I have owned a lawn service for 35 years and this is very solid info. I go a little bit further by only responding to referrals from existing customers. Right now my current rates are $150 per hour myself and 1 worker. I might only get 1 job out of 50, but I keep them for many many years, usually until they die. I did it all wrong for the first 10 years. I finally started raising my opices and lost half of my customers ,but my profit margin increased 30%. Trust me, if you do good work, you will never get ahead by winning every bid. Try to price yourself out of business. You will develop a skill where you know the maximum a customer will pay. Take pride in your work and enjoy your free time. Bend over backwards for your customer……..ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR PHONE DURING BUSINESS HOURS. Strike while the iron is hot.
Back in 1990 there were no cell phones, no 5 star reviews, only answering machines and word of mouth. Your reputation had to precede you. I never advertised, customer's paid in full at the estimate just to book a date on our coveted schedule. We had take away skills down to a science. Custom, high end wood floor service. We stitched our brand name into their hearts with knock-your-socks-off customer service.
There needs to be more services and people like you. Homeowners have a long list abd it's expensive. No one minds paying more for a good service. But no one wants to give away their money for a bad job either. We needed an electrician and he said he would send us a quote, we waited three weeks, called him, he said he would resend quote, we never received it. He didn't have the decency to just say, this isn't the type of job that we can do at this moment. So the ball rolls both ways. God bless the honest, good people in buisness that at least tell you the truth and give you goid service for their services and at least return your phone call and let you know if plans change...people we know hate contractors, we are feeling the same. Word of mouth is amazing for the good ones who must tell you they are so booked up they can only put you on a waiting list and best they can do is call you and wish you luck if they can't do it...ty to all the good people out there, and shame on you if you're one of the bad ones...
@@BlueOriginAire Yeah and back in the day the customer actually appreciated your work, today not so much the self-absorbed entitled want everything for nothing and they bring that attitude to the workplace where service is lackluster and if you're not happy with it they don't give a damn!!!
@@imyourocd People buy People. They are investing in an experience. I make sure to make it memorable. 🎊🥳🎉🫶🏻 The competition ??? They couldn't even find a way to look up what any of that means.
I see videos like this and I think that the business owners forget just how many bad service providers there are out there and how often customers/homeowners have been burned. Some of the flip flopping you describe is simply because homeowners don't know if you do good work.
Over the last year, have got a lot of work done. Its hard finding good contractors, I didnt go with the cheapest. But when your upfront, im getting x done and have 3 contractors coming out what sets you apart? They dont show or call you back its frustrating then you the guy that was on the higher end and find out you didnt get all you paid for. Sales is part of the business be upfront, you win some and loose some be honest, why all the games. Oh yeah people out to screw you for a buck. I cant wait till the economy flips and contractors are looking for work.
@apersonontheinternet maybe back in the day my experience over the last year differs. Get 3 plus quotes go with the middle or higher. When I got the impression they were worth it, then end up with bottom the barrel workmanship.
It's a 2 way street. Each party has to be cautious and do their do diligence. I am always weary of those who try to pressure me into signing on the spot. However, I will never ask if the company is the cheapest in town because that is warning flag. I will let the estimates answer that question for me.
Homeowners absolutely should get more than one quote. Also, get pricing breakdown downs, know what you're being charged for materials and labor. Also, know exactly materials are being installed. Customers are tired of getting charged $1000 for a $99 toilet so to speak. People are more educated now than they used to be. So be honest and don't do anything you wouldn't want done to you or your own job. A more common scenario is get 4 quotes and 3 are $5000 (exactly the same), but one is $15,000. This is usually more in line with reality. You need to know exactly where the money you're paying is going, and what's included. We live in strange times now where contractors can charge whatever they want and find someone willing to pay. It won't always be like this. Theres a lot of BAD contractors out there. For a homeowner id always recommend hiring someone new to do a small job or two before hiring them for the big one. And never be pressured to schedule. Absolute big red flag.
The reason why it’s difficult is because people like yourself will always go and say “well Jorge’s price for labor is $4,000 cheaper than yours can you match that?” Lol
I wish I knew all this when I bought my house- I probably did it all wrong. Contractors kept ghosting us, and I didn’t know why. I had no idea how much most of the services I was looking for would cost, and often had to make quick decisions and ask for things priced separately when people came to give me estimates. I often told contractors I was waiting for other estimates, and sometimes I was shocked at the prices things cost. Angie’s List and Houzz might give you a ballpark, but it wasn’t terribly accurate for our area. And just getting people to come give us an estimate was often difficult! Sometimes we even said yes to people who never scheduled or never came, even though we didn’t go with the lowest bidder. Finding someone to do the work at all was really exhausting- we had so many dead ends. But how to talk to contractors so that they take you seriously isn’t something you learn in school. I wasn’t out to waste anyone’s time- it was more like I couldn’t get anyone to reliably take our money. I’m still torn between alienating contractors and just telling them the truth about how little I know about their business and what things cost around here.
I think I speak for all viewers when I say I do not appreciate you cutting the video short without letting us see that one last bit get power washed. Very upsetting 🤣
l think l speak for all viewers when l say l do not appreciate you cutting the video short without letting us see that one last bit get power washed. Very upsetting 🤣
With so much price gouging these days I don’t see why price shopping is frowned on. I understand being cheap is definitely an issue. But, I recently got estimate for an install of a small central air system on 1,100sqft home. The first company quoted me $20k for a pretty simple middle of the line set up. I brought out another company who quoted me $12k. The first company wouldn’t be transparent with their mark ups on material or the exact per hour rate for labor. They just want to wrap it into a single price and tell me I’m getting everything in a simple all on one estimate. Ridiculous. The second quote I got was for equipment exactly same as what the first company was going to install. The time on job would be identical. The second company who got the job was very transparent with everything. $8k is a huge difference. Both companies were certified and got their material from the same wholesaler. Simply put the first company nickel and dimed everything until I was almost paying double. Definitely taking advantage of me because I don’t know much about contracting work. I do however know business. Shopping is a no brainer. So I’m shopping around period. People are shady these days and it’s hard to know who isn’t screwing customers and who is actually out here running a stand up business. Give customs some slack, but don’t let them waste your time. Be a real professional and be fair. I’ll be hiring the second company again for another install in two months because of the transparency they had.
Yep. Same thing here. Shopping around saved me $4100 on a job that ended up costing me only $3500. I don't understand what's so hard about giving a rough price estimate on a job and moving on. I'm guessing the only people who are against this and pressure people into locking in a sale are the price gougers. Doesn't really speak well for this guy's company.
He’s not really talking about people comparing quotes he’s talking about “price shoppers” as people that have $50 in their pocket and want to see if they can get x, y, and z done when “x” alone is going to cost $750 or more. I do trees and i understand there’s other tree companies out there who may be cheaper than me on certain trees so I don’t expect to win them all. If I get beat by another guy by $300 ok. Cool. It’s the people that call you to come and check out their tree which is huge dead and over their house, it’ll take a crane, bucket lift and about 5 days (with just 1 guy). They think they can find someone to do that tree for $200 or even worse yet, get someone to pay them for the log, those are the people that get me irritated, and those are the people he’s talking about in the video. Not someone expecting to pay a reasonable amount for the job and going with “asshole b” instead of “asshole a”. I once had a guy try to persuade me that I could make money cutting his tree down for $700. I would need to crane out a 15k lbs limb that’s growing over his house before dropping the tree. Otherwise the limb will crush half his house. You can’t do it with buckets unless Eddie hall is standing in the bucket next to you and it’s only about 15’ off the roof so rigging it down ain’t happening. That tree would cost me at least $1700 in expenses, yet the customer is convinced I’d be making a killing cutting it for $700.
I think we're just talking a 300 dollar basic driveway cleaning here. If someone want to charge 1000 than kick him to the curb bro..unless tour driveway is 100 ft long or more and 30ft wide
I can appreciate your circumstances as a business owner, but as a customer I am looking out for myself and my budget. For as many ‘time-wasters’ out there, there’s just as many dishonest and disreputable service contractors. I want the best, most effective and price-competitive professional out there. Can I afford the best? Easily, but I am not willing to throw my money (especially if it’s overpriced) at the first contractor who comes along.
Then don't hire him? And it's not over priced, if your perfer quantity is over quality, it's on you, you get what you pay for. Clearly, he's having no issues
@@MarcoGarcia-bj2kthonestly with the dawn of the large companies that occupy a lot of the cities and surrounding areas around the country that have huge marketing budgets and can heavily invest and a clientele that has no idea what anything entails or should cost you see a lot of push-up in the price. If you have a largely ignorant customer base that supports substantially higher than standard prices beyond just cost of living and operational overhead then you get a really weird premium on services. Unfortunately, a market like that is extremely attractive to a lot of contractors and a lot of them think more highly of themselves than their skill set warrants. I mean you see it all the time with people and their over inflated beliefs in themselves. Traditionally you paid your dues, built your reputation, built your clientele pipelines, and you grew a strong solid business. Unfortunately modern time SEO and ad selling has made a lot of city markets extremely imbalanced. I mean the old-time SEO was A1 or AAA in the phone book. Google has gotten continuously worse and more people are having to buy into third-party services and give them a cut of the pie. It's just kind of one of the obnoxious things about living in a major market. If you ever have the opportunity to work with and befriend some general contractors, you can use those networks for recommendations and trying to find who does satisfactory work that is at least fair. My primary objective is that the job is done properly with a longer-term outlook in mind and I'm happy to pay a well for it. There're so many grifters in the premium services market that really should be budget operations optimistically. I wish it was that easy to buy quality.
as a customer, whose been getting quite a lot of work done around my new house, I do consider myself a "price shopper". Maybe we have a different definition though. For example, I had a few companies come out and provide quotes on new carpet for the basement. Is that your definition of a price shopper? For me, when I'm spending thousands of dollars on something, I want to know who is doing the work, how they do it, learn about their process AND of course see how much they charge. If that's somehow bad, please educate me. If that's not what you mean, let me know what a "price shopper" is using that same scenario. I want to be considerate to small businesses in my area but I also want to make sure I'm making the best decision with who I allow into my home to do major work.
If you’ve never had a business of your own you don’t know what he’s talking about. Some people will call you to come out. So you go and as soon as you meet them you know. They are talking about this and that and they got this quote which is so low it’s either a lie or some goof. So now you give a ridiculously high quote because you don’t want the job and if they take it great. But you know full well what you are getting yourself into if they do.
I can't speak for him, but we refer to people as price shoppers when they're only interested in getting quotes and not actually getting work done. They'll call several businesses to get quotes and then mention the price that each company gave them as well as the price their buddy had it done for, which is always an unreasonably low price. Advertising isn't free, especially on sites like home advisor or Google. I use home advisor for my business, when things slow down, and every customer they send me costs me a minimum of $30, so if they aren't interested in actually obtaining the service I don't want to waste anymore of my time on them since I've already wasted money on them. I have literally paid $40 for a lead, drove 30 minutes to the homeowner, given the free quote, just to get told "we aren't ready to start the project any time soon, we're just trying to figure out what the average cost is". I get Facebook messages regularly asking "how much does this service cost", as soon as I reply that I need to see the job in person to give an accurate accurate quote I get left on read. There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting quotes from multiple businesses, especially if you're on a budget or looking for something very particular, the issue is the people who waste our time and can't actually afford the service to begin with.
@@19amw87 I totally agree with you they don't realize that we have to pay for those leads and pay for gas to go and see their projects, and there is that kind of people asking for liability workers comp license certified and they want to pay a dam dime to get the job done 🤣
Kevin I agree your definition isnt a price shopper. A price shopper is somebody who gets a bunch of free quotes but isn't interested in getting the work done anytime soon. When people call me I wish they would just say that up front. If that is the case I just happily give them a ballpark number over the phone and I don't waste time driving over and doing a bid.
My husband just started a plumbing company and so far going well but we definitely get people who think they deserve something for free. My husband is an angel and gives too much away already so it’s frustrating when people think his time doesn’t matter. We’re learning quick, though like you can tell certain people just think they are more important than others, and seem to think everybody has nothing else to do but to give them free advice or numerous free quotes.
Just starting up my general contractor business and my three red flag customers so far are: 1) The guy who tells you he wants to spend as little money as possible and gushes non-stop about how everyone he has called has been trying to over charge him. 2) The ones who want you to give them a detailed material list without telling you that you have the job 3) The homeowner who is handy and is just paying you to do it because he doesn't have time for it. This guy will be highly critical of everything you do like he is trying to catch you ripping him off, and may decide at any point that he can just finish the job now that you have done the hard part, and decide to only half pay you. Not every former contractor is like this, you can usually tell the type when they try to hard to prove to you that they know how to do it, brag about their tools, talk to you like they are doing you a favor letting you do it instead of doing it themselves, try to advise you too much about how to do it. The cool ones are always the relaxed ones who are just grateful your doing it and leave you alone.
1) So finding the best price for your budget is bad. 2) Finding what they will be using on your lawn is bad 3) You make them sign a contract it must be finished from beginning to end.
Just started a landscaping/handyman business, and my worst clients are the ones that hover. I like it if they're available for questions if I have any, but don't stare a hole in the back of my head.
I think a hard part is many businesses structure their billing different. With transparent billing it’s really easy as a consumer to get what you need.
“You can find someone cheaper, you can find someone better; You will not find someone that does the quality of work I do at my prices.” Excellent video.
Alot of contractors think they know what they're doing. It looks good when they leave but doesn't hold up and you end up with so many problems you have to try to hire another contractor who thinks they know what their doing and dont have to live in time with their expert workmanship...it is better to do it yourself than to pay someone to do it wrong...I'm glad the state of pennsylvania is going aftef shody contractors that only take your money and leave you with more problems than you started with...i always check their buisness licence and bonding, reviews, references and get a written bid on job now and have found excellent people that I have and would pay as much as they ask for because they are worth it...and worth the wait if not an emergency...
Tire kickers🤣 true that. Used to run plumbing work and dealt with it alot. Starting my business this year and you guys(core 4)have been a tremendous help!! Cant wait ti see where i can take this new venture!! Lou, ky
Yes that is exactly what he is saying. He wants you to act like you are on shark tank and must accept the first offer because he is too invaluable and must be paid a fortune.
The standard at work is 3 quotes so I try to do that in my life as well. I don’t always go with the cheapest, sometimes you get a better feeling from one company and if it’s 10-15% more it is worth it in the saved headaches... 2x more though and your out 😂
Yes, 3 quotes is the standard for most companies. Anyone that tells you otherwise isn't a business I'm gonna go with. Typically I'll get 3 quotes and go with the middle one unless I can tell something is off.
3 quotes with sufficient detail to know you are comparing similar work. When we quote we detail each option that is included so that the customer can know what we provide and look at the other quotes to determine if they are similar. Some customers will still go with the lowest bid and that is okay; you don't want them anyway.
I agree. I always tell folks to get at least 3 quotes to get an idea of general pricing to make sure the contractor isn't trying to gouge you and to get a feel for the company as well. I never go off the "glossy brochure" presentation and all work must be in writing. I have questions for the company and want to see how they respond to them. I've been around this earth some time and can pick up on the shiisters. However, I won't ask if the company is the cheapest in town...that is a sure sign to them to be weary. I will let the various quotes I get answer this question for me.
@@Methodical2 Well I can see asking "are you the cheapest in town" to gauge how they respond, if you get a real BS answer then you know you will probably regret hiring them. Sometimes its just a matter of can I trust this person/company not how much it costs. I have learned this since moving to the midwest where workmanship is usually really bad and it seems like most are trying to rip you off.
@@mromutt If that works for you, go for it. From my experience, these folks are the nickle and dimers, nick pickers who want to try and add things onto the job for nothing. As the gentleman said, the cheapest is the DIY route. If you can't do it then you have to suck it up and pay someone, but getting multiple quotes is always your best bet to see if the prices are widely different.
Hey, I got a question. Now, let's say someone is calling and asking for prices. They want you. But being on a budget, they want to know in the intention to save money until they can afford your services. Should they go ahead and say this upfront? The point is not everyone is rich or financially stable, like disabled ppl per example, but they are understanding the importance of the quality of services you can give them . Having a set goal for the client can make a huge difference between going for you or not.
Owning a few service businesses from a dental office to basic home plumbing, pressure washing, lawn care and car detailing, I can say 99.999% of the time if they ask “how much” BEFORE asking if & how you can solve their problem, they will be a PITA. They don’t value your time, skills or knowledge bc they think they know exactly what you need to do w/o any “diagnosis.” Diagnosing the problem, admitting your limitations, and knowing how to treat it properly is 90% of any service business. Idc if it’s opening their main sewer line, refurbishing their their deck, removing water spots from their car or making a denture: it’s knowledge & skills.
You choose to be a contractor, so deal with consequences. Nobody will hire you just because who you are. People need to learn and get the best deal for themselves and it’s up to you if you want to waste or not waste your time. Personally you will get the hell out of my property with this attitude.
You learn pretty quickly who may waste your time. I’m an irrigation contractor & will often do a proposal for work, but know a customer is probably going to be a waste of time. After they receive a proposal they’ll ask for all sorts of breakdowns & if they can provide their own materials. Walk away, & concentrate on other customers.
Personally, I price shop, company shop, contractor personality shop, and ask for itemized quotes to weed arrogant contractors like this. The first sign of this type of arrogance, your out and on my "don't use" list. It goes both ways. Your customer is not subordinate to you! You wouldn't exist without your customer. As a builder, I've dealt with too many fly by night, half doers, no shows, and promise makers not to require an itemized quote and a contract. Each line precisely itemized as well as when each item will be completed, as well as a monetary penalty if not completed properly and timely. I am dealing with a customer who "trusted" a contractor to wash a block wall and build it a course higher. Yep, not a tire kicker, but she was someone who didn't check around and got hoodwinked by an arrogant contractor and has to hire someone else to complete the work.
You're the other kind of person this video is advising builders to pass on. You're not worth the hassle you unnecessarily create because you don't trust anyone. This video isn't arrogance. It's valuable advice for new contractors not to be taken advantage of, and hence, to be successful. (Now, feel free to be offended by a contradiction and insult me.)
Arrogance. Well put. I suppose that's fine if you have a full schedule of wealthy clientele, but if not, you're going to be losing a lot of work just because you wouldn't put in the basic effort to give an honest estimate and instead pushed customers away for price shopping. The fact of the matter is that the only companies who do this don't charge at competitive rates anyway, which is why they do sales instead of bids.
@@jefftrafelet6167 It's hard to trust somebody who won't just be upfront about the damn price. A business transaction is first and foremost the exchange of money for a good or service. If the contractor is obfuscating the price, then how can you expect clients to trust them?
Tire kicker. Hey great info. Sometimes just saying the points out loud is helpful to move forward. Your views helped put thing in perspective for me vs price shopping and vetting customers just helped me level up. The classic let me ask my husband or wife as a built in excuse is spot on!
People getting 3 quotes is advice for home owners as old as time, especially since the costs for some services are high compared to the time it takes and skill to do.
There can also be extremely high variance in the cost of a single job from one company to another. Last year I had to have part of my main sewer line dug up and replaced. The first company quoted me at $7600. After a couple more quotes I found a company to do it for $3500. Do I regret wasting the first company's time? Of course. I dry my tears with my extra $4100.
False. "If they are serious" Mostly everyone is serious about needing ajob done. Mostly everyone just wants to make sure they are going with rate that isn't the cheapest, but also not expensive. Cheap means crappy job, expensive means arrogant stuck ups, so its good to find that rate which says "perfect price and quality balance". Just because you give a rate over the phone and they don't automatically hire you in half a second doesnt mean they weren't serious.
Feel a bit scummy at times honestly. Sounds a lot like only wanting people who are impulsive and willing to make a split second decision, while trying to demonize second opinions.
I cannsee how it can look that way, but consider this. People want service providers to be confident in what they do. It's a sign that they're higher tier. Also, as soon as you let the wrong customer dictate what you do, they will take a mile and then you're really not your own boss.
When we became first time home owners, it took very little for me to realize that going with the "cheapest guy" in town almost certainty guarantees having to do the work twice.....however, shopping for price to know what the market cost is for a service is absolutely imperative....otherwise, how am i, regular Joe, would know if washing my driveway is actually worth $500 or $5000. Only way to know is by getting multiple estimates....only then will your experience and reviews speak for itself. I've got no problem paying more (in fact i refuse to hire the cheapest guy). But according to you, im labeled as a customer who's only looking for a price just because i have to learn about the service cost and performance of the service provider before i commite. Basically to sign up with you, you expect your customers to be your first and last stop during the shopping stage? Or did i misunderstand your message?
Yeah, imagine having to submit your personal info to get a price? They may be good guys, but hell… for all I know, the system my info goes to, could easily be in the hands of cyber criminals or future breach etc
@@ab0uts ...just like any of the multi billion dollar international corporatio you throw your money and information at like confetti... ...through years/decades of diligence professional contractors have built a reputation that doesn't require that require the trust of tire kickers...because you're not their client...
Idk it's a two way street in my opinion. I have in the past gone with the most expensive option remembering the old standard "pay for what you get" and still get screwed or unhappy with the quality of work. Also when a contractor is pushy on the spot is kind of a red flag to me. Also being the cheapest option isnt good either. unless you seen what they can do. Iv seen many contractors after a few bad reviews just change there company name. So I dont find it wrong to get more then one quote. Or ask questions like this. Both parties need to do there due diligence. Having an answer to these questions is just selling your business more in my opinion. The best form of advertising is word of mouth.
#tire kicker I'm kinda set back by this. I'm sure that everyone here "shops around" Unless your filthy rich and money is no object... this is a good way to completely lose touch with a majority of customers, especially in this current economic downturn. More and more youtube channels are getting this way. Without customers, you won't have any business...
This is a guy that sells a small business consulting course. He's trying to come across as the expert. After doing government contracting, I'm well aware of shopping around getting itemized quotes. If the DOD requires it, I'm going to do it as simple as that. Anyone that tells you otherwise you might as well bypass them anyway.
Dealing with ALL types of customers is included in being in business. You dont know if that customer is simply testing you to see if you stand out from the rest. My friend learned that the hard way when a customer called him out more than once about a painting job on the house... My friend simply dealt with him.. smiled, and did what he asked... This ended up getting him painting jobs on the guys 4 different condo buildings. The customer was TESTING him on his house... To see the reaction of him. Its SMART for a customer to PRICE shop... It doesnt mean they are WISHY WASHY as you say... It happens in all types of businesses. Its common sense to DO your homework as the homeowner. You acting like its a WASTE of time shows that you wont grow as large as you wish...
sorry, but no. For every unicorn that’s “testing your skill” there’s are five people dragging you along on promise they may have more work that they never intended on giving you in the first place. maybe my perspective is different as a landscaper with a lot more variables that can affect the time and cost of a job, but personally if someone is questioning, my expertise, asking for a broken down quote, or trying to shop materials I know for a fact they cant get cheaper than me to nickel and dime me that 90% of the time they were going to end up taking away energy and effort I could have given to clients who trust me and respect my time and expertise. while I can’t fault them for trying to get the most out of their dollar as possible, you have to draw a line in the sand, and learn to identify likely problematic people, so you don’t end up neglecting clients who are much easier to work with.
I've started my own cleaning business for cleaning trash out parking lots and sweeping so this will be good info. The weather is finally nice and I have business cards to hand out/businesses to target
I learned fast to charge a small fee for a quote, and if they accept that quote, the estimate goes towards the work. This shuts down quote shopping behind another contractors back.
Great video. Unrelated to the video, but do you guys plan to implement a self quoting feature similar to Responsibid, such as a customer can input their own information and get a list of prices/bundles spit out to them? We're keeping our eye on QuoteIQ but this feature would be a big selling point.
@@ForeverSelfEmployed Nice! Thanks for the reply. I'll keep an eye out for that as it would be great to have everything centralized to one piece of software.
Tire kicker. Any time I need to hire a business to do anything for me, I treat them like Johnnie Cochran, their time is extremely valuable and worth a lot of money. I tell them I'll work around their schedule if necessary and I won't beat around the bush. I go out of my way to let them know I value any and all time I ask from them. If I'm not able to hire them, I let them know asap so they can move on to their next job. If they are respectful and professional at that point, I tell them I will call them for future work, along with recommend them to others.
Great tips. I have owned my own construction company for 20 year, everything you mentioned is spot on. Time is money and we ask for a budget figure in our initial phone call. If they do not have a budget I think they are starting off lying to me. I know anything I plan on buying be it service or product I have a budget. I will be following you. Great job.
How can a customer have a budget if they have no idea what your services actually cost? Only a fool is gonna tell you a $100,000 when it's a $10,000 job.
Customers have a finite amount of money, and usually have few if any options for increasing their own rate of income generation. As a contractor I'm going to rely on a process I've developed to balance my finite time with a new potential customer's need to perform their due diligence. Every contractor claims their prices are higher because their work is better than those other guys, or that their prices are lower because they can provide quality work without gouging their customers like those other guys. New potential customers can't rely on such assurances before seeing your work and how you back it up.
I’m never going to take the first quote on anything major, usually not the second either, but by the third, I’ll probably commit to someone. Usually isn’t the cheapest and I had my windows done last year by the most expensive offer. I need to believe you know what you’re doing, you’ll do good work, and if you screw up, I don’t get screwed over.
Also if you live in a smaller town you don’t really need to price shop as reputation hold much more weight. If you’re in a city price shop because a lot of businesses are trash due to having volume.
And you think price shopping will weed out the trash, your so cute hahahaha , sorry no price shopping isn't going to give you a good business, just shoddy work!
Great video with excellent points. This happens a lot when trying to sell drainage systems. That’s why I have videos as well for them to see what I do and how my system will work. Some customers ya just gotta let go
pictures, videos and happy customer references go a long way... Ran into a buisnessman doing a job in neighborhood building block landscaping, I asked for a card and he wrote his contact info on a piece of paper...he does no advertizing because he is so good and booked up. He had an expensive truck and equipment but was the most down to earth person I ever spoke to.. God bless the good ones! and ty! The bad ones are why customers have to really scrutinize a buisness!
As a service plumber I deal with customers all day long and there is definitely some red flags that go up when I hear the question “well how much does that part cost?” Like if your worried about the price of the material as if that’s the only expense a plumber driving to your house has. Than you should know before I even walk in the door your already costing my company money. Like when you go out to eat do you ask your waiter how much your steak cost? Or when you buy sneakers do you write to Nike and ask them how much it cost to make the sneakers you bought? No you just buy it and are happy with the purchase. So why is it okay to ask a home care professional how much the material is? You know how much it is and you can own 20 of them but if you can’t install it how much is it worth?
You're creating your own problem. The reason why people price shop is because contractors are so oddly secretive about pricing before the work is done. How can you expect people to ever be comfortable with paying an unknown figure? Additionally, the reason why customers don't want to give you their address is because of a neighborhood surcharge. I've had contractors come out and double their rate for the same work specifically because of where I live.
Im 12 an run a pressure washing business in my area. I have made about 3k last summer. Any tips for advertising, as I'm a kid people tend to be like "Do I trust a 12 year old to power wash my stuff?" Thanks!
Get lots of proof of concept. Photos, reviews, word of mouth. People don’t care about age, they care about the work you provide. And if they see others have used your services, they’ll trust you more than if you had nothing to show
I’ve noticed customers try to bully small businesses a lot more than big ones. When you go to the dealer to buy a car do you ask them how much the door cost, lights, leather and everything else. Or do you go in there tell them what you want, negotiate and buy the car.
I agree with the majority of what you said with the exception to a customer shopping for prices and not knowing what they want. I’m an extremely successful sales rep and those situations is where I excel the most. You have a chance to properly sell your product or service and if you don’t get the order, you didn’t sell yourself right and someone else will take the sale.
True: ⚠️ Window shoppers, wishy-washy, tire kickers, time wasters, schmoozers, the chit-chatter, Cheapskates many many years as a high volume sales closer stay focus and on track people. I've learnt how to overcome these objectives during my career and now as a business owner
I remodel bathrooms. I started to charge for estimates. Home Depot and lowes charge. 90% of my customers are seniors and it's their second home. It removes the tire kickers. They all get my name from sold recommendations. My time is valuable. So Far it is working out great. If I don't get the job at least I got some gas money. There are no free estimates, someone pays.
Home Depot doesn't charge for quotes, they're free. They only charge to come out and take measurements on the project once you have signed a contract with them. I had them refinish my cabinets and I know this for a fact. Also they came out and evaluated a bathroom remodel for me and didn't charge. They were in no rush either to try to sell me on their services.
We go thru this every once in while, it's a bit irritating. So we always tell people of your shopping around we won't be the cheapest. And if your focus is the cheapest job then your not shopping for the quality we offer.
Asking for an itemized quote doesn’t automatically red flag the customer as “price focused”. Personally, I ask for an itemized bill because if I’m going to get fucked I at least want an idea of whats fucking me.
I second this. An itemized quote reduces the amount of surprise increases and also serves as a guide for reducing final payment if the job isn't completed. Contractors hate giving itemized quotes because it requires them to actually perform a detailed quote and there's less leeway to pump the numbers afterwards
This is valuable and real sales info. Spend time talking to people who are talking to you. Then disqualify based on your initial intel or conversations.
If I were to start up, what would it run me for entry "Just by myself" costs? I'm tired of constantly having to choose between being a "Yes Man" or unemployed.
being a painting, drywall, roofing, remolding, contractor, for 50yrs, i was lucky. my business was based on 1st rate workmanship, and repeat customers, i never advertised, and got 95% of the jobs i bid. if i never worked for them in the past, if they were not referred to me, if they start mentioning anything about price, bidding the job into segments, foreigners of any kind, it was almost certain i would not get the job. reason being, if you wish to hire a professional of my caliber, i am not cheap. never give a bid, and discus price on site, or you will get the old, thats to high crap. one time when i was 18, i came back with a, to high compared to who? well there was no contractor, it was what they thought it would cost. the min you start letting the customer determine what you work for, your out of business.
On a deck estimate years ago I spent 3 hours designing the deck which was to hang off a second story over a two car garage. It took some time to design a system. The potential client told me she was going to get 3 estimates and would let me know in a couple of days. People!! Don't ever leave your drawings or plans with the person. A week later I stopped by and a builder was using the plans I had drawn up!
If a customer wants an in person consultation I always charge. If they decide to go ahead with work ill apply the consultation fee to the work. This eliminates tire kickers and covers your time.
As a consumer it has always been the opposite for me. I can give them square footage, send pictures or whatever, hoping to get a rough estimate, but they always insist on coming to see it first, usually to try to lock in a sale.
Considering starting a pressure washing business, currently don't have a lot of money for equipment. Would it be wise to just service driveways and trash cans from the time being?
I am not in your industry whatsoever, but some of the same sales philosophies apply within finance. I think every industry has tire kickers, and in finance - everyone haggles on price. “Is your product/company the cheapest?” Definitely not. But I’m also not selling junk stocks out of a suitcase. If you want cheapest - there is far cheaper, and you’ll get what you pay for. But if you want value - in both service and product - that’s where I come in. Love your approach to not dancing around that point. Many do, and it’s sad. If you say you’re the cheapest and they find a cheaper quote - 2 things will happen. 1) they will fire you and hire them 2) they’ll think you’re of low integrity and tell anyone who is looking to work with you that you aren’t worth your word. Worse yet - you’ll lose gigs because someone will ALWAYS do it for cheaper. Don’t hang your hat on being the cheapest. It’s a losing strategy. Focus on being the best.
Price shopping is actually extremely important. If it's a waste of a company's time to tell me what I need to know, then you're right, that's not the company for me.
I don't even answer my phone anymore. I try to keep the voicemail clear for people to leave a message. But with Insurance companies and Google calling trying to sell me something it fills up quickly. I hate them. If a customer leaves a message or says that we were referred I will call them back and tell them how busy I am and I will call back within a week to schedule an appointment to meet. If I call back and they are still interested I'm good to go. Usually do the job. I have 2 crew members and they're churning out around $50k in value when I throw in and help them a little more. Commercial roofing, preventive maintenance and facilities repairs, along with shingle roofs related to real estate investors and residential rehabs. I will admit roof Maintenance is where it's at. Less individual and more corporate mechanisms in play and timeliness is important. $15k is a lot for a residential owner to kick out. Corporate and Institutions can kick those checks out like regular paper. 36 years in business. Keep your skill options available. Luxurious extras that customers want will fade during economic downturns. Maintenance values are constant
3:20 I came across this a few times on a side job I performed. I'm NOT in your field of work. On the second round of, Let me talk to my wife I told the customer to have his wife contact me. I do NOT like having a middleman, because I lot get lost in translation. My wife dealt with contractors for jobs at our home; after she receives the bid she does tell them she has to talk to me which is the right thing to do. After all, it's my money as well! After I look over the proposal and if I have questions my wife can't answer, I will reach out to the contractor. I understand the frustration.
Also beware of customers that think they know how to do your job better than you. In which case. Why are they even hiring you if they themselves can do a better job?
Been a painting contractor for over 20 years. This is all valuable information. While I was watching I was going through past scenarios in my mind about exact situations you mentioned. I have found with out ANY doubt the WORST of all #tirekickers and TIME WASTERS are Real Estate Agents. I would have to be starving to death to work for one. When I get an agent's call, I am always WAY too busy to look at new work. I bet there's at least one good one in every town to work for, but since there's countless agents out there, it's the proverbial needle and haystack trope.
Couple other clues. 1. In a hurry for a price. 2. Want a price over the phone, lots of times before you even know their name. 3. Tell you about how poor they are after just purchasing their home. (Actually, had a guy describe his poverty to me after just showing me the love of his life, his Maserati.) 4. As you mentioned, when they want it priced 18 different ways...run away. 40-year home remodeler here and just my 2 cents.
I don’t think any of this is fair. I would call for ballpark price to see if I can add this to my services I want done or spent on the house only. No sense in wasting your time so don’t see why asking is a red flag. Also him forgetting the name is an actual forgivable mistake, you have no clue what is going on within a families dynamics and why you think your name should be remembered off the bat is understandable. I have had enough business forget who I am why wouldn’t it work the other way. Any family would be crazy not to price shop, no matter how much I love a companies website, jobs etc, doesn’t mean I can afford their level of perfection. I guess it means you all are so sought after that you sign off any customers shopping. Just saying everything you say should be taken with a grain of salt.
I have a question what do you mean when you do a walk through around the property you make a report how is that report made and what other things can it be helpful for?
What about people who chase you down in the parking lot where you live and act all super interested in your services and set up an appointment to actually do some work and then when you call to confirm they ghost you?
Didn’t realize it was a crime to shop around, as a business owner yea I get you want to make the most you can but as a consumer you want to save as much as you can because let’s be honest you can always find someone equally skilled, licensed and everything for less even if it’s a little bit. So call me a time waster but I’m not just going to throw whatever amount you want your way.
Anything that involves prep is what people should beware of when it comes to price shopping, painting and drywall finishing, flooring and much more, the lowest price probably means they are going to skip prep and that is something you'll regret in the long run, hiring the lowest bidder is a bad idea
Damn i talked to him a couple days ago and he said someone reported his UA-cam and it was temporarily shut down i didn't realize his website was down .... He's building my trailer this is not good
Wow! Arrogant much? The customer is always… substrate. The reality is that there are so many scammers, slackers, and shysters out there, that any good consumer has to shop carefully for both quality AND price! It’s called “value”. Sure, it’s always great to have customers who have easy jobs, and fork over the top dollars without question, to have it done! But America is built on hard work for a fair price. Not just self entitled types grabbing the low hanging fruit. Grow some humility to go with that oversized attitude.
Maybe stop acting like customers are innocent angels. How many businesses used to have great return policies and now make you jump through hoops? That is due to people scamming their policies. People find all kinds of ways to scam business owners, while at the same time demonizing them.
Companies don't make you jump through hoops because of scammers. They'd just get a tax write off for that. They make you jump through hoops so you give up and they get to keep the money.
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I started blatantly advertising that I am not a cheap service, it immediately reduced the amount of tire kickers and cheapskates that called
This is genius
This is a great idea you don’t want to talk to those dubbs anyways
Did it impact your overall sales the following months? Thanks for sharing!
More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better, what if I charge less with better customer service?
Time saver
I have owned a lawn service for 35 years and this is very solid info. I go a little bit further by only responding to referrals from existing customers. Right now my current rates are $150 per hour myself and 1 worker. I might only get 1 job out of 50, but I keep them for many many years, usually until they die. I did it all wrong for the first 10 years. I finally started raising my opices and lost half of my customers ,but my profit margin increased 30%. Trust me, if you do good work, you will never get ahead by winning every bid. Try to price yourself out of business. You will develop a skill where you know the maximum a customer will pay. Take pride in your work and enjoy your free time. Bend over backwards for your customer……..ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR PHONE DURING BUSINESS HOURS. Strike while the iron is hot.
Back in 1990 there were no cell phones, no 5 star reviews, only answering machines and word of mouth. Your reputation had to precede you. I never advertised, customer's paid in full at the estimate just to book a date on our coveted schedule.
We had take away skills down to a science. Custom, high end wood floor service. We stitched our brand name into their hearts with knock-your-socks-off customer service.
yep and as the consumer I hate the runners and the doers as they like it, not how I like it.
There needs to be more services and people like you. Homeowners have a long list abd it's expensive. No one minds paying more for a good service. But no one wants to give away their money for a bad job either. We needed an electrician and he said he would send us a quote, we waited three weeks, called him, he said he would resend quote, we never received it. He didn't have the decency to just say, this isn't the type of job that we can do at this moment. So the ball rolls both ways. God bless the honest, good people in buisness that at least tell you the truth and give you goid service for their services and at least return your phone call and let you know if plans change...people we know hate contractors, we are feeling the same. Word of mouth is amazing for the good ones who must tell you they are so booked up they can only put you on a waiting list and best they can do is call you and wish you luck if they can't do it...ty to all the good people out there, and shame on you if you're one of the bad ones...
@@BlueOriginAire Yeah and back in the day the customer actually appreciated your work, today not so much the self-absorbed entitled want everything for nothing and they bring that attitude to the workplace where service is lackluster and if you're not happy with it they don't give a damn!!!
@@imyourocd
People buy People. They are investing in an experience. I make sure to make it memorable. 🎊🥳🎉🫶🏻 The competition ??? They couldn't even find a way to look up what any of that means.
I see videos like this and I think that the business owners forget just how many bad service providers there are out there and how often customers/homeowners have been burned. Some of the flip flopping you describe is simply because homeowners don't know if you do good work.
Shouldn’t be looking for the cheapest work if you want good work honestly sometimes they do it to themselves
Over the last year, have got a lot of work done. Its hard finding good contractors, I didnt go with the cheapest. But when your upfront, im getting x done and have 3 contractors coming out what sets you apart? They dont show or call you back its frustrating then you the guy that was on the higher end and find out you didnt get all you paid for. Sales is part of the business be upfront, you win some and loose some be honest, why all the games. Oh yeah people out to screw you for a buck. I cant wait till the economy flips and contractors are looking for work.
@@whoknowspodcast8533 Unfortunately you see bad actors at all price points.
You get burned because you price shop for the absolute lowest bidder. You get what you pay for.
@apersonontheinternet maybe back in the day my experience over the last year differs. Get 3 plus quotes go with the middle or higher. When I got the impression they were worth it, then end up with bottom the barrel workmanship.
It's a 2 way street. Each party has to be cautious and do their do diligence. I am always weary of those who try to pressure me into signing on the spot. However, I will never ask if the company is the cheapest in town because that is warning flag. I will let the estimates answer that question for me.
Homeowners absolutely should get more than one quote. Also, get pricing breakdown downs, know what you're being charged for materials and labor. Also, know exactly materials are being installed. Customers are tired of getting charged $1000 for a $99 toilet so to speak. People are more educated now than they used to be. So be honest and don't do anything you wouldn't want done to you or your own job. A more common scenario is get 4 quotes and 3 are $5000 (exactly the same), but one is $15,000. This is usually more in line with reality. You need to know exactly where the money you're paying is going, and what's included. We live in strange times now where contractors can charge whatever they want and find someone willing to pay. It won't always be like this. Theres a lot of BAD contractors out there. For a homeowner id always recommend hiring someone new to do a small job or two before hiring them for the big one. And never be pressured to schedule. Absolute big red flag.
The reason why it’s difficult is because people like yourself will always go and say “well Jorge’s price for labor is $4,000 cheaper than yours can you match that?” Lol
Customers who want to save money can always have a go themselves,
Nobody questions Amazon and Starbucks profit margins do they ??
@@anthonygreenwood4486🎯
I've been in business for 30 years, the amount of nutters, weirdos and time wasters in society is astonishing
Weirdos are fine.
It is the nutters and cheapskate that are the issue.
Everyone does price shopping. You do too.
Yes, and that goes for bad people we hire in buisness too!
I wish I knew all this when I bought my house- I probably did it all wrong. Contractors kept ghosting us, and I didn’t know why. I had no idea how much most of the services I was looking for would cost, and often had to make quick decisions and ask for things priced separately when people came to give me estimates. I often told contractors I was waiting for other estimates, and sometimes I was shocked at the prices things cost. Angie’s List and Houzz might give you a ballpark, but it wasn’t terribly accurate for our area. And just getting people to come give us an estimate was often difficult! Sometimes we even said yes to people who never scheduled or never came, even though we didn’t go with the lowest bidder. Finding someone to do the work at all was really exhausting- we had so many dead ends.
But how to talk to contractors so that they take you seriously isn’t something you learn in school. I wasn’t out to waste anyone’s time- it was more like I couldn’t get anyone to reliably take our money. I’m still torn between alienating contractors and just telling them the truth about how little I know about their business and what things cost around here.
Rumneychel more the gorgers mush
I think I speak for all viewers when I say I do not appreciate you cutting the video short without letting us see that one last bit get power washed. Very upsetting 🤣
I had the video on mute, was just watching the powerwashing. I cried at the end
l think l speak for all viewers when l say l do not appreciate you cutting the video short without letting us see that one last bit get power washed. Very upsetting 🤣
They can’t keep getting away with this.
With so much price gouging these days I don’t see why price shopping is frowned on. I understand being cheap is definitely an issue. But, I recently got estimate for an install of a small central air system on 1,100sqft home. The first company quoted me $20k for a pretty simple middle of the line set up. I brought out another company who quoted me $12k. The first company wouldn’t be transparent with their mark ups on material or the exact per hour rate for labor. They just want to wrap it into a single price and tell me I’m getting everything in a simple all on one estimate. Ridiculous. The second quote I got was for equipment exactly same as what the first company was going to install. The time on job would be identical. The second company who got the job was very transparent with everything. $8k is a huge difference. Both companies were certified and got their material from the same wholesaler. Simply put the first company nickel and dimed everything until I was almost paying double. Definitely taking advantage of me because I don’t know much about contracting work. I do however know business. Shopping is a no brainer. So I’m shopping around period. People are shady these days and it’s hard to know who isn’t screwing customers and who is actually out here running a stand up business. Give customs some slack, but don’t let them waste your time. Be a real professional and be fair. I’ll be hiring the second company again for another install in two months because of the transparency they had.
Yep. Same thing here. Shopping around saved me $4100 on a job that ended up costing me only $3500. I don't understand what's so hard about giving a rough price estimate on a job and moving on. I'm guessing the only people who are against this and pressure people into locking in a sale are the price gougers. Doesn't really speak well for this guy's company.
He’s not really talking about people comparing quotes he’s talking about “price shoppers” as people that have $50 in their pocket and want to see if they can get x, y, and z done when “x” alone is going to cost $750 or more. I do trees and i understand there’s other tree companies out there who may be cheaper than me on certain trees so I don’t expect to win them all. If I get beat by another guy by $300 ok. Cool. It’s the people that call you to come and check out their tree which is huge dead and over their house, it’ll take a crane, bucket lift and about 5 days (with just 1 guy). They think they can find someone to do that tree for $200 or even worse yet, get someone to pay them for the log, those are the people that get me irritated, and those are the people he’s talking about in the video. Not someone expecting to pay a reasonable amount for the job and going with “asshole b” instead of “asshole a”. I once had a guy try to persuade me that I could make money cutting his tree down for $700. I would need to crane out a 15k lbs limb that’s growing over his house before dropping the tree. Otherwise the limb will crush half his house. You can’t do it with buckets unless Eddie hall is standing in the bucket next to you and it’s only about 15’ off the roof so rigging it down ain’t happening. That tree would cost me at least $1700 in expenses, yet the customer is convinced I’d be making a killing cutting it for $700.
It is highly recommended to get multiple quotes
My friend just got one installed for 7k and was saying that was too high. His house is around 1800 sqft
I think we're just talking a 300 dollar basic driveway cleaning here. If someone want to charge 1000 than kick him to the curb bro..unless tour driveway is 100 ft long or more and 30ft wide
I can appreciate your circumstances as a business owner, but as a customer I am looking out for myself and my budget. For as many ‘time-wasters’ out there, there’s just as many dishonest and disreputable service contractors. I want the best, most effective and price-competitive professional out there. Can I afford the best? Easily, but I am not willing to throw my money (especially if it’s overpriced) at the first contractor who comes along.
Then don't hire him? And it's not over priced, if your perfer quantity is over quality, it's on you, you get what you pay for. Clearly, he's having no issues
You totally missed the point. @@MarcoGarcia-bj2kt
@@MarcoGarcia-bj2kthonestly with the dawn of the large companies that occupy a lot of the cities and surrounding areas around the country that have huge marketing budgets and can heavily invest and a clientele that has no idea what anything entails or should cost you see a lot of push-up in the price. If you have a largely ignorant customer base that supports substantially higher than standard prices beyond just cost of living and operational overhead then you get a really weird premium on services. Unfortunately, a market like that is extremely attractive to a lot of contractors and a lot of them think more highly of themselves than their skill set warrants. I mean you see it all the time with people and their over inflated beliefs in themselves. Traditionally you paid your dues, built your reputation, built your clientele pipelines, and you grew a strong solid business. Unfortunately modern time SEO and ad selling has made a lot of city markets extremely imbalanced. I mean the old-time SEO was A1 or AAA in the phone book. Google has gotten continuously worse and more people are having to buy into third-party services and give them a cut of the pie. It's just kind of one of the obnoxious things about living in a major market. If you ever have the opportunity to work with and befriend some general contractors, you can use those networks for recommendations and trying to find who does satisfactory work that is at least fair. My primary objective is that the job is done properly with a longer-term outlook in mind and I'm happy to pay a well for it. There're so many grifters in the premium services market that really should be budget operations optimistically. I wish it was that easy to buy quality.
In my plumbing business I always reply with "cheapest person in town is to do it yourself, I'll tell you how to do it". That ends that conversation.
That's a witty response to that question. Shut'm down.
I'm totally using this, that's awesome
as a customer, whose been getting quite a lot of work done around my new house, I do consider myself a "price shopper". Maybe we have a different definition though. For example, I had a few companies come out and provide quotes on new carpet for the basement. Is that your definition of a price shopper? For me, when I'm spending thousands of dollars on something, I want to know who is doing the work, how they do it, learn about their process AND of course see how much they charge. If that's somehow bad, please educate me. If that's not what you mean, let me know what a "price shopper" is using that same scenario. I want to be considerate to small businesses in my area but I also want to make sure I'm making the best decision with who I allow into my home to do major work.
If you’ve never had a business of your own you don’t know what he’s talking about. Some people will call you to come out. So you go and as soon as you meet them you know. They are talking about this and that and they got this quote which is so low it’s either a lie or some goof. So now you give a ridiculously high quote because you don’t want the job and if they take it great. But you know full well what you are getting yourself into if they do.
I can't speak for him, but we refer to people as price shoppers when they're only interested in getting quotes and not actually getting work done. They'll call several businesses to get quotes and then mention the price that each company gave them as well as the price their buddy had it done for, which is always an unreasonably low price. Advertising isn't free, especially on sites like home advisor or Google. I use home advisor for my business, when things slow down, and every customer they send me costs me a minimum of $30, so if they aren't interested in actually obtaining the service I don't want to waste anymore of my time on them since I've already wasted money on them. I have literally paid $40 for a lead, drove 30 minutes to the homeowner, given the free quote, just to get told "we aren't ready to start the project any time soon, we're just trying to figure out what the average cost is". I get Facebook messages regularly asking "how much does this service cost", as soon as I reply that I need to see the job in person to give an accurate accurate quote I get left on read. There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting quotes from multiple businesses, especially if you're on a budget or looking for something very particular, the issue is the people who waste our time and can't actually afford the service to begin with.
@@19amw87 I totally agree with you they don't realize that we have to pay for those leads and pay for gas to go and see their projects, and there is that kind of people asking for liability workers comp license certified and they want to pay a dam dime to get the job done 🤣
Kevin I agree your definition isnt a price shopper. A price shopper is somebody who gets a bunch of free quotes but isn't interested in getting the work done anytime soon. When people call me I wish they would just say that up front. If that is the case I just happily give them a ballpark number over the phone and I don't waste time driving over and doing a bid.
@@jpet1112 Basically this.
It is going to cost you 3x to deal with that type of person, so you need to charge 5x to make it worthwhile.
My husband just started a plumbing company and so far going well but we definitely get people who think they deserve something for free. My husband is an angel and gives too much away already so it’s frustrating when people think his time doesn’t matter. We’re learning quick, though like you can tell certain people just think they are more important than others, and seem to think everybody has nothing else to do but to give them free advice or numerous free quotes.
Sometimes it’s necessary to build a customer base. My dad laid that ground work to where I’ve been able to hold price and walk away from cheapskate’s.
Just starting up my general contractor business and my three red flag customers so far are:
1) The guy who tells you he wants to spend as little money as possible and gushes non-stop about how everyone he has called has been trying to over charge him.
2) The ones who want you to give them a detailed material list without telling you that you have the job
3) The homeowner who is handy and is just paying you to do it because he doesn't have time for it. This guy will be highly critical of everything you do like he is trying to catch you ripping him off, and may decide at any point that he can just finish the job now that you have done the hard part, and decide to only half pay you.
Not every former contractor is like this, you can usually tell the type when they try to hard to prove to you that they know how to do it, brag about their tools, talk to you like they are doing you a favor letting you do it instead of doing it themselves, try to advise you too much about how to do it.
The cool ones are always the relaxed ones who are just grateful your doing it and leave you alone.
1) So finding the best price for your budget is bad.
2) Finding what they will be using on your lawn is bad
3) You make them sign a contract it must be finished from beginning to end.
Just started a landscaping/handyman business, and my worst clients are the ones that hover. I like it if they're available for questions if I have any, but don't stare a hole in the back of my head.
@@Ravenbonesthese people have some nerve. Offended that i would like to save some of my money!
@@aliengranpa😂😂😂 that guy is the same as the guy with his own material who tries to haggle you down
Couldn't agree more.
I think a hard part is many businesses structure their billing different. With transparent billing it’s really easy as a consumer to get what you need.
“You can find someone cheaper, you can find someone better; You will not find someone that does the quality of work I do at my prices.” Excellent video.
Fast, quality, cheap; pick two
I had to fire bathroom remodelers. Most of the drywall screws were not fastened to the wood studs. Lesson learned… Just do it myself.
Alot of contractors think they know what they're doing. It looks good when they leave but doesn't hold up and you end up with so many problems you have to try to hire another contractor who thinks they know what their doing and dont have to live in time with their expert workmanship...it is better to do it yourself than to pay someone to do it wrong...I'm glad the state of pennsylvania is going aftef shody contractors that only take your money and leave you with more problems than you started with...i always check their buisness licence and bonding, reviews, references and get a written bid on job now and have found excellent people that I have and would pay as much as they ask for because they are worth it...and worth the wait if not an emergency...
Tire kickers🤣 true that. Used to run plumbing work and dealt with it alot. Starting my business this year and you guys(core 4)have been a tremendous help!! Cant wait ti see where i can take this new venture!! Lou, ky
There is nothing wrong with price shopping. Everyone does it. Are you saying you just select the first company you call and it’s a done deal?
There is nothing wrong with price shopping. Everyone does it. Are you saying you just select the first company you call and it’s a done deal!
Theres is nothing wrong with price shopping. Everyone does it. Are you saying you just select the first company you call and it's a done deal?
There is nothing wrong with price shopping. Everyone does it. Are you saying you just select the first company you call and it’s a done deal!
There is nothing wrong with price shopping. Everyone does it. Are you saying you just select the first company you call and it’s a done deal?
Yes that is exactly what he is saying. He wants you to act like you are on shark tank and must accept the first offer because he is too invaluable and must be paid a fortune.
Not sure about power washing, but for roofing, It's wise to get quotes or you're risk paying extra thousands easily for the same job.
The standard at work is 3 quotes so I try to do that in my life as well. I don’t always go with the cheapest, sometimes you get a better feeling from one company and if it’s 10-15% more it is worth it in the saved headaches... 2x more though and your out 😂
Yes, 3 quotes is the standard for most companies. Anyone that tells you otherwise isn't a business I'm gonna go with.
Typically I'll get 3 quotes and go with the middle one unless I can tell something is off.
3 quotes with sufficient detail to know you are comparing similar work. When we quote we detail each option that is included so that the customer can know what we provide and look at the other quotes to determine if they are similar. Some customers will still go with the lowest bid and that is okay; you don't want them anyway.
I agree. I always tell folks to get at least 3 quotes to get an idea of general pricing to make sure the contractor isn't trying to gouge you and to get a feel for the company as well. I never go off the "glossy brochure" presentation and all work must be in writing. I have questions for the company and want to see how they respond to them. I've been around this earth some time and can pick up on the shiisters. However, I won't ask if the company is the cheapest in town...that is a sure sign to them to be weary. I will let the various quotes I get answer this question for me.
@@Methodical2 Well I can see asking "are you the cheapest in town" to gauge how they respond, if you get a real BS answer then you know you will probably regret hiring them. Sometimes its just a matter of can I trust this person/company not how much it costs. I have learned this since moving to the midwest where workmanship is usually really bad and it seems like most are trying to rip you off.
@@mromutt If that works for you, go for it. From my experience, these folks are the nickle and dimers, nick pickers who want to try and add things onto the job for nothing. As the gentleman said, the cheapest is the DIY route. If you can't do it then you have to suck it up and pay someone, but getting multiple quotes is always your best bet to see if the prices are widely different.
Hey, I got a question. Now, let's say someone is calling and asking for prices. They want you. But being on a budget, they want to know in the intention to save money until they can afford your services. Should they go ahead and say this upfront? The point is not everyone is rich or financially stable, like disabled ppl per example, but they are understanding the importance of the quality of services you can give them . Having a set goal for the client can make a huge difference between going for you or not.
These business tips are actually fire thanks for not making pay for a fucking 8 month course for the same info 👍
Owning a few service businesses from a dental office to basic home plumbing, pressure washing, lawn care and car detailing, I can say 99.999% of the time if they ask “how much” BEFORE asking if & how you can solve their problem, they will be a PITA. They don’t value your time, skills or knowledge bc they think they know exactly what you need to do w/o any “diagnosis.” Diagnosing the problem, admitting your limitations, and knowing how to treat it properly is 90% of any service business. Idc if it’s opening their main sewer line, refurbishing their their deck, removing water spots from their car or making a denture: it’s knowledge & skills.
You choose to be a contractor, so deal with consequences. Nobody will hire you just because who you are. People need to learn and get the best deal for themselves and it’s up to you if you want to waste or not waste your time. Personally you will get the hell out of my property with this attitude.
You weren't going to buy his services anyway and that's his point... Get off the property as quick as possible and move on to an actual customer.
LOL yeah sounds like I wouldn't want to do work for you, for any amount of money.
My strategy is
1. Build relationship
2. Build value
3. I encourage other quotes
4. Inform that i am not the cheapest
5. Follow up
You learn pretty quickly who may waste your time. I’m an irrigation contractor & will often do a proposal for work, but know a customer is probably going to be a waste of time. After they receive a proposal they’ll ask for all sorts of breakdowns & if they can provide their own materials. Walk away, & concentrate on other customers.
Personally, I price shop, company shop, contractor personality shop, and ask for itemized quotes to weed arrogant contractors like this. The first sign of this type of arrogance, your out and on my "don't use" list. It goes both ways. Your customer is not subordinate to you! You wouldn't exist without your customer. As a builder, I've dealt with too many fly by night, half doers, no shows, and promise makers not to require an itemized quote and a contract. Each line precisely itemized as well as when each item will be completed, as well as a monetary penalty if not completed properly and timely. I am dealing with a customer who "trusted" a contractor to wash a block wall and build it a course higher. Yep, not a tire kicker, but she was someone who didn't check around and got hoodwinked by an arrogant contractor and has to hire someone else to complete the work.
Exactly
You're the other kind of person this video is advising builders to pass on. You're not worth the hassle you unnecessarily create because you don't trust anyone. This video isn't arrogance. It's valuable advice for new contractors not to be taken advantage of, and hence, to be successful. (Now, feel free to be offended by a contradiction and insult me.)
Arrogance. Well put. I suppose that's fine if you have a full schedule of wealthy clientele, but if not, you're going to be losing a lot of work just because you wouldn't put in the basic effort to give an honest estimate and instead pushed customers away for price shopping. The fact of the matter is that the only companies who do this don't charge at competitive rates anyway, which is why they do sales instead of bids.
@@jefftrafelet6167 It's hard to trust somebody who won't just be upfront about the damn price. A business transaction is first and foremost the exchange of money for a good or service. If the contractor is obfuscating the price, then how can you expect clients to trust them?
Tire kicker. Hey great info. Sometimes just saying the points out loud is helpful to move forward. Your views helped put thing in perspective for me vs price shopping and vetting customers just helped me level up. The classic let me ask my husband or wife as a built in excuse is spot on!
People getting 3 quotes is advice for home owners as old as time, especially since the costs for some services are high compared to the time it takes and skill to do.
There can also be extremely high variance in the cost of a single job from one company to another. Last year I had to have part of my main sewer line dug up and replaced. The first company quoted me at $7600. After a couple more quotes I found a company to do it for $3500. Do I regret wasting the first company's time? Of course. I dry my tears with my extra $4100.
works with us as well, if they call looking for service i say my minimum rate over the phone, if they are serious, they wont flinch.
Exactly!
False. "If they are serious" Mostly everyone is serious about needing ajob done. Mostly everyone just wants to make sure they are going with rate that isn't the cheapest, but also not expensive. Cheap means crappy job, expensive means arrogant stuck ups, so its good to find that rate which says "perfect price and quality balance". Just because you give a rate over the phone and they don't automatically hire you in half a second doesnt mean they weren't serious.
Feel a bit scummy at times honestly. Sounds a lot like only wanting people who are impulsive and willing to make a split second decision, while trying to demonize second opinions.
I cannsee how it can look that way, but consider this. People want service providers to be confident in what they do. It's a sign that they're higher tier. Also, as soon as you let the wrong customer dictate what you do, they will take a mile and then you're really not your own boss.
@@bulkfuel1sounds like coping to me.
@@waldronsteve2366 Nobody cares
@@bulkfuel1 you're right. Nobody cares about you coping. Get over yourself.
@@waldronsteve2366 Haaaahahahahaaaaa wah! Cry harder
When we became first time home owners, it took very little for me to realize that going with the "cheapest guy" in town almost certainty guarantees having to do the work twice.....however, shopping for price to know what the market cost is for a service is absolutely imperative....otherwise, how am i, regular Joe, would know if washing my driveway is actually worth $500 or $5000. Only way to know is by getting multiple estimates....only then will your experience and reviews speak for itself. I've got no problem paying more (in fact i refuse to hire the cheapest guy). But according to you, im labeled as a customer who's only looking for a price just because i have to learn about the service cost and performance of the service provider before i commite. Basically to sign up with you, you expect your customers to be your first and last stop during the shopping stage? Or did i misunderstand your message?
Buncha crooks! Mad cause you want to save money!! Some nerve!
I think he's assuming that every vendor is as honest as he is..
Everyone should be a price shopper.
Be nice if the course site listed the price upfront.
Facts
Yeah, imagine having to submit your personal info to get a price? They may be good guys, but hell… for all I know, the system my info goes to, could easily be in the hands of cyber criminals or future breach etc
@@ab0uts ...just like any of the multi billion dollar international corporatio you throw your money and information at like confetti...
...through years/decades of diligence professional contractors have built a reputation that doesn't require that require the trust of tire kickers...because you're not their client...
@@dericanslum1696 through my years growing up terminally online I’ve seen a lot of stuff go down when it comes to data
Idk it's a two way street in my opinion. I have in the past gone with the most expensive option remembering the old standard "pay for what you get" and still get screwed or unhappy with the quality of work. Also when a contractor is pushy on the spot is kind of a red flag to me. Also being the cheapest option isnt good either. unless you seen what they can do. Iv seen many contractors after a few bad reviews just change there company name. So I dont find it wrong to get more then one quote. Or ask questions like this. Both parties need to do there due diligence. Having an answer to these questions is just selling your business more in my opinion. The best form of advertising is word of mouth.
#tire kicker
I'm kinda set back by this. I'm sure that everyone here "shops around"
Unless your filthy rich and money is no object... this is a good way to completely lose touch with a majority of customers, especially in this current economic downturn.
More and more youtube channels are getting this way. Without customers, you won't have any business...
This is a guy that sells a small business consulting course. He's trying to come across as the expert. After doing government contracting, I'm well aware of shopping around getting itemized quotes. If the DOD requires it, I'm going to do it as simple as that. Anyone that tells you otherwise you might as well bypass them anyway.
Dealing with ALL types of customers is included in being in business. You dont know if that customer is simply testing you to see if you stand out from the rest. My friend learned that the hard way when a customer called him out more than once about a painting job on the house... My friend simply dealt with him.. smiled, and did what he asked... This ended up getting him painting jobs on the guys 4 different condo buildings. The customer was TESTING him on his house... To see the reaction of him. Its SMART for a customer to PRICE shop... It doesnt mean they are WISHY WASHY as you say... It happens in all types of businesses. Its common sense to DO your homework as the homeowner. You acting like its a WASTE of time shows that you wont grow as large as you wish...
sorry, but no. For every unicorn that’s “testing your skill” there’s are five people dragging you along on promise they may have more work that they never intended on giving you in the first place. maybe my perspective is different as a landscaper with a lot more variables that can affect the time and cost of a job, but personally if someone is questioning, my expertise, asking for a broken down quote, or trying to shop materials I know for a fact they cant get cheaper than me to nickel and dime me that 90% of the time they were going to end up taking away energy and effort I could have given to clients who trust me and respect my time and expertise. while I can’t fault them for trying to get the most out of their dollar as possible, you have to draw a line in the sand, and learn to identify likely problematic people, so you don’t end up neglecting clients who are much easier to work with.
@@TheLegendOZelda360 I get what you are saying.... Yet at the same time.... Ive seen it happen the opposite way.
Never do a job with the intent or prospect of additional work or a referral
Amen, thankyou! You are spot on!
I've started my own cleaning business for cleaning trash out parking lots and sweeping so this will be good info. The weather is finally nice and I have business cards to hand out/businesses to target
I learned fast to charge a small fee for a quote, and if they accept that quote, the estimate goes towards the work. This shuts down quote shopping behind another contractors back.
Great video. Unrelated to the video, but do you guys plan to implement a self quoting feature similar to Responsibid, such as a customer can input their own information and get a list of prices/bundles spit out to them? We're keeping our eye on QuoteIQ but this feature would be a big selling point.
Yes we are. Just need some time to develop
@@ForeverSelfEmployed Nice! Thanks for the reply. I'll keep an eye out for that as it would be great to have everything centralized to one piece of software.
Tire kicker. Any time I need to hire a business to do anything for me, I treat them like Johnnie Cochran, their time is extremely valuable and worth a lot of money. I tell them I'll work around their schedule if necessary and I won't beat around the bush. I go out of my way to let them know I value any and all time I ask from them. If I'm not able to hire them, I let them know asap so they can move on to their next job. If they are respectful and professional at that point, I tell them I will call them for future work, along with recommend them to others.
Great tips. I have owned my own construction company for 20 year, everything you mentioned is spot on. Time is money and we ask for a budget figure in our initial phone call. If they do not have a budget I think they are starting off lying to me. I know anything I plan on buying be it service or product I have a budget. I will be following you. Great job.
How can a customer have a budget if they have no idea what your services actually cost? Only a fool is gonna tell you a $100,000 when it's a $10,000 job.
Customers have a finite amount of money, and usually have few if any options for increasing their own rate of income generation. As a contractor I'm going to rely on a process I've developed to balance my finite time with a new potential customer's need to perform their due diligence. Every contractor claims their prices are higher because their work is better than those other guys, or that their prices are lower because they can provide quality work without gouging their customers like those other guys. New potential customers can't rely on such assurances before seeing your work and how you back it up.
Ive had customers that wouldnt give the address at first but turned out to be amazing customers
Great video, love the editing choices. Keep up the good work!
I’m never going to take the first quote on anything major, usually not the second either, but by the third, I’ll probably commit to someone. Usually isn’t the cheapest and I had my windows done last year by the most expensive offer.
I need to believe you know what you’re doing, you’ll do good work, and if you screw up, I don’t get screwed over.
My OCD is screaming since I couldn’t see that last spot get cleaned 😩😩😩
I don't understand. Are you implying price shopping is in any way bad?
Also if you live in a smaller town you don’t really need to price shop as reputation hold much more weight. If you’re in a city price shop because a lot of businesses are trash due to having volume.
And you think price shopping will weed out the trash, your so cute hahahaha , sorry no price shopping isn't going to give you a good business, just shoddy work!
Great video with excellent points. This happens a lot when trying to sell drainage systems. That’s why I have videos as well for them to see what I do and how my system will work. Some customers ya just gotta let go
pictures, videos and happy customer references go a long way...
Ran into a buisnessman doing a job in neighborhood building block landscaping, I asked for a card and he wrote his contact info on a piece of paper...he does no advertizing because he is so good and booked up. He had an expensive truck and equipment but was the most down to earth person I ever spoke to..
God bless the good ones! and ty! The bad ones are why customers have to really scrutinize a buisness!
As a service plumber I deal with customers all day long and there is definitely some red flags that go up when I hear the question “well how much does that part cost?” Like if your worried about the price of the material as if that’s the only expense a plumber driving to your house has. Than you should know before I even walk in the door your already costing my company money. Like when you go out to eat do you ask your waiter how much your steak cost? Or when you buy sneakers do you write to Nike and ask them how much it cost to make the sneakers you bought? No you just buy it and are happy with the purchase. So why is it okay to ask a home care professional how much the material is? You know how much it is and you can own 20 of them but if you can’t install it how much is it worth?
You're creating your own problem. The reason why people price shop is because contractors are so oddly secretive about pricing before the work is done. How can you expect people to ever be comfortable with paying an unknown figure?
Additionally, the reason why customers don't want to give you their address is because of a neighborhood surcharge. I've had contractors come out and double their rate for the same work specifically because of where I live.
The fact that you don’t have the prices already listed is a clear indicator!
Go ahead and scratch you off my list now.
You just proved that you are the moron he wants to avoid
Im 12 an run a pressure washing business in my area. I have made about 3k last summer. Any tips for advertising, as I'm a kid people tend to be like "Do I trust a 12 year old to power wash my stuff?" Thanks!
Get lots of proof of concept. Photos, reviews, word of mouth. People don’t care about age, they care about the work you provide. And if they see others have used your services, they’ll trust you more than if you had nothing to show
I’ve noticed customers try to bully small businesses a lot more than big ones. When you go to the dealer to buy a car do you ask them how much the door cost, lights, leather and everything else. Or do you go in there tell them what you want, negotiate and buy the car.
your videos are very informative and you have inspired me to start my own pressure washing business thank you.
Thanks for watching Alexis. Good luck
Yeah solid Info and extremely well delivered brotha...
I agree with the majority of what you said with the exception to a customer shopping for prices and not knowing what they want.
I’m an extremely successful sales rep and those situations is where I excel the most. You have a chance to properly sell your product or service and if you don’t get the order, you didn’t sell yourself right and someone else will take the sale.
Do you do anything with the water runoff? do you have to collect it, or redirect it to the lawn?
True: ⚠️ Window shoppers, wishy-washy, tire kickers, time wasters, schmoozers, the chit-chatter, Cheapskates many many years as a high volume sales closer stay focus and on track people. I've learnt how to overcome these objectives during my career and now as a business owner
FANTASTIC, absolutely SPOT-ON advice. Gotta tire kick your customer they way they do you.
I remodel bathrooms. I started to charge for estimates. Home Depot and lowes charge. 90% of my customers are seniors and it's their second home. It removes the tire kickers. They all get my name from sold recommendations. My time is valuable. So Far it is working out great. If I don't get the job at least I got some gas money. There are no free estimates, someone pays.
Home Depot doesn't charge for quotes, they're free. They only charge to come out and take measurements on the project once you have signed a contract with them. I had them refinish my cabinets and I know this for a fact. Also they came out and evaluated a bathroom remodel for me and didn't charge. They were in no rush either to try to sell me on their services.
We go thru this every once in while, it's a bit irritating. So we always tell people of your shopping around we won't be the cheapest. And if your focus is the cheapest job then your not shopping for the quality we offer.
Asking for an itemized quote doesn’t automatically red flag the customer as “price focused”. Personally, I ask for an itemized bill because if I’m going to get fucked I at least want an idea of whats fucking me.
I second this. An itemized quote reduces the amount of surprise increases and also serves as a guide for reducing final payment if the job isn't completed. Contractors hate giving itemized quotes because it requires them to actually perform a detailed quote and there's less leeway to pump the numbers afterwards
This is valuable and real sales info. Spend time talking to people who are talking to you. Then disqualify based on your initial intel or conversations.
If I were to start up, what would it run me for entry "Just by myself" costs? I'm tired of constantly having to choose between being a "Yes Man" or unemployed.
well were about to go into peak season. You can start with $500 pressure washer.
Price shopping is smart. Why would anyone just go with the first person who comes along. I wouldn’t.
All these pressure washing companies claiming they’re licensed. What state requires you to be licensed?
He probably just means business license.
@@robbnoble1509 it’s not a license though
My state requires a specialty contractors license at a minimum. (Washington)
Does Quote IQ have a desktop version?
Yes. Go to myquoteiq.com
Thank you for the lesson!
being a painting, drywall, roofing, remolding, contractor, for 50yrs, i was lucky. my business was based on 1st rate workmanship, and repeat customers, i never advertised, and got 95% of the jobs i bid. if i never worked for them in the past, if they were not referred to me, if they start mentioning anything about price, bidding the job into segments, foreigners of any kind, it was almost certain i would not get the job. reason being, if you wish to hire a professional of my caliber, i am not cheap. never give a bid, and discus price on site, or you will get the old, thats to high crap. one time when i was 18, i came back with a, to high compared to who? well there was no contractor, it was what they thought it would cost. the min you start letting the customer determine what you work for, your out of business.
On a deck estimate years ago I spent 3 hours designing the deck which was to hang off a second story over a two car garage. It took some time to design a system. The potential client told me she was going to get 3 estimates and would let me know in a couple of days. People!! Don't ever leave your drawings or plans with the person. A week later I stopped by and a builder was using the plans I had drawn up!
If a customer wants an in person consultation I always charge. If they decide to go ahead with work ill apply the consultation fee to the work. This eliminates tire kickers and covers your time.
As a consumer it has always been the opposite for me. I can give them square footage, send pictures or whatever, hoping to get a rough estimate, but they always insist on coming to see it first, usually to try to lock in a sale.
Price is everything
Where did you get your certification ?
10,000 words where a few would do...
Considering starting a pressure washing business, currently don't have a lot of money for equipment. Would it be wise to just service driveways and trash cans from the time being?
I am not in your industry whatsoever, but some of the same sales philosophies apply within finance. I think every industry has tire kickers, and in finance - everyone haggles on price. “Is your product/company the cheapest?” Definitely not. But I’m also not selling junk stocks out of a suitcase. If you want cheapest - there is far cheaper, and you’ll get what you pay for. But if you want value - in both service and product - that’s where I come in. Love your approach to not dancing around that point. Many do, and it’s sad. If you say you’re the cheapest and they find a cheaper quote - 2 things will happen. 1) they will fire you and hire them 2) they’ll think you’re of low integrity and tell anyone who is looking to work with you that you aren’t worth your word. Worse yet - you’ll lose gigs because someone will ALWAYS do it for cheaper. Don’t hang your hat on being the cheapest. It’s a losing strategy. Focus on being the best.
Price shopping is actually extremely important. If it's a waste of a company's time to tell me what I need to know, then you're right, that's not the company for me.
I don't even answer my phone anymore. I try to keep the voicemail clear for people to leave a message. But with Insurance companies and Google calling trying to sell me something it fills up quickly. I hate them. If a customer leaves a message or says that we were referred I will call them back and tell them how busy I am and I will call back within a week to schedule an appointment to meet. If I call back and they are still interested I'm good to go. Usually do the job. I have 2 crew members and they're churning out around $50k in value when I throw in and help them a little more. Commercial roofing, preventive maintenance and facilities repairs, along with shingle roofs related to real estate investors and residential rehabs. I will admit roof Maintenance is where it's at. Less individual and more corporate mechanisms in play and timeliness is important. $15k is a lot for a residential owner to kick out. Corporate and Institutions can kick those checks out like regular paper. 36 years in business. Keep your skill options available. Luxurious extras that customers want will fade during economic downturns. Maintenance values are constant
3:20 I came across this a few times on a side job I performed. I'm NOT in your field of work. On the second round of, Let me talk to my wife I told the customer to have his wife contact me. I do NOT like having a middleman, because I lot get lost in translation.
My wife dealt with contractors for jobs at our home; after she receives the bid she does tell them she has to talk to me which is the right thing to do. After all, it's my money as well! After I look over the proposal and if I have questions my wife can't answer, I will reach out to the contractor. I understand the frustration.
Also beware of customers that think they know how to do your job better than you. In which case. Why are they even hiring you if they themselves can do a better job?
Been a painting contractor for over 20 years. This is all valuable information. While I was watching I was going through past scenarios in my mind about exact situations you mentioned. I have found with out ANY doubt the WORST of all #tirekickers and TIME WASTERS are Real Estate Agents. I would have to be starving to death to work for one. When I get an agent's call, I am always WAY too busy to look at new work. I bet there's at least one good one in every town to work for, but since there's countless agents out there, it's the proverbial needle and haystack trope.
Your also darling with clowns who are planning not to pay
I do fence repairs. I hate the customer who after you get the job and start working. They try to get you to do other things for free.
Couple other clues.
1. In a hurry for a price.
2. Want a price over the phone, lots of times before you even know their name.
3. Tell you about how poor they are after just purchasing their home. (Actually, had a guy describe his poverty to me after just showing me the love of his life, his Maserati.)
4. As you mentioned, when they want it priced 18 different ways...run away.
40-year home remodeler here and just my 2 cents.
Thanks for all of the advice
What’s the psi for your pressure washer?
I don’t think any of this is fair. I would call for ballpark price to see if I can add this to my services I want done or spent on the house only. No sense in wasting your time so don’t see why asking is a red flag. Also him forgetting the name is an actual forgivable mistake, you have no clue what is going on within a families dynamics and why you think your name should be remembered off the bat is understandable. I have had enough business forget who I am why wouldn’t it work the other way. Any family would be crazy not to price shop, no matter how much I love a companies website, jobs etc, doesn’t mean I can afford their level of perfection. I guess it means you all are so sought after that you sign off any customers shopping. Just saying everything you say should be taken with a grain of salt.
I have a question what do you mean when you do a walk through around the property you make a report how is that report made and what other things can it be helpful for?
What about people who chase you down in the parking lot where you live and act all super interested in your services and set up an appointment to actually do some work and then when you call to confirm they ghost you?
Didn’t realize it was a crime to shop around, as a business owner yea I get you want to make the most you can but as a consumer you want to save as much as you can because let’s be honest you can always find someone equally skilled, licensed and everything for less even if it’s a little bit. So call me a time waster but I’m not just going to throw whatever amount you want your way.
You’ll find people with the most want to pay the least, drives me insane.
Excellent advice for your competitors.
“Quality is our first concern”
Anything that involves prep is what people should beware of when it comes to price shopping, painting and drywall finishing, flooring and much more, the lowest price probably means they are going to skip prep and that is something you'll regret in the long run, hiring the lowest bidder is a bad idea
Damn i talked to him a couple days ago and he said someone reported his UA-cam and it was temporarily shut down i didn't realize his website was down .... He's building my trailer this is not good
Yep people want bids. I went through 3 different people before deciding who I was going to spend 10k on windows with. Why so offended?
Wow! Arrogant much? The customer is always… substrate. The reality is that there are so many scammers, slackers, and shysters out there, that any good consumer has to shop carefully for both quality AND price! It’s called “value”. Sure, it’s always great to have customers who have easy jobs, and fork over the top dollars without question, to have it done! But America is built on hard work for a fair price. Not just self entitled types grabbing the low hanging fruit. Grow some humility to go with that oversized attitude.
Own a business much? He could give 10 bids a day and get 1 problem job or filter like he says and make happy customers.
Maybe stop acting like customers are innocent angels. How many businesses used to have great return policies and now make you jump through hoops? That is due to people scamming their policies. People find all kinds of ways to scam business owners, while at the same time demonizing them.
Companies don't make you jump through hoops because of scammers. They'd just get a tax write off for that. They make you jump through hoops so you give up and they get to keep the money.
What license and insurance do you have to have?