auto lockout charge

A van from a local auto lockout service caught my eye today. It's for A. Auto Lock-Out Service, and in large red numbers is said that they had a $25 (twenty five) fee.

Just thought I'd mention it in light of the recent discussion about how $35 is too low!

Reply to
Henry E Schaffer
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pop a lock charges 25 in the town of 200,000 as do most of the shops but one.. everyone but the pop a lock goes to 35 after hours... TOTALLY dependent on what the market will bear.

--Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

Abolutely.

But if the market won't bear a fee that pays you an acceptable hourly wage, it's a good time to consider letting someone else take that part of the business (maybe refer or subcontract to someone you trust), unless you think you're getting sufficient marketing benefits out of it to make it a worthwhile loss leader.

There's no dishonor in specializing in stuff that pays the bills. <grin/>

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (yclept Keshlam

today. It's for

said that they had

discussion about how

of the

after

pop-a-lock used to be that way here too but now of days they are in the mid 30's during the day and go up at night. (must have not worked out for them)

Reply to
"Key

lockout for less than

at that price in this area, you wouldn't roll at all..

Reply to
"Key

we got. 16? (havent checked the phone book lately) shops in an area of a quarter million people... some do ABSOLUTELY NO car work at all...and a couple ONLY do car unlocks, and cannot make keys.. 2 do bank stuff ONLY, from building the building to the alarm systems, the vaults and locks... ONLY for banks we got ONE SHOP-you want your car unlocked- its $75 DAY TIME... cause HE DONT WANT TO BE BOTHERED

if you came here and charged $95 for an unlock, even if it was a mile away, you would starve... reason being is our 'wage level'

I would assume, that by that price, the average pay of the people in your location is on the order of say (a PURE GUESS now on my part) 600-1,000 a week the pay here is good IF the person brings home 300 a week we got TONS of $8 an hour jobs... a few at $10... and not many higher. average shop rate here for a shop is in the $45 an hour range. and for most, the call can be made and completed in 20 minutes or less, especially in the big city.

wish it was higher, but, its not going to happen... plus the Walmarts taking over, and paying minimum wages for part time workers... thats hurting the economy, but the people haven't caught on yet.

--Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

SNIP...for obvious reasons

Who?... sets the price for lockouts...

Why do you accept the local average? Are you not better than that? I'm of the opinion you have a service to perform and you should be compensated for your efforts! A locksmith is someone who is called upon when a skill is needed that the average man can't commit! Back when I was a welder, I was paid for what I could do. Why is it so different now? I was not the "Happy Motorist" that locked themselves out of they're car.. I am the one that will rescued them from their stupiditiy. Is that not worth more than $30.00? I'm open for your comments.........

Reply to
Mark

the customers... they say, thanks, cant afford that...

--Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

Here I tell them 45.00 to 60.00 in the daytime and 80.00 or sometimes more at nite. They bite about half the time. Other shops charge about 35.00 or so. They'll also take 2 hours or more to get there.

Reply to
Glen Cooper

Yo Keyman....

My daytime rate is: $50 trip, Min 1/2 Hr labor ($25.00) & tax

Evening till 10 PM is $100.00 & tax

After 10PM I either don't answer the phone, or quote a rate that makes'em gasp. We don't advertise 24 Hr service, so if they've gone through the book from AAAA Locksmiths to Newns and Son, let'em pay the freight.

Believe it or not, here in Philly, these are the usual rates.

Newnsie

Reply to
UPUHRS5437
<snip>

Here in northern Indiana-35.00 for in-town during business hours(4:00pm-11:30pm) Off hours-50.00 Out-of-town ranges from 45.00-85.00. But of course, Subject to Change

Ralph

Reply to
Ralph Greenwood

That's fine. Can *YOU* afford to meet what they can afford?

If not, refer them elsewhere. You really can't lose money on every sale and make it up on volume.

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (yclept Keshlam

Hey Ralph, where in Northern Indiana are ya? Fort Wayne here.

Steve

hours(4:00pm-11:30pm)

Reply to
Steve

nope... no one will... at least not around here... seems to be a pretty well set price... and if you cant afford it- you stay locked out.

right... thats why i also quit the 24 hour service... too many HOW MUCH, at 2AM, and 'never mind' so, now I get to sleep. as do most... its a funny, its getting almost IMPOSSIBLE to get a locksmith on weekends. at least in the 25 mile radius I am in...

--Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

If people would rather wait until Monday rather than pay a reasonable off-hours surcharge, that's their choice.

Possible exceptions: life-and-health emergencies and favors for friends or special customers, in which care you're getting payment in brownie points and/or ego-boo and/or maintaining a long-term business relationship which will pay off later.

(I decided a long time ago that friends are allowed to call me at any hour of the day or night. But I don't promise to be coherent in less than half an hour or functional in less than an hour and a half. If it's important enough to them that they're willing to risk waiting that long, I'll listen.)

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (yclept Keshlam

they wont pay the regular charge..

life/health lockouts are done by fire dept... regular customers, they do know how to get ahold of me...as do the friends...

right- I REALLY dont do early AM... midnight is fine, but 5AM is another story... --Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

they just tell me they will call back and they never do.

Reply to
"Key

I'm here in Logansport, Steve. Later, Ralph.

Reply to
Ralph Greenwood

Hell, I can get a window replaced for not much more.

Reply to
kd5nrh

Broken window....$95.00 your price, not around here. Start at $125.00.

Day off from work ?????

Happened in rain? Seats ruined by water.

Glass on seats & in door?????

Parts left out of door????

Cost effective? I doubt it.

Newnsie

Reply to
UPUHRS5437

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