I see so many good points here. Properly qualifying the customer, getting to know more than just the person that emailed you, balancing our requirements with designers' disillusions, understanding that what a customer thinks is high quality is very different from what we think is high quality (and that can go either direction causing to either over sell, or under sell) and last but not least, the world is full of douche bags.

One of the common things I like that I'm seeing is that guys are valuing their own time. If we don't there's no way the client will.

Going back to the douche bag thing... the last "client" I had before I started charging for design had me interested in his project. I was helping him choose equipment. He was very much a DIYer and had an interest in learning about, and wanted to set up his system, and just needed guidance. I was quoting him fair prices and he said he would buy the projector, and speakers, etc. from me. I assisted him with the rough in and sold him a couple of things. But he wound up buying most everything on-line, some of it was a shitty Chinese HDMI and IR repeater. I got paid for my time for the rough in and made a small amount on the rack cooling system and rack I sold him, but lost big time on the DOZENS of emails and two site visits I made. He didn't see any value in that time because I didn't show him that it was valuable. That's my fault. I was planning to make all of the money on the products, which didn't happen. ( I also got paid when I sold him a Xantech IR repeater and a Redmere HDMI later on).

Now, I'll spend about an hour before I expect to start getting paid. This can be phone calls, emails, and if they live close to me or are on the way, even a quick site visit. During this first bit of communication I clearly state how my process works, and that I charge for design. I don't refund that later as it in it self is a product. The client can take the information in the design and use it to purchase their own equipment. They can take it to another CI and have them beat it, or trash it tell them their design is better. Whatever, if they wash their hands of me then we both got what we wanted. Most people get that as it's why they call us. They don't know, and we do. If they don't then they are a douche and we don't want them as clients.

Design is it's own thing and has a value to it. Don't devalue yourself and your time.

Going back to the what's your budget question. Black Friday week, a guy I know through a friend called me and says, "I would like your assistance with two systems. Upstairs is a TV and I would like something simple like a sound bar, but in the basement I want to do something better. It's unfinished and I'll have you wire it. Down there I want to do something higher end. What do you think of this... ". He texted me a link to a Polk RM6750 sub sat package for $300.


"No problem", I say.... "Here's how my process works..." I went on to explain my design fee, which was more than his speaker system. I also explained what to expect from that Polk speaker system and went on to qualify him a bit on what he wanted to achieve.

He said he would continue to look and I haven't heard back. I don't expect I will His image of high end doesn't really suit what it would cost to have me do the work. But nothing was lost. He is educated. I spent about 20 minutes on it, and it's not a job that would have earned much anyway. We ended the phone call on good terms so I figure if he eventually does see the value in what I do then maybe he'll call back and we'll both get what we want.

Not everybody wants, needs, or is prepared to pay for what we do, but it doesn't make it less valuable.

Craig