Why is my bill so high?

that's what it costs to "do it right the first time"

Sounds like the same conversation I had with someone last week. It was a fairly easy survey for property we had worked on before. The quote was $500 to $800. The bill was for $580. He thought it was too high, but he did pay.

People only hear ...

the low number in the estimate range. They conveniently forget the high end.

You never win working for friends or family. If you charge them, they feel hurt. If you work for free, they feel obligated.

Maybe start putting signature lines for both the husband AND the wife on your proposals/contracts?? Obviously hubby had not relayed your quote to SWMBO!

Where in the Adirondacks are you I lived near Beaver Lake as a kid on number 4 road. I have many found memories running around the woods all day .

Anyway I use contracts with everyone even friends or long time clients , that way they cannot come back and hit me with that they did not realize how much it was going to cost. Use a contract if you dont know how much use a not to exceed number.

I agree with what Ingram said. The client only hears the low end number.

That's why I do a fixed fee proposal, never an estimate or "bid."... half up front, half when I'm done unless it's a multi-month project.

Dtp

I'd have told him the bill is so high because he's married. If he was single it would have been half that amount.

What was the real question?

As a company owner you should have learned by now about business. To be in business you need to gain some people skills. I have gone back and revised my opening on this response several times to try to make it toned down so that you may learn from this experience. People on this board often talk about opportunities to educate the public on land surveying. I believe that this is your chance. I submit that you should do this for the following reasons:

1. This is your friend that hired you to do this land surveying work. You guys hunt together and are close. You do the manly things together and are all macho and testosterone energy and all that. Your friend found that he could not explain the survey to his wife as she asked him the questions that she had. Rather than look really bad to her it was easier to just say, “Call the surveyor!”. So she called you and maybe asked the wrong question to start understanding, but hey, she had to start somewhere. I think you owe it to your buddy to explain the survey to her because he can’t.
2. When someone calls to ask why it costs so much, why can’t we quit having the knee jerk reaction and get all huffy with them and just tell them that it costs so much because it was so much work and then offer to explain to them all the work that had to be done? My experience is that most of those people really want to know what we did on their survey. Tell them of the line you cut. Tell them of the research you did and then of how you had to bounce around to tie it all together and the analysis and math which required you to do more research. Tell them of the problems you ran into and the solutions you came up with to be sure their boundary was protected. Maybe you will have to do this in your office or in their home or maybe just walking the boundary.
3. Women always ask more questions than men. A businessman should know this and always be ready to answer them and be helpful so that the woman can have an understanding at her level (where ever that is). Many of us already know this and use it to our advantage in marketing. Did you know that even housewives can understand theory and analysis and decision making? Some of them are really good at it and will keep you on your toes!

I have to say that this half hour or this hour would be the best marketing time you could ever spend. Of course in this case, I would want to explain this to both the husband and wife so that maybe he could also understand the survey better too. Hey, it is your hunting buddy, do him a favor and explain the survey to his wife for goodness sakes.

People only hear ...

> the low number in the estimate range. They conveniently forget the high end.

DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING!!!

They ALWAYS only hear the LOW number!!

Carl

I'm in the Schroon Lake area. I also grew up here so being in the wood comes natural.

People only hear ...

> the low number in the estimate range. They conveniently forget the high end.

Conversely, I've never understood the rational behind an "hourly not to exceed" price.

If someone signs a contract and is willing to pay "hourly not to exceed $8,000", then they have determined that the service is worth $8,000 to them and you should have just charged them $8,000 in the first place.

This topic has come up before, and I recall what seems like some great responses. Several guys let the friend or church or whoever they are giving a discount to, that 'normally it would be a 10,000 to 15,000 job, but I will discount 20%. Work out the bill showing the total amount for the job, and subtract out the discount showing what they owe. It might not hurt to itemize the bill as well. She obviously thinks you showed up for a day or so, and tinkered around a little bit, and are charging around 10,000 for your bit of labor and measuring.

Hey, I'm all for tipping, or doing a friend a favor, or trading work. But you want everyone to know what they received from you. Why tip if its not acknowledged, or why not charge a full fee if they are going to say your too high anyway? This wife thinks you ripped them off, and you were cutting them a deal. It's not right.

One important reason to do all this is so that you don't want to perpetuate the thought of the general public that our work is worth a lot less than we know it is.

had an old timer in town who needed a sewer connection as-built plan
we had completed everyone surrounding his house
i told him the standard fee was $2,000 plus disbursements
but for him i could keep it under $500 plus disbursements
the invoice was $498 with disbursements

he replied, i though you said it would be under $500.

Hindsight's 20-20 of course, but next time tell him you can probably keep it below $1,000. He would then be tickeled pink if you came back with a bill of $498. Or even if you went over the $500 a few bucks.

I've wondered if it's worth it putting in your own time, and giving people discounts. Joining your professional society only to have idiots ask why you don't do enough for them.

Some people think it's worth more if you simply charge them more. And if they don't well...they are the ones who are going to complain no matter what you do.

$8,000 if you pay happily and on time. $12,000 if you make a stink and pay late.;-)

I always get that when I give estimates

" why does it cost so much "

I say compared to what?

People only hear ...

:good:

People only hear ...

Or perhaps quote 12,000, without a lower end. Then if it comes to 8,000.....shey should be happy.

It is definitely something with surveying that people don't see the end results as being the same as other services. Plumbing, electrical, lawncare, car repair, etc. have a few more visible aspects even though the majority of the bill might actually be the labor costs as it is in surveying.

On the other hand there are professions like attorneys, health care, and things like that which people are just willing to pay without questioning it.

Probably my biggest peeve is the landowner who is willing to spend $10K on an elaborate fence, but not willing to spend the money to have a surveyor show where to correctly place it. The surveyor is the villian while the fence builder is the hero even though the fence guy might be overcharging.