Sticker shock
So I got tasked with the job of taking care of a small fleet of vehicles at work. My boss tells that one of our vehicles (an 09 Ford Explorer) was making a funny noise and wanted me to check it out...
Forum Discussion
In most repair shops, the hourly rate is jacked up to cover this as an overhead cost, just like insurance, rent, etc. Since the advent of computers, it's become a method to itemize such supplies, and add it automatically. Just because you can categorize it now, it becomes a charge.
I can't imagine adding nails, screws, saw blades, drill bits when I was building homes years ago, nor a fee for 'forms' and stamps when I sent an invoice. That stuff was all in my cost projections.
It's like buying tires - we get a 'quote', then when the invoice arrives, a tire disposal fee, a shop fee, state tax, fed tax, town road fee all adds to the 'original out-the-door' charge. I always look at the OTD price once I arrive, and if so, THEN compare it to the size of the check I will write, not the phone quote. Sometimes, it makes it worth leaving and buy the tires elsewhere.
OTD quote should be dollars we write on the check amount lines.
I can't imagine adding nails, screws, saw blades, drill bits when I was building homes years ago, nor a fee for 'forms' and stamps when I sent an invoice. That stuff was all in my cost projections.
It's like buying tires - we get a 'quote', then when the invoice arrives, a tire disposal fee, a shop fee, state tax, fed tax, town road fee all adds to the 'original out-the-door' charge. I always look at the OTD price once I arrive, and if so, THEN compare it to the size of the check I will write, not the phone quote. Sometimes, it makes it worth leaving and buy the tires elsewhere.
OTD quote should be dollars we write on the check amount lines.
