I feel like i am working for free

[kdental]

Hello guys ,i am so upset this days and tired of Cast partials that i wanted to outsource my work to another local lab here when i find out that They would charge me more than what i charge my doctors (is their right though).
But that made me wonder ,aren't my prices too low? So i raised my prices today and i am charging a cast partial (frame only) $ 150 to which i add Teeth set-up and process & finish What do you think guys ?
I always looked at the $55 and $65 labs and tried to compete with them but i am sure now that is not the way to go

 

[AJEL]

It's midnite here and I'm just waiting on the inkovat to finish then... but we know where denture techs are at around midnight (at least the self employed.)where are the DDS? What area is UR lab in. I'm N. of Chicago.

 

[kcdt]

I pay my frame lab on a per unit basis. Their fees can run from less than $100US to over $200.
Markup is at least 1.5, so I do think your prices are too low, BUT, the frame has to be good, or you wont be able to attain that value.
In short, you're a business and EVERYTHING you do should realize a profit.
Typically for an RPD, my final fee is at least $450, unless it's a unilateral or just a cast reinforcement for a resin based RPD, which go at around 300+ range.

 

[DMC]

I work untill around 10:00 every night.

Come in around 6:30.

Have Three credit cards on max.

Forgot what my sons look like.

e my wife quit job and come to lab so I can see her.

 

[PDC]

I work untill around 10:00 every night.

Come in around 6:30.

Have Three credit cards on max.

Forgot what my sons look like.

e my wife quit job and come to lab so I can see her.

Haven't you guys heard of scheduling?

 

[DMC]

We have to get out everything that comes in.....everyday.

24hr or less turnaround time for over 400 teeth everyday.

We have Four employees!! That's the schedual.

I am the very last person to get stuff on the UPS plane in VA almost every night.

We actually drive to the friggin airport almost every night and throw boxes and boxes of HOT Zirconia over the fence. It's kinda wild!
I eat crap food from gas station for dinner, then go home and pass out.

We drove a corvette (lab delivery car) at over 100mph many many times. You wouldn't believe what we do.

Yesterday, my employee Marc drove teeth over a hundred miles to NC for same day service!
This job is nucking futz! I drove to the airport last night and Mon night....Marc went on Tue. My days are usually 16-18hrs at work.
Nobody works harder for their customers than we do.

Only one year left for most of my BIG equip. loans. (so close!)
Then I will repeat the process and bury myself in debt once again in an attempt to grow my business.

 

[PDC]

Scott,

You're going to be the richest man in the graveyard! If you like this high intensity business model, that's great, but if you don't, move to a position that has a little more moderation ie. less work, debt, etc. Run your business...don't let it run you. All this advice is free of course.

 

[harry1]

Been there, done that, now like the Docs, "work to live", "not live to work", life's a one way ticket, make it work for you and enjoy the ride.

Hang in there and make some changes to improve your position.

YOU CAN DO IT!

 

[DMC]

I am trying to either get big enough to be bought, or maybe I'll be the one to start buying? Either way, this Industry will have a dramatic change very soon.

Third, but hardest option is to take all my equip and employees and move out of Dental and into other sector of manufacturing.

I am too young to retire, and too smart to think that this job will last another 30 yrs.

Need options.

Panic mode has been in effect for years now. LOL

 

[CatamountRob]

Scott, it's no wonder you're so freakin edgy all the time. You should be the poster boy for Tums!

 

[Randy Hill PhD]

Scott,

Hang in there bud. I've been on both sides........ gave my whole life to this business, only to lose touch with what really matters, and ended a 25 yr. marriage. I always wanted to be really good at what I did. You remember, me leaving my family and going to work at BayView. It was to earn and learn. None of that matters anymore. I was living to work. When I returned to Richmond, my mind set was, "well I'll change the way the lab business is done in Richmond." Well, you know it only matters about how much it costs and when can I get it back..... pressure ...........
Try to find some happy medium, so that you can see your son, be with him, and for God's sake don't let him be a dental tech..... LMAO

Now, I'm busting my but to find a few decent clients around here. Selden jumped ship when I had to keep asking him to pay me........ after 13 yrs. of working together..... What a wus. So back to the grindstone for me... beating on doors, only to talk to the gatekeeper.

This is a tough business as you know, but I want YOU to know that I have much respect for you and how you have changed your business model, and I really think you are a smart man. Kudos bro.

Much respect,

Randy

 

[PDC]

I think the industry needs an "OSHA warning" before anyone pursues a career in this business.

 

[TheLabGuy]

I recently read somewhere where Dental Technicians have the second highest stressful job in the world (first being air traffic controllers). Then if you add in being a business owner where the economic pressures are only being compounded by bloated politicians who couldn't run merry-go-round correctly I'm surprised most of us haven't stroked out a long time ago. I heard that crab fishing was the most dangerous job, they might have to rethink that after checking some our blood pressures

 

[amadent]

i feel for you brother, we all have our share of war stories ( to many )

let me ask everyone a ?- shipping to doctors anyone charge for it
i only ask because we were going over our shipping chagres this morning ( local service and UPS)- total dollars for the month are just crazy

i like to break everthing down to a per case basis - emax glaze and stain crown $ 133 for most of my local accounts
then right off the top take off $5 to get case to lab and $5 to return to doctor
we now sit at $123 and we have not even started case
we are a itero cad staion so we are not supose to pay for shipping from cadent - but if you look at the bill they chagre $5 per case in shipping - so if you get 4 sets of models they are getting $20 in shipping fees - still fighting with them to remove old shipping charges for the last 7 months since we became cad station

the header on this thread was " i feel like i work for free"- this is because so many outside concerns have there hands in the labs pocket ( IMO)

didnt want to hijack thread - just wanted some inpput

Greg Amendola MDT

 

[TheLabGuy]

I charge shipping on all cases unless they ship to me on there dime.
~9.50 a case (If the Dentist sends to me using my Business Reply via USPS)
~15.00 a case (If sent using FedEx prepaid labels)
~25.00 All Next Day Shipping

It pretty much equals out to a wash or me owing some which just adds a little to the overhead per unit. I'll probably have to switch over to UPS here pretty soon, they are closing our local Post Office here in the near future....so those prices will increase.

 

[araucaria]

Time-outs needed!
Otherwise you'll get to the end of the game before you're ready.

 

[TomZ]

The object of the game is to work less, make more.
Sad to hear one technician labs are routinely grunting out 60+ hours a week and charging 1960's pricing.

It doesnt have to be that way...

 

[TomZ]

let me ask everyone a ?- shipping to doctors anyone charge for it
i only ask because we were going over our shipping chagres this morning ( local service and UPS)- total dollars for the month are just crazy

Its been 16 years since I ate or hid shipping charges. Drs. need to see the full costs associated with the products we fabricate. Otherwise they get an inflated idea of how much we actually make for our products.

I itemize everything, and one of those items is shipping. And I dont just bill for outbound for an outbound case. I pre-charge for the return when I send a case out. Why?, because there is value projected onto that return label when its been paid for. Otherwise like before I pre-charged returns, you continually get calls requesting to fax a label, and you get alot of unused labels floating around.

Basic Business 101...charge for everything!

 

[Mark Jackson]

We charge $19.95 for Fed Ex Shipping and Handling, itemized on the invoice.

In some ways, it better charge for it, but bury it in the costs. I have lost customers who refuse to pay shipping charges, and switch to a local lab. I can't blame them. If They pay $19.95 x 20 cases a month, they save almost $5000 just having a local lab deliver cases.

Like you said, cover your costs, but it's not your responsibility to itemize every ingredient in the case, and that includes how it comes and goes.

I'm seriously wishing we would never have broken out that cost.

 

[TomZ]

Mark-
For my business model(one man, national account base),shipping charges have never costed me an account that Im aware of. Of course, everyone I work for is outside my driveable geographic area, and they already understand they have local choices.

We have people here competing with $65.00 frames and they are eating the shipping...Hard to wrap my mind around the $150 frames let alone $65 ones.

We agree Mark, charge shipping folks..