Customer Complained We Charged Too Much...

Most customers don't have a clue on the cost to run a business. Their $25 for five minutes is $300 per hour...over $600,000 per year and that's all they see. Rent, heat, tool costs, un-billed time and so on are items they have no clue on.

It sounds like they had a little attitude about the whole thing when they clearly received great value for their dollar. Too bad for them, it sounds like they lost a source for help.

Next time make them leave for it 4 months charge them $200 and it will be more of a true "gunsmith" experience :)

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Originally Posted by bczandm

Most customers don't have a clue on the cost to run a business. Their $25 for five minutes is $300 per hour...over $600,000 per year and that's all they see. Rent, heat, tool costs, un-billed time and so on are items they have no clue on.

It sounds like they had a little attitude about the whole thing when they clearly received great value for their dollar. Too bad for them, it sounds like they lost a source for help.

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Don't forget the value & background costs associated with a skilled (let alone a Master) craftsman, which is a completely seperate consideration than business overhead.

Historically, I've rarely needed to visit a Gunsmith, but on the occasions where I have - e.g. for stuff beyond my ability/skill to diagnose and/or repair/modify myself; the thought of haggling has never even crossed my mind for a second, and can remember at least a few times where I offered more than was asked, simply out of gratitude for the work (of a Master Smith) and convenience...

Sounds like he got off cheap.

They came up with $300/hr for the task? Tell them it was $5 to turn the wrench and $290 to know how to turn the wrench.

Quality work costs money. Shoddy work is cheap.

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Originally Posted by 20X11

Crap...I don't care what Rob charges...it's worth it. Usually I think Rob doesn't charge enough. But, I have found if I buy the parts from Bowers to begin with, I don't get charged at all !?!? Beat that freakin deal.

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This has been my experience.^^^

Most disappointing is complaining after the purchase remotely. Makes em scumbags.

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Originally Posted by fj605

They came up with $300/hr for the task? Tell them it was $5 to turn the wrench and $290 to know how to turn the wrench.

Quality work costs money. Shoddy work is cheap.

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^this is a much cleaner expression of my earlier point

Had this happen all the time in the automotive world.

Yeah, if you can best flat rate that doesn't mean you charge less....it means the customer got the service done faster than most other places would have completed it, but it's still worth "X". The equal and opposite side of that is when you get your ass kicked in diagnosing some weird damn problem, but only charge them something fair at your loss,....and they still bitch.

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Originally Posted by SouthPaw

... We even got to the point where we would ?sit? on the car ...

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Had a shop supervisor that called this the "sunshine treatment"

Go park that out in the sunshine and see if it heals itself!

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Originally Posted by Eric P

Should have said the rifle back, we will untorque the barrel, refund the $25 and sell you the $25 wrench and $50 vise block to do it yourself.

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Or, "I'm charging you $25 to save you $75".