If a customer says they have received other quotes do you ever ask them how much those quotes.

Are there any unwritten rules about this?

No harm in asking.
They get them to play us off with each other anyway

Amazing innit!!!!

Who would have guessed.........................

Was asked to quote for a job customer said architects builders where about 100k. I went in at 119k and were in still in discusions. Gd knows how much the other guys really went in at but it werent 100k. I think thats how much he wanted to pay. I always make a point of asking, but take it with a pinch of salt. The figure quoted is gnerally what the customer wants to pay.

I don't see the point.

You don't necessarily win a contract based on price alone though this is probably the strongest determining factor.

We state that we will only do one job at a time and will stay on that job 'till it is finished. This alone has won us several contracts plus the way you present yourself to the customer.

They either want you or they don't, begging is not going to help.

Indeed theres no need to beg! However the customers generally go by price first. And dont take into account the service given, for instance i am going to be doing a small job approx 18k. Kitchen, bathroom, decoration, maybe flooring, i have had to walk the client through every step of the job with various discussions about everything so far totalling 12 hours, i have still got one final meeting to finalise, if were doingthe flooring and discussing kitchen taps! So far have given 3 revised prices, aswell as checking, sourcing materials that shes found in various magazines and her friend whos an interior designer. Probably spent around 26 - 30 hours havent even started. The lithunian builder that originally quoted 8k would not have spent this time with clients. A lot of time quotes arent comparable, unless theres a detailed spec.

My adverts carry a guarantee to: Beat any genuine written quote from any recognised company.

I can always beat other quotes as my overheads are (as a one man operation) way below those of companies.

When i was a sole trader life was easy!! My overheads are ridiculous now, i cant compete with a lot of prices. I gave a price to a client for some pointing on a paprapet ,it was in a awkward place had to have someone foot a ladder while i reached over. Then had to comeback a week later to paint some water seal on the said parapet, i charged £80 for the second visit and would have been there about an hour. He couldnt understand why he was being charged for a second visit as it was a continuation of the first job, i couldnt get it through to him that i then had to travel to him and from him efectively taking out half of my day for £80! Some people are clueless as it was we didnt go back due to this idiot getting involved with in a dispute with the next door neighbour regarding the paprapet causing damp and has called a surveyor. He may find hes causing it with his poor fibre glass roof, which he says is so great "its what they line boats with" he said. When i found it to be lifting i told him his boats sinking, still he wouldnt have it, thinks he knows best! He will probably get a jam role round to fix it for a tenner!
Rant over!

Ahh Jam Rolls.
A nice scrumptious desert.
Or a slow disease, that cripples society..............

Some interesting thoughts here. The reason I asked is because I always ask what quotes customers have received. But some colleagues were really surprised I did it - can't see a problem myself.

As has been said usually take these quotes with a pinch of salt but the majority of the time I can match these quotes. Having said that one I'm working on at the moment I'm still about 25% more expensive, so am assuming they told me a bit of a porky.

Would a customer really do that????

I Was out bid once by a jam role my quote was 2k to tile the floors and Walls of 2 bathrooms and he quoted £500 you should have seen the mess plus the fact when the lady td him she wasn't paying he threatened to slit her throat I had to go back in strip the tiles and redo the job it cost her a fortune and me slot of hard work the sooner these lot go back the better all round let proper blokes do proper work I say

Client asked to renovate a kitchen, put a steel in and tank under stairs.
Foriegn builders beat my quote by a grand. 7 week job then took 12. Not a happy bunny. The same client has now asked me to refurb the rest of the flat, from the original surveyors spec it was 40k job, creat new bathroom akeing the fat 3 bed! Client was happy and said he will book in from end of June! Had to make some holes for the SE then itvall goes t!ts up. Steels not going where the supposed to, surveyors spec. out the window. Job has now been reduced to one new ceiling, partial rewire and renovate existing bathroom. I am thinking of asking for a small deposit of 1-2 % once a date has been booked in, to holdthat date. I am going to make this part of all my future T&C's. Does anyone else do anything similar?

Works nw gonna start end of July, so need to get a months worksomewhere!

50% deposit makes sure things start right...........................NOT.

Tried various methods over the years to get free access where needed and it never works. Then you get moaned at in a few cases for overruns.

Whatever way the cookie crumbles its never right