Xmas Cover but at what price?

Not long now lads.... How many of you will be providing Xmas cover and at what rate? And more importantly have you informed your client database?

If you want to survive Jan and Feb then you have to keep going as long as you can, up to and including xmas eve.

We are mostly all self employed, so if you want time off, and your competitor doesn't, then you'll lose out

Unless you have customers that have a need xmas day and boxing day (which you'll already know about), you won't be getting many ad-hoc calls, and most of us not much between xmas eve lunchtime and the new year.

That said we always have a skeleton crew available, and normal rates apply as they're normal working days (except xmas day, boxing day, and NYD)

All depends what your locality is used to

If (and I repeat if) I were to get a call even when just about to sit down to Xmas dinner and listen to Lizzie I would go and do it without hesitation as I'm used to having Xmas away from home so makes to odds to me, bung me dinner in the microwave, I'll have it later. Isn't that what being self employed is all about especially when newly starting out, building a satisfied customer base?

Being self employed gives you many things including choice.

You decide if and when you want to work, but if you're continually unavailable you may find the phone is pretty quiet

We're never completely free to do what we want

24/7 urgent couriers so always available to my clients. I have spent the last 2 new years eves driving to Glasgow.

In over 20 years have never been asked to cover work on Christmas day or boxing day but once a driver had to go to France new years eve!

I pay my drivers extra for the inconvenience but no extra for main customers. Would charge double for one off enquiry though.

Sooner its over the better.

My price for the enquiry would be free but the work would be double. lol

For a regular customer, ie someone who uses us at least half a dozen times a year on "normal working days" then there would be no surcharge. For those who take the P*** and only want a job doing when their regulars are unavailalble (C**y S****t) then a 50% surcharge would not be unreasonable.

Jobs are usually easier than during the normal working week 'cos there is much less traffic.

For any of you who wish to take down my details -i will be available over Xmas operating out of Birmingham

I don't care who it is, I'm not answering my work phone to anyone over Christmas day & Boxing day, but then I have young kids, (you can't get these times back).

I have previously worked NYE, every day else is fair game although many of my customer shut down

Totally agree Tony [MK] Precious times with kids.

Now mine is grown up Christmas is just a damn nuisance now, but have fond memories when she was little.

If things break down though, we still have to collect and deliver and some items seem to have no awareness of what time and day it is :)

Oliver & Sons said:

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If (and I repeat if) I were to get a call even when just about to sit down to Xmas dinner and listen to Lizzie I would go and do it without hesitation as I'm used to having Xmas away from home so makes to odds to me, bung me dinner in the microwave, I'll have it later. Isn't that what being self employed is all about especially when newly starting out, building a satisfied customer base?

To me, being at somebody else's beck and call during the most special days of the year is exactly what being self-employed is not about!

You are likely correct in your case but I've had plenty Xmas and new years away due to my old job so another one or two don't bother me, am not knocking anyone who takes it off though. Nice to drive on an empty road though for once.

Let me promise you young workaholics nothing in this life is more important than time . The cancer of time is irriversable. I used to kill myself over the christmas period only to ask myself now Im older why did I even bother !!!

Most of our customers are shutting on the Friday and these days I just dont care . Im guessing if Im lucky I have mybe twenty five years of my life left if I live till 87.. !!! With this in mind Im not having somebody expecting me to have things running around when I could be enjoying life or just doing nothing at all !!!!!!

I like what Mr O21 said if they are using you because their normall company have shut put the price up !! Good one that but if they dont want us in normal hours they can go else where at christmas

I have one IT support company that only rings me on a Friday afternoon/eve/night, they use someone else other times, I'm trying to persuade them otherwise ;-)

I have one IT support company that only rings me on a Friday afternoon/eve/night, they use someone else other times, I'm trying to persuade them otherwise ;-)

Put another 40p PER MILE on then [name]!

Good luck with that MK, we too had a company that tended to use us when they couldn't get thru to their preferred suppiler.....now we're their preferred supplier.

I was waiting for someone to suggest that...and you didn't disappoint....

What a brilliant idea....even less likely to give him anything other than Friday afternoon/eve work!!!

Sometimes i do wonder...lol

Tony [MK] I think I may have misread your post 1st time ?
However I know we are on same wavelength. ;)

The last time I rolled up he said "XXXXXXX Sameday?"

I said "no we're quicker than them!"

I can't honestly see them changing over as the other couriers are cheaper

£500 before i even go out of the door :-)

had one lad last year worked xmas day , boxing day, new years eve and new years day 11 hr days, its not going to happen this as hes gone back to uni full time