What a Day!

[copgib]

Today I recieved a phone call from an older guy wanting a bid to Pressure Wash his home. I arrive in the afternoon and I find out he owns a large real estate company. He just retired and his son is running the business. Anyway the house is a ranch style about 6500sqft. He tells me to walk around it so I can give him a bid. I walk the house and have an idea what I will charge. I go back to him and he then says he wants the driveway pad and porches and sidewalks done also. I check them out and refigure my bid. I go back to him and before I give him the bid he says, I also want the 30X40' Pole Barn cleaned also, and my front gate area and light pole which has his name on it which is very moldy. Because the guys is older and the job didn't look hard but time consuming, I ask if he had anything else? He stated no, so I told him the best I could do for all his items would be $500 which is a very good deal for all I would be doing. He shook his head and stated that was too much, so I asked him what he had in mind for the cleaning, thinking if I was off alittle I might bend to get the job, he stated he had someone before do it all for $250 I told his I couldn't clean his house for that much and left. He is a guy who has money and thinks he will get all the work done for $250. I did tell him he better get that guy who did it before back to do it again at that price. He stated he called me because he saw my ad in the daily newspaper everyday. Well you win some and you loose some! Hugh

 

[Newlook]

Hugh....$500.00?

 

[Ron Musgraves]

I sold a few centers today and told a new customer he has become to much work.

You have to charge the right amount and it has to be fair for both partys.

 

[copgib]

Yes $500 anyone who saw the amount of work would consider it a steal. It would have taken me about 6 to 8-hours to complete everything that this homeowner wanted done. Hugh

 

[Eric and Jenny]

You did the right thing by walking away Hugh.
Sometimes you just have to.

This was an unreasonable customer.
Like you said---6 to 8 hours worth of work....geez!

~Jen

 

[cajun cleanin]

People like that are used to having employees do it.They can send a guy who makes 8 bucks an hour over there and he can work on it for three or four days.Sometimes you gotta walk off.Sucks that you had to drive out there too.

 

[copgib]

On another board, there were people thinking I was charging too much for everything. I do not work for free or low wages. I know times are hard but, but I am one that don't live off of what I earn Pressure Washing, so walking away is not a problem. I do try to work out a reasonable fee with the homeowner but when he states he has a guy who will work the 6 or 8 hours for $250 I say have at it! Bye bye! Hugh

One thing I do offer at no charge is free estimates, whether I get the job or not!

 

[IndyExterior]

Let the guys on the other board do it.

Sounds like a steal to me.

Move on and go make some money.

 

[The Cleaner]

On another board, there were people thinking I was charging too much for everything. I do not work for free or low wages. I know times are hard but, but I am one that don't live off of what I earn Pressure Washing, so walking away is not a problem. I do try to work out a reasonable fee with the homeowner but when he states he has a guy who will work the 6 or 8 hours for $250 I say have at it! Bye bye! Hugh

One thing I do offer at no charge is free estimates, whether I get the job or not!

You were right on with your price!! Move on and get the next one.

 

[BrooksPW]

not worth your time, people want it for free.. you should ask what he does and ask him to do it at cost.. what a joke. we're trying to make a living too!

 

[Scott D.]

My thoughts are the same as Carlos...$500?

This is where qualifying a customer on the phone comes into play. Even if you dont like doing estimates over the phone, a ssimple "Well based on the square footage of your home the price would be somewhere around $600 for the house wash...if you are ok with the range I would love to come out and give you a solid estimate". He would have balked, you would have hung up and saved a day of BS. You did good walking away. Dont work for free.

I know all markets are different and Im not busting your balls, but thats easily $1,100, if you cleaned the light pole and gate thing for free. Of course thats Houston prices.

Geez is Florida really that bad w/ lowballers? $500 is right on Nick?

 

[Ron Musgraves]

People like that are used to having employees do it.They can send a guy who makes 8 bucks an hour over there and he can work on it for three or four days.Sometimes you gotta walk off.Sucks that you had to drive out there too.

Not to argue, but I wouldnt do it either way. I always went to a problem pay job so I didnt get hit so hard.

If I'm having an employee I really gotta charge. I'm not on the wand and dont want to be. I have more cost than a one man show, I have to even charge more.

A company with employees is never my problem, it the start up one guy.

 

[copgib]

Well to add alittle information one final time. I do not give estimates over the phone, I have had people try to hold me to my bid, so I don't do it. Also when the customer called me and I asked all the normal information, it was for a house wash only bid. Once on site he started to add one thing after another until there was a good 8-hours work. No hard feelings though, I told him to call the guy who did it before for $250. Maybe I ought to call that guy to so my house can get cleaned for nothing. Hugh