The gall of some people

[NoMo]

Probably a member here.

No telling how many times someone has asked how much to charge for doing some kind of tractor work and people here telling them to call around to see what others are charging in their area.

 

[Builder]

Call the guy back on caller ID and ask him if you can give him a price face to face instead of over the phone.

Probably some richy-rich lawyer scumbag.

 

[Gator6x4]

Get a phone call today for the business (sweet, money!!!!)
wife answers
Some guy asking how much for 60 acres?

We tell him
He says "thanks, I've got this job to do and I don't know what to charge"
and hangs up

a. I hope he's got a 5' cutter for that 60 acres
b. I would have called him back and told him 'well, you can make money at $10 an acre" and watch him go under

The unmitigated gall.

Jerks are ever place. I had a friend prior to retiring who ran a garage. A customer asked if he would try and locate a very hard to find part. He spent two days and many phone calls and finally located the part. Had the part shipped and called the customer. The customer came by and when told the cost of the parts stated " That twice as much as I will pay". My friend had only quoted what the parts had cost him plus shipping, no mark up, no locator fee or shipping and handling. The customer became vocal and rather than lose every penny spent my friend let the jerk have the parts at 1/2 half of his actual cost. (Good way to stay in business) Beleive it or not approximately 6 months later the same jerk came to the business and wanted my friend to order more parts,when told no-way if he wanted parts go find them himself, talk about un-provoked rage this jerk had to be escorted away by the police.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Oh sure, everyone does it
BUT YOU DON'T ADMIT IT

and it kills me that this guy gets a nice 60 acre piece and doesn't even know what to charge, and i'm running ads all over and they give the business to this dip?
I'm SURE he has insurance.

bahahahahahhahaha, not.

I've never tried to do an incognito price check. No need. I have a couple competitors that I sit down and have breakfast with occasionally. We discuss prices from time to time, but for the most part we base our rates on our experience, our operating cost and our desired profit, not someone elses prices. I'm made aware of area "going rates" from time to time when bidding work.

I had a guy try the same stunt with me a few months back. He was inquiring about mowing "100 acres". I later found out he was actually pricing a 20 acre job and apparently just wanted to impress me. He did. Just not quite the impression he was looking for.

And by the way, I got the 20 acre job anyway.

Stick with your guns and keep your business ethics intact. Don't stoop to that sort of tactics. You'll have a little self respect at the end of the day. What comes around goes around. Be an ethical, honest businessman and you'll get your share.

Make a mental note of his phone #. Guys like that usually come back for more.

 

[shvl73]

I like FWJ's attitude. When I run into a competitior, I introduce myself and start some conversation. We need more friends than enemies. Having breakfast with them, excellent! The guy you dealt with with was a bit of an idiot, most likely if you spoke to your good, decent competitors, they've also spoken to this guy.

 

[MikeD74T]

I do the same thing every couple of years. Except, I tell them right up front that I also mow and asked them if they would be willing to talk pricing for this area. That way we are all in the same ball park.

Cool way to do business, share the work, & remain friendly with the competition, but in some places that's called price fixing & is illegal. Be careful if you have bid against them on any government jobs. MikeD74T

 

[irwin]

In auto repair, we get plenty of "how much" calls. Some are shoppers getting an idea how much to save, some are trying to find out if the quote they got from another garage is fair, and some is from another garage trying to get a feel for a job they haven't done before.. The world is full of people - all of us trying to feel our way through the unknown. course we strut when we done it before..then a bolt breaks oops...

 

[AlanB]

Kind of goes along with what FWJ said, we have some folks that I guess are competitors, but I follow along in the Stephen Covey thought of there is enough business for all of us, so I feel like they are just folks doing the same job.

Anyway, some of the other guys, we sit down with, or bump into each other out on jobs or out shopping etc. and share info, prices, gripes and complaints a bit. We gain a lot, just by kind of "back checking" with the other folks in the business that we respect.

Then there is one in particular, that is always trying to impress you when he speaks with you. He has underbid us on some jobs and got them and just in general comes across to me as a sleaze when I have to deal with him. Of course, I found it incredibly humourous that we just re-did a patio that he underbid us on, and got,,,, Then saved the money in materials and site prep...... I love it when you get to see the whole thing all the way through, and when the client calls you back, and you have to tell them it will be an Extra $500 more then the original quote because you have to undo the other guys work.

Anyway, price shopping happens, and yep, that would be pretty galling.

I gave a tour of my day job once to these folks, and they were very interested in the "details" which most folks touring an environmental facility do not know, nor care about. Get all done, guy shakes my hand, and say's oh yea,,,, Mike, (a former manager who went to a competitors company) said hi, and said you would be very knowledgable in this subject.....................

They were bidding against us on the contract.

I was not a very happy camper at that moment.

 

[1bush2hog]

Move on -Cowboy - don't let it get to you because it probably won't be the last time it happens.

Like FWj said - stick to your guns and ethics and you will keep moving forward.


Heck I've even had competitors call me and ask me for my customers phone number before - talk about gall

 

[Dieselmh]

By the way. How much do you charge for 60 acres?

Didn't you read his other post? He charges $10 for 60 acres!