Bazdaa said:
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?