It really depends on your customer base.
For strict residential service work often we find flat rate to be best, as it makes it easier for our office and techs in the field to quote work on the spot themselves and makes invoicing much easier.
For our contract work with larger customers it is usually T&M. They know our hourly rate and understand that jobs in larger buildings require more than a simple quick fix.
How do you deal with variables while still keeping things simple for both plumbers and customers?
For example, a kitchen sink leak could be the ABS drain, the strainers, the water lines, or a mix of all three. Do you usually build a few standard options for each fixture or situation?
I get stuck when people want a ballpark price over the phone before we even look at it. Then once we arrive, I want the plumber to feel confident diagnosing it and selecting the right price in Jobber.
Do we do free estimates in town, and or service call to diagnose and we delete the diagnosed if scheduled approach.
I keep going back and forth between flat rate and hourly pricing, and it is honestly driving me a bit crazy trying to figure out the best system.
