Pissed off and speechless!

Stretch561

New member
So I received a phone call the other day from a nationwide fast food restaurant. They requested to have 7900 square feet pressure washed weekly with Windows done bi weekly with 40 panes of glass. I gave them two options Option 1 their regular weekly maintenance that they wanted and option 2 for me to do it twice a month. Now my proposal for twice a month put them around $1,300 a month that's for everything including the windows outside only. To my surprise I received an email from the manager with other quotes upon my request and there's two companies around $200 a week and another company around $400 a week but they don't do windows. So needless to say I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get this no matter how hard I try to sell them on it. At what point do people start working for free. I told them I have a term of six months that lock them in at that price so I will not raise my price. I feel the other people are going to do what the guy who is doing it now is doing....to get in low and then raise it. It was brought to my attention that the owner of this restaurant has an expected budget of $600 a month for 7900 square feet pressure washed weekly and 40 panes of glass cleaned twice a month. What are your guys thoughts I'm starting to question my price but I've always stood by my prices. Im fair but im also not a low baller.
 
Yea kinda like one of the restaurants around here that wants 25,000+ square feet of concrete done twice a year for like $300. Must have hot water, hose reels, 300+ gallon tank... Basically, they want a professional company to come and work for crackhead prices. Did i mention nights only? Yes, they have like 14 stores and also wanted building done every 3 months for like $250, but i sure as hell wasn't about to dedicate that much of my time to such a ridiculous offer. It was a national cleaning company trying to get me out there by the way.

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"pissed off and speechless"

what's the big deal? you got a call from a company that has a line "clean concrete and windows" on the things the stores are supposed to do every month. No one is going to check if it's done or not so they're doing it as cheap as possible. Every time I'm in a bathroom where the soap dispenser has been replaced 4 times and the molly's are still in wall from the last one and the tile is cracked around the current one I think "someone bid the soap supply contract for $2 less".
So what. Be happy you didn't go out and spend time to bid it. I just strait up ask the person when they call if that's the type of company they are, they will tell you.
 
It's just better at times to just walk away and go onto the next bid. They get what they pay for. I'm in business to make $$$, this isn't just a hobby for me.
 
I agree with you all....it just bothers me because in my area this is happening more and more. People bidding at auch a low price that theae people are eating it up. Nobody really takes in to consideration that people have overhead and expect you to work for free. Thwy have a guy now who is doing it and he went in low then teied ro raise them and now they are looking for another company. I basically to palm d them theat i cant do 40 panes of glass and 7900 sq ft weekly for $600 a month. Its a shame that they expect it to be possible and its not....so that is why i gave them a quote for what they wanted weekly but gave them a 2nd option to cut down their expense for the month.
 
Unfortunately alot of entities do no not view pressure washing as a formidable necessity

Its a stigma fueled by these "pick up truck" pressure washers out there

I recently was at an apartment complex (pretty nice) bidding on other work (painting) when i mentioned that we also do pressure washing

Its a complex of 14 buildings (300 units)- vinyl sided exterior w concrete walkways which were all pretty dirty

The guy quickly dismissed me and told me his "in house" guy does it that hes got it covered and not interested in hearing about it.

So i nodded my head and said " i see hes doing such a great job" as i wiped my fingers across some filthy vinyl

I told him - look how you operate is your business but if you use a professional company with professional equipment you will probably save more money in the long haul and can have your guy do other things. I told him a min wash of once a year will save him money and keep up the appearance.

We talked some more- about how appearances attract renters, etc but some people just dont get it- cant see beyond the forest- he's one of them

So they will continue to use their Portable PW machine and wash here and there and continue to have dirty Azz Buildings
 
So I received a phone call the other day from a nationwide fast food restaurant. They requested to have 7900 square feet pressure washed weekly with Windows done bi weekly with 40 panes of glass. I gave them two options Option 1 their regular weekly maintenance that they wanted and option 2 for me to do it twice a month. Now my proposal for twice a month put them around $1,300 a month that's for everything including the windows outside only. To my surprise I received an email from the manager with other quotes upon my request and there's two companies around $200 a week and another company around $400 a week but they don't do windows. So needless to say I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get this no matter how hard I try to sell them on it. At what point do people start working for free. I told them I have a term of six months that lock them in at that price so I will not raise my price. I feel the other people are going to do what the guy who is doing it now is doing....to get in low and then raise it. It was brought to my attention that the owner of this restaurant has an expected budget of $600 a month for 7900 square feet pressure washed weekly and 40 panes of glass cleaned twice a month. What are your guys thoughts I'm starting to question my price but I've always stood by my prices. Im fair but im also not a low baller.

Remember where you are. Florida is a right to work state. It's hard to get what you're worth in that atmosphere. I know. I live here too.


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It means you don't have to be extorted by a union.

Right haha. Bidding at prevailing wage would get you zero work in the residential side around Chicago. For instance, the topic of this thread

Trade RG TYP C Base FRMAN M-F>8 OSA OSH H/W Pensn Vac Trng
LABORER ALL -- 39.200 39.950 1.5 1.5 2.0 13.98 10.72 0.000 0.500

At billable 70/hr before you blink... and people are offering $99 house washes
 
Loved my prevailing wage days. People don't like unions or wage standers until they are getting a paycheck worth their effort. Not going to happen in residential but it should. Makes bidding an actual skill and keeps business owners honest.
 
I told the company that my bid is my set price and that's i will not raise it once im in except if their would have add on work. They have a guy now doing it for $600 a month and has been doing it for 3 months but now wants more maybe money. Im not into playing those games....my prices are fair and upfront
 
Loved my prevailing wage days. People don't like unions or wage standers until they are getting a paycheck worth their effort. Not going to happen in residential but it should. Makes bidding an actual skill and keeps business owners honest.
I just don't like people taking my money and supporting marxist, communists whatever they call them these days.
 
Loved my prevailing wage days. People don't like unions or wage standers until they are getting a paycheck worth their effort. Not going to happen in residential but it should. Makes bidding an actual skill and keeps business owners honest.

I agree

Ive done very well with prevailing wage in the past

Ive never been excluded from a bid either for not being a Union shop
 
let them choose their company and stop in every two/three months, check and see if they are still happy. You will be surprised how many accounts you can pick up.

Im going to do that, i picked some up like that before. Im nust mind blown that people qork for damn near nothing. I broke down the lowest quote and its at .2 cents a sq ft. I was told by the manager today that nobody that bid does Windows so they would have to deal with another company for that. The owner is waiting on another quote from another company that does another chain restaurant. I have bid low before to get in the door but never had to raise my price because i was pulling a profit and that bid was low to them. Now i just went in at a medium price and now their are people bidding for peanuts.
 
Im going to do that, i picked some up like that before. Im nust mind blown that people qork for damn near nothing. I broke down the lowest quote and its at .2 cents a sq ft. I was told by the manager today that nobody that bid does Windows so they would have to deal with another company for that. The owner is waiting on another quote from another company that does another chain restaurant. I have bid low before to get in the door but never had to raise my price because i was pulling a profit and that bid was low to them. Now i just went in at a medium price and now their are people bidding for peanuts.


I know you wonder sometimes why you bother....
 
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