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Would you tell me if it's correct and natural to say where are you at on the rate when you want to know how much someone will pay for your service? For example:
I can fix your car, so where are you on the rate?
I've definitely heard people say it, but not sure if it is natural? Whether that's natural or not, what would you say?
No, it isn't natural at all.
If the business involved a choice of products or services that were on a sliding scale of cost, a tradesperson might ask a customer what their budget is, and then quote them the options that were within their price range, but we would not call that a 'rate'. A 'rate' is normally an hourly, or daily rate for labour, or some other task-specific 'fixed rate'. A tradesperson sets their own 'rate'. Some may be somewhat open to negotiation on price, but it would not be common to ask a potential customer how they feel about the 'rate', because that is unlikely to change. For example, if a tradesperson was quoting someone to supply and fit a new kitchen, they might help the customer select fixtures and fittings within their budget, but the fitter's 'rate' for labour would likely be the same whether the customer chose a cheaper or a more expensive product. With your example of repairing a car, I can't imagine that there would be options - a specific part, or parts would be needed, and the work to fit them would likely be priced based on the estimated time involved at their fixed rate.
