A question that is often asked within the plumbing industry and other trades is why do we charge more for the first hour or why do you have a minimum charge? This charge can also be known as a service call. Many people out there think that this just a way for tradies to make and extra buck but let me break this down for you, and explain why we charge this so I can clarify that most of us are not out to rip you off.
Say we work and 8-hour day, we have a job at Currumbin, one at Nerang, another at South Port and finish the day at Mudgeeraba. Between each of these jobs is travel time, fuel cost, and time allowance to get parts if needed just to mention a few “unseen costs”. So, it would be like us saying to a day-care teacher (an underpaid profession if you ask me). Sorry we not going to pay you at rest time because you’re only doing paperwork and just scanning the room to ensure our child is having a rest, you’re not really “on the job”.
We tradies, like day-care teachers, often work in extreme conditions. Tradies battling heat, rain and cold whether (have you worked with frosty tools before? Not a lot of fun), we work in tight and confined spaces and we as plumbers deal with some pretty disgusting and times high risk jobs, while yes it may be our choice to work in these roles, we also deserve to be paid accordingly.
So the next time you question a tradie on the cost of a job (which I still do recommend you do as there are cowboys out there), ask yourself how much would you like to be paid to do what we do? We often are not “just Tradies” that provide a service and can be fixed up with a slap on the back and a carton of beer, those things don’t pay our bills or provide for our families. While we are taking time to fix your toilets, we are taking time away from our families, which if you ask me is worth a lot more than a carton of beer and a slap on the back.
Unfortunately, there are a few Tradies out there that have given us Tradies with a conscious a bad rap. So, if you’re looking for a plumber with a conscious then give us a call, or if your looking for any other particular trade you can also touch base with us and we can make a recommendation to you.
