Phil,
I was un-employed for 6 weeks before I was allowed to quote on a dairy shed.
Personally I did nothing out of the ordinary.
I quoted such a high figure and never really expected to get the job, but the farmer called me after the tender process finished and said "you've got the job"
There is me and a helper with a big time-frame to get this job done.
IMO, if you have to make concessions, is there really any point in doing the job?
I mean, we are Electricians, we aren't mud workers, we are also not plumbers, just how far do you go with saying "Yes we can do that!"?
Value to the customer is one thing, but in a down-turn, it could mean that they can screw you over for more money as well.
Sorry about the negative attitude, I've been there before.
