STEP 2: REVIEW YOUR CALLOUT FEE (MOBILE MECHANICS ONLY)
How do you set a Callout Fee?
The Callout Fee is often a sticking point for mobile mechanics. If not positioned correctly prospective customers may see a Callout Fee as an additional fee over and above what they would pay at a fixed workshop – which is not the intent.
The purpose of a Callout Fee is really to cover the costs of you attending a job where a service or repair does not go ahead. The intent is to cover your time for diagnosing a fault, or for a breakdown or no start. It’s typically not charged where a fault is diagnosed and quoted, and the customer goes ahead with the job. This is no different to a workshop charging a minimum workshop fee.
So, 2 key questions:
- How much should you charge?
- How do you explain the Callout Fee to the customer?
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU CHARGE?
As a rule of thumb your Callout Fee should be the equivalent of your hourly rate and should include the first 30-60mins of your time.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE CALLOUT FEE TO THE CUSTOMER?
This is the key. If a customer believes this to be an additional fee, they may believe that using a mobile mechanic is more expensive than a workshop – which is rarely the case. So, it’s important that you explain what the Callout Fee covers.
The key is to always ensure you provide a solution for the customer. If you’re quoting a Callout, it means the customer is either broken down or has an undiagnosed fault. At this point the customer is often concerned about when they will get their car back on the road, and how much it will cost. It’s important that you provide reassurance at this point.
At Blue Toro we explain the Callout as a way to solve the customer’s problem. The conversation may go something like this…
Our Callout Fee is $135 which includes up to half an hour in labour. During this time, we’re able to diagnose most problems and provide a way forward or get you back on the road straight away. If further work is required, we can undertake that work for you and will deduct the Callout Fee. Our job is to get you back on the road as soon as possible.
The clincher…If someone is not prepared to pay you a small fee for you to help them get back on the road. They’re probably not the right customer for you!
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