same job, different brokers

[tylercrum]

I have a couple "brokers" I deal with. One actually outsources the entire job to me, the other just uses us for installs. Both of them have contacted me to quote on the same job. I'm not really having a moral issue with it or anything, just curious what everyone else would do.
Do you quote both? Neither? Pick your favorite?

 

[rjssigns]

I would give both of them the exact same quote. It's apparent neither one knows you service the other. If by some dumb coincidence they found out you are still in the clear since they were quoted the same.

 

[DRPSignsNGrafix]

If there having you quote the job the same. Give them the same quote. If there doing the usual where the one wants you to do just the install. Just make sure the install part of the other quote is the same price. Then if they ever find out, your in the clear cause your price was the same for the part of them job they were having you do.

 

[FireSprint.com]

I would give both of them the exact same quote. It's apparent neither one knows you service the other. If by some dumb coincidence they found out you are still in the clear since they were quoted the same.

This is very important.

Don't pick favorites or anything. Be fair.

 

[WYLDGFI]

Ive had that same situation a dozen times. Dont pick favs. Just quote same exact way...pricing...etc. It happens enough, you know whos going to get the job...and you typically always win out!

 

[tylercrum]

Cool. Thanks folks. That's what I figured everyone would do.
Now just for conversation's sake, once you've quoted the broker(s), what if the end user contacts you directly?

 

[FireSprint.com]

That has more to do with your business model and what you consider ethical. Some would bid it again at retail, or even beat the brokers bid.

For us, we would just say we can't sell to you due to our business model and not give them any more information. If it was just the one broker, we would refer them back to that broker.

One easy way out would be to bid it ridiculously high so the customer goes back to your brokers.

 

[wildside]

Cool. Thanks folks. That's what I figured everyone would do.
Now just for conversation's sake, once you've quoted the broker(s), what if the end user contacts you directly?

i would quite the brokers exactly the same for whatever pricing scale you have them set at like already said

now if the client comes to you directly, you should not turn them away, if they approach you that is, never go after a brokers client, but if they come to you and they do not know your the "builder" anyway, bid the job at retail like any other walkin retail client. if you happen to get the job directly, the brokers are going to be pissed, but you will also need to inform them that you were approached outside of their circle, and that apparently they must be marking your work up beyond the areas market retail prices

we have had clients come to us after finding out the broker was just that and wanted to come directly to the people doing their stuff for many reasons.

we did not pursue them or want too as we had a nice relationship with the broker. when they called us, we bid it at our standard retail and said we were half what the broker was charging, which told me he was quadroupling our prices as he was getting 50% off our retail, i called and talked to the broker and he had all kinds of stuff about design fees and this and that. i told him, they approached us not the other way around, we cannot help it that your prices and lack of client services have forced them to seek other means of completing their work

he threw a temper tantrum, but am now back to working together again on the occasional job, we still inform him that we are not a wholesaler, that we give him a 50% discount due to him doing the selling, designing, and everything, we just build and he picks up

 

[Fatboy]

That has more to do with your business model and what you consider ethical. Some would bid it again at retail, or even beat the brokers bid.

For us, we would just say we can't sell to you due to our business model and not give them any more information. If it was just the one broker, we would refer them back to that broker.

One easy way out would be to bid it ridiculously high so the customer goes back to your brokers.

 

[Fatboy]

Which one of the two brokers pay on time?

 

[john1]

Doesn't matter, The jobs only going to one of the brokers so it's a win win for you in the end if your printing.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

Cool. Thanks folks. That's what I figured everyone would do.
Now just for conversation's sake, once you've quoted the broker(s), what if the end user contacts you directly?

Happens to me. As long as the job is still up in the air, you are under no ethical constraints to deny potential customers that find you through their own volition. I would definately give them the same retail price you normally would and if it's a better deal for them, SCORE!

 

[metrodave]

I don't know how you guys could quote the exact same price under 2 different conditions.
Broker A has you build the sign and install it
Broker B just has you install the sign he or someone else builds.

How can you justify the same amount of time to load the sign at your shop opposed to driving across town to load the sign at another shop and then driving to the job to install the sign.

Time is money, the time you spend driving to and from another sign shop and loading that sign on your truck must be charged out to a customer or you will go broke.

 

[Marlene]

quote both as if they were the only ones asking as they are bidding the job and the actual choice of who gets the job will be the end customer. good thing is you win either way

 

[Edna]

How does this "broaker" thing work? Our they just salesman and sell a sign without having a shop or equipment to do it?

 

[Marlene]

How does this "broaker" thing work? Our they just salesman and sell a sign without having a shop or equipment to do it?

yes Edna, they are like pimps