Ethical pricing for multiple services at one service call??

[bynyxtcy]

Hi,
It felt like highway robbberry!!!!!
There's a large radical art event held labor day weekend in the desert of nevada called 'burning man' with ~30,000 participants. Lasts a week. I was one of about 20 people who ended up locked out of their vehicle; about half with no keys, also. All the names were listed and a locksmith w/mobile van called to come and service those on the list. ----- This is on a Sunday------- It's a five hour round trip drive from the locksmiths home base, including some time in dusty desert 'playa' conditions.
I managed to jimmy open the rear passenger door of my vehicle. So I only needed a key made (88 subaru wagon). I along with many others was charged $350 (each!!) for the locksmith to pull the tumbler to get the key cut code, make a key, put it back together-- less than 1/2 hour work. Opening vehicles was $150. I was told normal price would have been $650 for making a key for my vehicle if the locksmith didn't have the other vehicles to work on.
A long day for the locksmith ~13 hours (5 hours driving, ~8 hours actual work), and amazingly profitable.

[Shrub]

Well firstly can i say welcome to the forum,

I have to say i am sorry about your recent experiance with a locksmith i assure you we are not all like that and yes it does sound like he was too expensive,

Dont be disheartend, why dont you stay now your here and take up this wonderful hobby/sport of ours and you never know you may go away with a bit of knowledge to arm yourself with next time you have to call a lockie out,

[Raccoon]

Ah, Burning Man. I should have gone there, I had no idea there was such a demand for locksmiths!

To be frank, I am sure you were charged fairly. You have to remember that Burning Man is an event held in the middle of nowhere (PEOPLE DIE!) and it is essentially survival of the fittest. I'm afraid people who lose their keys are among those who aren't the fittest in such an environment. You're really lucky there was a locksmith at all, and your vehicle didn't have to be towed 500 miles.

That said, I'm sure you will be well prepared for other such expeditions into the wild badlands, in the future.

[bynyxtcy]

Shrub--thanks for the welcome. And, yes, I'm considering learning more about this craft, through this forum . Raccoon--CHARGED FAIRLY??? Though I agree partially with your survival of the fittest 'theory'

[Krypos]

well, as shrub said, since you're here, why not stay, and then next burning man, YOU can charge $50 less than the locksmith and make a killing and still enjoy burning man.

cuz by then, you could learn enough (maybe) to do vehicle rekeying. etc.

actually.....maybe ill do the same thing, maybe we can tagteam next time.

[keysman]

I think you got a reasonable deal... in town it would have cost you at least $100 to have a key made on a Sunday afternoon/ evening.. Am I to understand this was on LABOR DAY? That is a holiday.. Those of us who have to work on holidays normally ( many states it is the law) get time + 1/2.


>>for the locksmith to pull the tumbler to get the key cut code, make a key, put it back together-- less than 1/2 hour work.


I am not sure I understand , The locksmith made a key for your car in 1/2 an hour ..... no muss, no fuss the key works probably better than the one you lost.

Would you feel better about it if he took longer?

The person who came out was prepared to do the job correctly and professionally .. he had the right tools ,equipment and knowlege.
That is what you paid for .. that is what he delivered.


I think you should be reminded that for less than $5.00 you could have had a duplicate key made ( for that car) before you lost the only key you had.. it is not the locksmiths fault that you were careless.. why should he not be well rewarded for assisting you , On a holiday weekend 2 1/2 hours from anywhere ?





5 hrs round trip @ $50 @ hr =$250 0r $375 Holiday rate
Make a key for the car $100

[keysman]

I forgot to say .. Welcome to the forum...

[bynyxtcy]

Hmmmm........ Why do I see it differently?? There were at least 20 people serviced at this remote location. Double time pay would be fair. But ,how about dividing the driving time between 20 customers?? That would be 1/20 of, I'll say, $1200 !!! (very generous) travel time. =$60 per customer plus $100 for my key gives me a bill of ~ $160.....I'll add $40 just for grins. = $200..... possibly a humanely decent price.

[toomush2drink]

I personally think its irrelevant he charged each person driving time, unless you all paid at the same time and got one bill between you why should he divide it ?Each individual is a seperate transaction, you each paid for his skill, how long he takes is irrelevent too. As a lockie i have to say it winds me up when customers say "it only took ....". I could pad the time out on most jobs if i wanted, is that what you would have preferred ?
You have to understand that this guy did everything asked of him because he has paid out a lot of money on equipment and training.It may seem expensive but he provided a service which he carried out, would you ask for a discount in a burger bar because a load of you were hungry ?
Get another key cut and keep it safe, auto keys are generally expensive to replace compared with household keys.

[kodierer]

While I'm not a locksmith as my skills grow, and I find myself at the rescue of more and more people I'm seriously considering taking it up.
I worked this last year in the oilfield as an assistant radiographer, and I learned a lot about making money. Our company charged an 8 hour minimum. So at times we were able to go out and do a job for say shell gas company, and another one for bp in the same day. If we had 6 hours of travel, and it took us 4 hours to do the job for shell, then we charged them 10 hours. No need for them to know that we are also doing a job for BP. Then we drove for 10 minutes through the field, and did a 1 hour job for BP, and took our 8 hour minimum. Thats an 18 hour day for 11 hours, and why not thats the capitalistic way of the world. Everyone wants money. I probably spent a lot of that money buying gas either natural, or gasoline anyways. Not to mention all the plastic products I use. The gas company makes their money back anyways.
The lockie charged you fairly enough. Considering you paid the bill. If you didn't think he was charging you fairly, then you would have told him no deal, and called someone else.

[Raccoon]

I look at it this way. Locksmiths are an EMERGENCY SERVICE provider. Just because we're not state or federally funded, doesn't make our service any less significant than those of fire fighters or ambulance crews. Try and get an ambulance to come out for less than $500 and you'll understand what I mean.

For the most part, Locksmiths will charge you for their time, skill AND instant availability. Work is often sporadic, and while "$50 for 10 minutes of work equates to $300 an hour", we're not THAT lucky. We usually quote you a price over the phone, and you can always refuse service and shop around. While hospitals will nail you $12 for a freaking aspirin, try getting them to quote you that over the phone so you can make a pit stop to the drug store.

You could have always rejected this Locksmith's services, but you didn't. Supply and demand is what makes the world go round.

[CaptB]

Bringing up the emergency services.. A very large uk store was flooded last year in Oxford. 2 fire teams attended (yes flood not fire). And pumped the
majority of the water out. Cost = £75.00 per fireman per hour I dont know how many are in a crew but 2 crews for 6hrs. Paid out of the companies insurance.

I had the misfortune of dealing with the same store this year and spent 16hrs with 3 of us doing the same job. A lot cheaper.

Point being you get charged for mistakes and misfortune. I have had a few cars this year from people being pulled over on the motorway by the police having the vehicle towed (at a cost of £198) to take it off the motorway for having no insurance etc. Then empounded at a daily rate. After a while when the vehicle is not claimed due to the costs I buy it from the hauler at £100 a vehicle. I Mot + transfer the log book and sell it on.
Does this make me a bad guy? If they are not bought they are crushed.

[Raccoon]

Our firefighters do the same here, and we have had a LOT of flooding this year. We received somewhere between 3 to 5 times the annual rainfall in a period of 2 months. They have a pump truck in their arsenal and had been working overtime for weeks. I can't say what they were paid for this; whether the insurance companies covered it, or if our governor officially declared us a disaster area to receive federal funding.

I'd like to know how you go about getting these vehicles for $100. I'm in desperate need of a car right now, and would love that sort of connection.

[CaptB]

I dont know if its the same in the states. Have you tried repossession auctions??

There is a BMW that has been empounded at the moment which was found £50,000 worth of drugs in the boot. This will be coming up for sale in the next few months. Downside is the chance of mistaking identity. That car I wouldn`t sell on if i did buy it.

[Magic]

..... was found £50,000 worth of drugs in the boot. This will be coming up for sale in the next few months.....

Have they put a reserve price on the drugs ?