Am I being overcharged?

[David Wright]

This is not sign related but it bothers me because of how I handle customers in my business.

My furnace quits lighting all the time and will only do so intermittently so I call a company that I have done work for over 15 years. Guy comes out says it could be a flame sensor and would like to try cleaning contacts to save me money because the only other problem would be a valve part which costs around $300.
It lights the first time and we do a shutdown and restart and it does light again. He charges me $90 and leaves. Couple of hours later doesn't work again.

I call them next day and they have him call me and we agree part has to go in. He says $288 so I say go ahead.
Puts it in, works fine and then he charges me for part plus $75 for labor of install. I ask why not apply charge from yesterday since that wasn't the problem and he tells me to take it up with the office. I do, and she is kind of short with me and asks, didn't it work when he left yesterday? He was trying to save you money (well he didn't did he?). Sure for an hour, so not really working. Come on, give me a break.

When something like this occurs at an auto repair my mechanic doesn't bean me each attempt. Anyways, am I off base here and if not is it really worth it for bad relations with a rare customer?

 

[Circleville Signs]

It appears that their business model is simple - If they are on site, you get charged labor. Period.

It's up to you whether you choose to continue doing business with them. Of course, the easiest way to handle it is the next time they need something from you, or even just a quote, send them an invoice for the time spent putting the quote together.

 

[CS-SignSupply-TT]

Did you pay him the $90? If YES, then $288 + $75 - $90 = $273

 

[strypguy]

Same thing happened to my shop furnace. It was the heat exchanger(old Furnace) so the whole furnace had to be replaced. Yes, I got charged for the earlier repairs that did not fix the problem. Common practice and sometimes it's trial and error on their part I guess Lol.

John

 

[Gino]

I understand your position cause I've been there. However, if someone asked you to fix a sign and you replaced the lamps and they worked for a few hours and then went dim or out.... who is gonna pay for those new bad bulbs and your time going up on the sign and doing the work ??

Now you have to go back out and replace the ballast, Are you gonna do that for free, since your first idea didn't work ??

Now, here's the rest of the story..... how many times have you paid for something, when a minor repair for a fraction of the cost would've sufficed ?? I have many times. Most recently had a power problem with my truck, shop wanted $685. to fix it and re-set my computer. I asked one of my part-timers what he thought. We did about 5 minutes on the internet and he was convinced he could fix it. The truck is now perfect and the whole thing cost me $12 in parts and $15 in time, but I gave him a fifty.

Whether you're in the automotive business, sign industry or the heating & cooling trade.... many people today are being taught to be glorified parts people and just sell high end parts and replace the whole frickin' caboodle, instead of just fixing the problem.

I think in your case, he honestly tried to help you out, failed and the company just wants to be paid for materials and time. Kinda an open & shut case.

 

[skyhigh]

And what if he put in the part first, then next month the contacts got dirty enough to not work?

It was work that should have been done anyways (when servicing a furnace). IMO
Sounds like he attempted to save you a buck......Pay it!

 

[BobM]

Swallow hard, pay the bill, enjoy the heat. Gently, get even with them on their next 2 or 3 sign jobs.

 

[Marlene]

it was two different services and two trips to site so why would one trip with the service be taken off the second trip and service? unless it was stated that the $90 would be taken off the cost to replace a part if it didn't work, I wouldn't expect it to be. no, I don't think they ripped you off. you could try calling the office to see if they would take off the cost as you never know

 

[SignManiac]

Time is money.

 

[kstompaint]

I'd say they were being reasonable. There were two possible problems and he tried the less expensive alternative first. This time that just didn't work out. The same thing recently happened to me on a computer repair. It sucks, especially because it was an unexpected expense, but it's a reasonable charge. You should pay it and remember, you're probably going to continue to get work from them and they will appreciate that you called them, which will remind them to call you for their next sign.

 

[ThinkRight]

Just my opinion.
Most of the people here have it right.
Service calls are charged for each trip.
(that truck you are lettering/wrapping and repair and maint ,insurance....)
The tech tried a fix and you observed it working with him and all seemed well.
(if it is working while watching it what else can be done ?)
The tech sounds competent enough,and sometimes intermittent problems can only be fixed by waiting to catch it or spend thousands changing parts till problem goes away.
The same as printer problems, is it the user?is it the printer?is it the computer ?\
Some things just have no easy fix.
Call the company back and maybe get a discount on the second trip charge.
/ disclaimer
/ this is what I do for my day job.

 

[John L]

If they were to do the $90 repair and it didnt work the first day, your next item would have been the $288 repair added on that same day.

I'd bet the automotive shop does the exact same thing, it's just that the customer is of course allowed over the shoulder of the HVAC service guy and not typically allowed to directly watch the auto mechanic. But I'd wager it all makes it to the bill in some manner.

Sucks, true but you gotta pay for it.

 

[Graphics2u]

When something like this occurs at an auto repair my mechanic doesn't bean me each attempt. Anyways, am I off base here and if not is it really worth it for bad relations with a rare customer?

First off, I want to know who you go to when your car needs fixed? Because any Auto mechanic I've ever known charges for just looking at a car, then if the diagnosis was wrong, it's "well sorry it must be something else, that'll be $200, thank you"

Secondly The guy tried to save you money, how can you fault him for that? Be glad he didn't ding you for the $288+$75 and then find out you could have gotten by just cleaning the contacts for $90. It could have just as easily went that way. Then people would criticize them for trying to sell expensive parts before trying the simpler solutions.

 

[signage]

This is almost the same thing as the guy asking about small jobs and having to drive 1/2 hour. Most of these in-house service companies charge a fee for the guy to just come out and look at it, evan if he doesn't fix it you pay for him to come with his tools and expertise. Like Gino said when you repair an electrical sign that was not lite and you replace the bulbs and it is lit you get paid and leave. Now the next day or week the ballast goes bad, are you going to charge them to go and replace it or are you going to eat that labor (time). Get real and think as though it was you and your business. I think they treated you fair.

 

[Graphics2u]

It appears that their business model is simple - If they are on site, you get charged labor. Period.

It's up to you whether you choose to continue doing business with them. Of course, the easiest way to handle it is the next time they need something from you, or even just a quote, send them an invoice for the time spent putting the quote together.

Putting together a quote is a little different than actually perform a service for someone.

 

[Colin]

Time is money.

Have you not seen my signature?



:Big Laugh

 

[Techman]

I like that bizz model. We all should assimilate this for our own.
Charge for every thing

 

[earplug]

Guy comes out says it could be a flame sensor and would like to try cleaning contacts to save me money because the only other problem would be a valve part which costs around $300.

This is a BIG red flag to me. First a flame sensor is a $10-20 part. "Cleaning" them can give you just the reaction you got. Works a couple of times then quits again. Sounds like you might have been had!

Jack

 

[FireSprint.com]

I think in your case, he honestly tried to help you out, failed and the company just wants to be paid for materials and time. Kinda an open & shut case.

+1

 

[CentralSigns]

I put new bulbs into a lit sign. Then I charge $80 for the hours work. Overnight a power surge happens or maybe it doesn't and the ballasts now need replaced the lights don't look good. The lights worked when I left, I was trying to save you money by changing the bulbs. I charge $300 to return to change the ballasts, oh well make it $288 as a special deal, since I was here yesterday. That is what it sounds like to me