Call out fees

[Light Console]

A quick one here I hope,

I 'phoned somewhere I worked in August, about visiting them this week to come and look at the problems I identified in their systems, and advise on and action repairs. I was also to clean the lights and kit that was not available in August as it was being used else where. I booked out the whole of today for them.

When I got there, they told me that the work I had advised them on had been done over Christmas. As this trip was booked this week, and there was nothing for me to do, do you think I should charge them a call out fee? If so, how much? I will charge them 40p/mile regardless as it was quite a distance to get to them for nothing.

 

Edit PS reason it has taken so long is that I went abroad for 2 months and this is the first free slot I have had to visit them.

[mac.calder]

I usually charge a minimum call of 2 hours. Add to that travel and I think that is a reasonable figure.

[Guest lightnix]

Where me and my mates come from, cancellation at that kind of notice (i.e. 0.00 seconds) would normally be invoiced for in full; although there's always room for negotiation, which can depend on a number of factors (including the weather).

 

In this kind of case, I would normally ask for the lot, but settle for a ½ day / 4 hour call plus (maybe) travelling expenses and if I could some other work out of them, then I might be persuaded to forget about it altogether (although I'd prefer to leave the building with a Purchase Order)

 

That said, it's not like they didn't have plenty of opportunity to let you know, so you should charge them something IMO.

 

The deeper argument behind callout / cancellation fees (especially on longer shows), is that you could have been out, working for someone else, or otherwise using your time profitably. The possibility that you hadn't been offered any other work on that date is neither here nor there, because you hadn't felt the need to look for a booking then ;)

[gareth]

The question that needs to be answered here, I think, is this - what form did your contract with this client take? Was there anything in writing, confirming their booking of your services for a day of maintenance at an agreed rate? Was it just a verbal "I'll pop over some time when I have a free day and take a look at the kit" without any specifics being agreed upon, and you just happened to go there on the day in question without actually confirming the arrangements? Or was it somewhere in between?

 

If a definite booking for your services had been agreed, with that particular date in mind, and you then turned up and found that there was nothing to do because they'd already had the work done by someone else - well, that's not your fault, they should've known that you were coming, and they should still pay for your time regardless.

 

On the other hand, if the arrangements between the two parties were a bit vague and nothing had ever actually been definitively agreed upon, and you just took a chance and jumped in the car on a free day and went to visit, then I don't really think you have a leg to stand on.

[Light Console]

Thanks for the replies, Sorry I was a bit vague I realise now.

It wasn't a written contract, and it wasn't a spur of the moment thing either. With the benefit of hindsight party A wanted me to do the work and said yes come in. However party B had already had the work done without telling party A until I was there. B should have told A about the work having been done in any case, A could have rung B to ask if I was still required before I came in.

Also this was a per item rate, so not so easy to give a rate. I think petrol is fair. I could have been working for someone else, but had already said yes to the client in question.

[gareth]

If it were me, given that you say that you

could have been working for someone else, but had already said yes to the client in question

and therefore lost out on a day's work somewhere else as a direct result of the inability of your client to communicate to you that you weren't required, I'd be charging travel costs plus perhaps 50% of what the day's work would've earned me had it gone ahead. The bottom line is that you were booked for the job, you accepted, the client didn't phone you to cancel (despite the fact that they could and should have done), and you turned up as arranged having turned down another paying job for that day.

[paulears]

In these kind of jobs, where written contracts just won't happen, what I always do is send an email before the visit that asks a question that is quite unnecessary. This kind of thing. "Hi Dave, when I visit on the 14th, will Joe be in? I have a couple of questions I need to ask him". If the answer comes back "Hi Paul - no problem. He's rostered in on that day. See you soon" then if the job is a total, like the one we're talking about, the I invoice the full fee. If it has gone pear shaped, the reponse is "Sorry paul, can we cancel the visit - the XYZ is now ok - thanks and sorry for messing you about" Then, as long as this is a couple of weeks or so from the arranged date, I just cancel the entire thing. The idea works for me - you have some evidence that the job was arranged and everybody gets reminded, with the embarassment that these kind of mistakes cause.

[StevieR]

You also have to look at the future effects. If you invoice them for even some small travelling expense then will they look on that in a poor light and give future work to someone else?

 

Sometimes its best to write a few things off to experience! A happy customer is a repeat customer.

 

It may be worth dropping a quick email to your contact A asking them very politely if they could ensure that for future work, any cancellation should be made within X period of time to avoid cancellation fees - explaining the types of cost that are likely to be incurred. You never know, they might come back and offer to pay for you for your travel!

 

Steve

[Jivemaster]

The decision is yours! A "claim full day rate" attitude will probably alienate the people, but do you need them as clients if they are going to mess you around. A "let it go attitude" will get you treated like a doormat in the future. Something in between could be a better idea.

[Light Console]

Thanks again. As you say, do I really want them as customers - don't mind! It wasn't a large job, but they were pro-active in concerns about repairs. Route I am about to take is to invoice for the petrol and mention that I am not charging for my time. A Friend of mine suggested that a flat call out fee of £25 is what he charges as a minimum visit cost, which covers him if there are only 5 PAT tests in a pokey office. Any more than 17 tests and he only charges per test (so 17 tests would be included in the £25 but 18 would be £27).

[Rob_Beech]

Somewhere in the middle isn't it.

 

As you say, anything they are getting away with, or anything they are getting for free you need to make sure they know this. the same goes on any invoice, if there is anything you have provided for free, WRITE IT DOWN. They love to see £0.00 in the price column, even if there is 5 figures in the total (before the .).

Anything from tightening a bolt to replacing a fuse of connector.

 

If you are happy at what you are charging then thats fair enough, if you wouldn't have had any work for that day then that makes it a little easier to digest.

 

The problem lies when you do get offered other work and you have to turn it down as has been discussed, this is only made worse if the work you are offered covers 4 days.

 

 

Rob

[Light Console]

Thought I had better update this - a cheque has arrived in the last week, for the original invoice amount of work done in August, and as asked for, the mileage money for the wasted trip. All ended well, and a valuable lesson learnt by me for future use.

Many thanks for the help on this one.