The above post is the best reply yet. My reply is tainted by a bit of anger at peoples attitudes but I will try & be level headed about it.

I own a trade business. I employ 6 tradesmen, 1 office manager. We turn over $1.3M.

We do exactly the kind of work you guys are discussing.
So when you call my business you get the following;
a live person answering the phone, (In our office that I have to pay for)
he books the job on our browser based job management package, (through the computers I have to pay for)
the tradesman gets the job emailed to him & he can view it on his net-book with wireless modem in his van.
the office guy confirms arrival times & all other admin functions with you
the tradesman quotes you on the spot with our task based pricing structure, performs the task, cleans up and checks you are happy
the invoice & certificate of electrical safety are given to you on the spot
you can pay by credit card, eft, chq or cash
we leave & add you to our fast growing list of clients (Im only advertising now for the 1st time in 18 years because I have worked it out finally and want to grow.)

We make a 25% net company profit providing the level of service detailed above.
Is that too much?
Who defines what my service is worth compared to say what my accountant charges?
I have overheads as well. Do you think a van is free? Are our tools given to us? That we dont have to pay the myriad of overhead costs? My public liability alone is $3000. My mobile phone & wirless broadband costs are $1.5k a month.
The business cost list goes on & on.

So are the people on here complaining about the perceived value of the service they are receiving or do they believe they are worth more than the service provider as they are further up the food chain? I cant believe the jealous, elitist, greedy, self centred attitudes displayed on this forum.

Funny, the irony is that my business has grown dramatically since we lifted our level of service & professionalism way above our competitors…..& lifted the hourly rate by 400%.
The majority of clients want service & professionalism. Cost is a 3rd priority.

I’m getting out of my Eames office chair and am off to make myself a coffee on our plumbed in commercial coffee machine before I go & do a quote in my $70K ute.