Reply to: Charge client to collect work laptop

[cojak]

Thread locked.

[Old Greg]

I don't quite know why you feel the urge to be so rude.

Would you like someone to enlighten you?

[Old Greg]

Invoice them for the mileage. If not paid within seven days, start winding up proceedings.

[LondonManc]

******* mods need to hang their heads in shame if you are right.

Even if they're geniune, I'd have sucked it up as a pre-contract logistics activity (like having to clean my office shoes that I've not had to wear for ages!) and collected it so that I can start billing from the get-go. Poor all round really.

[northernladuk]

A courier sockie?

7

******* mods need to hang their heads in shame if you are right.

[LondonManc]

A courier sockie?

7

[WordIsBond]

Very unusual for you but that is quite possibly the daftest thing I have ever seen you post.

Clue #1 (addressed to a known contractor)

NCOTBAC.

Clue #2

One wonders what those clues might have told you.

More substantively, there's no way I'd do this for free, but I don't have to. I suppose some people do. My work is busier, not lighter, in the current situation.

[GhostofTarbera]

Very unusual for you but that is quite possibly the daftest thing I have ever seen you post.

Indeed I was thinking same !!! Perhaps he got hacked


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[Rearden Metal]

Anyhow, it's job done.

Went up this morning and I'll take 45p per mile from my co.

I'm on a pretty good day rate for a WFH so I'll leave it at that.

[Rearden Metal]

Depends if you are a fawning lickspittle or whether you've got enough about you to get over it and start billing 100s of K.

I don't quite know why you feel the urge to be so rude.

[SussexSeagull]

Ideally for all concerned (including the person you are picking it up from) it would happen on work time but we live in far from ideal times. Speaking as someone struggling to find a new contract, go and collect it.

[northernladuk]

And you want to do submit to SDC and allow the client to assign you a task that isn't in the contract, and even do it for free, right at the beginning.

NCOTBAC.

Very unusual for you but that is quite possibly the daftest thing I have ever seen you post.

[northernladuk]

So lets look at a couple of questions...

What company would get awkward over £200 quid when they've just won a £150k a year contract in the middle of a pandemic in the worst period of that company in it's history? None that I have ever seen. I've seen permies moan about a trip here and there, not small companies starting long and successful engagements.

Who's never been impressed by a company that goes a little over and above for their clients, particularly right at the beginning of an engagement? Surely the first steps are to build a relationship and trust that pays dividends (quite literally) over the period of the contract.. or you you could look like a problem right from the off by putting barriers up and pissing the client off for the tune of a few hundred quid. Remember the guy signing this off or dealing with it isn't a business, they are a permie that's probably not right pleased with everything as it is. People on here saying it's never happened to them or they don't think it's unreasonable... but many 100's of threads on here stating that problem contractors are first out the door. Is it really worth the risk of rocking the boat and potentially shooting yourself in the foot for £200 just because you are being pissy... and it is because you are being pissy, no other business reason. Permies get pissy about doing a bit extra and wanting overtime, not successful businesses creating solid partnerships with clients.

Having to travel that distance to pick up a laptop that means you'll be able to work from home for the forseeable future saving the hassle and cost of future travel. Sounds like bargain.. or are you going whinge when you do have to travel back to the office in the future?

If the time hurts you so much then just knock it off one of the working days when you've been given the flexibility to work when you want how you want. Knock off early and hey presto you've got your time back. Something that might not be afforded to you if you start by pissing the client off.

[northernladuk]

It cuts both ways. Being asked out of the blue to do a 60 mile round trip on a Sunday with no mention of recompense isn't taking the Michael just a bit?

Depends if you are a fawning lickspittle or whether you've got enough about you to get over it and start billing 100s of K.

[WordIsBond]

World has gone to rat tulip and you want to bill a client 100 quid plus 13 quid travel just to pick up a laptop to start a gig that could potentially pull in over £100k of income in the middle of global pandemic..

And you want to do submit to SDC and allow the client to assign you a task that isn't in the contract, and even do it for free, right at the beginning.

NCOTBAC.

OP, I'd definitely charge for the time. For the amount in question, I probably wouldn't bother to charge for the miles. They expect you to be billing time, so it likely will hardly be noticed. Billing for something that isn't in your contract (travel expenses) might catch some attention. Not enough to make it worth it.

If they wanted you to fly somewhere for a couple hundred quid, sure. But £27? No, I wouldn't bill for that.