Forum

• # 71253
• Tue 24 May 2011 09:32 AM

Hi all

Do you charge for time in meeting with the client?  Some of my clients can take up to an hour or two per month for meetings and or phone calls and previously I charged one client for this time but they just about had a heartache over it (not literally please note).

I do feel personally that this is time that I should charge but just wondering if it is the done thing??

Thanks


Liz

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• # 71271
• Tue 24 May 2011 11:53 AM

Thanks James - don't feel such an ogre now and like the idea of one hour free consultation

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• # 71301
• Tue 24 May 2011 03:32 PM

Hi Liz

Sending an invoice without warning will definately hurt your relationship. 
Sending an invoice for a meeting even with prior agreement will still hurt your relationship!

The idea is to factor your time spent in these communications into your regular monthly bill. 

If you are currently charging by the hour for everything you are doing you could offer the client one of these options:
- charge for tel conversations just like other work
- change  to a flat monthly fee that will incorporate normal bookkeeping work and other time spent discussing.

The latter is my preference as it takes the pressure of you and lowers the suspicion of the client. 

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• # 71306
• Tue 24 May 2011 04:23 PM

Hi all

I charge an hourly rate and that includes meetings but I dont charge for phone calls.
This and all my terms and conditions are set out in a "letter of engagement" which the client gets a copy of at our first meeting (this first meeting is free of charge!)

Steve

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