pricing

[desrob]

the last 10 jobs i have priced for i have not got, i know i'm there or there abouts, but it seems there are people out there willing to do the jobs for very little profit, if any. but what do i do,stick to my guns or join the growing band of plumbers willing to work for nothing.

 

[Blake]

depends how desperate things are mate, if you are flush, don't budge, otherwise drop your prices a little.

 

[dontknowitall]

When I've lost a job I usually find out that it's because I estimated too long for the job. Then I sometimes find out that the job took as long as I'd estimated. It's frustrating but it's also life.

Where I've lost due to the value of the quote/estimate then it's usually because I've done so according to the regulations and what was installed was not up to regulations standards.

I'm definitely not expensive, but if I've lost out on price then I take the attitude that someone's got to work much harder for me to earn the same amount. Again, it's life but I prefer to have earn more per hour and work less hours than flogging my guts out (and not having much family life) by working 48+ hours a week. I also take the attitude that those customers seem to want too much for too little money and they'll be difficult to please and I probably won't get a recommendation out of them anyway.

I take pride in my work and am not really willing to sacrifice quality for time or price or breaking regulations. I also feel that by making myself too cheap that it won't necessarily help with recommendations so in answer to the question, I'd stick to your guns. One day it will pay off handsomely.

 

[Blake]

I refuse to drop my prices or match idiots doing poor quality work for nothing. I did not train for years in order to fix peoples boilers for a pittance.

I would honestly rather go work in a factory or supermarket than work for nothing. It's a matter of principle for me.

 

[Puddle]

We all go through patches were all the jobs seem to get away from us but do not forget you are selling yourself as well,make sure you present your self well and try to use your experience to explain the job and and pitfalls that could occur by not doing the works correctly

Be confident but not arrogant,the more honest and trustworthy you can come across the better your chances of getting the work before prices discussed,also important to learn basic body language,for you to use and for you to pick up on basic signs from the customer

Basically there are other things you can try/do before you have to think about altering your prices to much

imho

 

[secret squirrel]

Stick to your guns, I'd rather loose the job than work for nothing.

Jobs tend to take much longer than you think they will. It is frustrating loosing jobs though. I tend to think I'm over pricing it but when you stop and think about what you have to do; your probably not.

Its the postman plumber or fireman plumber or handyman plumber that gets the job and can afford to do it for a pittance, with no insurance etc.

My neighbour is a postman plumber and laughs when I tell him how much I charge, I explained that I'll deliver my own letter from the post office at half of what he gets paid......

When he asked to borrow a couple of tools a few weeks ago though, he wasn't happy when I explained he can rent them from me....

A little off the subject but basically stick to your price..

 

[unguided1]

stick to yer guns on the price, you know what yer doin and if you thought it could be done cheaper, you would have priced it cheaper, Why not offer a cowboy SOS service.

basicly at the bottom of your quote just a line or two to explain that if the customer decides not to use you and they find that the persons work they have employed is not up to the standard they expected, that you will be more than happy to do the rectification work.

Through experiance I have found that half the time you end tearing out the bodgers work and starting again.