Unfortunately the idea of reasonable profit is not what is taught in the negotiations seminars for purchasing agents and project managers. The seminars teach how to bully and play vendors against each other. Reverse auctions are commonly used by large companies to let small and large contracts. It is also common to question every rate and challenge every bill. The people who manage the obtaining of skilled trades to accomplish repairs are rewarded financially for their ability to avoid paying bills, their ability to delay paying bills. It is like a collections company in reverse. It is not by chance that there are so many companies operating in this fashion. This way of doing business is commonly followed by many in the corporate world today. That is why the economy is in such a sad state--The connected chain of buyers who have no money cannot purchase the goods of the sellers.
