Being under bid by a nobody

[Lawn DOG]

Now I know some of you take offense to the term scrub so I will refer to this guy as a nobody(nobody has ever heard of him). Today a nobody who is a friend of the office girl at a dealership we have been servicing for three years got a copy of my contract from her. Then he under bid everything we do by 30 to 50%. I am trying to explain to the owner that we are charging a fair price for the superior service they have been receiving. This guy has copied my contract and plugged in his lower numbers. He has given applicating prices that I can't even buy the chemicals for. Now I know I should just let him have it and wait till they come back but this is a high visibility job and I don't want to lose it. Man I am :angry: Any suggestions?

[evergreenlawn]

The same thing happened to me this year. I had two people lowball me on a job I've had for seven years. I knew one of them was a "nobody" that had seen my contract. I stressed my point on license, insurance, certification, and quality. It cost him the job but the other lowballer had all that, except for the quality. He has had a lot of complaints. It was a cemetery.

Try to sell the owner on your lisense and insurance. If this guy is a nobody I'm assuming he doesn't have any of this and probably shouldn't be putting down chemicals either.

Good Luck!

[Lawn DOG]

I am pretty sure this guy does not have any insurance or a applicating license. I am going to do my research before I turn him in to the pesticide investigator. Hate to be a tattle tale but someone has got keep them in check.

[GREG R]

Hey Lawn God
you shouldn't feel bad about
turning this guy in for
the application license.
Lets say he spills the fert
on the parking lot doesn't clean
it up and a child thinks candy or
picks it up and plays with it and
gets sick or dies.
Then how would you feel!!!!!
TURN HIM IN. if he doesn't have a license
or the insurance then he should be
doing the work.

[trimmer]

Big companies around here will sure turn you in. If I were you I would do the same thing or wait till the dealer comes back around, then raise their price for your headache.

[CLARKE]

BEFORE YOU TURN THIS GUY IN, REMEMBER HE SAW YOUR
BIDS HE MAY HAVE YOUR ADDRESS. YOU DON'T NEED A WAR
ON YOUR HANDS, BECAREFUL.I'M NOT A :alien:

[CSRA Landscaping]

Nail him. He's not afraid to do the same to you.

[Lawn DOG]

Well today I had a meeting with the big cheese. I was armed with all of my insurance, licenses etc. I showed him how we where giving him a great service and if he let us go I would have replace his account with another and probably would not be able to help if he called us back. I had one card left up my sleeve. I did some investigating of my own. The lowballer was not insured or licensed. So to close the deal I let the customer in on my information. After that he renewed for another 2 years.

[SLS]

No wonder they call you "Lawn GOD". :D

Good Job!!!

[Atlantic Lawn]

Nice to hear you did things the right way. Quality work and an honest approach will always pay off for both you and your customers. Congrats......

[Craig Turf Management]

Sound like you are an honorable guy. Speaking with the decisionmaker and selling yourself like that makes me proud. Congrats on your renewal, and for having the integrity to handle the decision the right way.


Bill Craig:D

[Holloway Lawns]

I would think that the employee that showed her friend your bid has broke some law. Good job on keeping your customer though.

[Guido]

Another point for the good guy!

This is what everyone needs to be doing, educating your customers and the public on why your prices are higher than Joe and Jeanine running out of the back of their old station waggon. Once they understand that, the scrubs will be a thing of the past, only to be read about in old lawnsite threads!

Good Job, and congratulations!