Quotes for jobs, or the lack thereof...

[aczlan]

Some companies make me shake my head...
We are looking at adding communications system at work and we asked four reputable local companies for bids (my ballpark pricing put the job at $10k-15k for equipment, plus wiring and labor), of those:

• Company A (after getting the description of what we wanted to do) said "this is our of our area of expertise and I am not comfortable giving you a quote, but you might try Company D" - Fine and dandy, nice to meet someone who knows their limitations
• Company B came out, looked at the rooms, saw what we wanted to do, then came back 3-4 days later with "this is our of our area of expertise and I am not comfortable giving you a quote" - Fine and dandy, nice to meet someone who knows their limitations
• Company C came out, looked at the rooms, saw what we wanted to do, then came back 3-4 days later with a quote that fits the bill nicely
• Company D came out, looked at the rooms, saw what we wanted to do, then SUPPOSEDLY 3-4 days later sent us a quote. I didn't get an email, so I emailed them and asked where the quote was. The sales guy called me back, claimed that he had sent it and assured me that he would resend it right away. Never saw the email and I had some family issues, so I forgot about it for a week or so. I checked mail, spam, trash, etc, no email. I dug through the email logs on the server from when he (supposedly) sent the quote and the second copy, but the email is not listed. In fact the only emails to that company were mine asking about the quote...

Aaron Z

 

[300UGUY]

I am firmly convinced that a lot of people are self employed for a reason - they can't hold a freakin job. A neighbor of mine is a contractor, and he works just enough to keep the wolf from the door. And his wife from ragging on him about his hunting and fishing. He is building a $30K deck for a neighbor. The neighbor just had to renew the building permit, the year was up! A company that I worked for when I was younger was similar. The owner would get a big contract, we would finish the contract up, and the worker's would get laid off, then the owner ( 2nd generation) would go looking for a new contract, usually after he took a nice vacation. Sounds like you have at least one guy who wants a job?

 

[aczlan]

The funny thing is that Company A is a guy who runs a small (5 person?) company. The others are all larger with good reputations...
A, B and C will be asked to quote jobs down the road. Company D (who has done some work here before) will not be asked to provide a quote again unless someone comes up with a REALLY good excuse...

Aaron Z

 

[Looking4new]

I take it you are going with C.
A & B can't do it and D doesn't want your business, they lied to you.

 

[aczlan]

I take it you are going with C.
A & B can't do it and D doesn't want your business, they lied to you.

Thats my take on it...

Speaking of the "Self Employed" people that 300UGUY referenced. We got a couple of quotes to build a 11x16 room with corrugated metal walls inside our barn. One quote was from a "self employed" guy who has done work around here before. The other was from a company who builds pole barns. I know the owner as I had a couple of brothers who have worked for him.
The company quote was $200 less than the "self employed" guy's quote and they will clean up after themselves (unlike him who I will would have to clean up after).
Guess who is getting the job?

Aaron Z

 

[jaotguy]

for that company D ... send an e-mail to the company D's president ... about the sales rep's lack of response ....

 

[aczlan]

for that company D ... send an e-mail to the company D's president ... about the sales rep's lack of response ....

I did that yesterday afternoon. We'll see if I get a response...

Aaron Z

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm self employed and I have to admit that getting quotes out is my biggest struggle. I work all day on a job, then come home and want to do stuff around the house or on the land, like mow work on a project. Then I eat dinner around 8 and there just isn't enough working brain cells to sit down at the computer and figure out what needs to go into a quote. I know I should have nocked it off the day I met the client, but it might take a few days or even a week to just sit there and write it up. Currently I have four bids to write up on my desk. I sent out three on Monday that I wrote over the weekend and I'm booked up for three months with work. I'm sure I've lost jobs because I'm too slow at getting the bids out, which really bothers me. I'd rather loose the bid for being too expensive or not being able to start soon enough then not getting because I was too slow at replying to them. I've found that expensive and wanting to start right away are things that a lot of potential clients change their mind about when going with the other guy, so it's really an issue for me to make time to write bids and get on them faster.

Eddie

 

[aczlan]

I'm self employed and I have to admit that getting quotes out is my biggest struggle. I work all day on a job, then come home and want to do stuff around the house or on the land, like mow work on a project. Then I eat dinner around 8 and there just isn't enough working brain cells to sit down at the computer and figure out what needs to go into a quote. I know I should have nocked it off the day I met the client, but it might take a few days or even a week to just sit there and write it up. Currently I have four bids to write up on my desk. I sent out three on Monday that I wrote over the weekend and I'm booked up for three months with work. I'm sure I've lost jobs because I'm too slow at getting the bids out, which really bothers me. I'd rather loose the bid for being too expensive or not being able to start soon enough then not getting because I was too slow at replying to them. I've found that expensive and wanting to start right away are things that a lot of potential clients change their mind about when going with the other guy, so it's really an issue for me to make time to write bids and get on them faster.

I understand being busy and not having time to get a quote out (gotta have time for yourself and your family). But (unlike the guys I am dealing with) you aren't likely to say you sent a quote out, when you never sent it. Or leave the jobsite a mess that the homeowner has to clean up, or leave off things that were agreed to in the design/quote phase because you didn't want to do them...

Aaron Z

 

[Travelover]

I am firmly convinced that a lot of people are self employed for a reason - they can't hold a freakin job. A neighbor of mine is a contractor, and he works just enough to keep the wolf from the door. And his wife from ragging on him about his hunting and fishing. He is building a $30K deck for a neighbor. The neighbor just had to renew the building permit, the year was up!.........

:laughing: I think this was the guy I hired to build my porch addition. Every promise was a new holiday, first Easter, then Memorial Day, then the 4th of July. I finally gave up and fired him just before Christmas and finished it myself. Thankfully I doled out the money instead of paying ahead.