[Adam Randall]

I need to ask other businesses out there these questions because I am at a loss as to why this occurs.

I explain the following to a client:

Our hourly rate is $$
If we do an hours work we bill for an hours time.

Sounds simple eh!!

We send someone out last week and he is out onsite for 6 hours, the client knows he is onsite for 6 hours.

We have a meeting today that starts of "we are not at all happy with this invoice" We know that you said the time was billable and we know he was here for 6 hours and we know he was busy during this time, and was under our supervision and direction but the invoice is still a bit over the top they explain.

My question, if you knew what the hourly rate was, and you were not happy to times that by 6 then why did you not sent him away after 3 hours?

This sort of thing happens all the time, and our invoices are ultra detailed sometimes running to 15 pages of what was done, so there can be no excuse.

Is there a reason other businesses do this?
Do others engage in negotiation after their particular problem or requirement has been solved even though the terms were made clear prior to the job being completed?

I am at the point where I may start having to get work authorisation forms setup and have them signed prior to work being undertaken.