How much "shopping around" have you encountered.

[nhfire77]

I got a call from a customer, they have a fire alarm in trouble. Sent out a tech, he found it was dead. Its over 20 years old, lightning in the area the night before. I was very familiar with the property, I knew what it needed for a panel and I knew all the smokes would need to be new due to compatibility. So I called them back gave them a price for a 4 zone local alarm panel, and 14 smokes. Simple job, 6-8 man hours to change out and test. They said OK let's get it started.

I call the supply house have them put the parts together to be picked up.

Two hours later, they call" We found someone else, were all set."

What the hell?

Is anyone in the northeast experiencing this, as I am, more and more each day?

 

[Sparky555]

Next time consider making your first trip to the customer for a signature on a contract instead of a trip to the supplier.

 

[LarryFine]

I had that happen to me while I was on the way to the job. I didn't lose my temper, but the customer (an HT installer I was doing a ceiling receptacle, lighting, dimming, and switching for) got a calm but good earful.

I asked what he would do if a customer called him while he was on the way to an install and said they got a better price from someone else. He said he had no answer, and I said "That's what you just did to me!"

I almost wish he would call me again so I could turn him down. Or, better yet, arrange a job with him, then when I should be on the way, call back and say I got another job that pays better, so I'm not coming.

 

[nhfire77]

Next time consider making your first trip to the customer for a signature on a contract instead of a trip to the supplier.

Yea I know that, its not the parts I can return them w/o a charge, its a condo association and the authorized persons all work 9-5, it was supposedly an "emergency" and I have dealt successfully with them in the past.

Its just the latest in what appears to be price shopping, we middle of the road for pricing.

I get a call about a job, bid it out, someone else gets it Then 25% of the time we get a call about the job not going so well and they want us to finish or repair.

Sure, then we get their business, but we have proved our reliability and still customers price shop everything. Its just unfortunate.

 

[electricmanscott]

Welcome to my world! :roll:

 

[jm1470]

I get a call from a lady she ask me if I could give her an estimate for some work in her house. I show up at her house, she needs four ceiling hang wiring boxes and switches put in. As I am talking to her she mentions that she had other electricians give her a price. For some reason she starts telling me the company names, she had about 15 electricians come give her a price for 4 ceiling fans. I couldnt believe it, as i am leaving she ask me for a estimate. I told her I would drop it off later in the day, never did and probably never will. :-?

 

[Sierrasparky]

Small jobs I charge a fee to come and look and apply it to the work. I don't give price over the phone other than the hourly.

 

[petersonra]

Local sales guy from CH was here today. Brought us lunch.

Said he is doing a lot more quoting than he was a year ago but no one is buying much.

Thinks most of the extra quoting is multiple contractors bidding the same few jobs. Where he might have had 3 guys bidding previously he said there might be 20 now. That means instead of 3 quotes, he has to do 20 for the same number of projects.

Said he is bidding some kind of retrofit at O'Hare. 18 generals, and most have multiple electrical subcontractors bidding to the GC.

 

[Rewire]

Alot of guys are out of work and more than willing to bid a single ceiling fan.