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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Service Tech's
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Brad Miller
Administrator
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Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-21-2004 04:05 PM
While I generally agree that everyone should be treated equal, there ARE times where a higher rate does apply. For instance, a booth with really old abused equipment that has never been taken care of, "operators" who couldn't operate a VCR if their life depended on it, an owner who won't fix anything if it requires more than a roll of duct tape, one bulb for light and no functioning AC that keeps the booth at 100F...hell no. They get a special rate if they want me to deal with that nonsense, and it's not pretty. (In fact, the temperature is moreso an issue than anything else I just listed.) Perhaps in Mark's eyes that is not fair of me, but I'm past the point of being concerned about fair when it comes to such ridiculous working conditions and overly cheap owners. They can go elsewhere. Granted this is a rare situation, but there have been a couple of instances where I did instigate it, and I told them exactly why too.
As for everyone else, yes they all get the same rates. I do offer a discounted rate for non-emergencies if I can fix the problem "at my leisure" over the next month or two. That helps time management a lot because those little things that don't keep shows from running can be fixed when I am in the area.
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Jason Black
Phenomenal Film Handler
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Posts: 1723
From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 02-21-2004 04:11 PM
Mark, Manny, Brad...
What woudl you guys charge, if anything, to work thru a situation over the phone? For example, troubleshotting to a bad diode stack and how to replace it. Or, how to change out a shutter belt and time it on a Christie P35?
I'm curious because, from my viewpoint, this svaes you the hassle of trip time for such an easily accomplished repair. It also allows the booth staff/managemnet/owenr whatever, the opportunity to 'fix' their own problem.
Anytime I can do the repair myself, I prefer to do so. I learn while possibly saving a little bit of money at the same time.
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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug
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Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 02-21-2004 05:19 PM
I have mixed feelings about this subject. While I generally agree all should be treated equally, in the "real world" that doesn't necessarily happen.
I certainly do not agree that if one doesn't have a "published" rate, that something is being hidden or not on the up-and-up. I would like to think that "us film professionals" are a step above the local auto repair shop with the hourly rates posted on the wall.
The "one-rate-to-all" does have some wiggle-room to "punish" the undesirable clients by working slooowly to fix a problem thus taking more time. But I still do not believe in that philosophy.
I do agree, that if there is less than desirable physical "working" conditions, there should be monetary compensation. Sorta like hazardous duty pay. I don't believe in adding a "jerk or stupid client" adder. That all seems to work out in the long run and all rates should be stated/negotiated up-front.
If my going rate is $125/hr and someone calls me on the phone that is NOT a regular customer, I may not charge them full rate, but I sure the hell ain't gonna give away my expertise! They WILL get a bill. And if they call in the middle of the night from someplace like Japan or some other time-zone from hell, they damn well will get a "discomfort" adder on the bill ...and not necessarily listed as a separate item!
One time I had to fly to Japan ASAP cuz a big-time show was down. Flew there, went to the site and fixed the problem, and then got a plane back home. Spend 4 hours in Japan and about 40 traveling.
The "problem" was a switch in the "test" rather than the "operate" position. Two minutes after I showed up, they were running. The time & travel bill was over $5K. But my rate was charged normal.
The owners learned an expensive lesson in that their operators were flakes. They didn't take notes or pay attention during their 1-week of hands-on training. They were so incompetent that they couldn't even follow instructions over the phone for simple troubleshooting.
Moral of all this… I wish I knew! Just my 2-cents!
>>> Phil
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Brad Miller
Administrator
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Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-21-2004 05:54 PM
quote: What woudl you guys charge, if anything, to work thru a situation over the phone?
For my regular customers, nothing at all. Never have, never will. In fact, when there is someone with a brain at the location calling, I am pleased when they can take care of the problem themselves and it also helps them to learn. However when there is a tinkerer who "decides" what needs to be done and does it, then I find out after the fact, more often than not it was the wrong thing to do and on many occasions that has caused other problems. That's frustrating. In reality it becomes an on-the-spot decision when the call comes in, depending on who is there as to how far I will troubleshoot things over the phone. Some people are better off with no assistance and my making a trip, others can follow instructions plenty fine to take care of it over the phone.
For people I have not dealt with before, I'll assist them on a call, and maybe a second call, but after that it's a matter of my time. Again, this is for non-customers.
Friends of mine, I help as I can. It's hard to troubleshoot something a thousand miles away with unfamiliar equipment though. (Dallas has a very limited array of equipment as compared to say any area that Gordon services.) It's also sometimes difficult to troubleshoot something if I can't be in front of a unit to describe what needs to be done. It all just depends.
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Brad Miller
Administrator
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/02a.jpg)
Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-21-2004 06:03 PM
quote: One time I had to fly to Japan ASAP cuz a big-time show was down. Flew there, went to the site and fixed the problem, and then got a plane back home. Spend 4 hours in Japan and about 40 traveling.
My most ridiculous "service call" was because someone forgot to untape the tail of the film after a print move and the upper magazine roller got bent out of position. Literally, there was no one at the site who could understand how to realign that roller good enough to make the next show run, so I had to drop what I was doing and race across town to get them "back up". They didn't even have something else in the booth that needed me to look at, so the trip ended up being to just realign that one effing roller. By the way, emergency rate DID apply!
Something just occured to me based upon an earlier comment of mine, am I the only one who offers a discounted rate for non-emergencies that are taken care of at my leisure? I don't even charge drive-time for those. For those theaters that supply me with keys, frequently they will walk in one morning and VOILA there is a note on the equipment "fixed, etc, etc, etc" because I stopped by at 4am after working elsewhere.
As would be expected, they also get their non-emergencies taken care of faster simply because any time I am out I can swing by and fix it without having to coordinate with a manager or staff to meet at a predetermined time. (And no, I do NOT work in the mornings! No customers has even dared to ask me about my "morning rate" either. )
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