12/11/2023
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Snake relocation costs
We have seen a few people of late had to deal with complaints about the costs for getting a snake removed. We made the decision not to provide snake relocation services as part of our business due to a few reasons including both the market rates and the paucity of survival for translocated snakes. Below is a breakdown of the costs of snake relocation.
The average relocation takes 2.5 hours (30 mins there, 30 minutes to catch, 30 minutes to release, 30 minutes home, 15 minutes record keeping, 15 minutes for other items (washing gear, charging equipment, risk assessments, putting in fuel etc).
Then add upskilling, vehicle costs, insurances, equipment, (time spent finding reliable equipment and insurances etc) advertising, sick leave, annual leave, super.
Add to that, you get called out on weekends, at midnight, public holidays, seasonal work costs etc. Then all the free consults over the phone (what's this, I saw this a week ago etc)....someone is paying for that (it's you the snake catcher).
If you are a business, then you need to charge your time appropriately. If you work on the average contracting licenced trade hourly rate of 110 p/h at 2.5 hours plus costs and dare I say it a profit margin, someone charging say $150 for a call out is providing charity not a service provided by a business.... remember 99.999% of people would not do what you are doing let alone for a loss.
There is really nothing like getting a phone call at 2 am and then getting screamed at because you have the audacity to charge a fee. It is an unfortunate side to the rising costs of living and one that many people never see.
