FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
There are some jobs that have a set price in order to help my customers know exactly what they'll pay before they hire me (particularly assembly items and TV mounts). Other jobs need to be estimated, and that may require scheduling a visit to their home or business. Sometimes I can give a basic estimate over the phone once I've talked with the customer and obtained a certain amount of detail about their project. I also have customers that hire me to do odd jobs for them at my hourly rate. These customers are comfortable with the quality of my work, the pace at which I work, and the efficiency in which I use my time. Most of my fees are based on my hourly base rate of $50/hour. This rate is the rate of man hours spent on a job. That means that if I'm the only person working on a particular job, the man hours are figured at $50/hour. If there are two persons working, then the rate would be $100/hour. However, I only work alone or with my wife Stacey (who is an excellent skilled worker). When we work together, I estimate jobs based on a total of $75/hour for the two of us rather than 100. This amounts to a discount for my customers and gives them more work for less cost. Discounts are usually available for multiple assembly items, when all the items will be assembled on a single visit. It's always based on a case by case basis, so I discuss what discounts I can offer at the time of the visit, or over the phone when all the details are available. I can also offer this kind of discount for TV mounts. For example; If I'm installing 4 flat style TV mounts on one visit and they all would fall under a $75/mount fee, I would usually charge the base amount for the first one and then discount each one after that. (e.g. TV Mount#1-$75, TV Mount #2-$25, TV Mount #3-$25, TV Mount #4-$25 = $150 total).
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I understand the apprehension that comes with hiring someone you've never worked with before. There are so many horror stories out there about contractors or handymen that either took advantage of their customers or just did work that was below par. For that reason, I always want to make sure my new customer is comfortable with the proposed job and what it will cost. I am fully aware that I need to earn the respect and confidence of every new customer I meet, but am certain that once we've gotten to know each other and they've had a chance to see my work, they will be more and more comfortable hiring me again in the future. This is what I strive for with each new customer I receive.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Over the years I've gained a lot of knowledge though various kinds of experiences. I've worked as an auto mechanic in my early years, I started a handyman business in 1993, specialized in flooring for about 20 years, and worked on projects from large to small.