[matt]

i was asked to price a series of car showrooms about 3 years ago

today was my daughters sports day so i took the day off ( lifestyle choice  )

i didnt even take my mobile out as i didnt want to be disturbed

anyways, i get home after the picnic to a phone message

" can you give us another qoute, the last qoute was a touch high and we need it lower by about 250 quid "

now i know even at that price its still a good earner

i will need to sort out a inside washer kit ( i need it anyway for a local next store )

even though its 3 years ago, i could easily do the job for 250 less than my qoute and i would still be happy

is the guy telling me where to aim because he :

1. wants it cheaper
2. wants me to do the job ( we did get on well and he seemed a fairly "above board type of guy ") , but it has to be cheaper for me to do the job
3. both of the above

[Mr Formby]

He has not rushed to get back to you . I think he must of had a fall out with the window cleaner and kept your details . He must know how much he wants to pay and is letting you know that if you price it at that price you could get the job.

[Jeff Brimble]

Nice phone call, sounds good.
2. but negotiate it up a bit so you can still come down. 

[GWCS]

Nice phone call, sounds good.
2. but negotiate it up a bit so you can still come down. 

or say you will need to reduce the quality of areas that dont need to be so highly cleaned.

[Clive McDonald]

If it was me i'd take it at face value and give him what he wants.

[andyatkinson]

if your happy for that price then go for it, but i think what gwcs said is a good idea and try and have a think of a few more things like that, he doesnt need to know your a ok with that reduction coz then  it may look like you were happy to over charge him in first place, so why  not do that, another one is I can do the job for that price but if i am to drop so much for you can you assure me you can pay on the day?as i cant charge so much less and wait for my money, if you meet him on his terms which is fine chuck in a few of your own, at least he knows your going to cut the odd corner and he knows he needs to have a cheque waiting for you etc.

[Nathanael Jones]

Avoid car showrooms like the plague!!!

It doesn't matter how good the quote is if you have trouble getting paid,.. and lets face it, car showrooms are under financial pressure more than most at the moment.

My father in law cleans one. He used to do the floors, forecourt shop, offices etc twice a week & windows monthly. Now he's cleaning just the floors and offices monthly,.. windows "On request" and its been 8 months since they were done!

[windowswashed]

car showrooms good for me, just not the pubs.

[cozy]

All very good points so far. However, some car dealers (small foreign) are doing better than others (BBC news). A price three years ago is obviously not worth today, what it was then. Prices and your costs have increased in three years. You know this business Matt, ask yourself, if you need the job. So if you don't adjust your price, what's the worst that could happen and could you live with it? I think the whole situation is down to posture. Perhaps adjust the frequencies of the cleans.

I'm not trying to sound clever Matt, but that's how I operate with commercials. Not one of my commercial customers has any idea, how big or small my firm is. If my wife answers the phone and I'm not there, she'll say something like "The boss is out at the moment with a foreman, doing an estimate in so and so town, I'll get him to call you back" This gives me better posture, when I turn up at the custy. I don't want to teach my granny to suck eggs mate  

Let us know how you get on.

Hope I don't sound like EWAN (Aristotle)  

[big J]

IMO his call indicates he needs his show room cleaning. Obviously
When you go to buy a car do you haggle or just accept the screen price ....of course you do
Car salesmen and there bosses are compulsive hagglers
so
remember
1 he contacted you 
2 do you need the job despartely
3 if yes then hold out for the original price and let him beat you down a little
4 if no say your previous quote was valid for 30 days not 3 years and then quote higher he then either tries to beat you down possibly to your old price or says no thanks...doubtful as as said above they like to haggle

nothing ventured nothing gained ...im a cheeky sod though 

[matt]

to be fair, i dont really need the work

it would be nice to do either side of my domestic work , but thats about it, it would be nice

i will point out that if i priced again it would most prob be 9 - 10 % more than 3 years ago, thus if i knocked 250 quid off it would be the same price as i qouted, i might then knock 100 quid off or even 150 quid with not as much cleaning done
or even get the car valetted by them everytime i clean it, that would be nice

i think i will sleep on it and have a think

[lovewindows]

Could be he's thinking credit crunch and all that need to cut costs if i tell the guy who does them at present i can get someone else for such and such a price maybe he will drop his, if not i can get the other guy. Charge what it's worth to you and dont bank on anything.

[dai]

Could be he's thinking credit crunch and all that need to cut costs if i tell the guy who does them at present i can get someone else for such and such a price maybe he will drop his, if not i can get the other guy. Charge what it's worth to you and dont bank on anything.

I was going to post exactly the same reply.

[gary evans]

Matt

I would be carefull, they be behind in payments with previous wc & in dispute.

We,ve had 4 go bump on us in last 12 months now, theres 2 more who  are behind in payments & thats what i,m doing today chasing people & going round to there offices if need be get payment.

Two of the company,s that took us recently are still operating & will be looking for new wc,s soon, both in cannock. One has changed there name & the other is trading under original name. We would be last in line so theres no chance of payment from them, but one day you never no what goes around comes around they say. Both were owned by ........., & one had done it previously.

All i can say is beware, & keep on top of payments if you go for it.

Gary

[weetot]

I gotta agree with Nathaniel, Ive always had trouble gettin money from car showrooms, now i give them a wide berth, sod it id rather do a street of houses!

[elite mike]

I gotta agree with Nathaniel, Ive always had trouble gettin money from car showrooms, now i give them a wide berth, sod it id rather do a street of houses!

yep got to agree with that

used to get paid by bacs for a showrooms i used to do but i was

lucky to get paid every 3 months :

it was supposed to be monthly, well shot of that one

[A.J]

Around £2,250 worth of car show rooms to clean I'm guesing it must be somewere between 20-50 showrooms or possible alot more. I didn't think you were natiional matt! How many vans you got?  :
 

[matt]

Around £2,250 worth of car show rooms to clean I'm guesing it must be somewere between 20-50 showrooms or possible alot more. I didn't think you were natiional matt! How many vans you got?  :
 

i am not sure i get the  : ? ? ?

i said the guy wanted me to drop the price by 250 quid

where does the 2,250 price come into it ? ? ? ? and 20 - 50 showrooms ? ? ? 

where have i mentioned the price or the number of showrooms  ?? ?

[elite mike]

to much wine matt

[Oakley Windows]

Around £2,250 worth of car show rooms to clean I'm guesing it must be somewere between 20-50 showrooms or possible alot more. I didn't think you were natiional matt! How many vans you got?  :
 

i am not sure i get the  : ? ? ?

i said the guy wanted me to drop the price by 250 quid

where does the 2,250 price come into it ? ? ? ? and 20 - 50 showrooms ? ? ?  

where have i mentioned the price or the number of showrooms  ?? ?

Cos of the 9-10% mentioned in this?

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=76110.msg668320#msg668320