national network of installers

Ya its simply what the market here dictates, and to be fair most people on here wouldnt pay that cause they know how to do the job. Many of my customers come in and just want the job done. Dont get me wrong we do lots of installs where its more basic, say an install bill of about 250 bucks for the starter, bypass and doorlocks. My point was though that I have worked in other markets and KNOW how much it veries from place to place. And because of that a nation wide install program based on any type of flat rate pay simply isnt feasible in my opinion.double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer

That's an interesting point that I'll have to keep in mind. With that said, what are your thoughts on programs such as InstallerNet.com or Best Buy's own prepaid installation services? Obviously the hardware will be model-specific, but in terms of the hourly rates, these companies seem to be operating with a flat fee structure. (I've heard that Best Buy's installers provide spotty service at best, but that's probably beside the point.)

Actually it isn't beside the point quite simple really and greed driven. The companies that pay me the most and back me up are the ones who when they ask me to jump, I'll ask them how high. And naturally when I'm busy with the goodies I'll be much too busy for the cheapskates.

I would be interested but not for hourly.  I would do piece work.Gary Sather

My question may have backtracked a bit with regard to my earlier statement about being on-board with hourly rates as opposed to flat fees (and again, for the sake of a good, quality install, I'm still on-board with that notion), but the fact that these companies would be capable of a flat fee structure on a nation-wide basis is interesting. I suppose the spotty service might be indicative of a bad approach, but then again, it could also just be indicative of bad hiring practices and/or quality control. Obviously there will be outliers, but I would find it hard to believe that there isn't an average installation time and rate, especially when even you (howie II) concede that you normally charge flat fees. Surely you're not saying that's greed-driven too, are you? Regardless of fees vs. hourly rate, the heart of the matter is that I'd like to be able to offer installation services to my customers instead of just selling them a product and telling them they're on their own, and I'm trying to work out the best way to go about doing that. I suppose I could compile a database of installers in various parts of the country and then refer people to installers in their area, with rates and reviews listed for each installer. That is, ideally, I'd like be able to include installation in a package deal so that my customers know what to expect and aren't surprised by an installation that costs double what the product itself does, but from what I'm hearing, that may not be possible if standard installation costs vary, based on location. (Which is exactly why I'm glad I brought it up on this forum.) Any additional thoughts or opinions on the matter are welcome.

OK, flat rate with exceptions? Remember with fuel prices here I'm adding 60p (90c) per mile to the costs. I'm doing a Euro Cat 1 alarm on an Audi today, it's local so no mileage but he wants headlights hi and low together on arm and trunk release. That's 3 extra relays, diodes, cable and fuses on top of the £100 ($150) flat rate.