On 12/13/2013 02:16 PM, philo wrote:
On 12/13/2013 12:47 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:

I've found that many people who complain about what I charge based on
what they think an item costs at a wholesale house, are often the same
people who pay a lawyer $150.00 for a few sheets of paper with some
writing on it. They can't seem to understand that I'm selling the same
thing as their lawyer, "My time" and I find it very insulting when
someone thinks my time isn't worth anything and they can just take it
up without paying for my product which is my time. When someone takes up
my time then complains about the bill, I ask them if they would like to
pay my cost? If they say yes, I hand them a bill for $400,000.00 which
freaks them out. I explain that's what my cost over 40 years is to reach
this point. ^_^

TDD



Here is where my perceptions changed:


I called a plumber to replace the inlet valve to my house.


Of course he had all the necessary tools and parts with him
and I watched him cut and thread a custom length pipe. He did the whole
thing in 90 minutes and charged me about $450.

Wow, I said, that's a lot of money.


He told me he was charging me "by the book" and that particular job was
a $450 job. I was paying for his expertise not his time.


When I realized I would have taken all day and countless trips to
hardware store...and it would have leaked all over hell when ...I
realized the $450 was actually pretty reasonable.



Your plumber is no doubt successful - in part because he does know what
he's doing, and in part because he was able to make you understand
exactly why you were paying a high price for his services and not feel
ripped off or offended. The latter is a skill that is no less important
than the technical skill.

nate

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