghetto gourmet.......:thumbsup:


No, that would be CheesyMac and a chopped-up hot dog. :whistling2:


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

true, but when on Mardi Gras (last wed of the month when gov't cheques come in) they do it up uber gourmet.......


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Of course, we need the bottle of Everclear as well.


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## 10492 (Jan 4, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Of course, we need the bottle of Everclear as well.


With Hawaiin Punch, before homeroom?


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Ken I google
*DLG2209TVX*
*JDB9515VNS*
*CPE1704TKS
*Two of them are from "_War Games_" what is the middle one?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

drsparky said:


> Ken I google
> *DLG2209TVX*
> *JDB9515VNS*
> *CPE1704TKS*
> Two of them are from "_War Games_" what is the middle one?


 
All 3 of them are.:thumbsup:

In the opening scene of the movie, the launch code is DLG2209TVX.
The second launch code, which was the one stolen by Joshua before at DEFCON 4, was JDB or JOB 9515 VNS.
CPE1704TKS is the launch code cracked by Joshua at the end of the movie.


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## RJS3rd (Sep 17, 2009)

I sometimes get something like "I have a friend who said he can do it for 1/2 that!"

I usually reply with "I can change the oil in my car but it doesnt make me a licensed mechanic. There are people who can do electric and then theres electricians, who would you rather trust with the safety of your family?".

That usually ends that line of thought.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

RJS3rd said:


> I sometimes get something like "I have a friend who said he can do it for 1/2 that!"
> 
> I usually reply with "I can change the oil in my car but it doesnt make me a licensed mechanic. There are people who can do electric and then theres electricians, who would you rather trust with the safety of your family?".
> 
> That usually ends that line of thought.


 That is a good one.:thumbsup: I'll remember that one.


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## BIGRED (Jan 22, 2007)

RJS3rd said:


> I sometimes get something like "I have a friend who said he can do it for 1/2 that!"
> 
> I usually reply with "I can change the oil in my car but it doesnt make me a licensed mechanic. There are people who can do electric and then theres electricians, who would you rather trust with the safety of your family?".
> 
> That usually ends that line of thought.


I like that too. I am so ing tired of hearing that. I could care less what "your friend" can do it for, stop wasting my ing time. Do these ing peaple say that to mechanics, appliance repairmen, supermarket?
RJS where are you from in Philly, I am from Philly now in UD.


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## Shado (Jan 1, 2009)

ralpha494 said:


> I just copied and pasted 480's list into a Word document (with some modifications) and noticed profit wasn't even on the list. 3 full, single spaced, columns of *expenses and profit wasn't even there! *Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!! (For 480: Alpha Zulu Four Eight Niner.)


You answered yourself....:laughing:.....profit is not an expense...:thumbsup:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

480sparky said:


> No, that would be CheesyMac and a chopped-up hot dog. :whistling2:


and theres nothing wrong with that! Im single, and live alone in my house :thumbsup:

~Matt


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

BCSparkyGirl said:


> agreed, that stuff kept me alive for a few years in my early 20's.......and I know I am not the only one. Thank you Kraft.......:laughing:


 That and top ramen.:thumbup:


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## Advanced37 (Jan 11, 2010)

So after I got out of the Navy, I had took a job working for a friend, managing an independent auto repair facility for about a year. The first lesson he taught me was to do my estimate, add 20%, and then when the customer himmed and hawwed about the price, give them a 10% discount and be done with it. ( haggle a bit then its win-win and were up 10%) This was for a certain type of customer, typically the ones who like to haggle. Others I would do a straight up estimate and they would accept it. But there is a certain part of the population that likes to haggle...


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

See you guys later. I'm going down to Best Buy to see if I can talk 'em down to less than $50 for a Blue-Ray player.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Magnettica said:


> See you guys later. I'm going down to Best Buy to see if I can talk 'em down to less than $50 for a Blue-Ray player.


:laughing: Good luck with that and see if the GEEK Squad will work for $60.00 an hour.. it's a easy job and my neighbor was going to do it


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*Why do you charge so much?*



pawirenut said:


> I just don't get why home owners all assume that this trade is just playing with wires. The last customer said "why do you charge so much i don't even make that an hour"
> 
> I'm thinking of making up a business sized card with a bulleted list of what is included in my rate. The heading will say "Why electricians charge what they do" or something like that. Then whenever they ask why i just whip out that card and say here is why.
> 
> ...


I have worked at almost every kind of job site possible. At every one of them there was petty gripes about other's work, ...a certain lack of respect for their fellow electricians. On those same jobs the plumbers, pipefitters and carpenters just did their job...and they stuck together. We need to respect each other and stick together before others, (customers), will respect us. And our prices.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

RIVETER said:


> We need to respect each other and stick together before others, (customers), will respect us. And our prices.


 I agree 100% with you on this.:thumbsup:


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## ralpha494 (Oct 29, 2008)

Alpha Zulu Four Eight Niner was the launch code in Independance Day to nuke the alien craft in Texas.

You're so lucky. You get mac AND cheese.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*Why do you charge so mech?*



ralpha494 said:


> Alpha Zulu Four Eight Niner was the launch code in Independance Day to nuke the alien craft in Texas.
> 
> You're so lucky. You get mac AND cheese.


I smell a hijacker!!!


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## Paelectrican (Mar 2, 2009)

I would tell them because im trying to stay in business, and provide a quality service. Now would you like me to do this or not.


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

*"why do you charge so much?"* 

My crack habit.


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

BuzzKill said:


> *"why do you charge so much?"*
> 
> My crack habit.


The hell with crack, I can afford cocaine, TYVM.


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## Electric Bill (Nov 13, 2009)

I was asked on a job Today, why do I charge so much. 

My answer was that I am just that damn good. :thumbsup:

They accepted that answer and dropped it at that.

collected a grand for 4 hours work, $100.00 in material and went home. :thumbup:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*Charge so much?*



Electric Bill said:


> I was asked on a job Today, why do I charge so much.
> 
> My answer was that I am just that damn good. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


Was it the customer who ask you, or someone else?


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## Electric Bill (Nov 13, 2009)

It was the customer, I have done alot of work for these folks. They always get exactly what they want, usually followed by a hefty bill. They are pretty laid back, I have kind of a habit of saying whatever is on my mind at the time. I think they were kind of amused. I given all kinds of reasons for pricing over years. Everything from business expenses to you can afford it. Most people are usually just making conversation.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*Charge so much*



Electric Bill said:


> It was the customer, I have done alot of work for these folks. They always get exactly what they want, usually followed by a hefty bill. They are pretty laid back, I have kind of a habit of saying whatever is on my mind at the time. I think they were kind of amused. I given all kinds of reasons for pricing over years. Everything from business expenses to you can afford it. Most people are usually just making conversation.


Sounds to me that you are charging the right price if both you and your customers are happy.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Electric Bill said:


> I was asked on a job Today, why do I charge so much.
> 
> My answer was that I am just that damn good. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


Even that does not make up for the jobs that didn't turn out to be money makers, but feels DAM GOOD :thumbsup:


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## Electric Bill (Nov 13, 2009)

> Even that does not make up for the jobs that didn't turn out to be money makers, but feels DAM GOOD :thumbsup:


Absolutely



> Sounds to me that you are charging the right price if both you and your customers are happy.


They were very happy with the job, They are very specific about what they wanted, laid back, but specific. If you give someone a top quality job, the way they want it. Most folks won't bitch to bad. They're paying for piece of mind. I haven't changed in 25yrs most of my customers know how I am, and the job will be right the first time. Having a good reputation helps most of the time.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

BCSparkyGirl said:


> The hell with crack, I can afford cocaine, TYVM.



Tell them

Pay the f**king bill you slut.

I bet that will work.


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## Electric Bill (Nov 13, 2009)

> Tell them
> 
> Pay the f**king bill you slut.
> 
> I bet that will work.


I like it :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

One of my smart-ass answers is, "Would you rather pay me $100 an hour and have it done in an hour, or would you rather pay someone $25 an hour and they take all day to fix it?"


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

You have to just laugh them off. No matter what you say to people there will always be those cheap iggnorant douch bags. I get plenty of appreciative customers to couter the occasional douche. Just make sure they know what they are getting into before you start. 
There are all kinds of people in the world that have absolutly zero business sense. Teachers, scholars, artist type, liberals, you know the types, and when you tell them its gonna be 125 per hour they think that ALL that money is going to your vacation fund or your pockest. 
We can do alot of things but we cant fix stupid......Just laught it off and move on to the next...


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## The Estimator (Nov 19, 2009)

David Channell said:


> I do nothing but commerical, so it's the general contractors we work for that say....why do you charge so much. They think 5% over head with 2% mark up should be plenty to run my small company. When I say my overhead is 22% and I need to make 5%, they say well we can run our company one the 5% and 2% why can't you. I say your $10 million dollar volumn allow's you do to that, my 1 mil. vol. does not. They say will I'm not using you if you have to have that much % to run a business. How can some running a 10 mil. business not know the difference?
> P.S. I know that most of you guy's are not involved in this part of the business, but you need to know how hard it is for the employer to make money.


 They know better most generals want to shop your price down as much as possible. Overhead is the biggest lie in the industry, its always more than most people claim. Until we can get the trunk slammers out of our business we are screwed. Most new electrical contractors do not know shi.. about owning businesses.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

480sparky said:


> One of my smart-ass answers is, "Would you rather pay me $100 an hour and have it done in an hour, or would you rather pay someone $25 an hour and they take all day to fix it?"


A smart-ass answers is, "Would you rather pay me $100 an hour and have it done in an hour PROPERLY, or would you rather stay at a hotel after the fire?"


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

brian john said:


> A smart-ass answers is, "Would you rather pay me $100 an hour and have it done in an hour PROPERLY, or would you rather stay at a hotel after the fire?"


 Yeah, that's a good on!
Any mention of fire around clients and they tend to keep their mouth shut.
Threats of electrocution help too.


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## RJS3rd (Sep 17, 2009)

BIGRED said:


> I like that too. I am so ing tired of hearing that. I could care less what "your friend" can do it for, stop wasting my ing time. Do these ing peaple say that to mechanics, appliance repairmen, supermarket?
> RJS where are you from in Philly, I am from Philly now in UD.


Lol, Uppa DaHby?

Im in the NE.


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