Farriers charging fuel....

Have yours started charging fuel?

Mine is charging £2.00 per visit, OH's parents are paying £10.00 a visit and some people around here are paying £15.00 p/visit!!
shocked.gif


Damn fuel prices
frown.gif
 
My farrier has said that he may have to put up his prices to cover the fuel increases. He won't charge a call out fee he will just put a couple of pounds on the price of shoeing. He normally works out his workload so he is working a particular area each day so he keeps fuel use down anyway.
 
So far mine doesn't but I thought that was included in the price of the shoes? I am self employed and have to drive quite a bit to get to my job, so do I start charging for fuel? I think not as I know the people who employ me wouldn't do so for much longer if I did!!
 
mine hasn't but would understand totally if he did, fuel has gone up hugely and when you drive around all day you are going to notice a big difference. I am self employed and have to drive around all day, and for some clients over a certain distance I have increased my prices, which people have understood. I know farriers are v.v.expensive, but they are trying to make a living like everyone else (even though i am sure they earn quite nicely!). A couple of quid extra a set sounds fair though, depends on distance.
Just my opinion though...!
smile.gif
 
I agree with frb. I think it might 'sound' better if the increase was on his work than a specific 'travel' cost though. Makes no difference in the end though.
 
A specific charge for fuel would annoy me.

I obviously understand charges going up, with fuel a big factor, but don't need to have a specific fuel charge label attached and find it a bit whiny. So many other people are affected too (feed suppliers, vets, and even our good selves, especially in country areas).

Having said that, I hope it wouldn't be too big a factor for our farrier. He does most of the horses on our yard, and is so good and popular it's mostly a question of him deciding when he comes anyway and there is a long line of owners to divide his fuel bill between.
 
Ours has never charged a call out fee, but presumably factors his fuel into the overall cost. Unfortunately like all other services the extra cost of fuel will be passed on, after all why should our horses be subsidised by the people who we pay to work on them?
 
I understand where your coming from, but unfortunately my employer hasn't seen fit to give me a 8% pay rise to compensate me for the extra fuel charges I incur (£5 per set equates to just over an 8% increase in shoeing charges).
 
My OH is a farrier and increased fuel costs are a huge headache for us - can see no alternative to increase shoeing charges. Trouble is, many people object to a call-out charge, but if you increase the shoeing charges across the board because of diesel costs then those customers living near us will argue that they are being hard done by as he doesn't have far to travel to them!

We try and plan each day so as many calls as possible are in the same area, but many people have to fit the shoeings around their jobs and other commitments, which makes it difficult. Plus in the case of an emergency he may have to travel out of his way to get there.
 
You can't please everyone can you ... fuel prices will obviously push bills up. I think a callout charge is a good idea, and this can perhaps be weighted according to distance and perhaps shared between several owners.

However, my lovely vet occasionally gets my back up by calling to suggest she does something "on her way home" and has even popped in on the offchance when she's been passing by and seen my car parked at the yard. Hefty callout charge still gets slammed on to the bill!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top