I think customer confusion and miss information is the reality of these low ball prices you have to compete with.
Example - the cheapest bagged mulch - like when they do their blow out specials at the local gas/c-store stations is say $2 for 1.5 cubic feet (earlyin spring they start at 3 for $12 then 3 for $10 the 3 for $9 then $2 a bag BTW)
So a yard has 27 cu ft = $36 for a yard (at the cheapest price and trust me this stuff is crap mulch) - you charge JUST $55 to pick it up deliver it, tear open every bag and spread??? All for $19 wow! That would take 1 man at least what - 3 hours if not more - so are you happy with $6.33 an hour.
The Bulk method - say is the cheapest I have seen for hardwood (and I promise you it is not all hardwood but probably about 50% compost mix and hardwood - which BTW is great stuff for the beds), anyways $16 bucks a yard. Lets say this method takes 2 hours to go have them dump it in your bed drive to home and fill wheelbarrow and spread - hours total - Ok that's $39/2hrs $19.5 per hour @ $55 a yard plus you still have the truck, gas, ins, taxes, trailer and tools to pay for???
So the other guys who are cheaper are doing?..... what are they doing?..... the above math is fact so their trick is?..... bingo we have a winner. They use bulk for sure and the $35 per yard price is for really a half yard so it's really $70 and they make $54 or $27 an hour. As a home owner you see a pile of mulch you don't know how much
is on that trailer. A 8 ft bed PU hold about 2 yards - they show up @ $35 per yard to spread and charge for 4 $140. Thy just are basically liars!
Or they are just really stupid and work for about $6 and hour which is below minimum wage - don't pay any taxes and their trailer has two barely turning wheels on a 4 wheel trailer and you can see their holes in their socks thru the hole in the rust covered doors :laugh:
Solution - communication with customer.
Ask the customer how they have bought mulch in the past? How many bags? Price it by the job. Ask them how deep it needs to be. Fluff up exisiting mulch to complement the mulch you add. Stick with whatever color they already have. Compare apples to apples. Not apples to lies.