Pro tip: heard a lawyer say "flat fees kill relationships" and it clicked

I always figured flat rates were simpler for everyone, but then I overheard a freelance contract lawyer tell a client that fixed price makes people resent every revision. It made me think about how my dog wash packages get complaints if a matted pup takes extra time. Has anyone else switched from flat rate to hourly and seen less friction with their customers?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.laura9d ago

Used to be all about flat rates myself. Had this whole system where I'd quote a price and figure the rest would sort itself out. But seeing this post and reading the comments, especially the part about resenting revisions, that really landed for me. It's like the dog wash thing - you're charging for a clean dog, but every dog is a different kind of dirty. Now I get why hourly can feel fairer for both sides, even if it's a little more work to track. Guess I was just stubborn about changing how I did things.

logan2719d ago

17 years running a mobile mechanic service and I flat rate everything. Oil changes, brake jobs, timing belts, all of it. Never had a single client get mad about extra time because I tell them up front the price covers the job, not the hours. If it takes me 3 hours instead of 1 because a bolt is rusted, that's my problem, not theirs. A dog wash charging extra for a matted pup sounds like a pricing issue, not a flat rate issue. You just need to build in a buffer for the worst cases and eat the loss on the easy ones.

brooke4489d ago

Gets a hot tub serviced last summer, guy quoted me a flat rate for cleaning and filter change. Second visit he charged double cause of extra chemicals needed for hard water buildup. Now I just pay per hour and we're both happier since he explains what he's doing.