Negotiating and price matching?

[Peter]

How many here price high to knock money off or offer to beat other quotes? From talking to a few tilers round my way lately they all seem to be asking the customer what prices they've got and beating them providing they're still getting a decent wage. I am the other way round where I submit my price and leave them to it, but am I missing a trick here?

 

[peteablard]

I don't do a lot of domestic work but when I do I won't budge on my price. I've had to negotiate a few times on the contract stuff though

 

[gamma38]

I'm with you Peter, I just give them my price and leave them to it. I am not interested in matching, beating or even knowing what the other guy's get. I currently have a guy following me on quotes and just halving my price. If the customer goes with him good luck to em i've seen his work and he has no longevity. If your busy, have a good reputation, and are happy with what you earn it's all good. Price wars etc lead to one thing........ Hassle and the potential to go belly up i reckon.....

 

[Andy Allen]

i price a job and leave it with them too, don't even ask what other quotes they have had, and most wouldn't tell you anyway, or just give you a silly price and expect you to beat it..

 

[Ian]

I always submit my best price from the start. The way I look at it, if you come down on your original quote, it looks like you were trying it on to start with trying to get a bit extra.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

We give a price and stick to it always.....we had one recently who said we were expensive then told us the price of a competitor which was a lot cheaper ! we did not change our price to compete ,but later when we looked at it again there was no-way they could even go in at there price ,so we concluded the customer was just playing -us -off........

 

[prceramics]

Send them quote by email take it or leave it but make sure it's really detailed so they can compare

 

[The D]

I will always negotiate but never go silly if they want it cheap as chips they can always get the plasterer or the plumber to have a go lol

 

[dave l and l]

I'm with you Peter, I just give them my price and leave them to it. I am not interested in matching, beating or even knowing what the other guy's get. I currently have a guy following me on quotes and just halving my price. If the customer goes with him good luck to em i've seen his work and he has no longevity. If your busy, have a good reputation, and are happy with what you earn it's all good. Price wars etc lead to one thing........ Hassle and the potential to go belly up i reckon.....

have you not spoke to this guy and told him to beat it
also price is the price no haggling

 

[gamma38]

have you not spoke to this guy and told him to beat it
also price is the price no haggling

No i'm not really interested in speaking to him, his work is doing enough speaking, his latest is greenstar (his favourite) dot and dabbed 600 x 300 porcelain with underfloor heating. It failed...........

 

[Colour Republic]

Always happy to lower the price on the basis we knock off some of the work!

So no, never really budge on price apart from the odd gesture of good will. However on larger jobs I will ask what sort of budget they have in mind and then price to that budget to show them what they will get for it. Sometimes it's a realistic budget and can do the work for less, others they have to scale back their expectations to match. As said above I'm not really interested in what others are charging

 

[andy8758]

I want to give the customer the best possible service - if they ask if I am prepared to discount I will always look to give some credit. Usually I will discount labour price - for example I reduce labour rate by between 10% (summer) and 20% (winter) if customer lives within 5 miles of my base. As I travel up to 50 miles to work sometimes, the saving in time and diesel more than matches the discount. Alternatively I may offer free door trim (floors) or free edge trim (walls) doesn't cost me much when bought in bulk, but customers always like a bargain. I cannot understand you guys who refuse to discount "on principle" - for me it's about giving the customer something from the start - it really improves your relationship with them. I win jobs not by being the cheapest, but by building a good working relationship with the customers from the start. Yes there are always people for whom cheap is the only way, but far more customers just want a good fair service from their tradesman.

 

[Ian]

I want to give the customer the best possible service - if they ask if I am prepared to discount I will always look to give some credit. Usually I will discount labour price - for example I reduce labour rate by between 10% (summer) and 20% (winter) if customer lives within 5 miles of my base. As I travel up to 50 miles to work sometimes, the saving in time and diesel more than matches the discount. Alternatively I may offer free door trim (floors) or free edge trim (walls) doesn't cost me much when bought in bulk, but customers always like a bargain. I cannot understand you guys who refuse to discount "on principle" - for me it's about giving the customer something from the start - it really improves your relationship with them. I win jobs not by being the cheapest, but by building a good working relationship with the customers from the start. Yes there are always people for whom cheap is the only way, but far more customers just want a good fair service from their tradesman.

Why give a price and then expect to negotiate? When I do my shopping I don't get to the cashier and offer him/her £70 when the cost of the goods is £85. Give the best price from the start, list what is in that price and stick to it

 

[DHTiling]

Who say's the customer is honest when saying what other prices they have had. ?

There are some real shifty customers out there.. i have never asked what others have quoted..

 

[Ajax123]

I wonder how many tilers have come into the trade in recent years from suppliers. The idea of negotiating and price matching/beating is stock in trade in the concrete game.