Bid Responses

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Timpi Electric Solutions

Member
Location
Indiana
Occupation
Electrician
I'm a new business owner and have a question regarding customer behavior. Is it normal for people to offer no response whatsoever after receiving a bid that they asked for?

I've had several instances lately where I was contacted by a contractor to prepare a bid for a project, and have received no response in return after I sent the proposal. On two occasions, the potential customer wanted a bid prepared within a matter of just a day or two, so I adjusted my schedule to fit their needs.

I certainly understand that no business is obligated to accept my bid, but I find it very rude to ask me to bid a job and not even give me a yes, no, or go to hell. I just spent 40 hours bidding a store construction, bent over backwards for the general contractor after being contacted only two weeks prior to the proposed start date, and didn't even get a return email.
 
We get into this same situation with Arc Flash Proposals. There's a link on our website for arc flash and they come to my computer, along with others. It's like we're being used as the basis for the worth of an Arc Flash Study, and then it's awarded to someone locally at or around our price.
My biggest fear is that I'll get one, and that I must have missed something somewhere! Good luck
 
Joethemechanic said:
My favorite is the "Come look at our problem, Come up with a solution, and give us a price" BS. Then they hire billy-bob from craigslist to do what you recommended.

This is usually followed by them talking bad about you when billy-bob screws up the job.
Click to expand...
I like to be somewhat vague on the specifics and mention all the issues I've seen from handyman type jobs. My favorite to share is I did a kitchen remodel that was the second attempt and while opening up everything found that the handyman didn't have 3 wire so used 14 2 with taped up ground. Best part is he taped it up with foil hvac tape no something insulating. When they here this and about stop work orders for non permitted work things usually either go towards me or atleast someone else who's licensed.
 
letgomywago said:
I like to be somewhat vague on the specifics and mention all the issues I've seen from handyman type jobs. My favorite to share is I did a kitchen remodel that was the second attempt and while opening up everything found that the handyman didn't have 3 wire so used 14 2 with taped up ground. Best part is he taped it up with foil hvac tape no something insulating. When they here this and about stop work orders for non permitted work things usually either go towards me or atleast someone else who's licensed.
Click to expand...
He used the ground for a neutral?

I just found a problem like that in my own building. My buddy thats a HVAC guy works a lot here but lives almost 2 hours away. So when he's going to be here a lot he brings down a big fifth wheel camper and parks behind my building. He plugs into one of my outdoor 20 amp receptacles. It's fine when he's alone, but sometimes his wife comes with him and she tries to do stuff like run the microwave and the hair dryer at the same time..

Well anyway he wants to put in this 50 amp 120 volt RV receptacle on the back of my building. I'm like sure there is a three phase sub panel right near where you want to go with plenty of extra spaces. It's there for the welders and a big grinder but there were 2 single phase circuits for receptacles in it.

So he goes and buys all the supplies and starts to install everything. Next thing I know I get a call "I can't find the neutral in this panel" WTF there's got to be a neutral. Well turns out somebody used the ground for a neutral for the 120 volt circuits. Now I have another project to deal with. It's like a 120 foot run from the main panel and the conduit is too small for another conductor. Not to mention it's about 50 years old and I'll bet I won't be able to salvage the phase conductors
 
Joethemechanic said:
He used the ground for a neutral?

I just found a problem like that in my own building. My buddy thats a HVAC guy works a lot here but lives almost 2 hours away. So when he's going to be here a lot he brings down a big fifth wheel camper and parks behind my building. He plugs into one of my outdoor 20 amp receptacles. It's fine when he's alone, but sometimes his wife comes with him and she tries to do stuff like run the microwave and the hair dryer at the same time..

Well anyway he wants to put in this 50 amp 120 volt RV receptacle on the back of my building. I'm like sure there is a three phase sub panel right near where you want to go with plenty of extra spaces. It's there for the welders and a big grinder but there were 2 single phase circuits for receptacles in it.

So he goes and buys all the supplies and starts to install everything. Next thing I know I get a call "I can't find the neutral in this panel" WTF there's got to be a neutral. Well turns out somebody used the ground for a neutral for the 120 volt circuits. Now I have another project to deal with. It's like a 120 foot run from the main panel and the conduit is too small for another conductor. Not to mention it's about 50 years old and I'll bet I won't be able to salvage the phase conductors
Click to expand...
No ground for dead end hot.
 
A couple of times a month or so we'll get 10 requests to bid a parts-and-smarts for some building where we are the maintenance company for the fire alarm. These are all EC's bidding to one or more GC's for a tenant renovation. We never hear from them again unless we follow up a dozen times, so this goes both ways.
 
I just had one where the guy (a lawyer) breaks down my proposal in to what he assumes time, pay, and profit. His assumption of time was only off by a third. The pay he assumed I pay my mechanics was WAY off (low) and then throws $500 on top as an assumed profit. Just throw all the other overhead out the window.
I wished him best of luck....
A frigging lawyer.
 
Pat75 said:
I just had one where the guy (a lawyer) breaks down my proposal in to what he assumes time, pay, and profit. His assumption of time was only off by a third. The pay he assumed I pay my mechanics was WAY off (low) and then throws $500 on top as an assumed profit. Just throw all the other overhead out the window.
I wished him best of luck....
A frigging lawyer.
Click to expand...
Unless he's a one-man-band, he has staff, rent, utilities, office supplies, license fees, etc. to deal with. He should know better. This is why when tradesmen give me a price for something I either take it or leave it. I'm not about to assume I know how to run his business better than he does and try to haggle him down.
 
Timpi Electric Solutions said:
I'm a new business owner and have a question regarding customer behavior. Is it normal for people to offer no response whatsoever after receiving a bid that they asked for?

I've had several instances lately where I was contacted by a contractor to prepare a bid for a project, and have received no response in return after I sent the proposal. On two occasions, the potential customer wanted a bid prepared within a matter of just a day or two, so I adjusted my schedule to fit their needs.

I certainly understand that no business is obligated to accept my bid, but I find it very rude to ask me to bid a job and not even give me a yes, no, or go to hell. I just spent 40 hours bidding a store construction, bent over backwards for the general contractor after being contacted only two weeks prior to the proposed start date, and didn't even get a return email.
Click to expand...
There is such a thing as vetting the GC when asked for bids that require 40 hrs of your time and resources. We always went through some basic questions:
1) We have never worked for you... How did you hear of us?
2) Do you have the job?
3) What is the schedule?
4) Who is my competition?
5) Will I get feedback post-bid of how I did and a tab of all my competition pricing?

If I decide to bid based on 1-4 and then they whiff on 5...that's the last bid they will get from me. You deserve to know
 
cdslotz said:
There is such a thing as vetting the GC when asked for bids that require 40 hrs of your time and resources. We always went through some basic questions:
1) We have never worked for you... How did you hear of us?
2) Do you have the job?
3) What is the schedule?
4) Who is my competition?
5) Will I get feedback post-bid of how I did and a tab of all my competition pricing?

If I decide to bid based on 1-4 and then they whiff on 5...that's the last bid they will get from me. You deserve to know
Click to expand...
That's extremely fair. I'll be implementing this procedure from now on. I'm just starting out and simply don't have the volume to afford wasting 20 percent of my time.
 
Timpi Electric Solutions said:
I've considered making a portion of my estimating time billable regardless of acceptance of the proposal, but I suspect that many customers would then be uninterested.
Click to expand...
Don't plan on that. Offer a general estimate of what similar jobs have come out to that is dependent on a real bid. It'll weed out the lookie loos. If they are wanting to move forward then tell them that the design portion they will be paying for either from you or an EE. At that point you'll know that money is coming your way no matter what.
 
Timpi Electric Solutions said:
I've considered making a portion of my estimating time billable regardless of acceptance of the proposal, but I suspect that many customers would then be uninterested.
Click to expand...
Local guy does that he been ^%#7ing allot of people off with charging for bids. It should be included in you overhead.
He also forgets to tell them Untill he sends estimates out with a bill lol
 
AC\DC said:
Local guy does that he been ^%#7ing allot of people off with charging for bids. It should be included in you overhead.
He also forgets to tell them Untill he sends estimates out with a bill lol
Click to expand...
There's a bigger place in spokane amd cda that does that. The service call price is the price to have someone come out and say you need a new service and furnace. The number of sales they have is surprising given their reputation.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top