Talking to a plumber changed how I handle client scope creep

Had a 20 minute chat with a guy who runs a plumbing company at a networking thing last week. He told me he charges $150 just to show up and look at a pipe. No work. Just the look. I nearly choked on my coffee. Then I started thinking about how many free discovery calls I've done where a client is basically shopping my ideas. He said his policy came from getting burned on 4 hour estimate visits that went nowhere. So I tried something similar on 3 new leads this week. Told them I need a small retainer before I'd write up a full proposal. Two of them said no. One said yes. That one client is worth more than the two that walked. Has anyone else tried charging for proposals or initial strategy work?

2 comments

2 Comments

bailey.sandra6d ago

$150 just to look at a pipe? That's wild.

the_aaron6d ago

Went through something similar last year with a clogged kitchen sink. Guy stood there for maybe 5 minutes, told me it wasn't his problem since it was "under the slab," and hit me with a $120 bill. Felt like a sucker.