[bobbygedd]

ok, today i was confronted by a test, i know it was a test from above, do you think i passed? what would you have done? here's the scene: a man calls for an estimate on full service. i scurry my fuzzy little butt down there asap. take my measurements, add it all up, i give him prices. x amount per cut, x amount fer a fert program, x amount for a spring and fall cleanup. we sit down to talk about it. he says, "oh, did you forget the trimming of the hedges?" i'm like, "yes i did, but, let me take a look at them." he says he wants them cut down to 4.5 feet. piece of cake, i'm lookin at 2 hrs work, not much disposal. i'm about to open my big mouth and say, "$175." when he says, "listen, i had a quote for $600, for the hedges, your other prices look fine, if we can keep the hedges at $600 or close to it, i'll consider signing with you." NOW, FELLAS, we always talk about pricing, and the "other guy", and how we can't live by the "other guys" prices. you do realize that is a two way street? you can't come DOWN to the other guys prices, so in all fairness, you shouldn't GO UP to the other guys prices. let's hear it. who's gonna stick with thier original figure, who's going up after hearing what i heard? be honest. and i'll tell you what i did. what do you think i did?

 

[PCLL]

2hrs of work should get you at least 280. So my advice would be increase the charge and explain you made a mistake.

 

[jajwrigh]

I think you should shoot for somewhere in between. I woud probably go around $300 or maybe a little less.

 

[pines]

well, he already told you you were good on the other prices ......all you had to do was take care of the $600 quote. I would have told him that seems a bit high and quoted him probably $250.00. ( right or wrong that is what I would have quoted) The reason I would have done this is because you just exposed someone who was trying to rip him off....someday the same thing could happen to you. Secondly, your price savings to him will immediately win him over and you will create trust. Tough for a new guy to come in and break that trust factor. Last, I guarantee you will get more work and references from this guy. Do unto others as you would have them do to you.

 

[lawnman_scott]

$400 or so is what i would say. I think you said $300-350.

 

[bastalker]

I would have immediately thought if I under estimated the time it would take me to get the hedges done. I would have re- evaluated the hedge job, an if I knew I was gonna make money with $175, I would have stuck to my guns....For me, its an integrity thing....Maybe this was his test to see what you would say......

By readin your post bobby, an knowing that you were trying to pass a test from above, I think you told the guy $175. Which is what I would have done, as long as know I am making a profit with this price. From what I have read from you so far, I think your gettin a little integrity an compassion in yer old age...

This honesty, will really get his attention, and probably lead to more work in the future....

Carma will bite you in the butt everytime.......

 

[impactlandscaping]

If you didn't give your price of $ 175.00 before he said" $ 600.00 or around there", I would have told him the price you were going to quote him. If that's a good enough figure for you to make some$$$ on this account, fine.Just be sure you have a little "fudge factor" built in your pricing somewhere to cover any unforseen obstacles.This would have been that cushion to add in at say even $ 300.00. Honesty is best b/c it can and will come back to bite you in your fuzzy butt.If your happy, and the client is happy, what else matters?

 

[jsr2741]

Only mistake here was him telling you what the other company bid. Anything under $600 and he's going to think he got a deal.

My guess is you bid higher, maybe $350.

 

[NCSULandscaper]

Do it at the price you thought at first seemed fair. Obviously someone is screwing the guy over, no need for you to half screw him either.

 

[gator-town]

you can't come DOWN to the other guys prices, so in all fairness, you shouldn't GO UP to the other guys prices.

bobby ... do you believe in kar·ma ... that the effect of a person's actions and conduct during the person's existence determines the person's destiny ... I would give a price you could both live with ... and that is what you did ... sleep well !!!!

 

[wojo23323]

I would stick with $175. What comes around, goes around.

 

[Del9175]

Talk about lowballers. Its one thing if you go around under cutting your competitions prices, but you really got problems when you start under cutting your customers prices.

I say that in jest. Would I have stuck to my origanl price? Defiantely not. I would have said to him that $600 seems a little steep, I would do it for $400. I am certainly an honest person and doing this would not be considered dishonest in anyway. Its no different then in bobby's thread about the guy telling him he would pay $25 for lawn cutting. Suppose the guy had said he would pay $50, would he be obligated to lower his price to $30.

 

[rodfather]

This sounds like a nice account bobby...stick to $175. This is someone who sounds like they will get you referral work when he tells others what a great LCO you. You'll make up that $425 hands down with other clients he sends you.

 

[westernmdlawn]

Fellas Fellas Fellas, did anyone stop and think about whats gonna happen down the road? If he gives a quote that is high, but less than $600, say $400, the customer may be happy at first, but not for long. Just wait till the day comes when the customer is bragging to his next door neighbor about all the good work his LCO does and then proceeds to brag about how cheap his prices are - see where I'm going? There's a chance that someone will clue this guy in about paying way too much for a service down the road. At this point, if he looks into it in any detail, he will realize that he has been taking a fat one in the cheeks all summer long. There goes your good name and reputation you worked so hard to build. Is it really worth it? The truth is, if you treat people fairly and don't rip them off, you rewards will come back tenfold.
I think he was honest and charged him $175 -- $250

 

[hole in one lco]

Well we are all here to make money but honest money. I would never gouge some one like that, dont turn landscaping in to used car sales .

 

[dfor]

I probably would have thought to myself "maybe I underestimated how long it would take", and end up giving him a price of $250.

 

[greensummer]

Be Honest: Reminds me of a true story,

I had an elderly lady agree upon a fair price for trimming of all sorts of trees & shrubs..............work is completed...... its time to collect........she has all kinds of cash laying around and in her wallet..................she starts to count out the money............she counts out way too much(its in my hands!)..............the phone rings...........she leaves me alone with all the money lying around & a "thick wallet of money" .......man, my heart is pounding but alas I say no way.........I tell her that she did not count correctly and gave her back the "extra" money that she had counted ................she says "thats not enough of what I gave you"...........I received an extra $400.00 dollars.

The moral of the story, it pays not to lie or steal!

Tommy, CBR 600 F4i

 

[bastalker]

This was a pretty good thread bobby!! It has also gotten a few different responses. I just want to give everyone a couple of things to consider.

1. Have you ever gone to a customers house, for whatever reason decided that you didn't want the job, and gave him an astronomical figure knowing he would turn you down. If in the slight chance he took you up on it, you would make a ton of money? Maybe this is what the lco did that gave the $600 bid to begin with.. To say he was undercutting the competitions price, as one reply stated, might not be totally accurate..

2. If a customer was to tell me that the last lco quoted him $600 for a 2-3 hour hedge job. The first thing that would come to my mind, is why did he just tell me that. The second thing that would come to my mind, is what if he is just testing my honesty? Maybe he has had an lco do this same job for $150 - $200, an he just wants to see what I am going to say...

3. How much do you guys actually think you want to make off someone for a 2 hour hedge job. Some of the replies I saw, I would have sent you packing!!!

Think twice the next time someone gives you an off the wall dollar figure, before you go spouting off one of your own.

Yes its definately a matter of integrity!! Some of you guys might want to look up that definition......

Nevermind here it is:
Moral soundness; honesty; freedom from corrupting influence or motive; -- used especially with reference to the fulfillment of contracts, the discharge of agencies, trusts, and the like; uprightness; rectitude.

 

[bobbygedd]

ok look, i didn't start doing this yesterday. its a 2 hr job tops, working by myself. no ladder required, no heavy cutting. i'll take about 1-2 ft of bassically last years growth off. thin, whispy top growth. and maybe 3 green barrels of disposal. i'm not by any means a lowballer. but the guy who quoted the job was either a crook, or a bad estimator. i've been wrong before, but this time it's not likely.

 

[dcwalker]

I might double check to see if I underestimated first. If I didn't then I would surely stick to my origional price. If I think I may be underestimateing I would quote a little higher and see how long it took me. I would rather over price something and end up charging them less when I'm done than the other way aound. Also, when I give a fair price and quality work, I almost always get a good tip. Sometimes up to 50% more then what I charge. The most important thing to think about is "How am I going to sleep tonite?" Praise God, I think you past!
DC