Fuel surcharge?

[John Ross]

I have always had a mileage surcharge.
It is less than a specific mileage charge, because we are depreciating  
our costs for the vehicle and the upkeep costs for the vehicle are a  
tax deduction.
I figure my charge, on doing 4 pianos in that area, so I divide by 4.  
If a special trip is requested then the full charge is charged to that  
customer.
The customers, always know in advance about my charges.
If a customer arranges for four to be done, then I just charge the  
other three the mileage surcharge. The fee is $5, $10, $15 or $20 per  
person, depending on distance.
The further I go the more I charge. I feel that if I drive 1/2 an hour  
to a job, it should cost less than a job that takes me 1 1/2 hours to  
get to.
My customers have never complained, ( At least not to my face) and  
have been getting me for years. As the price of gas went up, the  
charge went up.
If there was an abundance of tuners in a specific area, I might not  
add on a charge to that area, if I wanted the work.
On 7-Jun-08, at 12:47 PM, Phil Bondi wrote:

>
>> Tuning by rumor burns no fossil fuel, and rumor is an infinitely  
>> renewable resource.
> I knew this was coming..!
>
> Matthew, for the record, I don't feel like I'm "making money"  
> charging a trip charge..and, for the record, I am charging LESS than  
> the .505 deduction we get for mileage..because..I tend to bunch up  
> in an area code when scheduling..AND..because I _know_ my rate of  
> service is the 2nd highest in this area. I like to think I have a  
> heart and am sympathetic to my clientele..especially those on fixed  
> incomes, and families struggling to make ends meet. I would rather  
> they see me trying to make my own ends meet rather than feeling I'm  
> raising my rate to compensate for my loss of income because  
> of......I see it as a fine line. Unfortunately, you don't.
>
> I thought for months about this trip charge. This is not something  
> that just came to me one night in a dream. The last time I checked,  
> I am a mostly in-home service-based business which requires me to  
> turn the key to get to my business. Instead of raising my rate, this  
> is what I chose to do..and it's NOT a fuel surcharge..it is a trip  
> charge. A horse with a different color? Perhaps, but that's MY  
> opinion.
>
> -Phil Bondi(Fl)
>
>
>

John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada