Talked to a plumber named Dave about his invoice system

He said he started adding a simple line item for 'site coordination' at $75 flat on every job over two hours. Said it cut down on the 'just one more thing' calls from clients by about half because they see the cost of his time upfront. Has anyone else tried something like that for managing client expectations?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_drew1mo ago

Honestly, that's a smart move. I'm curious if Dave ever gets pushback on that line item from new clients who don't know his work yet. Like, do they see it and ask him to take it off the quote?

the_jenny1mo ago

I saw an interview with a contractor who does the same thing and he said new clients challenge it maybe 1 out of 10 times. The secret is he always offers a discount somewhere else on the quote if they push back, so they feel like they won something. It's kind of like when you buy a car and they add a "processing fee" but then knock off $500 from the price to make you feel good. People just want to feel like they got a deal, even if the total ends up being the same. Dave probably banks on that psychology, knowing most folks won't even notice the line item until they've already agreed to the work. It's shady if you ask me, but it definitely works for him.

jaken231mo ago

Yeah, that's a classic move. You see it everywhere now, like a "convenience fee" just to pay your own bills online. People hate it, but they keep adding it because it works.