Just another typical GC thread

[sparky 134]

I bid on a Dollar Tree store and my price was $17,150.00. GC calls yesterday and within 5 seconds I started getting the 'slimey-used-car' salesman feeling.

"Who am I speaking with ?"

"Bill"

"Hey Bill, this is Paul from *** Contracting. How are you today ?"

"Fine and you ?"

"I'm doing well. Bill, the reason I'm calling is about your bid. Now, I'm calling four of my EC's and giving them all the same opportunity. I'm going to award this project on Monday and my price for this project will be between $14,900 and $15,400.00. So I'm giving everyone a chance to review their numbers."

"What was my number ?"

"Let's see.....you are at $17,150.00. My lowest number right now is $15,750.00."

I told him I would look at my number but I already know my price is lower than I would typically use. I don't have any plans on lowering my number.

 

[bphgravity]

Can you drop to $15,000 and still make a little profit?

 

[ivsenroute]

Very unethical for him to do that. He is obviously trying to get a bidding war going between electricians until he finds the idiot who is willing to work for beer money.

I would retract my bid based on that and let him know why. Spread the word to the other guys in your area.

 

[satcom]

Very unethical for him to do that. He is obviously trying to get a bidding war going between electricians until he finds the idiot who is willing to work for beer money.

I would retract my bid based on that and let him know why. Spread the word to the other guys in your area.

In our area most of us talk to each other, and if some GC tried that, we would look at our bid, and then most likely, jack it up a bit. Let the green guys drop their pants, and then we have a few less lowballers in the area, when they go broke. Funny how these national builders, operate, until they try to have sprinkler or HVAC work bid, then they drop their pants.

 

[macmikeman]

I always ask what they are able to do without when they try this. If they are bid shopping, they are just trying to squeeze for your bid to drop in order to jack up their profit, but if the budget is less than your bid was and there is a real reason, maybe they are willing to negotiate for less work(get that part in writing).

 

[480sparky]

Hire the low bid for all I care. I price my work to make money, not give away money to get work.

Hopefully, the low bid will still be in business at least until the end of their warranty on the job.

 

[tonyou812]

Very unethical for him to do that. He is obviously trying to get a bidding war going between electricians until he finds the idiot who is willing to work for beer money.

I would retract my bid based on that and let him know why. Spread the word to the other guys in your area.

the problem is the minute to tell someone they would probably just take the work to keep their guys working. Kind of like a Pac Man

 

[satcom]

the problem is the minute to tell someone they would probably just take the work to keep their guys working. Kind of like a Pac Man

"take the work to keep their guys working" When they do this, they are going bust, and don't know when the party is over, working to keep busy, is like borrowing money, to loose more of it.

 

[480sparky]

"take the work to keep their guys working" When they do this, they are going bust, and don't know when the party is over, working to keep busy, is like borrowing money, to loose more of it.

Some companies can do this because they plan and budget for it. They've 'saved for a rainy day' and now it's raining.

 

[satcom]

Some companies can do this because they plan and budget for it. They've 'saved for a rainy day' and now it's raining.

I worked as a site contractor for some fortune 500 companies, and they usually din't have a budget for it, but they used budgets from other areas to cover a short term slow period, and they were usually manufacturing plants, trying to retain skilled trades, not usually contractors, they may attempt to keep some key people, if there are contracts in the pot waiting to come in.

 

[celtic]

So I'm giving everyone a chance to review their numbers."

"What was my number ?"

"Let's see.....you are at $17,150.00. My lowest number right now is $15,750.00."

Monday:
I reviewed the job... I see I omitted an area....my number is $21,476.32

 

[480sparky]

..... but they used budgets from other areas to cover a short term slow period, ......

'Jes another way of doing it.:wink:

 

[hillbilly1]

The orange box E-Bids, Everybody gets the chance to low ball each other there! It's about like an auction, but the money goes the other way!