Flat rates

The majority of this guide will only work for companies that do home appliance servicing. If you do not, you will need to create your own flat-rate system using the custom method listed below.

Creating a Flat Rates system will save huge amounts of time and likely make you more money, this system automatically integrates as you or your techs are creating mobile tickets.

There are two different options to using the Flat Rates system. The first is to use a pre-made flat-rate list, and the second is to create your own. The first is the easiest, but the second is the most flexible.

A Flat Rate system must be based on a flat-rate list which is a listing/catalog of labor-item descriptions with a specified price for each. The list is used to create tickets, and the prices are used to calculate the total cost of the ticket. The list is also used to create invoices, and the prices are used to calculate the total cost of the invoice.

One of these options is to integrate with BlueBook made by Service Company Solutions. This is a very sophisticated flat-rate system that, for many years, has been an appliance-industry standard. There is a significant subscription cost, but the system will likely persuade you to charge so much more for your work that you will earn back the BlueBook's subscription cost, and a great deal more.

EASY TO EXPLAIN TO CUSTOMERS

Using BlueBook also gives you “cover” for charging more, because it allows your techs to explain and show that pricing comes from a nationally-recognized guide.

The other option is to use your own, internally-managed flat-rate system.

There are many methods you can create this list may be created. We'll suggest a few possibilities here and explain how it works, but please understand you may use any method you like, as long as you end up with a structure that fits a quite simple format.

Your list should be a simple text document that contains four columns, each separated by a tab.

The order of columns from left to right:

1. Code: a short alpha-numeric reference to the item involved (up to five digits)

2. Description: a verbal description (up to 65 characters) of the actual work item

3. Price if first labor item: applicable if it's the first labor item on the ticket (this price includes an implicit base fee to cover trip charge and diagnosis)

4. Price if not first labor item: The fourth column is for price if it's other than the first labor item (in other words, prices in this column do not include that implicit base fee).

5. Note Field (optional): This is a 2 letter field used to denote the make of product each line-item applied to (as in WP for Whirlpool, MA for Maytag, etc.). In a number of cases, you'll notice the two letter abbreviation is AL. This means the line-item is not specific to any make; it refers, essentially, to all.

You'll also notice each of the job Codes begin with a two-letter sequence. This denotes the kind of machine the item applies to. Thus, DI is disposal, DW dishwasher, and so on. You'll see some entries for MS, and may wonder what kind of machine that is. It stands for miscellaneous. These line items are sort of generic in that they describe work items that might be done on most any kind of machine.

Example of a RateSheet.TXT

MW220   REPLACE MAGNETRON TUBE (DIFFICULT)  195.00  135.00  AL
MW230   REPLACE TRANSFORMER (EASY)  112.50  52.50   AL
MW240   REPLACE TRANSFORMER (MEDIUM)    150.00  90.00   AL
MW250   REPLACE TRANSFORMER (DIFFICULT) 195.00  135.00  AL
MW260   RESOLDER BOARD CONNECTION   135.00  75.00   AL
OV100   BRING SECOND MAN TO HELP REMOVE UNIT    127.50  67.50   AL
OV110   CHECK OVEN TEMP W/O RECALIBRATING   75.00   15.00   AL
OV120   RECALIBRATE THERMOSTAT  97.50   37.50   AL

When complete, the file must be named RateSheet.txt and be placed in the \sd\netdata folder on your server.

Once you have your list saved to that location and under that name, SD-MobileLink will see it, and upload to our database. Each tech's SD-Mobile app will then see the data, and download for their use.

You can create this file on your own using that above format, just make sure to save it as a text file in tab-delimited format.

To make getting into it easy, we have created a ready-to-use file. It's adapted from a flat-rate system we had in a service business years back. Because it's from years back, many of the items are dated, but for lack of anything better to start with, you might try it.

We also have a FlatFile.TXT creator tool, which makes creating your own file easy as well. It's a simple Excel file that you can use to create your own file, and then save it as a text file. The tool is also available in the SD-MobileLink app, under the Tools menu.

Click to download Flat Rate file creator tool & FlatRate.txt file

How to use the FlatFile.TXT creator tool​

1. Download the Creator Tool and open the FlatRateCreator.xls file you find in the download in Microsoft Excel.

2. Once opened, you'll see that columns F and G contain text in red. The text is red to signify these are base values which you can change, and have actual rates (in the direct line-items) change in consequence.

   INFO

   To be more specific, each line-item has a red column that represent the number of minutes we figure as an average (a generous average) for the work-item described. In the next column, you'll see there's a figure for your base hourly rate, and another for the foundation charge on top of which others begin. The idea is that each line-item's actual charge is calculated on the basis of values you are permitted to change in these locations.
   
   Thus (and as an example), if you changed the base hourly rate to $120, and a particular line-item had average minutes set at 30, the system would auto-calculate the second-column charge for that item at $60. If your foundation charge (kind of like a service call) was set at, say, $75, it would auto-calculate the first-column charge (for same item as just described) at $135.
   
   The idea is you can vary those two simple numbers to suit preference, and all the actual rates change immediately. You can also do any other editing you wish (remove line-items, add new ones, change estimated minutes, etc.)

3. Move the operative text into a new spreadsheet. What you're dealing with here is a tool to create, change, or otherwise customize rates. It is not the actual file that SD-Mobile needs. Once you've used the tool to make the line-items and rates just as wanted, the next step is to pull the operative text and place it in a new spreadsheet.
   
   To do this, use your mouse to select all the cells that contain black text. With those cells and nothing else selected, type Control+C on your keyboard to copy the contents to your clipboard.

4. Paste the contents into a new spreadsheet. You can do this by opening a new spreadsheet in Excel, clicking the top left cell, right clicking, and choosing Paste Special > Values. The above action will insert the particular text, as previously copied, into the new sheet.

If you simply paste without right clicking and choosing Paste Special > Values, you will paste in the underlying forumlas from the Creator Tool and not the actual values.

5. Save the new spreadsheet as RateSheet.txt in the \sd\netdata folder on your server.

Voila! You should now have your customized file. 🥳