Two Prices Every Home Service Pro Should Offer: The Regular Rate and the “Sure, You Can Watch Me Work” Rate

Every contractor in America knows this customer. The one who stands exactly fourteen inches behind you. The one who asks questions that start with “Have you tried…” The one who offers tools you did not ask for. The one who believes their uncle’s neighbor’s former roommate was a plumber so they practically “get it.”

You know the type.
You have survived the type.
You deserve compensation for the type.

Which brings us to one of the best business strategies you will ever adopt.
Offer two prices.

Your standard pricing.
And your “I’ll let you watch over my shoulder” pricing.

Every Customer Wants a Deal. Every Pro Wants Space. Two Price Options Fix Both.

When you give customers two choices, the human brain does something predictable. It compares. It anchors. It chooses the option that feels like the best value.

So if your standard rate is the reasonable, professional rate and your “hover and narrate my every move” price is about 40 percent higher, guess what happens.

They suddenly discover the freedom of giving you space. They tell you to take your time. They wander off to check on laundry or scroll Instagram. It is a miracle.

If they pick the higher price, they paid you for the emotional labor. Worth every penny.

Why This Works on a Psychological Level

There are three universal truths about customers.

Truth one. They want transparency.
Truth two. They want control.
Truth three. They want to feel like they made the smart choice.

Two pricing options satisfy all three.

Option one. Standard service. You work. They relax. The job gets done correctly.

Option two. The deluxe observer experience. They get to stand behind you and breathe directly into your personal space while offering suggestions that contradict physics. And you get paid for the privilege of hosting them.

Everybody wins.

What You Can Actually Call These Pricing Tiers

Keep it playful. Keep it human. Keep it contractor friendly.

Examples:
• Standard Service Pricing
• Supervised Performance Pricing

Or:

• Normal Human Pricing
• Curious Neighbor Pricing

Or even:

• Professional Rate
• I Saw This On YouTube And Have Thoughts Rate

Customers will laugh. You will laugh. The tension dissolves. Humor sells more than any discount ever will.

Why This Is More Than a Joke

Home service work is technical. It requires concentration. When someone hovers, your mental load increases. You are not just diagnosing the system. You are managing their anxiety. That should be part of the invoice.

This strategy sets boundaries without confrontation. It reframes the conversation. It creates clarity about what the customer is actually buying.

They are not only paying for the task. They are paying for your expertise and your uninterrupted ability to perform it safely and correctly.

That is good business.

How to Introduce This Without Feeling Weird

You do not need a long explanation. Just say it with confidence.

“Here are your two options. Standard pricing if I work solo. Premium pricing if you prefer to watch, ask questions or supervise the magic. Totally your call.”

Then smile. They will figure it out fast.
Some will pay extra.
Some will suddenly remember they have something to do in the other room.
Both outcomes are perfect.

The Bottom Line

Every contractor deserves to work without a stranger’s breath on their neck. Offering two prices is a funny way to handle a not so funny situation. It turns an irritant into income. It gives customers a sense of choice. It gives you your sanity back.

And if someone insists on following you around with questions about “why that wrench instead of the other one,” relax. You already billed for it.