Thread: Door knob with key overriding thumb turn

$220 doesn't sound reasonable.

Originally Posted by jack620

$220 doesn't sound reasonable.

On the contrary, a lawyer or other consultant will charge you that and more for just a phone call.The tradesman has travelled to and from your job with an offsider and probably cost him two hours of working time in his day. Kinda makes it good value for money by comparison I think

Originally Posted by Beardy

On the contrary, a lawyer or other consultant will charge you that and more for just a phone call.The tradesman has travelled to and from your job with an offsider and probably cost him two hours of working time in his day. Kinda makes it good value for money by comparison I think

Reminds me of the joke
If you have a lawyer buried up to his neck in sand, what is the problem?
Not enough sand.


Now as to a locksmith, why would they need an offsider ?
Or is that an Irish joke, one person to hold the screw driver while the other turns the door around.

We can all agree to disagree but in the past 20+ years I have had more and more people tell me of exorbitant prices
but I have also found people who get shafted through their own greed, so sadly, it can go both ways.

Originally Posted by jack620

$220 doesn't sound reasonable.

The appliance repairers around here charge $140 call-out to assess the repair, paid in advance, and then charge $120 first hour (two years ago), then prorated every 15 minutes after that. Soon adds up. I'm not on for a chat, that's for sure! Often better off paying for a new appliance, with new warranty...

Originally Posted by Beardy

On the contrary, a lawyer or other consultant will charge you that and more for just a phone call.The tradesman has travelled to and from your job with an offsider and probably cost him two hours of working time in his day. Kinda makes it good value for money by comparison I think

Lawyers don't charge $220 for a phone call, unless it's a very long call. They bill in 6 minute intervals at their hourly rate. In any case, I reckon it's a bit rich to compare a lawyer's hourly rate to a locksmith's. And I don't think it's reasonable to charge over $100/hour for driving.

Originally Posted by r3nov8or

The appliance repairers around here charge $140 call-out to assess the repair...

Yeah, those guys are expensive. I've been lucky with them, because they were able to fix the appliance on the first visit. So just the call-out fee plus parts.

Originally Posted by jack620

Yeah, those guys are expensive. I've been lucky with them, because they were able to fix the appliance on the first visit. So just the call-out fee plus parts.

Yes, unfortunately my parts have never been in the van.

The general point is that for any home callout for any trade, if you escape for under $200 you are doing very well

Originally Posted by jack620

Lawyers don't charge $220 for a phone call, unless it's a very long call. They bill in 6 minute intervals at their hourly rate. In any case, I reckon it's a bit rich to compare a lawyer's hourly rate to a locksmith's. And I don't think it's reasonable to charge over $100/hour for driving.

I think you might be a little out of touch with the current costs of doing business. I am not aware of any employees that get paid less while driving between jobs, it is all part of their working day.
I know service related businesses have had to increase their callout rates because with all the traffic congestion they don’t get to do as many jobs in a day as they used to.

Anyway you either have to be prepared to pay the going rate or work out how to fix the problem yourself

Originally Posted by Beardy

Anyway you either have to be prepared to pay the going rate or work out how to fix the problem yourself

Ain't that the truth. I pity the poor old widow or single mum who has neither the skills, nor the cash to fix things around the house.

When I was a lad at high school I looked forward to the woodwork class. My wife also wanted to do woodwork when at school, but she was told she’d be in the home science class. We were also restricted in the jobs we could get as adults. Today you’ll see female electricians, women working in transport, or as mechanics. Actually, a lot of that technical stuff might be more suited to women with their smaller hands and greater dexterity. For example, if you think about the amount of space under the bonnet of your car it’s not difficult to appreciate how they’ve taken to that trade or any other – eg. locksmiths. Thankfully, the times are a changing.

Women have much less strength in their hands and hand strength is required for most trades. I had a female brickie do work for me once. Her brickwork was the cleanest I had ever seen. But she kept taking time off for stress injuries to her hands.