Being Practical

[GroundScapesIncorporated]

Lets say a nice lady calls you up and asks you to come look at a patio. Well you go look at the job and it turns out to be a decent job (a patio under a deck thats approx 350sf, a serpitine walkway with 10' circle kit in the center of the walk for a table and a 6' wide set of 24" tall steps).
Well you continue to talk to the lady and you inform her that the job will possibly costs somewhere around X amount of dollars, and she seems to be ok with the price. Well you continue talking and she tells you that another company (your competition) will be coming in May to re sod her lawn. The company she mentions is a great company that does good work and you are friends with the owners of this company. (She wasnt aware that the company did HardScapes)
What do you do?
I told the lady that I would love to do the job (as I really wanted it) but that it would only make sense to me for her to contact the other company first. Sense they will already be in there and it would only seem practical.
At the time I thought I was doing the right thing, but know I kinda am thinking differently.
I called the other company and give the lead to them already, they were greatly appreciative of my actions.
So What would you have done? Did I do the right thing?

 

[paponte]

Umm, who did they call? You or them? Maybe nice actions, but a nice dent out of your bank account too. Business is business in my book. Now on the other hand if they were an existing client of the other company than maybe I would be thinking differently.

 

[DVS Hardscaper]

I'll hold the door open for a lady.

I'll give up my seat for people older than me.



But business is BUSINESS.

I started this business in 1990.

And ever since day-ONE I have been in business for MYSELF.

I would not even say I am friends with other contractors in my area. Nor, have I ever been, nor will I ever be.

I do however have some contractors that I am friendly with and interact with on good terms. But I stop just short of the line of being friends to where we go to each other weddings, funerals, parties, etc.

If someone calls me for an estimate - then I'll give them an estimate. This is how my electric bill gets paid and how food appears on my table.

When it comes to BUSINESS - I'm out for myself.

 

[GroundScapesIncorporated]

I guess you guys are right.
Hopefully the other company will return the favor someday.
DVS, If you think of "friends" as the way you are referring to them, then no we are not friends with the other company.

 

[waltero]

I think you should put your best foot forward. It is business and compitition is good, even if it is your friends.

I don't think that others always see it from your point of view, and even if you won the bid and they did get upset, I doubt that they would have done it any different if the roles were reversed.

 

[GroundScapesIncorporated]

Actual I know they wouldnt have gotten up set if I had done the job and I do think they would have done the same if they were in my position.
It wasnt about them not liking the fact that I got the job, it was simply more about my decision being the most practical thing to do.

 

[richallseasons]

Would it have not been more practical for you to give her a bid on all the work that she needed still keeping everything with one company, YOURS?

 

[GroundScapesIncorporated]

Would it have not been more practical for you to give her a bid on all the work that she needed still keeping everything with one company, YOURS?

YES
But she had already signed a contract with the other company.

 

[bumper]

Actual I know they wouldnt have gotten up set if I had done the job and I do think they would have done the same if they were in my position.
It wasnt about them not liking the fact that I got the job, it was simply more about my decision being the most practical thing to do.

No good deed goes unpunished

Not following your logic on practicality. I would have tossed her a bid and let her make the decision, not sure I would have cut myself out of the picture.

 

[McKeeLand]

i think i would have contacted the contractor that you are friends with and present him with the situation. maybe he is to busy for the job or what ever, but leave it in his hands. you are doing your part by giving him a heads up but not completely giving up on doing the job. maybe you could do the job together. i have run into this situation before and have dealt with it like so. i know for a fact on a couple of situations if i had just taken the job from a few contractors i know i would have surely ruined very good relationships with some great individual. yes business is business, but we all have to sleep at night and run into these guys at the supply yards. i feel there is plenty of work to go around so why do something that would jeapordize your relations ship with some one else.