Short rant...

[dman0427]

Sent a bid to a customer for some exterior letters...
I'll paraphrase to save time...

me: blah blah blah bid is $3700

customer: we got a bid for $1900 can you go lower

me: Sorry, we can't go from 3700 to 1900... sounds like a completely different type of sign... hope all goes well for you.

customer: our target is $2900 can you come close?

me: :-|

Why do I feel like I'm at a garage sale?!

Is this typical of your customers?

 

[CanuckSigns]

some customers are like this, I usually ask to see the quote before I will consider lowering mine, I have yet to have a customer actually send me the quote.

 

[Marlene]

we bid a fair price, no extras, no padding and when asked we tell them that and so far so good. I think some just ask like you do when you buy a car just to see if they can get it cheaper. what bugs me is the guy with the ton of quotes who wants you to price match. every wonder why they just don't go with the lowest bidder and leave it at that? what do they expect that all the other companies will lower their bids and then what? I just don't get it. most of the time, there's a good reason why the price is lower like no install included, one set when you bid two sets, materials, permitting and a pile of other things. it's like they want you to do the research on the other quotes to see which is the best deal.

 

[fmg]

The world we live in. It's all about the consumer today.

 

[FatCat]

All depends on how hungry you are. If this is a job with good margins ask yourself "Will it kill me to shave off 5-10%?" This way you're closer to their $2900 figure, more likely to get the job without giving it away, and the customer feels like they got a deal.

As Gino is fond of saying; "Better to have 70-80-90% of something, than 100% of nothing."

 

[Jillbeans]

I don't see how customers figure that I can deduct X amount from a quote.
I figure stuff out carefully so that the client gets a good job, and that I get paid my hourly rate.
The quote they get is the best price I can give them without jeopardizing the quality of the sign or my integrity as a sign maker.
I'm not a flea market, an auction, or a used car dealer. And I'm not Walmart.
Haggling is not tolerated in my shop.
You get what you settle for.
Love....Jill

 

[rjssigns]

I don't see how customers figure that I can deduct X amount from a quote.
I figure stuff out carefully so that the client gets a good job, and that I get paid my hourly rate.
The quote they get is the best price I can give them without jeopardizing the quality of the sign or my integrity as a sign maker.
I'm not a flea market, an auction, or a used car dealer. And I'm not Walmart.
Haggling is not tolerated in my shop.
You get what you settle for.
Love....Jill

 

[SignManiac]

Unfortunately, today the sign industry is nothing more than a commodity and customers see us that way. Unless you do something to set yourself apart. Any idiot can hit the print button and that is reflected in the pricing you see today. Eighty percent of the people in the business today can provide the same crap. It's up to everyone else to offer quality and value. Just have to work a little harder than the competition and realize you won't get every job if you stick to your guns.

 

[anotherdog]

And yet you don't see people haggling at the checkout in Walmart.

I was recently doing some work for a caterer and asked them about people who force the price down. The respose was basically lower quality food and less of it.

I guess in signage terms it's coroplast.

I'm thankful that currently I can walk away from these people, and just curse the time lost visiting and quoting.

 

[binki]

Unfortunately, today the sign industry is nothing more than a commodity and customers see us that way. ...

I was thinking a similar thing. When the customer starts controlling pricing then that product is in trouble.

We like to take the profitable jobs and let our competition take the unprofitable ones.

 

[Billct2]

Wait...they got a bid for $1900 you bid $3700 and they respond with our "target is $2900"! That makes no fricking sense, they got a bid $1k below your budget, they're either a lying sacko'sh*t or an idiot.

 

[John Butto]

I like to wheel and deal with prices, especially if it is a lawyer. If your price was $3700 and he wants to give you $2900, just take off the leather heated seats, rims, no radio, no XM and GPS and that green color you have had on your lot for too long, and tell him $3100 and we have a deal.

 

[Jackpine]

Billct2
" That makes no fricking sense, they got a bid $1k below your budget, they're either a lying sacko'sh*t or an idiot".


Sometimes I am lucky to lose those types of customers. They usually don't get a second chance because I don't trust them. I just believe I dodged a bullet and move on.

 

[Jillbeans]

I agree, never let a customer dictate your price.
Their "quotes" sound all over the place.
It gets to the point where even if it is free, it's still too expensive.
Let the rabble fight for scraps amongst themselves.
I hate asking people what their budget is, because it makes me look as if I'm just out for the money, which I'm not. If I know in advance that they are looking for a $500 sign, I'm not even going to bother offering them a $900 sign.

 

[John Butto]

So you mean to tell me that everyone of you don't bicker for prices when an AC guy comes to your business or house and gives you a price for a new unit. Or you take the first price the car salesman gives you. How about if you see a price slashed on that computer you wanted, you go and buy it. Well sometimes you have to have "sales" to get the customers. I would not want to deal with half of you people because of your angry attitudes towards the customer if he or she tries to get a deal.

 

[Jillbeans]

I have never dickered with a professional I'm about to hire.
I usually do a bit of investigation beforehand with people I know and trust who have hired the same company.
But I do buy Downy at Walmart.

 

[Billct2]

I may get a couple bids from reputable contractors, make sure I comparing apples to apples, and then make my selection, but I don't then go to the top bidder and ask him to match the bottom bidder.
And actually almost all the contractors I have hired were customers who I trusted because of my dealings with then and I never questioned their quote.
I don't mind discussing pricing options but I do get pissed (but don't show it) when someone is obviously trying to scam me into giving my time away.

 

[John Butto]

try something new

I have never dickered with a professional I'm about to hire.
I usually do a bit of investigation beforehand with people I know and trust who have hired the same company.
But I do buy Downy at Walmart.

Now I see why you get so ramped up when talking about customers and the hack down the street getting the work. You should question the "professional" about his price next time and see where it goes. You might enjoy it. Or move someplace where you don't know anybody and see how your investigation goes on "professionals". Some of them have a hammer and rubber in their toolbox, if they cannot fix it with the hammer they %$** it.

 

[Jillbeans]

Usually when I get something done it is from a client for whom I did signs.

 

[Gino]

I bicker with everyone...... and everyone does it to me.

You have to feel confident about yourself or your business if you want to do it and get away with it in your business, but when you do it to others, you're only testing the waters for your best costs.

It could be the area I'm in, but like I said, it's like second nature to almost everyone.

I did it at Home Depot and got a tilling machine for around $175 less than advertised. I did it at Lowes for a garden tractor and the guy was willing to lower a price by over $300 on their ticketed price on a John Deere. I do it with my vendors to keep them honest, but that's expected when they say they won't be undersold. I just did it at Fellers about two weeks ago. I did it again with another vendor on inks for our flatbed. I did it for the bulbs in our flatbed, I did it for our Roland when we bought it and now the inks for it.

You'll never get something if you don't ask. It's kinda like you can't win the lottery, if ya don't play.

There are certain things you just know aren't gonna be cheaper, but ya hafta know what your product is and how you can maneuver your pricing without giving the farm away.

As for doing my share of investigation beforehand, I usually do that, too, but then.... where am I gonna get a better chance to find out if I can wheel & deal, then from the horse's mouth ??