Phoenix Specialty Coatings' Price Structure Changing -- Your Opinion is Requested

I will be changing Phoenix Specialty Coatings' pricing structure in the near future.

Summing up, after a few years in business, it's become apparent that some people are paying too much and others aren't paying nearly enough for the quality of services being rendered. It needs to be fair to everybody for what they're getting out of it.

Since the inception, quotes have been custom tailored (and will continue to be so). A review of the price list on my website shows a ballpark rate for certain things. Various individual factors thrown in sway that number a little bit one way or the other -- clean / already blasted parts, repairs indicated, color choices, polishing desired, etc., etc., etc. Rather than continue on with the way I've been doing things, I'm going to be charging an hourly rate for labor. Materials and special order powders will be charged as they always have been, at actual cost.

As a bit of explanation for those who've never worked with PSC, it's not unusual that I'll spend a few days working on one project whereas other commercial shops believe in quantity over quality. I have no intention of compromising the way I do things, cutting corners or letting the caliber of work slip one iota. But let's face it -- $165 for a pair of one-off custom valve covers that take a few days to work up by hand makes for a miserable bottom line when you break it into an hourly wage. My prices have always been comparable to the competition ..... and therein lies the problem.

If you've looked at the website at all over the last couple of years, you probably noticed that the parts are starting to change; there's a big emphasis on factory restorations, extreme high end builds, and even some trim repair. Generic black brackets and pulleys seem to be a thing of the past around here, and a lot of the stuff that's arriving these days needs quite a bit of repair work in addition to powder coating. PSC's turning into a full fledged parts restoration shop! And it's really cool -- the caliber of metal and the people who own it are absolutely outstanding.

Anyway, this is where ya'll come in.

I've always offered FABO discounts, 10% for everybody and 20% for Gold members. What I'd like to know from the FABO population is what your personal preference is as your PSC FABO Member Discount: a percentage off the labor across the board at the end of the job, or a reduced hourly rate? Please give it some thought and check the appropriate box on the poll.

Feel free, as always, to toss your suggestions out there if you have any. I wouldn't ask if your answers didn't mean anything! FABO has greatly helped shape PSC's past and it's important to me that you all be involved in its future as well. :-D