"Mouse" wrote...
> Ok that 55 Harley I just posted, what would you guys charge to paint it?
> The guys giving me a rash of **** about the price. Ok maybe I'm a little
> high but I got allot of work in it. He's arguing that he didn't tell me
to
> split the rear fender to redo it, so he shouldn't pay for that. I told
him
> the body work had to be redone anyway and I wasn't going to do it half
> assed! I also painted that guitar that I posted awhile back for this
guy,
> plus I got almost $400 in parts and paint in the bike, not counting the
> wife making how many trips here and there. I stripped all parts of old
> bondo, sandblasted and redid all body work on tanks and rear fender.
Guess
> I should have kept track of my time and some sort of agreement wrote
up!!!
> Learned my lesson I guess. All together I asked for $2500.00. A bit much
> or what? Oh and also he doesn't have the money yet and wants me to hold
> the bike for 30 days. This was the 3rd time I painted this bike. First
> time was $500 about 10 years ago, 2nd was $1300 5 years ago and this
time
> it came with the guitar! Maybe tell him $2000 come get the damn thing
now
> and don't ever come back!!!! Please help! What do you guys think?
I must have missed your first post so I cant really say what I would
charge.
Although, most customers usually ask up front, what it will cost and how
long it will take.
Nonetheless, very few customers have a clue as to what goes into a paint
job. That's why it's imperative to let them know up front what it will
cost
them. People don't like surprises when the bill comes.
In most cases of re-paints, there's the chance that you will run into an
unknown, like previous bodywork, but since you were probably the last to
paint it, you should have known what was going to be needed.
As soon as money starts changing hands it becomes a business and needs to
be
treated as such.
Before you even touch the job, you need to sit down and figure out what
needs to be done and what it will cost you. I keep a log of every job I
do.
It includes what materials I used and the labor. This may sound anal, but
these logs help out when estimating a new job. I've found it a lot easier
on me and the customer to give them a price and time and give them a
chance
to walk away than to be stuck with a paint job.
Get a deposit and give them a written estimate. Make sure that the
estimate
notes that any unknowns and/or additional work will cost 'em.
As for the job at hand, I suggest you tally up your receipts, add in some
labor, and take a loss if you have to.
Consider it a learning experience. Who knows, you might be able to make
your money back in 5 years on the next time he wants it painted.
--
hawgeye ©
www.hawgeye.com
www.stealer-dealer.com
|
