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Posted By: mbhydro I'd like an estimate please - 10/18/09 02:59 PM
I picked this off another web site and thought it applied to this industry as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY
Posted By: leland Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/18/09 03:58 PM
Perfect! So true! good find.
Posted By: renosteinke Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/18/09 04:57 PM
Very well done ... and all too true!
Posted By: LK Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/18/09 07:31 PM
If they had an electrican play the part of the vendor, he would of caved and worked for the loosing offer.
Posted By: leland Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/19/09 03:29 AM
Originally Posted by LK
If they had an electrican play the part of the vendor, he would of caved and worked for the loosing offer.


Yup your right!

What does that say? Get enough quotes and you'll find a 'Sparky' to pay you so he can do the job!!!!!!
(Puke....)
Posted By: Obsaleet Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/22/09 01:48 PM
This is so very true! I usally ask folks like this, if this is how they treat there auto mechanic or doctor. One of the problems is that alot of the books written on how to pick a contractor, tells them they must get 3 estimates and mentions nothing about quality variations/or service.
Posted By: gfretwell Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/22/09 06:04 PM
I agree. The media treats contractors like used car salesmen. I agree there are some crooks and some idiots in the contracting business but you can't paint everyone with that brush.
I do believe most contractors actually underbid the job more times than they pad it.
I never have a problem giving them extra money if that happens. I understand overhead.
My wife buys a lot more than I do in her job and she regularly tells guys they didn't bid enough to make money on that job and has them, up the bid. It does not do any good to have your contractor losing money on your job, not if you want the thing to be finished properly.
Posted By: renosteinke Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/22/09 06:25 PM
You, know, Greg ... if I might suggest a new topic for a thread ... perhaps contractors need to put together some sort of PR campaign to counter the false assumptions and outright misrepresentations put forward by 'consumer' groups.

To wit: I bet your wife gets prompt service, with a smile, even on warranty issues. I also bet the amounts she's paying are lower than the quotes to those who run about collecting bids.
Posted By: SteveFehr Re: I'd like an estimate please - 10/22/09 10:50 PM
Maybe we *should* be haggling at more places. After all, you'll never get a discount if you don't ask wink
Posted By: fireguy Re: I'd like an estimate please - 11/01/09 07:49 AM
From another board. Haven't we all wanted to do this? He got the job.


So i get a call today...

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From this indian restaurant, lady wants a estimate over the phone. Make a long story short she kept trying to negotiate my price. So finally I say "Well I'll stop in and take a look at it." By the way I told her my very bottom price was $300 and she was telling me $150...hahaha

This is were it gets funny. I go into the restaurant and at the front counter I notice the name of the lady and she was the one I was speaking to over the phone. So not knowing who I was I asked her how much was the lunch buffet, she said $14. So I tell her that was too expensive and I would give her $9...She looked at me like I was crazy..lol She said "NO NO price is $14" So after a couple minutes of trying to negotiate with her on the price I told her I could go down the street and get the chinese buffet for $8..lol She gets mad at me and tells me to go get chinese and that her food is better.

So thats when I told her that I was the hood guy and I was there to give her the estimate for the cleaning. She had such a dumb founded face it was halirious. That's when I said how does it feel to have a cutomer negotiate your price, she didn't know what to say. I ended up giving her a price of $350 and told her to get other estimates. I haven't heard back from her yet, I got some satisfaction out of that, it was great.
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Posted By: renosteinke Re: I'd like an estimate please - 11/01/09 03:21 PM
Fireguy, I love that story!

I've seen more subtle variations, most of which boil down to "I automatically jack up my price with "X" because I know it's going to be a never-ending PITA." In the most extreme form, it's "I'd just as soon not have to deal with "X."" (Then, of course, "X" wonders why their calls don't get returned, or all the contractors they find are marginal operations).

Posted By: gfretwell Re: I'd like an estimate please - 11/01/09 04:19 PM
When IBM writes a contract they call that PITA factor "risk". It is the amount you add to cover things you can't define and predict. It can be the difference between making money and working for free.
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