Pricing phone calls.

[DHTiling]

That is number 3 call this week.( just) asking for a price over the phone..

This is a strict no with me... I like to see the job in hand.

Do you price over the phone..?

 

[Gazzer]

Nope, asking for trouble.

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

i have been asked 10 times in the last 2 weeks to price over the phone, on each occasion i have explained why i do not price over the phone and would it not be possible to view the area which needed to be tiled. On 8 of the 10 the "customer" has said they would get back to me......never heard from them again.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

That's how I got started 38 years ago!
Phoned up a tiling company and asked how much they'd charge me for 10sq yards of wall tiling - labour only!
Got more then than I do now.

 

[Alan.P]

Not entirely from a phone call but phone call and emailed photos, and that bit me in the posterior as well

 

[SandyFloor]

If a job I like the look of I try my best to site visit and meet the customer. If the customer likes you and feels you can provide the best service the chances of getting the job are massively increased.

 

[kilty55]

i dont price over the phone ever,

 

[Pebbs]

Yes I do price over the phone, but only for budget purposes with a couple of the big main contractors. I am never held to it though....thank god!

Lynn

 

[Olz]

I've only done it once when the job was a massive distance away. But it was after seeing some photos of the area and tiles emailed to me, and only because it was just a splash area around a shower, anything any bigger and I'd have gone to look in person.

I dont do it as a matter of course because half the time its someone checking on the competition prices.

 

[david campbell]

i don't price over the phone at all,got a call on thursday asking how much i charge per m2 and didn't give any details but insisted i look at the job,turns up on saturday morning as arranged and now i'm in with a property developer who is averaging a 10-15 property a year turnover
i always explain that i judge each job on it's own merits and will need to visualise it before commiting to a price,it gets you in the door to sell your skills and expertise

 

[White Room]

No pricing over the phone for me

 

[Aston]

i try to explain to the customer that is would be unfair to them if i priced over the phone because its not a professional way to do things..
if they keep badgering me for a rough price, then i usually know they are not serious at this point in time, so i leave them to go and find what they are looking for...a cheap tiler!!

 

[Stewart]

Never....... and its on the increase! Usually from customers only interested in getting the cheapest price (so I wouldn't be getting the job) Then there are the other tilers quoting for the same job, who are trying to be sneaky (even getting their wife to phone) or the guys who haven't got a clue in how to price a job. I always explain why i need to see the job, and if they don't want me to, i say thanks for considering me and goodbye.

 

[Daz]

i try to explain to the customer that is would be unfair to them if i priced over the phone because its not a professional way to do things..
if they keep badgering me for a rough price, then i usually know they are not serious at this point in time, so i leave them to go and find what they are looking for...a cheap tiler!!

I totally agree Ed. As you say, if they keep badgering then I add an extra £5 per sqm so that they leave me alone and go find a cheap tiler.

 

[doug boardley]

no, site visits determine price for me