Retainer fee for web consulting

[Alphathree33]

I quit my job last week as I'm off to university in another city.

Unfortunately there was really no one to replace me where I work, and they have yet to hire anyone with the same skill set. This has left me in the position of trying to explain ASP via e-mail to a graphic designer who has english as a second language .

At first I wasn't going to charge them anything for my continuing e-mail advice as it doesn't take very long to write an e-mail. Then someone pointed out that it's my knowledge they're paying for. We've all heard a story of some person-x who charges $500 for a page of information printed off the net because when client-x called person-x, person-x knew exactly where to find it. Client-x didn't.

Obviously I'm not suggesting that 500/e-mail is a reasonable fee. My original rate of pay was $15/hr, but they're replacing me with a person who makes upward of $26/hr and has duties that require less technical skill. And they haven't even found a replacement yet.

I know lawyers often work on a basis of retainer fees -- i.e. for n dollars per month, you can ask me for as much or as little advice as you like.

What do you think?

 

[Atrail]

I don't know. Guess it sounds reasonable.
Are they paying him a substantial amount more than you were making?

 

[amdskip]

I say go for it. They are abusing your knowledge and make sure you charge them for every email you have already sent them. I'm not sure on the fee but don't be cheap about it.

 

[amdskip]

n/m

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: amdskip
I say go for it. They are abusing your knowledge and make sure you charge them for every email you have already sent them. I'm not sure on the fee but don't be cheap about it.

Exactly. My old employer was bought out by another company and I didn't feel like moving from Seattle to Northern Calif so I said no to the job offer. Since then I'd done a little maintenance programming and consulting on future development for them, and I'm charging them $100/hour.

Frrelance web designers make at least $40/hour so you should get that, retroactive to the first e-mail.
They're paying $26/hour salary plus employer's FICA, office space, etc. for their own employee so it's really costing them more like $45/hour.

I set my fee high enough that it would encourage them to RTFM in the extensive documentation we gave them before bothering me, and to make up for me losing time I could spend on something more fun like reading a book or watching a movie.

[Edit] in your case a small retainer like $100/month (plus the hours) might be worth trying for, just to save on the aggravation of billing them for 0:15 some month, as well as letting them know you consider your time and knowledge to be worth paying for.

 

[Alphathree33]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: amdskip I say go for it. They are abusing your knowledge and make sure you charge them for every email you have already sent them. I'm not sure on the fee but don't be cheap about it.

Exactly. My old employer was bought out by another company and I didn't feel like moving from Seattle to Northern Calif so I said no to the job offer. Since then I'd done a little maintenance programming and consulting on future development for them, and I'm charging them $100/hour. Frrelance web designers make at least $40/hour so you should get that, retroactive to the first e-mail. They're paying $26/hour salary plus employer's FICA, office space, etc. for their own employee so it's really costing them more like $45/hour. I set my fee high enough that it would encourage them to RTFM in the extensive documentation we gave them before bothering me, and to make up for me losing time I could spend on something more fun like reading a book or watching a movie. [Edit] in your case a small retainer like $100/month (plus the hours) might be worth trying for, just to save on the aggravation of billing them for 0:15 some month, as well as letting them know you consider your time and knowledge to be worth paying for.

Great advice. Thanks Dave.