Bid suprise

Grime Busters LLC

Grime Busters LLC

New member
Month after month I learn that I have lost bids because some hack underbid me by 50% or more.

Big surprise today. I bid a very affluent golf course last week. One of the valleys more reputable competitors showed up as I was leaving. Hadn't seen him for awhile, we talked a bit, then I went on my way.

Apparently the golf course management only requested 2 bids. Here's an example of the bid difference. One of the areas bid was the club house and adjacent pavilion. Concrete is in pretty good shape, no gum, minor stains from spilled beverages, etc. This area measured out at 5240 square foot.

The management wanted the bid broken down into sections, because of budget constraints. I bid each section at $0.09 a square foot. The total project I dropped my rate as an incentive.

So for this 5240 sq ft area, my bid worked out to $471.60. Learned yesterday that my competition bid the same area at $2070.00. That works out to something like $0.40 a sq ft.

I can't make sense of it. I know this guy, not like we're friends or anything. And he told me they were really slow and hurting for work. Well, I guess when you bid jobs at 40 cents a sq ft. Long story short, I have a signed contract and start next Tuesday.

I did a residential driveway (400 sq ft) a couple weeks ago. The homeowner told me she had the same company out several week before, was there less than 20 minutes, charged here $225. When the driveway dried, she realized the oil stains (huge) where just as bad as before they washed.

I spent about an hour and a half, got the stain 98% gone (son's truck been leaking tranny fluid for the past year +), stay with the lady until the driveway dried. She was amazed. I charged her my minimum charge, $155. She gave me $200.
 
Thats exactly what we have been up against here for many years. But it was just opposite lowballers killing the market on price. Glad it worked out for ya Jim.
 
Ron Musgraves said:
Jim, my 90 day rate is that....its low bro if your at a one time shot...
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If it in average first time cleaning (gum, etc) I would of bid it higher. The area around the clubhouse is soda/beer spills, and very few.

The remaining square footage is golf cart trails, a few water features, etc. Another 45000 square foot.

I'd enjoy getting 40 cents a square foot. Had I known they were only getting 2 bids and this guy was going to bid through the roof, I'd gone 15 to 17 cents a square foot. But not in this economy, money is money.

Bottom line, using the clubhouse areas again as an example. That 5000+ sq ft will take us maybe an hour and a half.
 
I forgot this part. At first the guy wanted to work out a barter/trade deal.

Told him I'm saving 3 things for when I get old(er).

Bingo

Jello

Golfing

Oh yeah, a hot rod golf cart (that's 4, I know)
 
Jim Cooney said:
If it in average first time cleaning (gum, etc) I would of bid it higher. The area around the clubhouse is soda/beer spills, and very few.

The remaining square footage is golf cart trails, a few water features, etc. Another 45000 square foot.

I'd enjoy getting 40 cents a square foot. Had I known they were only getting 2 bids and this guy was going to bid through the roof, I'd gone 15 to 17 cents a square foot. But not in this economy, money is money.

Bottom line, using the clubhouse areas again as an example. That 5000+ sq ft will take us maybe an hour and a half.
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I'm not disagree with ya
 
Jim Cooney said:
Month after month I learn that I have lost bids because some hack underbid me by 50% or more.

Big surprise today. I bid a very affluent golf course last week. One of the valleys more reputable competitors showed up as I was leaving. Hadn't seen him for awhile, we talked a bit, then I went on my way.

Apparently the golf course management only requested 2 bids. Here's an example of the bid difference. One of the areas bid was the club house and adjacent pavilion. Concrete is in pretty good shape, no gum, minor stains from spilled beverages, etc. This area measured out at 5240 square foot.

The management wanted the bid broken down into sections, because of budget constraints. I bid each section at $0.09 a square foot. The total project I dropped my rate as an incentive.

So for this 5240 sq ft area, my bid worked out to $471.60. Learned yesterday that my competition bid the same area at $2070.00. That works out to something like $0.40 a sq ft.

I can't make sense of it. I know this guy, not like we're friends or anything. And he told me they were really slow and hurting for work. Well, I guess when you bid jobs at 40 cents a sq ft. Long story short, I have a signed contract and start next Tuesday.

I did a residential driveway (400 sq ft) a couple weeks ago. The homeowner told me she had the same company out several week before, was there less than 20 minutes, charged here $225. When the driveway dried, she realized the oil stains (huge) where just as bad as before they washed.

I spent about an hour and a half, got the stain 98% gone (son's truck been leaking tranny fluid for the past year +), stay with the lady until the driveway dried. She was amazed. I charged her my minimum charge, $155. She gave me $200.
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Interesting Jim, what did you use on the driveway with tranny fluid?
 
Looks interesting Jim, do you think it was more effective on the 'shadow' or deep discoloration than a regular degreaser and how long does it take for those bacteria to get working?
 
I used it full strength, let in dwell for about 45 minutes. Amazing how much oil it pulled out of the concrete (there was very little oil on the surface when I arrived that morning).

There was still shadowing, I'm not claiming this was a miracle cure, but definately pulled more oil than your typical degreaser does.

Contact Bio Green, they send you a sample of their product.

As we all know, the longer oil is allowed to sit on concrete, the deeper it penetrates ito the porous surface. I have seen demo'd concrete with oil penetrated 4 inches deep. And with surface temperatures reaching 140 + degrees here in Pizza Oven, Arizona, the oil seems to "pump" up out of the concrete during the hottest parts of the year.

I have seen customers driveways/garages where they've epoxied or painted over their concrete, only to later blister, more times than not, where the oil spots where located.
 
810f250 said:
Jim you may have missed this question. Looking forward to your experiences.
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I've used several types of degreasers, Z'greaser, Power Stroke, SH. Still looking for a solution that will eliminate the shadowing, but not sure if that is possible. I also like to keep it "green', as I find more customers are attracted to the green cleaning methods.
 
Jim Cooney said:
I've used several types of degreasers, Z'greaser, Power Stroke, SH. Still looking for a solution that will eliminate the shadowing, but not sure if that is possible. I also like to keep it "green', as I find more customers are attracted to the green cleaning methods.
Click to expand...

Thanks You Jim,..........on a scale how would you rank each based on performance at the concentrations you used?
 
810f250 said:
Thanks You Jim,..........on a scale how would you rank each based on performance at the concentrations you used?
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Well, as I stated, none completely remove the shadow, if the oil has sat and absorbed into the concrete for any amount of time, especially over 6 months. But some worked better than others.

If your surface temperatures are below 70 degrees, I would bet the Oil Sponge product would rank #1. I have only used the product twice in the last month, and even starting at 6 am out here the surface temps are at least 90 degrees. I kept re applying the product. Supposedly the longer it sits, the more oil it will absorb.

Power Stroke and Z'greaser work well on the surface, as well as other degreasers I have used, but do little to get the oils uo that have penetrated.
 
Jim Cooney said:
Well, as I stated, none completely remove the shadow, if the oil has sat and absorbed into the concrete for any amount of time, especially over 6 months. But some worked better than others.

If your surface temperatures are below 70 degrees, I would bet the Oil Sponge product would rank #1. I have only used the product twice in the last month, and even starting at 6 am out here the surface temps are at least 90 degrees. I kept re applying the product. Supposedly the longer it sits, the more oil it will absorb.

Power Stroke and Z'greaser work well on the surface, as well as other degreasers I have used, but do little to get the oils uo that have penetrated.
Click to expand...

Thank You, I see that uc+ does bacteria does not work on synthetic oils.

look under the FAQ for UC+

Looks like Oil Sponge IS would be the ultimate, it is compatible with hot water

Thanks again Jim
 
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