went to quote on a job where i know everyone tendering!

[dagger]

i went to quote for a bespoke tiling job this afternoon,
it was brickbond floors and walls, wetroom envelope and mosaic stips in each wall some of them encompassing mirrors and shower valves etc.
a really nice sounding job, anyway whilst i was there measuring up and drawing the layouts of each wall the builder drops in that he has been quoted half of what i thought the job was worth based upon my guesstamation!!! i know thats not a word but its a guess and an estamate!

i told him to bite they guys hand off!

picked up my stuff and left.

it turns out after 1 phone call that a pal of mine, another good fixer went to estimate the same job the day before (we get reccommended by the same companys) he had not yet submitted a price and said what i had quoted was bang on what he would quote!

and the builder that i had just seen was ringing my mates phone over the top of our conversation.

so straight after i left i called my pal and the builder was calling him AT THE SAME TIME!

i think half price man does not exsist!

Rant Over.

 

[brian c]

sounds like it :incazzato:

Also..builders at it again,sometimes i dont know why we bother with them sometimes.

 

[david campbell]

typical,trying to get the job done for nothing,unfortunately it's happening more often these days cause of the lack of work

 

[dagger]

agreed, but i told my pal my price, so i guess i will be undercut.
and the it comes down to presentation, and i walked out after being polite! DOH!

 

[dagger]

for the money he was offering i could stick up 6x6 whites for the local COUNCIL!

and this was a really bespoke job!

 

[beanz]

agreed, but i told my pal my price, so i guess i will be undercut.
and the it comes down to presentation, and i walked out after being polite! DOH!

That's my first thought on it too unfortunately. You might be lucky, but if not.... You live and learn.

 

[doug boardley]

tilers determine the price to tile imo, not builders:mad2::rant:

 

[dagger]

That's my first thought on it too unfortunately. You might be lucky, but if not.... You live and learn.

being undercut does not mean you will not get the job, people are savvy, because i turned and walked instantly, says i am not willing to do the work for that money because i can work somewhere else!
which in turn means i can do what he wants,to his clients standard but not for that money.

we will see, but i have given my pal a heads up!

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

yes some, people cant be happy with a fair price ,and seem to have to try and cut there brother workmen down to the bone ,what retched personalitys they must have its a sad world some times guys we are better than that :lol:

 

[Daveyboy]

I think Dagger, you might find out how much of a pal, your pal really is..if he goes in lower than you to get the job, how much of a pal is he..If I was him and was desperate for work (and you weren't) I'd talk to you first before putting my estimate in..

 

[dagger]

I think Dagger, you might find out how much of a pal, your pal really is..if he goes in lower than you to get the job, how much of a pal is he..If I was him and was desperate for work (and you weren't) I'd talk to you first before putting my estimate in..

Davey i understand what you are saying, but he is a proper pal, and in retrospect i threw the job away, so if he took it it i would be happy for him, if he needs to work for a lesser rate to pay his morgage than so be it.

as we know times are hard and situations are dependant on the individual,
but it is a lot of work for half price (which i am sure is negotiable) and i know the standard the customer will be looking for....i am not sure the builder does though!

but if my pal gets the job he will do a good job of it, if the builder called me tommorrow i will tell him i know the prices and the people involved, and proberbly still wont do the job!!

because he would have upset all the skilled tradesmen in my area,
he will end up with BIG BIG HUUGGGEE problems!

 

[Colour Republic]

being undercut does not mean you will not get the job, people are savvy,

I had this happen to me last week.

I turned up to quote for a job that came through the internet, when I arrived I was met by the owners PA who was organising the works who gave me a pre-printed schedule of works. It was for the decoration of a penthouse apartment to be wallpapered throughout with top quality wallpapers, grass papers and silk - all materials to be supplied by the customer.

So off I went into each room making notes as I went, after 10 mins another decorator turned up and was given the same schedule (at this point the PA apologised to me, she insisted it wasn't done on purpose), after another 10 mins decorator 2 leaves and decorator number 3 turns up! 20 mins later decorator 3 leaves. I carry on for a few minutes then have a list of questions I need answering and although the PA was very helpful she didn't have any answers for me but we chat for 10 mins.

Wallpapers can be as different as bumpy whites are to travertine.

We agreed that I would email her a list of questions and she'd get back to me.

Now this email served many purposes,
1. I get to quote on specifics.
2. It also gives me a chance to show off my product knowledge by the types of questions I ask (I knew their interior designer would get a copy).
3. If they can't be bothered to answer my many questions then I know they are not serious and will more than likely just go for the cheapest price.

So a week later I get a call after they answered my questions and I had submitted my price. They are quite happy with my price and would like to book me in, we go through the formalities and just before I end the call I ask her how competitive our price was? At which point she starts laughing
At me! It turns out I was double all of the other estimates!!! Which is quite an achievement considering my labour only price was £9k. She explained that not one of the other decorators had asked any questions at all and had been in and out within minutes.

All my guys give me an absolute ribbing over how much I talk to customers and a typical quote will take 2-3 hours to write up because of the amount of info I put in.

It just goes to show that price isn't always the most important thing and making an impression on potential clients also has a value and this customer put that value at 4.5k!

So I’m with you on this one Dagger, if you want the cheapest price you're welcome to it but it won't be coming from me. Jobs like that always bite you on the bum and end up costing you.

 

[dagger]

oddly, i have a city and guilds in p&d and and understand wallpaper perfectly, i worked for colefax and fowler, jane churchill,manoel canovas and Larsen for may years on their contracting arms, top quality top dollar.
obviously i have installed all the others anna french, osbourne and little etc. i was employed as a general know it all!:lol:

my wife is a designer for anna french!!!!

lucky catch!:lol::lol::lol::lol::ban:

 

[dagger]

i would like to add colour repblics name and logo is BOB ON!
really really nice, good work!

 

[Colour Republic]

You and you wife will understand the difference between a B&Q or even Brewers wallpaper and the type of papers I know the are looking at then! - Bruno Triplet, Stereo and Cole & Son.

I met the interior designer today and he did mention that the customer had turned him down flat for Colefax & Fowler becuase of the price, I think most papers will be grasspapers which are normally sold by the meter, how much is the average C&F by the meter? I must admit I've never any hung C&F papers so this could have been my first.

That must be where your attention to detail comes from dagger, all good decorators have it