Charge per service call

Dale

Just read a thoughtful article by the PSA or "professional service association" in "Appliance service news" Dec. 2003 page 24 a mag for appliance servicers, people who fix washers and refrigerators ect. Sure it not the furnace or boiler but the skills and costs are similiar. The true cost of a one hour service call with out profit was $108.87 with a 20% profit and ROI the amount charged per hour call to cover costs and make a profit was $143.71 and this does not include parts. This assumes the the technician is paid $20.00 per hour. The figures were calculated based on average national annual costs broked down into 52 weeks and divided by a 40 hour week without overtime. The assumption was the business made money only by fixing not selling appliances. They assumed a trained tech could do 8, 45 minute calls in a 8 hour day IF within a 15 minute travel time and a 20 mile radius. They felt costs climb alot if the 20 mile radius is exceeded. It was interesting to see all the office business expenses divided up into each hour of each call. Even the techs 2 week paid vacation was listed as $1.83 per hour. Worth reading if a person is thinking about striking out on one's own or to explain total charges to a tech. I think a copy of the mag can be had from the website at http://asnews.com AND if you think fixing boiler electrical problems is difficult the new 3phase refrigerator compressor is featured, 120 volts in electronically converted to variable frequency 3 phase for the 3 phase compressor.

terry_5

service /diagnostic charge

i feel your info is right on the mark thanks

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Unknown

Hey Dale

I used to get a paper with that name when I was with the utility. Could you give me the information so I could subscribe and get it again. Thanks.

Jack, CVMS

Charges

That figure sounds right on. For example, when I first got out of the Army in 1963 I went to work for Sears as an appliance repairman. We charged $9/hour for service calls. It is generally accepted that, due to inflation and other factors, prices double every ten years. That would mean that prices should be 16 times as high now as in 1963. 16 x $9 = $144.
Living in a small, very rural, community, I still am called upon to repair household appliances, and do commercial refrigeration, mobile refrigeration, and on occasion automotive and RV air conditioning, in addition to heating and plumbing. Of all the various repair disciplines, I would rate commercial refrigeration, mobile refrigeration, and heating, as the most technically challenging. You guys deserve every buck you get.

Dale

Appliance Service News

Hello Timmie, just had a little class on the new FVIR standing pilot water heaters, for the street mechanics who relight after a main damage, sadly the message now is if the sealing parts are missing don't light it, alot of landlords in my town who won't understand the importance of the system, and as Dan often says " If the person can't understand how a part works it must not be needed". Anyway, the ASN phone number is 630-845-9481 and the circulation email if you need it is maggie@asnews,com
I like Jim Johnsons training column and the comments or Capt. Toolhead Mike Staats