Cost of anything AND everything has gotten stupidly high/excessive, especially since Covid.
I ve decided to say NO and go without “wants”. Needs allow no options though.
I hope some of this gouging comes back to bite a bunch of these businesses.
I wouldn't call it gouging. Covid fucked everything up plain and simple. Throw in politics and we're totally screwed with inflation and everything. Businesses need to charge more to cover everything else that goes along with running a shop. If they did the work now and still charged pre-covid prices they would be out of business in short order.
Just to keep people happy now, I charge a flat labor rate to install gears. +/- if it includes a locker etc. I have them pay for the gears, install kits, and lube so there is no upcharge there for them. I have the luxury of NOT running a full time shop so I'm not sweating making a profit for every little thing.