part P (dobbing someone in)

[Bazdaa]

I have also ove the years found myself in a possition of having 20 - 30 good customers who trust what I do & charge and I don't run around loads doing quotations.

Are you telling me. People let you work, and then present them with a bill afterwards. With no idea of how much its gonna cost?

Bazdaa

 

[Softus]

OK, lets walk this through!

Er, what?!

After someone has seen your ad or been recommended to you. How does the client find out how much the work should or will cost i.e. a quote. [edited to correct an error in the quote delimiters.

I'm not advocating that everyone does what I do - I was offering to pk1was an alternative to thinking that he has to report cowboys, and pointing out that quoting is not the be and end all to doing business.

Not quite sure why you're pursuing this with me, but, since you ask, I don't advertise, because I already have more work than I can possibly do. And I don't quote because I don't have to - it just isn't part of the service that I offer. But that's just me.

 

[Bazdaa]

OK, lets walk this through!

Er, what?!

After someone has seen your ad or been recommended to you. How does the client find out how much the work should or will cost i.e. a quote.

I'm not advocating that everyone does what I do - I was offering to pk1was an alternative to thinking that he has to report cowboys, and pointing out that quoting is not the be and end all to doing business.

Not quite sure why you're pursuing this with me, but, since you ask, I don't advertise, because I already have more work than I can possibly do. And I don't quote because I don't have to - it just isn't part of the service that I offer. But that's just me.

I am just asking you a question, about how someone gets around not having to quote for work. But seeing as I dont want to upset you, I'll drop it.

Bazdaa

 

[slippyr4]

He is going to build an extension and thinks a new consumer unit is a good idea to be starting with.

I'd start with foundations, personally.

 

[Softus]

I am just asking you a question, about how someone gets around not having to quote for work. But seeing as I dont want to upset you, I'll drop it.

If I were upset, you'd know about it, I can assure you.

The way to "get around" quoting, is to say to people "I don't quote". Easy peasy. I have a minimum fee, which is for two hours labour, which I clearly explain, and for those jobs that are likely to take less than two hours the cost is therefore known up front.

My reasons for not quoting are:

1. I'd get less work done, and therefore satisfy fewer customers.
2. The time is not chargeable, because nobody wants to pay for time spent on paperwork.
3. The quote would have to include some contigency for unforseeable problems.
4. The quote wouldn't include any of the extras that customers think of as the job progresses.

If someone wants a quote then I tell them, nicely, that I don't want the work. Usually they ask me to do the job anyway, sometimes after getting a quote from some dodgy-looking t*sser who thinks they can win the job on price. My company brand is quality, reliability, and fair pricing. Occasionally, I give away time, when I feel I've been slow or made a mistake.

Now then, I do understand that my customer base no longer includes people who like to be given quotes. Well that's fine by me, because most of those are funny b*ggers who have difficulty spending money on a job well done. But every new customer is someone to whom I've been recommended, and that's the only kind of work I take on. Just because I work in a service industry doesn't mean that I let my customers dictate my terms of business - it's quite the opposite. Arrogant? Perhaps. Businesslike and professional? Certainly.

The last quote I did was necessary because the customer needed to claim from their insurance company, and I did it on the understanding that I would be given the work. I didn't hear from them for six months. Perhaps I was naive, but when I contacted them they ignored me. When I pursued them it turned out that they had taken the insurance money and done the job themselves. Naturally I billed them for a callout, and, naturally, because resistance was futile, they paid.

Does this answer your question?

 

[Softus]

Are you telling me. People let you work, and then present them with a bill afterwards. With no idea of how much its gonna cost?

It's not obvious whether you're missing the point, or being deliberately obtuse.

There's a difference between "giving an idea", and quoting. A quotation is a legally recognised term. It's an invitation to treat - subsequent acceptance of an offer to pay the quoted amount forms a binding contract, and the price is therefore fixed. It's rather too easy to make losses in such a contract, and this is a very good way to go out of business.

Naturally people want an idea of cost, and this is cheap and easy to provide. Based on a declared hourly rate, and an estimate of time, the arithmetic is requires only primary school training. Note - an estimate is exactly that, and cost is not a legally binding term. I always give a range - best case and worst case. Then people know where they are. Managing customer expectation is all part of the job - if you don't do it then you're just doing a trade, not running a business.

 

[Bazdaa]

Are you telling me. People let you work, and then present them with a bill afterwards. With no idea of how much its gonna cost?

It's not obvious whether you're missing the point, or being deliberately obtuse.

There's a difference between "giving an idea", and quoting. A quotation is a legally recognised term. It's an invitation to treat - subsequent acceptance of an offer to pay the quoted amount forms a binding contract, and the price is therefore fixed. It's rather too easy to make losses in such a contract, and this is a very good way to go out of business.

Naturally people want an idea of cost, and this is cheap and easy to provide. Based on a declared hourly rate, and an estimate of time, the arithmetic is requires only primary school training. Note - an estimate is exactly that, and cost is not a legally binding term. I always give a range - best case and worst case. Then people know where they are. Managing customer expectation is all part of the job - if you don't do it then you're just doing a trade, not running a business.

Believe it or not Softus, I'm not taking the mick.


I think this is just about words at the end of the day, as your quote is my estimate or your estimate is your estimate!

Call it honour or whatever, but I am a man of my word and expect others to be as well (stay with me). The quotes that I receive are mostly verbal and agreed on the spot, depending upon the relationship! Now that you have clarified your answer, I understand and can agree with you. My decorator/handyman always gives me estimates and always overshoots by a day. So now I just factor that in, as he's good, trustworthy and reliable.

From a client point of you, theres nothing better than word of mouth.

P.S. I always advise my trades people, that if you find something. Please do not cover it up. Let me know what the problem is, so that it can be corrected properly. Should I find that you botch a job, then that will be the last one you ghet from me and my contacts (Your loss not mine).

Bazdaa

 

[Softus]

Hi Bazdaa

I can see that we're 'singing from the same songsheet', which is cool

Cheers
S.

 

[baldelectrician]

softus

I give free verbal quotes, which I stick to 99% of the time. I survey job and give price, If i am not competent enough to correctly estimate my time why should the customer suffer?

For bigger jobs wher go ahead has been given I put it down on paper (there and then) and detail all works included. Put price in and take deposit (materials etc), with receipt.

Customer signs copy, I keep copy all are happy.

For written quotes (insurance works) I charge £50.00, which will be deducted from job if I do it, this is told up front and customer has to agree prior to quote.

 

[Softus]

I give free verbal quotes, which I stick to 99% of the time. I survey job and give price, If i am not competent enough to correctly estimate my time why should the customer suffer?

Er, what?! Who suggested that you were incompetent? Where did you get the idea of suffering from?

For bigger jobs wher go ahead has been given I put it down on paper (there and then) and detail all works included. Put price in and take deposit (materials etc), with receipt.

Customer signs copy, I keep copy all are happy.

For written quotes (insurance works) I charge £50.00, which will be deducted from job if I do it, this is told up front and customer has to agree prior to quote.

If that works for you then great. You give quotes, I don't give quotes. Why is this so hard to grasp?

 

[confidentincompetent]

.
and it needed 25m of 6mm t+e.

25mt of 6mm for a shower! Should that be 10mm at least ? for such a length.

 

[Bazdaa]

I give free verbal quotes, which I stick to 99% of the time. I survey job and give price, If i am not competent enough to correctly estimate my time why should the customer suffer?

Er, what?! Who suggested that you were incompetent? Where did you get the idea of suffering from?

For bigger jobs wher go ahead has been given I put it down on paper (there and then) and detail all works included. Put price in and take deposit (materials etc), with receipt.

Customer signs copy, I keep copy all are happy.

For written quotes (insurance works) I charge £50.00, which will be deducted from job if I do it, this is told up front and customer has to agree prior to quote.

If that works for you then great. You give quotes, I don't give quotes. Why is this so hard to grasp?

Strictly from a client point of view.

When I had my whole house re-plumbed, I had a free written quote sent to me which was accepted. I did not pay a deposit or anything else until about a week later after work was well under way and the plumber requested some funds to cover materials. This was fine and I paid. However there was no way that 1) I was going to pay for a quote and 2) I was parting with any money up front.

When the plumber comes to do small jobs for me, the job is normally discussed verbally and approved on the spot.

I am currently arranging a quote for some building work, that needs to be completed at a property. I am expecting this work to come to 2K, and I will no way pay for a quote. The aim of business is to make money, and I can take my business elsewhere!

Remember, soe things suit some people, and some things suit others. There is no right or wrong way. Just what works for YOU.

P.S. I used the plumber 10 years ago, and searched hig and low to find him again, because he is good, reliable and trustworthy.

Bazdaa

Bazdaa

 

[slippyr4]

Speaking as a customer, I'd need a quote from a tradesman before work started- mainly to know I can afford it.

But, I'd understand if the cost ended up going up- if there were unforseen problems - (eg, CU change but testing of the circuits uncovers some odd stuff which needs correcting).

I guess some customers regard a quote as a final price- they're the ones you want to steer clear of because you can easily lose money.

 

[Softus]

Speaking as a customer, I'd need a quote from a tradesman before work started- mainly to know I can afford it.

But, I'd understand if the cost ended up going up- if there were unforseen problems - (eg, CU change but testing of the circuits uncovers some odd stuff which needs correcting).

I guess some customers regard a quote as a final price- they're the ones you want to steer clear of because you can easily lose money.

All users of English and English Law regard a quotation as the final price, because that's what "quotation" means. I think you're using the word "quote" when you mean "estimate".

If you were a customer who had used me before, then you would not need a quote - this is the reality of my day-to-day business. I. Don't. Give. Quotes.

If you were adressing someone else on this topic, instead of me, then I may have jumped in, in which case please ignore this post, but you weren't specific...