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| Melba's
Flat Rate Pricing |
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| When you need a
plumber, an electrician or a service technician,
do you get an uneasy feeling because of the uncertainty
that stems from knowing that you must pay for the
repairs on a "time and materials" basis
that leaves you feeling out of control? If you call
3 different companies and get 3 different rates,
does that help? Here's how you can eliminate the
guessing game and avoid so called "sticker
shock" when the repairs |
are
completed.
Having spent most of my working life
at Climatemakers, in various roles
including Service Manager,
I've known for a long time that customers
do not always pay the same price for
similar services. The abilities of
technicians
vary. Some work faster than others;
sometimes a part is not on the service
truck, sometimes weather or traffic
interferes but until recently, time
and materials was the only way we had
to price service. |
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Several nationally
recognized firms, specializing
in collecting
and processing data and working with
professional HVAC organizations, have analyzed
tens
of thousands of service transactions to determine
the proper time required to complete hundreds of
specific tasks. Based on a fully trained, qualified
service technician equipped with the proper tools,
they have established standards for the industry.
Combining these statistics with our own computer
records, we can now offer you this fairer, up front
method of pricing for your service repairs.
While the automotive service industry has had flat
rate pricing in effect for many years, we are pleased
to be one of the first HVAC firms in our area to
offer you this fairer and improved method of pricing.
One that enables you to be in control every step
of the way, and to avoid any unpleasant surprises
at the end. Here's how it works:
When you place a call with us for service, we will
quote you for the want of a better word, a diagnostic
charge. Some firms call it a "show up"
charge or a "trip charge". What this does
is to get our service technician to your house and
to diagnose the problem ( Our diagnostic charge
does not change, some companies raise their charge
based on supply and demand ). After examining the
problem, he will then quote you a specific price
(flat rate) for each repair required before he starts
any work. Up front! See how many of our competitors
will do that! At this point you are still in complete
control as you may either just pay the diagnostic
charge or authorize the repairs.
If you elect to have the repair made, this flat
rate price includes everything (parts and labor)
to make the specific repair. This includes parts
acquisition time. If, for example, a part is required
that is not on the truck or has to be ordered the
price does not change. If one service technician
works faster or slower than another, the price does
not change. If traffic or weather interfere, you
need not worry about the "meter running",
the price does not change. You pay by the job, not
by the hour.
Sometimes of course, one repair must be made in
order to discover the problem. A good example would
be a failed part that shut the unit down. Obviously,
the unit must first be running in order to find
the problem. In this instance, you would be given
a flat rate charge to get the unit running and discover
the problem and a second flat rate charge to repair
the defective part.
If you're like most people (1) concerned about quality
and (2) like guaranteed prices. If you're tired
of "the pig in a poke" method of paying
for service and not knowing how much the job will
cost until it's completed, then you will welcome
this fairer, up front way of pricing (flat rate).
It is the kind of satisfying, peace of mind experience
that keeps you in control and that you've come to
expect from the folks at Climatemakers. |
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