Damn price shoppers!

[Alan]

Bid a job for an out of state, absentee landlord today. Not all that big, cleanup, reseed, mulch and mow for $1740 for the season. He came back with, "I've got 2 other bids and right now you're high, will you do it for $1500?" Didn't take long to answer that,, NOPE! I wonder how he feels if his tenant offers him 80% of what he is asking for rent. Dealing with the public would be nice if it weren't for the people.

[Keith]

I'll be willing to bet he didn't get any bids lower than yours. :) He's just trying to play games to get you to come down. If he calls back, tell him after you did a little figuring you will need $200 more, you made a mistake.

[geogunn]

alan--did you &quot;work&quot; the customer? if he's a no BS person, he's looking for the low buck job. if he's like most of us, he wants to be sold. wiggling on that price...say from $1740 to say...$1675 could interest him if he is one of the people that expect to dicker.<p>in any event, I agree with you that a difference of $240 is too much to give away.<p>let us know if you hear from this guy again.<p>GEO

[walkerrider]

Give me a break. Not one person on the forum would walk into a dealer and not want to negotiate the price of a piece of equipment. No one buys a new truck @ sticker. You should take the time to talk with your customer prior to delivering the quote. Ask him right up front if he is bidding the job. If so build in a little fat and ask for the last look before he awards the job. Sell him on the value of your service over what someelse may be offering. Being in this business means having to sell sometimes. The reason you bought your mower was what you percieve to be the quality or value above and beyond a MTD or Craftsman. This is no different. Make this guy understand why he should want you to do the job even if it costs him a little more.

[Alan]

Sorry but I don't buy that either. If we were negotiating a price that would not bother me. But since this is bid work, that's where it all stops. From my years in construction, the bid is the final number. If you want to negotiate the price from there, change the scope of the work. If someone approaches me with a job and asks me to help them fit it into a budget that is not the same as &quot;shopping&quot; on a bid. If I drop to the customers price after I submit a bid he will just go to the next contractor on the list and try to shop him down too. I just flat refuse to play that game any more. As far as shopping for equipment, I find that I try the units I'm interested in and once I settle on a brand I ask the price. If it's too much I either go with a cheaper unit or don't buy. The last two mowers I bought I didn't ask the price until I had decided they were what I wanted.

[geogunn]

alan--whats going on here? you say it was a bid but the guy wanted to argue prices. why didn't you counter by dropping a few bucks?<p>no need to compare this to buying a mower! shoot a little high and fall a little lower! this has been done in merchandising for thousands of years!<p>PLEASE NO FLAMES!!! we're on your side!<p>GEO

[Alan]

Geo, no flames from me. It's just that I see a bid as the final figure. Don't like my bid, go elsewhere! If you want to negotiate a price, don't tell me you have other bidders, I'm high and then try to talk me down. If you have a lower bidder, use him/her and don't waste both our times. The other thign is that once the weasel has found you will drop prices on his call you are wide open to his wanting to add little things as you go along.

[Gus]

I have to agree with Alan. Stick to your quote and be prepared to explain it if the customer thinks its too high. I learned a long time ago to be up front with people and when they start dicking around to tell them flat out that your on to them and move on.

[HOMER]

The only thing that would appeal to me on this whole deal is that the landlord was out of state. Out of state = out of my hair! I would have haggled but I can see your point. I love mowing when nobodys home, this would be great for me!<p>Homer

[thelawnguy]

A customer is like a prom date, you cant expect to walk into her pappys house and flip her dress up over her head, you need to wine and dine her, dance a little then you have earned the right to ask. Same with bidding. After reading endless posts about being beaten by lowballers I think some folks best take a class in salesmanship. I learned many years ago from the best, if you sell yourself, and the product, only then do you earn the right to ask for, and get, top dollar. That goes for anything, tv's lawn service, cars, whatever.<p>I ask for, and get, 35 for lawns that a scrub will do for 20, but after selling the customer on myself and my work the money is just incidental from that point on.<p>Have a great weekend all.<p>Bill

[osc]

Bill:<br>That is an interesting comparison. Do you ask many women out to dinner?

[geogunn]

alan--thanks for your kind response. on a sealed bid where I hand it off to a purchasing officer or mail it in, then that bid to me is final.<p>when I am jacking around with a homeowner taking bids, I do it differently. I price a little high then seem willing to &quot;negotiate&quot;. in the negotiations, I never go below what I really want for the job.<p>If I get the job and the homeowner wants to start &quot;adding&quot;, then is when I pull out the bid and remind the homeowner &quot;that will be an extra charge&quot;. works for me!<p>In any event--hang in there. get through this agrivation and get ready for the next one!!! good luck.<p>GEO

[thelawnguy]

GEO you bring up a good point, and that is, NOBODY will ever get every bid they submit, so dont lose sleep over it, the more bids you put in the more jobs will come your way from it.<p>Alan, maybe you could ask what the low bids were, possibility to re-bid? Its done all the time, municipal, state, private, you name it, theres always someone there to spill the beans.<p>Or maybe its a sign that this job would be a payment collection headache down the road.<p>OSC, yes I do, but my wife of 13 years is usually not too happy when she gets wind of it.<p>I used that example to give the young scrubs something they can relate to. My prom days are loooong past. Just a grainy b&w silent film memory.<p>Bill<br>

[Matt]

I know it was just a comparison, my prom was 2 nights ago!