First year in business and just had my first digruntled customer

[Rewire]

are you kidding? A select few of you would beat that to death too......

Followed you guy's so called professional advice on a BID three days ago, with healthy markups, not a estimate, but a bid, thought I'd step out on the limb a bit, guess what? They got somebody else to do it for less....

So you found out your not the cheapest electrician in town. Of course I don't know maybe that is your goal.I loose bids every day to someone who is cheaper ,do I throw my business model out the door? of course not when I loose a bid I simply say NEEEXT..

 

[rt66electric]

same here

same here

I once worked for a trim carpenter(He taught be more about cuttin-and-fittin than any electrician) He said " IF YOU GET EVERY JOB THAT YOU BID ON---THEN YOU ARE BIDDING TO LOW!!

 

[Mule]

I once worked for a trim carpenter(He taught be more about cuttin-and-fittin than any electrician) He said " IF YOU GET EVERY JOB THAT YOU BID ON---THEN YOU ARE BIDDING TO LOW!!

Yes I've read on this forum, "If you didnt make them mad, you didnt charge enough".....................

Thats why I dont like to waste my time trying to get all the money I can. Others can, ITS AMERICA......but Im convinced, Im doing something right for the most part....I just like doing my business different. Of course there a few that cant stand it.......:grin:

 

[Mule]

So you found out your not the cheapest electrician in town. Of course I don't know maybe that is your goal.I loose bids every day to someone who is cheaper ,do I throw my business model out the door? of course not when I loose a bid I simply say NEEEXT..

Rewire....Im "here by" agreeing to disagree with you....can you do the same?

 

[emahler]

Rewire....Im "here by" agreeing to disagree with you....can you do the same?

Only those with no conviction, can "agree to disagree"

 

[cowboyjwc]

This really doesn't sound like a normal business transaction but more like a green kid trying to pick up a few bucks doing side work.

$60 doesn't sound like much now but it does equate to about $180.00 in todays funny money.

John for some reason you don't think that a company should charge this kind of money now for a service call and yet as a green side worker the rates were perfectly acceptable to you and should have also been to the customer.

She may have been right to question your price unless labor rates were established before work was performed.

Pretty right on, and again my price at the time was about $10-20 lower, maybe more, than anyone elses, other than another green kid. I think my boss at the time was at about $60 an hour. :smile: You have to know that I was only making about $10 an hour at the time and I may have been wrong, her bill may have been less, but either way $30 and hour was like hitting the mother lode. The numbers don't really matter, the moral is the same.

I had worked for her before and she knew my price. I think I mentioned that the reason my boss didn't want to work for her any more was that she kept doing the same thing to him.

 

[Mule]

Only those with no conviction, can "agree to disagree"

Nothing wrong with what he said at all, but it doesnt mean its the only way. I suppose you tell your customers right up front..."Its my way, or the hiway"
Bet Im not far off.....:grin:

 

[emahler]

Nothing wrong with what he said at all, but it doesnt mean its the only way. I suppose you tell your customers right up front..."Its my way, or the hiway"
Bet Im not far off.....:grin:

I bet you are right

For a particular scope of work, there isn't much room for discussion. They hire me because I'm the professional.

Now, pinning down that SOW is a different story.

But I was taught, and decided myself, a long time ago that it's my business, not my customers. And if I want to reach my goals, I need to control my company. Not let my customers and company control me.

 

[Rewire]

Nothing wrong with what he said at all, but it doesnt mean its the only way. I suppose you tell your customers right up front..."Its my way, or the hiway"
Bet Im not far off.....:grin:

What I don't do is tell them after they find the cheapest guy call me and I will do the job for a dollar less.

 

[satcom]

Nothing wrong with what he said at all, but it doesnt mean its the only way. I suppose you tell your customers right up front..."Its my way, or the hiway"
Bet Im not far off.....:grin:

In business it's not about someone having things their way, It's about operating and managing the business to produce eniough income, and profit to allow the business to continue, remember as a business person, you are responsible to many othere, vendors, employees, tax agrncies, then have eniough to pay yourself more then a a day worker, or why would you be in business unless you wanted a better then day workers income.
I think what some of the guys, have been thru what your going thru, and they don't want anyone else to go thru a harsh learning experience, so they are reaching out.

I would like to let you know what operating a business the wrong way can cost you and your family, but I have no tears left.

 

[bradleyelectric]

It aint hard. It's called salemanship. It's how to make a living while getting your price. If you'd rather let your customers dictate your price go ahead. Your a fool. Residential service is a different game than commercial. If you want to do it and actually make money at it know how.

 

[Mule]

Call me a fool, and I have nothing else to say to you......I've never treated you that way......

You have no respect for another man's opinion, only your own, or someone who agree's with you. I've always acklowedged everyone else's opinion, and giving mine, but obviously you cant deal with that if I dont come to your terms........

so, who's calling who a fool? and who is not? Where I come from, calling another man a fool are fighting words. Personaly I've never said that to another human being, and mark my word I never will.

I personaly hope you never reply to me again if your going to act like that, I have nothing else to say to you with that kind of exchange.

All this name calling, and brow beating, from a hand full of you is worthless for this forum IMO

SMOKIN............


Moderators???? I think there is no value in this discussion...Im done... Going to find a discussion that is civil....

 

[Rewire]

Call me a fool, and I have nothing else to say to you......I've never treated you that way......

You have no respect for another man's opinion, only your own, or someone who agree's with you. I've always acklowedged everyone else's opinion, and giving mine, but obviously you cant deal with that if I dont come to your terms........

so, who's calling who a fool? and who is not? Where I come from, calling another man a fool are fighting words. Personaly I've never said that to another human being, and mark my word I never will.

I personaly hope you never reply to me again if your going to act like that, I have nothing else to say to you with that kind of exchange.

All this name calling, and brow beating, from a hand full of you is worthless for this forum IMO

SMOKIN............


Moderators???? I think there is no value in this discussion...Im done... Going to find a discussion that is civil....

He did not call you a fool but was pointing out that if someone lets a customer dictate a price then they are a fool.

 

[Mule]

He did not call you a fool but was pointing out that if someone lets a customer dictate a price then they are a fool.

IF, and I say IF, thats the case, Im man enough to apologize. But untill then, Im done...

Rewire, youv'e given me alot crap also, I've had enough, you guys come from a different mold than I come from....

 

[Rewire]

IF, and I say IF, thats the case, Im man enough to apologize. But untill then, Im done...

Rewire, youv'e given me alot crap also, I've had enough, you guys come from a different mold than I come from....

All I have done is give sound advice based on expierience if you choose to view it as "crap" then so be it ,when you ask people what they think then you get offended when they tell you maybe you should not ask.If I ask opinions on a dumb idea and someone points out to me that it is a dumb idea I can get mad or I can change the idea,I come here to get honest opinions from others who are in the business sometimes these opinions differ from mine but I don;t call them "crap" I realize I can be wrong.

 

[bradleyelectric]

It aint hard. It's called salemanship. It's how to make a living while getting your price. If you'd rather let your customers dictate your price go ahead. Your a fool. Residential service is a different game than commercial. If you want to do it and actually make money at it know how.

No one?s name was put in front of this. If it applies to you it's not my fault.

No one's name was applied to this either.

I don't walk on water either.

 

[Mule]

No one?s name was put in front of this. If it applies to you it's not my fault.

No one's name was applied to this either.

I don't walk on water either.

So if the shoe fits? well it didnt fit very well?

However, if your trying to say it was not pointed at me, then I owe you an sincere appology,....Sorry, I just take so much, then I've had enough.

And you are correct, I cant walk on water either....get my underwear wet..

 

[growler]

So she ask me how much? So I said, I'll guess $1600 but reminded her that was an estimate. So she cried around, literly in tears about it and said OK as she didnt know what else to do.

When a customer ask this question are they asking for a ballpark T&M estimate or are they asking "how much" a quote.

This topic started out as a disgruntled customer and turned quickly to a discussion of T&M versus Bid work but the fact that the customer did ask how much suggest to me that she wanted to know "how much".

When I ask how much I really want to know an exact number or a firm price.

When the day comes that you can't quote a simple service change there is something wrong.

If a customer wants a price to do T&M work then give them one but if a customer ask for a firm quote then a contractor should be prepared to do so or simply tell the customer that they don't do that type of work.

 

[emahler]

Mule, give it 20 yrs and a few employees...you'll have lots of disgruntled customers

 

[Rewire]

Mule, give it 20 yrs and a few employees...you'll have lots of disgruntled customers

I wounder what a "gruntled" customer would be like