Working out your customer

[Dan]

I've read A LOT of threads about tiler's reducing their prices and I thought I'd mention the importance of 'knowing' your customer.

There seems to be just two types of categories in the domestic market related to where business came from. There are those customers that haven't been recommended somebody and those that have been recommended a tiler.

If you've been passed on a customer consider this a bonus as you'll be able to price the job right and to it correctly! Yes, your price may increase slightly compared to the other category 'the jobs that you get based purely on price and what you say / do at the time of the quote', but you're not ripping them off by giving them a higher price!

You need to quickly get out of the fighting for jobs based on price routine and the only way to to this is to get a good name.

Think of all those 'cheap jobs' you've done for so long that you've cut a corner or two on based on time / price / money that you could have made perfect if you'd have had the time / price / money.

Consider giving your 'cheap' customers two prices (certainly the guys that write quotes out somehow and not just quote at the door) and explain Quote A is competative, and say that - they'll think the other similar prices they get are also competative and lacking..... Quote B Extras / THE WAY YOU WOULD DO IT AT HOME IN YOUR HOUSE - and say that in the quote yoo - be formal with the quote if you wish but add a hand-written bit to it saying this is the way i would do it becuase of the XXXXXx (tanking / better trim that's not bulk purchased by the store you buy from / propper products / whatever).

And Customers: Stop going for the cheapest! And instead of saying "you're expensive" ask what the extra cash will get you - then ask the other tilers / quotes if they'd do that if they had the chance! I bet 50% of them don't even know the products mentioned!

I'd recommend most customers (if they can't find a recommendation) to get three quotes itemised (don't rush the tiler to get a price only) and time-scale and then either work out yourself what is best for your situation or come here and explain as much as you can and we'll do what we can to help.

 

[brian c]

good thread DAN.

 

[White Room]

Hope some customers read it

 

[Dan]

Me too.

 

[hillhead]

Very good advice Dan,
i'm on a great roll of work at the minute and my phone never stops!!
reputation is the way to go.

 

[enduro]

Very good post.

 

[crazysteve123]

Good advise

 

[Dan]

Very good advice Dan,
i'm on a great roll of work at the minute and my phone never stops!!
reputation is the way to go.

Very good post.

Good advise

Thanks. I wish the thank button was here now

I'll have to get that installed again hey? lol

 

[DHTiling]

Thanks. I wish the thank button was here now

I'll have to get that installed again hey? lol

YES!! you should.......

 

[mikethetile]

thanks for this post dan, i feel it should rise to the top again for newer members to read

i had sort of worked this out earlier this year when i spent time thinking over previous years and how i ended up with no work.........first time since being in business

i considered lost oppurtunites and how i was going to build the business i wanted rather than just reacting to work coming in

i found the two level pricing helpfull and a clever bit of marketing

if they want a cheap job they can have one or they can have a pucker job for not much more money.............i know what i would choose

i find well paid jobs that i can take the time to do a perfect job are enjoyable

i hate working on a tight price

so thanks again for a great thread

 

[cttopman]

very good info

 

[UKTT Darren]

Try and give them the price there and then, rather than getting back to them later, you can see their body language at whether they like the price or not, if not you are there to jusyify why your price is more expensive, ask them if its a like for like, ie is the other estimate useing the same grade of ply, adhesives , services, preparation etc, if not sell yourself with your knowledge, if you are not there youve had it.
Ive just put a similar post linked to this in the courses section about importance of selling

 

[cornish_crofter]

With some simple jobs, some customers will just go for the cheapest. I wired in a cooker at a village hall a few days ago as a favour for a friend, and saw the quality of workmanship in the newly fitted kitchen.

The kitchen units came from Howdens and were good quality, and well fitted. Then there was the tiling. It was awful!

There must have been about 8 m squared of splashback all done in 6x6 tiles, so not the most challenging of jobs on the planet. I have never seen such a lashup in all my life. There was more lippage than Mick Jagger, the grout lines didn't line up from one tile to the next, the chimps responsible managed to stagger the tiles in a random fasion, not sure how. It was a bloody joke!

I mentioned to my mate about the tiling, he was the QS for the job. He laughed and said "Well that's what the client gets when they only allocate £100 for the lot!"

 

[UKTT Darren]

Its a joke, still some people are adament that they are looking for the cheepest, the results are above when you pay cheep money, you get a crap job

 

[garretridge]

i have this problem quite a bit at the moment quoting reasonable prices and still not getting the work had to drop prices a little to get the work .i had to go to a botched job two weeks ago and fix a complete disaster tiles were put on without using spacers they were touching in places the border was sitting proud in places as much as 5mm she said he was the cheapest price £8 a sq mitre so i went with him. she now realises that was a mistake and is paying me the right money to fix it, people need to get real they need to pay a fair wage fo a professional job no tiler getting paid £8 a mitre will have any interest in there work! :mad2: hows business darren hope to get back over soon for the plastering course! Ian -tiling solutions!