Pricing cock up

[felixthelogchopper]

your welcome & your invoice is in the post ,all be it by the royal snail

 

Hope you won't be charging me extra as your pencil broke unexpectedly

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Interesting thread; couple of business models, cultural practices etc !!

 

These are my principals just to add some more crap to the soup:

 

1) It is MY responsibility to judge the job correctly and thus quote correctly.

2) Saying that I have no problem with adding a little contingency for either minor misjudgements, damaged tools, complications etc, 10-20% max.

3) Sure I've undercharged sometimes, thus the onus is on ME to get a wriggle on and finish as punctually as possible - for my sake as much as anyone elses.

4) On major pricing errors I think that is MY responsibility - if I make a loss so be it but the point is I should bloomin' well learn from it.

5) Never given an estimate until yesterday! So many variables (ground conditions, sourcing problems) that I had to and explain to the cutomer. Not my style but he appreciated the honesty.

6) A quote is for a job not an hourly rate so early finishes don't warrant discount. Saying that I have given discount for being late. I hate poor punctuality so much that if I do it to someone else I'll punish myself with the said discount. Oh the pain!

 

PS - I always add "**** tax" to blatently bad customers!

Edited December 11, 2009 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[Stuart A-C]

If you do mess up on a quote, and you have staff out working on day rate at least have the balls to admit it to them that you made a mistake and take the hit. At a previous company I worked for if you rang to say the job was going to over run the boss would hang up and come tearing out to site and start barking all sorts of obscure language! and try to make us rush, this is when accidents happen (and a couple did). I just used to stand there in silence and look straight into his eyes, wound him up somethig cronic

[Mozza]

If you do mess up on a quote, and you have staff out working on day rate at least have the balls to admit it to them that you made a mistake and take the hit. At a previous company I worked for if you rang to say the job was going to over run the boss would hang up and come tearing out to site and start barking all sorts of obscure language! and try to make us rush, this is when accidents happen (and a couple did). I just used to stand there in silence and look straight into his eyes, wound him up somethig cronic

 

Ive wroked for soooooooooooooo many people like that, If they'd just come out, be calm and be honest and say look lads, Ive ballsed up here, Can you work late today to get it done because if we have to come back ill loose even more, id 100% say yeah no worries and get my head down til whatever time, I cant stand those little hitler types, that scream and shout go mental because THEY have messed up!!

 

 

 

 

The way i do it, is the same as a few have said, I give a price, if i get done early or finish late the price stays the same, Oh and on my cards and advertising, i say free quotes!!

[Stuart A-C]

I always state that inital quote is free!

[Rt400]

Happens to me all the time, for the good and for the bad, have noticed that certain crews that i work with moan that jobs some are underpriced and other crews thank me for nice days with good money... is it me or could it be the crews not the pricing!!!!!

[Stuart A-C]

I bet they will be the same crew who dont thankyou for a 'cushty' days work, or thankyou for letting them go home early if they have done finished a days work early!!!

[Mark Cattell]

Take the rough with the smooth and things should even out, if they don,t the rethink the pricing on the jobs...

I work with a guy who gets in wrong all the time and it gets really annoying when you have to work late, work your breaks ect to get fininish for no money.....

Don't be a busy fool,,,,

[White Noise]

Take the rough with the smooth and things should even out, if they don,t the rethink the pricing on the jobs...

I work with a guy who gets in wrong all the time and it gets really annoying when you have to work late, work your breaks ect to get fininish for no money.....

Don't be a busy fool,,,,

 

Someone told me once you can work all week and still be poor if your not careful . I much prefer ( Don,t be a busy fool )

[Mesterh]

It very rarely happens. Once on a fallen tree that I just couldn't see the underside of it, I requoted it at £3600, from £600 and he accepted it!!!

 

and once on a lovely poplar, bless the poplar.

 

Whenever I quote poplar now I think of a good price then triple it.... if you can't get a crane to it.

 

Christ!

 

1 You are a lucky boy to get the extra money:thumbup1:

2 That musta been a helluva tree to cost £3600!

 

 

 

Tbh I cant work things out on here, most of the time when the subject of day rates come up I find that nearly all the time I have the lowest rate.

 

But it seems that alot under price jobs more frequently than I do.

 

 

Should be the other way round really.