Raising rates for cold outreach on EV charger installs

I've been hitting up homeowners in the Chicago area my whole career with cold calls for electrical upgrades, and man, it's time to bump my rates. Last year I was quoting $1,200 for a basic Level 2 EV charger install using that Tesla Wall Connector, but with copper prices up and supply chain BS, I'm thinking $1,600 now. I use a script that starts with 'Hey, saw you're in a neighborhood where EVs are popping up, got a sec to chat about powering yours safely?' Works about 30% of the time. Just saw a thread on r/electricians where guys were sharing similar hikes, and someone in the Electricians Network Facebook group said they went up 25% and nobody blinked. Anyone else doing cold outreach for panel upgrades or charger jobs? What's your new rate structure look like, and how do you handle the pushback without losing the lead?

Screw these cheapskates expecting 2020 prices in 2024, especially with all the new NEC 625 code crap for EV setups.

Bump to $1,800 here, include a free consult to soften it.

I added a line item for material surcharges on quotes, explains the increase without scaring 'em off.

Client said 'that's double last year' so I laughed and said yeah, blame inflation on the 6/3 NM-B cable.

Same here man, been eating the costs too long on those outreach jobs.

Feels like every cold call now ends with 'can you match the online quote?' FML.

Outreach for chargers? I target new builds, quote $2k flat and they eat it up.

Use Jobber for tracking outreach, it helps justify rates with data on response times.

Tried raising and lost three leads in a row, back to old rates for now.

We're all in this together, rates gotta go up or we all go broke.

Just venting, but my back can't take more lowball jobs anymore.

Haha, I tell 'em the rate hike pays for my coffee after climbing their attic.

Solidarity brother, nobody's paying our bills but us.

SharkBite for quick disconnects on charger jobs? Nah, I stick to sweat for reliability, even if it costs more time.

My pitch: 'For $1,500 I'll make sure your Tesla doesn't turn into a bonfire.' They laugh and book.