Customer loyalty; what to do.

[Taupotreeman]

Went to look at a job yesterday that I did last year. Nothing much of a job, just a little bit of trimming and hedge trimmer work. The guy was happy with the job last year and I did it cheap. The guy asked me back to price up the same work again along with an extra tree. I'd figured I'd charge him somewhere near the same again along with the extra for the extra tree. Then he mentioned that he had rang one of the competiton and had organised for them to do the job until they gave him the run around for a couple of weeks whereupon he rang me. That got my back up a bit as usually I do a good deal for those customers loyal to me. Question is; should I just sting him hard this time for the job or is that being a bit immature? I was almost tempted to say bugger it and refuse to do it seeing as it's only a smallish job.

[kernowstu]

Went to look at a job yesterday that I did last year. Nothing much of a job, just a little bit of trimming and hedge trimmer work. The guy was happy with the job last year and I did it cheap. The guy asked me back to price up the same work again along with an extra tree. I'd figured I'd charge him somewhere near the same again along with the extra for the extra tree. Then he mentioned that he had rang one of the competiton and had organised for them to do the job until they gave him the run around for a couple of weeks whereupon he rang me. That got my back up a bit as usually I do a good deal for those customers loyal to me. Question is; should I just sting him hard this time for the job or is that being a bit immature? I was almost tempted to say bugger it and refuse to do it seeing as it's only a smallish job.

 

add a 1er on top:001_smile:

[Le Sanglier]

do the work, take his money, he is a client not a mate, business is business,

[Paul Barton]

Stick to your price. Perhaps next time he won't bother looking around.

[Taupotreeman]

do the work, take his money, he is a client not a mate, business is business,

 

Yup, fair enough but do I sting him big time and see if he still goes for it? Figured I probably would as it's one of those jobs that's more a pain in the proverbial. I can see it ending up as a case of "can you just take another six inches off please?"

[Le Sanglier]

Your choice, for me customers trying to screw you down on price is nothing personal,

 

if you really stiff him you might not get it next year.

[Mesterh]

I bet he tries his luck by saying the other guy would do it for XXX cheaper when you give him the price.

 

I lost loads of old customers because I wouldnt drop the price and compete with others when things got tight a couple of years ago.

 

Just charge what its worth to you, or bung loads on, depends if you want the job or not.

[Taupotreeman]

I bet he tries his luck by saying the other guy would do it for XXX cheaper when you give him the price.

 

I lost loads of old customers because I wouldnt drop the price and compete with others when things got tight a couple of years ago.

 

Just charge what its worth to you, or bung loads on, depends if you want the job or not.

 

Was a little so so about the job in the first place but he seemed like a nice guy so just put it down as another job but the way he described just asking the other guy to come in it was all quite blase. It wasn't like I was even asked to quote in comparison, he just gave the other guys the go ahead. It might sound a little like sour grapes, far from it but the last time I did the job it was cheap cheap. It's one of those fiddly bitting and bobbing jobs as I call them. Lots of fluffing around for little result. Maybe I'll just charge him twice what I did last year and see if he hunts around. Before I did the job last year he had another outfit in and was busy slagging them off when I quoted last time so not sure if the same happened to me.

[scottythepinetree]

Just quote what you think the job is worth, include a bit of a charge for the PITA or enough to make you want to work for him. Don't take it personally.

[chris23a]

He sounds like a bit of a ****.