Just got told I dont charge enough.

[Chris142]

A friend recommended me to another guy. He needed the ac charged in his big case tractor. Things all windows I bet it gets hot in there.

I told him to be at my place @530.after I get home from work

I pressure tested it with nitrogen then vacuumed it. Added some oil and recharged it.

Had to go by feel and pressures as there's no spec sticker on the machine.

After I was done of course he asked me how much he owed. I told him since he's a friend of a friend that $100 would cover the cost of the refrigerant, oil and power bill.

He then said that nobody in my area would charge it. He would have to spend a day driving to the Case dealer in riverside,Ca. Lose a days pay, pay for driving his truck 120 miles round trip etc.

He then added in the fact that I was available after hours.

I never thought about that stuff but it makes sense. He gave me considerably more $$ than my asking price.

He said I saved him money.


I kinda feel guilty for charging a lot and I need to overcome that.

 

[SC Maintenance]

You should not feel guilty to bill a fair rate. At minimum all actual costs plus a reasonable rate for your labor.

Tractors and specialty equipment costs more to repair than auto's because fewer people can do it - as your customer explained.

$100 is an oil change these days. Well probably not even an oil change.

 

[4wd]

I always pay extra on cash based side gigs when I know it saved me time/money …

 

[JeffKeryk]

Nice work @Chris142. Quality work, especially after hours, is worth its weight in gold. You earned it and your customer is pretty darn happy.

I finally found someone honest, fast, really good and HONEST to do contractor type work on my properties. I been burned by the best and the worst.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Work in progress; complete remodel. It seems everyone wants your money; all too few have that pride in what they do and are grateful for the opportunity... Cesar and Oscar are amazing!

 

[researcher]

I kinda feel guilty for charging a lot and I need to overcome that.

Don't feel guilty, you're one of the good guys out there. And heaven knows in this troubled world we live in, need more humble people like you. Reminds me of the verse, "It's more blessed to give than to receive" as they say you did the guy a solid..

 

[Chris142]

Tractors and specialty equipment costs more to repair than auto's because fewer people can do it - as your customer explained.

Other shops won't touch it without a spec sticker. All they know is to program in the charge amount on the sticker and push the button.

Seems like I'm one of the few that can feel the suction line and watch the high side pressure .

 

[oilboy123]

I'm glad the guy was fair with you. Hopefully he will be a regular customer for you.

Can I pay for the plane fare to check the pressure on my 2 heat pumps?

They have never seemed to really work right..... I'm gun shy on who is competent. I feel like I need to learn how to do it myself. But they are making it hard to obtain freon now days as well.

 

[AZjeff]

You have skills that people will pay good money for. Radiator work, custom hose work, AC work. Good work ethic. Problem is YOU don't see the value of your skills. This has been discussed before.

 

[The Critic]

I kinda feel guilty for charging a lot and I need to overcome that.

Charge what makes you feel good. You know your situation better than anyone else. You are there in the moment and understand the customer better than any of us on the internet. You don't have to answer to any of us.

(Then again, I am also the guy who just did a timing belt pkg, cam seals, radiator and double ATF d/f for my neighbor and only charged him my cost for the parts. I don't want to be known as the guy who's running a business out of his house and trying to profit off of his neighbors...)

 

[The_Jeff]

When we enter the working world a lot of us are just happy to get the work and underbid for it.

You're older now, the "expert craftsman", and just coming into realizing it. You're worth a premium over others.

Hope the well fund is doing better.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

Other shops won't touch it without a spec sticker. All they know is to program in the charge amount on the sticker and push the button.

Seems like I'm one of the few that can feel the suction line and watch the high side pressure .

Yes you need to charge more. I have to pay $250 min for an AC charge with proper spec. More for a tractor from a well established heavy truck/ag tractor mechanic. This is in the SE Kansas which is cheaper than the KC Metro.

 

[D60]

I think we've all been trying to tell you this in your various threads for years.....?

Buy hey, if this was the ONE guy who finally got through to you, great!

 

[Owen Lucas]

I kinda feel guilty for charging a lot and I need to overcome that.

For a friend of a friend, the discount makes sense. And the guy pulled through on his friend of a friend end too.

For the general public, if you do that work, charge the appropriate rate.

 

[walterjay]

I paid a guy a fair amount extra to do some body work on an older work truck. His price was way too low. And he did an excellent job

 

[Kestas]

Hopefully word will spread and you will get more business from his friends.

 

[Zee09]

When your work possibly fails even if no fault of yours, you have no reserve to make it right and the customer will act like you charged them $500 instead of the nice guy $100...

 

[thunderfog]

People need 2 things in this world: a good GP physician and a good mechanic. You're doing yeoman's work...hold your head up high.

 

[fat biker]

In your case, I would find out what the dealer charges for that service, discount from there.
Likely a win-win.
You make more money.
Your customer still saves money.

 

[Chris142]

In your case, I would find out what the dealer charges for that service, discount from there.
Likely a win-win.
You make more money.
Your customer still saves money.

Heck its going to cost him $160 just to haul the tractor to the dealer and back assuming 6 mpg x $8 a gallon for diesel.