Re:The Parable of the Two Programmers (1985)
by rev_bird on Sunday January 25, 2015 @09:14AM
(#8942952)
I'm with you on the first point, but your second seems to undermine the first. The argument isn't "$70 per hour is reasonable, and a 10-minute call takes an hour." As far as I can tell, it's whether "Fixing the lock is not worth less because it took less time, the end result is what you pay for" is true.
Re:The Parable of the Two Programmers (1985)
by derekp7 on Sunday January 25, 2015 @10:04PM
(#8945368)
Not only that, but you have to also account for the time that the locksmith spent learning the craft. And the opportunity cost of that learning/practicing time.
This. While common in many fields, I feel that this is most obvious with musicians. "What? I'm not paying this band $1000 for a 2 hour performance!" When, in reality, you are paying them for many hours of practice in order to prepare for that 2 hour performance as well.
Also, it's really more than 10 minutes of work, since the locksmith has to spend time driving to and from the customer. His fee needs to cover his travel time and expenses (gas, wear and tear on his truck, insurance, etc.). So $70 for a 10 minute house call doesn't seem unreasonable.