Okay guys .. I work with two other guys. We have a difference of opinion on what’s billable and what’s a ‘fair’ rate.
I do DBA work on ERP systems and charge 2 different rates (onsite or off). I start billing when I walk out the door or sit down to do the work and stop billing when I leave the customer’s location or finish up my documentation. I am of the opinion that if the customer had not called, I could be spending time for me but because they did, I am spending time for them – and should be compensated for it.
The other guys do server maintenance, networking, and hardware/software support. They, too, charge a different rate dependent on location. They don’t bill for travel time and they don’t bill for what they call ‘wait’ time.
I have had customers complain about our rates for the hardware/software etc. stuff – that our rates are too high. On the other side of the coin, I have rarely had a complaint on the DBA stuff.
Granted, this is two different classes of customer .. corporate vs SMB ..
I’d like to gain a little perspective here … what is a fair rate for what kind of work and when does billable time start? Do you charge for your time or by the job?
How do you determine what it’s going to be? If two guys are working on the job do you charge man hours or clock hours?