electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
Nobody, that's the point nobody here seems to be able to understand for some reason.
For such a big group of know it alls you'd think they'd be able to grasp such a simple concept. :grin:
rock bottom---NO WORK--
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Nobody, that's the point nobody here seems to be able to understand for some reason.
For such a big group of know it alls you'd think they'd be able to grasp such a simple concept. :grin:
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
I think this is an awesome idea, especially for those who do not like cold calling their customers...that would be me.
Note:
Depending on the state, I do not believe it is permissible to enter ones property and leave soliciting items. You should check up on that first. Mailing is fine.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Yeah, we must all be lying or just not trying to find work.
I am not crying, it goes with the job I chose. But it is frustrating that people not experiencing the same thing seem to feel it is just a matter of us getting up off our rear and applying ourselves.
Maybe Tony is right, we should all become Nurses' :roll:
- Location
- Massachusetts
MA is a pretty small state so keep that in mind when taking a look at these numbers
http://thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=15&ArticleID=691&TM=72849.77
http://thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=15&ArticleID=691&TM=72849.77
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
Prepare for annoyingly wordy post......
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
These are my final thoughts. I’d like to clear up any confusion. This thread has gone all over the place and there is a lot I agree with from the “opposing side”. However those things that I agree with may not apply at this time. They are all based on certain assumptions, the main one being that there is plenty of work to go around. There is not and that affects everything that has been discussed here.
Before you blame me for not going out and getting the work, I know you will, I have done everything that has been suggested, and then some, many, many times. I have made the efforts, I am making the efforts. The fact is there is little work to get. Those that are vying for what work there is are many. It really is a “buyers market”.
From where I sit I can see a Ford dealership. Sitting on the lot is a local ECs truck that was just traded in. He gave up and fortunately for him he found a Municipal job. This is not uncommon. Guys are disappearing all over. Sure it’s thinning the herd, a good thing, but it is also an indicator of how little work there is. There is not enough work to go around.
There was a newspaper report on county wide single family home starts in the local paper last week. I don’t remember the numbers so I won’t use any but I do remember that it was startling to see how far we’ve fallen in a few years.
As for myself, I am not a trunk slammer lowball hack just whoreing myself out. I do not operate as an under cutter. Never have. I have been flying solo for over 15 years. I have done well. I know what I am doing, what works, how to get customers, and I am as honest, loyal and trustworthy as they come.
I am strongly in favor of pricing things so as to make as mush as I can. If there are people willing to pay I am willing to work. I do not wish to be the lowest price guy, and never have. A few jobs from the past week, 100 amp easy 5 hour service change $1500.00. Install generator interlock on panel, wire inlet box in garage, make up gen cord, 2 hours 800.00. Replace doorbell at house around the corner $125.00. Check electric heat, advise stab in panel corroded and burnt panel needs replacement $125.00 for service call. Replace 100 amp FPE panel with new panel, install interlock kit, generator inlet, make up gen cord, 3.5 hours $1350.00. etc……That was all I did last week. At the same time the number of people price shopping and deciding to hold of on the work because they don’t want to spend the money right now, far outweigh the jobs that are going through. This week I am doing nothing. No joke. I have not 1 job to go to, but my yard will be clean.
The bottom line is this; I have to work to earn money to pay the bills. The business bills MUST be paid no matter what. The personal bills MUST be paid no matter what. If this means doing work for less than I would normally do it for than so be it. As long as costs are covered I am still ahead in the game.
So, let’s say I get a call from somebody that needs a service change, this service change in my eyes is priced at $2,000.00. The person tells me they have three other bids of $1600-$1800 am I going to say ok, my price is $2,000.00 and NOT get the job. Of course not. I am going to say I’ll do it for $1500.00 the day after tomorrow. If that makes me a fool than a fool I am. But I will be a fool with a thousand bucks more than I would have had.
This is not gloom and doom, the sky is not falling, it is not a negative attitude. This is all based on fact and reality. The fact being there is not enough work to go around, the reality being there are more people vying for this work.
Ignore it if you wish and feel free to make your own assumptions.
Before you blame me for not going out and getting the work, I know you will, I have done everything that has been suggested, and then some, many, many times. I have made the efforts, I am making the efforts. The fact is there is little work to get. Those that are vying for what work there is are many. It really is a “buyers market”.
From where I sit I can see a Ford dealership. Sitting on the lot is a local ECs truck that was just traded in. He gave up and fortunately for him he found a Municipal job. This is not uncommon. Guys are disappearing all over. Sure it’s thinning the herd, a good thing, but it is also an indicator of how little work there is. There is not enough work to go around.
There was a newspaper report on county wide single family home starts in the local paper last week. I don’t remember the numbers so I won’t use any but I do remember that it was startling to see how far we’ve fallen in a few years.
As for myself, I am not a trunk slammer lowball hack just whoreing myself out. I do not operate as an under cutter. Never have. I have been flying solo for over 15 years. I have done well. I know what I am doing, what works, how to get customers, and I am as honest, loyal and trustworthy as they come.
I am strongly in favor of pricing things so as to make as mush as I can. If there are people willing to pay I am willing to work. I do not wish to be the lowest price guy, and never have. A few jobs from the past week, 100 amp easy 5 hour service change $1500.00. Install generator interlock on panel, wire inlet box in garage, make up gen cord, 2 hours 800.00. Replace doorbell at house around the corner $125.00. Check electric heat, advise stab in panel corroded and burnt panel needs replacement $125.00 for service call. Replace 100 amp FPE panel with new panel, install interlock kit, generator inlet, make up gen cord, 3.5 hours $1350.00. etc……That was all I did last week. At the same time the number of people price shopping and deciding to hold of on the work because they don’t want to spend the money right now, far outweigh the jobs that are going through. This week I am doing nothing. No joke. I have not 1 job to go to, but my yard will be clean.
The bottom line is this; I have to work to earn money to pay the bills. The business bills MUST be paid no matter what. The personal bills MUST be paid no matter what. If this means doing work for less than I would normally do it for than so be it. As long as costs are covered I am still ahead in the game.
So, let’s say I get a call from somebody that needs a service change, this service change in my eyes is priced at $2,000.00. The person tells me they have three other bids of $1600-$1800 am I going to say ok, my price is $2,000.00 and NOT get the job. Of course not. I am going to say I’ll do it for $1500.00 the day after tomorrow. If that makes me a fool than a fool I am. But I will be a fool with a thousand bucks more than I would have had.
This is not gloom and doom, the sky is not falling, it is not a negative attitude. This is all based on fact and reality. The fact being there is not enough work to go around, the reality being there are more people vying for this work.
Ignore it if you wish and feel free to make your own assumptions.
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electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
From todays Boston Globe Headlined..... "Construction jobs in Mass. at 10-year low"
At least read this Tony......
http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma.../16/construction_jobs_in_mass_at_10_year_low/
At least read this Tony......
http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma.../16/construction_jobs_in_mass_at_10_year_low/
ItsHot
Senior Member
- Location
- A little piece of heaven!
Hold on!
Hold on!
Just hold on. these may be remembered as the "good ole days"!:-?
Hold on!
Just hold on. these may be remembered as the "good ole days"!:-?
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
Are you saying it will get worse from here?
ItsHot
Senior Member
- Location
- A little piece of heaven!
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
Since it seems that there is more bad news everyday I'd say it is getting worse.
Rewire
Senior Member
- Location
- Lake of the Ozarks
its a big ship and it takes time to turn it around but we did miss the ice berg. I have adjusted to the market place the advantage I have is that I am not a one man show so I can do more work and my costs are spread over several men.I am advertising for electricians hoping to pick up some of the one man shows who are cicleing the drain thus taking them out of the bidding wars allowing me to upwardly adjust to the market.
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
Scott
The fact that you are upset with some of the responses is one way of showing how you are a "standup" type of guy.
From this point on, I would ignore this thread if I were you and move on to doing what is good for Scott, as some of the guys here complaining will not be paying your bills for you.
Yes, the industry as a whole is way down. There are always pockets in the industry that will be fine. Those people should be sympathetic, not creating issues.
The construction industry has alway been cyclicable...only of late it was a long time ago that we had a really bad time, and the storm we are in is not in full gear yet as far as I can tell. I see it getting worse before it gets better; and I see it getting better in a much slower fashion then before.
Good luck to all who need it and I hope we all weather this storm. One more thing. I also think this is a good time for the members of our industry to stand up together.
The fact that you are upset with some of the responses is one way of showing how you are a "standup" type of guy.
From this point on, I would ignore this thread if I were you and move on to doing what is good for Scott, as some of the guys here complaining will not be paying your bills for you.
Yes, the industry as a whole is way down. There are always pockets in the industry that will be fine. Those people should be sympathetic, not creating issues.
The construction industry has alway been cyclicable...only of late it was a long time ago that we had a really bad time, and the storm we are in is not in full gear yet as far as I can tell. I see it getting worse before it gets better; and I see it getting better in a much slower fashion then before.
Good luck to all who need it and I hope we all weather this storm. One more thing. I also think this is a good time for the members of our industry to stand up together.
What makes you so sure you're going to get the job just because you said you would do it for $1500.00 the day after tomorrow?
Some people don't like hiring the lowest priced guy. They feel more comfortable hiring someone in the middle.
Even during good times you here the same old story. I have to be the lowest price to get the job.
I'm not saying you should stick to your regular $2,000.00 price. What I'm saying is why not match the $1600 price but let them know that includes a lifetime warranty. You could also include a free whole house surge protector in your price.
I gave a price to wire a basement.
My price was around $5,000
She had gotten three other bids.
Contractor A: $4,800
Contractor B: $3,700
Contractor C: $2,500
Her exact words to me when I called back to find out who she was going to have do the work:
I got one low-ball bid of $2,500, and the other bids were $3,700 and $4,800. I decided to go with the guy that was $3,700.
Feel them out a little first.
Try asking them if finding lowest price is their only concern when selecting a contractor or are they looking for someone with a reasonable price that will do a quality job without any issues.
Plant a little seed in their head that maybe finding the lowest priced contractor isn't in their best interest and they shouldn't base their decision on price alone.
For me in Okra-Homa, I'd like to think that what we hear on the news today, will eventually effect, or reach me in two or three months. With that said, the stock market has had some good days, oil prices are showing signs of rising, its spring, and what ever effect Obama's stimulas's effect has on things, all of this will be surfacing as a positive soon.......Our pastor's message said yesterday to everyone, "Just Calm Down everything is going to be ok" "the sky is not going fall" then he asked, " has anyone missed any meals?" Dont worrry about what's really is not important....
This is why I say instead of slashing your price a $100 less than the lowest price why not just match the lowest price and assure the customer they will not find anyone that will the provide the same high quality service and installation that you will.
Why do we always feel we have to undercut the lowest price by a $100 or more?
The next guy she calls is just going to say he'll do it for $1,400.
Rewire
Senior Member
- Location
- Lake of the Ozarks
Four bids on a basement remodel wow things are getting tough.Most people I deal with don't throw out the low bid just because iy was low their are usually other factors involved.I have gotten jobs as high bidder because of salesmanship,I never waste time telling people to look out for lowballers and hacks I simply spend the time telling them what we offer.
Honestly things are going to get really bad.. Trades people like us will weather it a little better I think. People working at the lower end of the food chain are losing their jobs in droves. I'm looking at having a Mule'esque plan in place at the end of this next round of big public works projects. Once that stuff completes out in a few years it's gonna be tight. Without govt focus on getting many of the manufacturing jobs back things are not going to change any time soon. Green jobs won't cut it and neither will allowing business to ship every job out of the country and import everything. I knew the housing market would bust eventually but I couldn't see the big picture on how bad it would be. Trying to have more foresight this time around.
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
This is more likely what I would do in a case like that. I didn't feel like typing out a long scenario with all of the possible dirctions you could go.
I was really trying to drive home the point that if it came down to working or not I would cut the price to the bone if need be.
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