The ONLY part of a quote that does any selling is lowest price.
The selling of competence, quality, TIMELINESS, is outside the quote.
HMH re-awarded a casino e-contract -- at a price bump of 2.7x -- to get TIMELY completion. Each day saved was worth a GC specific bonus of $100,000 per DAY.
Since the job was, cost-passed-thru, it was a no brainer.
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When a bid of $ xyz,000 is underbid by $ 500 -- the bid was simply redirected to a buddy. No way did the winning bidder NOT have access to the original bid.
This usually takes the form of:"You've got the job, if and only if, you beat Joe's number... $ yxz,000."
And the reply: " Okay, $ xyz,000 - less $ 500... Done."
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There is no way on this green Earth that I'd ever detail a bid per Reno's post.
Within his quote is enough information to entirely close the gap between his knowledge and that of a seasoned apprentice with time on his hands -- and no design skills.
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Which brings me to another beef: too many apprentices are being trained relative to the needs of the trade. Because wire is being eliminated from intra-home telecommunications there is a global glut of wire running talent.
Permitting trunk-slammers to stay in our trade is the height of folly.
The essence of craft skill is routing knowledge, not muscle-memory. Don't share it in your quote.
You can't win by doing so.
There will ALWAYS be a price-cutter out there willing to jump on your installation solution.
Ours is, generally, NOT a repeat business. Deal with it.
In fact, a Really great electrician is never needed again -- by definition.
