That customer's comment about my flat rate changed how I quote jobs

Last Tuesday I finished a dishwasher install that took way longer than I expected, and the customer said something like, "You're the only guy who charges by the job, everyone else does hourly." At first I thought it was a compliment, but it got me thinking. Most techs in my area swear by hourly because it protects them from surprises, but this lady was saying she picked me because my flat rate felt honest, like a guarantee. I've been doing flat rate for 6 years now, but I never realized how much trust it builds with homeowners. Meanwhile, I see guys getting burned on hourly when the customer watches the clock and questions every 15 minutes. So I told her my number, she paid it without blinking, and that conversation made me reconsider pushing flat rate harder in my advertising. Has anyone else switched pricing models after a customer said something that stuck with you?

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the_piper19d ago

And my buddy in appliance repair actually went through the exact same thing last year. He was strictly hourly for like a decade, then one customer told him flat rate felt like he was selling her a finished product instead of selling her his time. That comment stuck with him so hard he switched to flat rate for all his basic installs within a month. He said the best part is nobody watches the clock anymore, they just watch him work. Now he puts his flat rate numbers right on his truck and his website, says it filters out the cheap folks who just want to nickel and dime you. He told me his callbacks went down too because he's not rushing to squeeze more hours out of a job. Sounds like you're already ahead of the curve, I bet that lady sends you referrals for years because of how you handled it.