What a wonderful thread. No particular answer but lots of different questions, opinions and approaches.
For what it's worth, for me, a call to rescue a disaster, if new and fresh, is always treated as urgent , even if it means an early evening call out. But payment? Sometimes it's a £40 min. charge. Sometimes it's for a bottle with something red inside and sometimes its a freebie, occasionally even for someone I've never met before. There's no rhyme or reason to my approach, I think it must depend on my hormones on the day
On the surface, all of this may seem unprofessional, but look a little deeper. Similar to John, my advertising budget is almost nil (£125 for NCCA Y/P listing, Parish mag and school fete is the total). So by seen to not take advantage of peoples misfortune, I find is an excellent marketing tool. For example, if I do a freebie, when madam is gobsmacked at the "bill" I make a point of exlaining that I was in the area, my out of pocket costs are virtually nil, and that my marketing exercise will hopefully bear fruits in the future. I invariably obtain work from this approach. Obviously if I'd travelled out of my way, then a charge would be made.
Safe and happy cleaning:)
Ken
PS Thinking about it, there is logic behnd my charging strategy, each case is taken on it's own merits, especially if madam answers the door wearing nothing but a smile with a promise of egg, bacon, sausage and beans
