Discuss Hours spent pricing and doing customer site meeting.... in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Leesparkykent

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Just a bit of a rant really....This one job that is pretty much mine as do all the builders work and the customer has confirmed that I'm doing the job.

6/7 bed house just around the corner from my house. 1st site meeting I Sit down with the customer for 2 hours and went through what ideas they have etc. I then spend about 8 hours pricing and doing a rough sketch over the drawings for positions.

Submit drawings and quote and customer comes back and says above budget.

Second site meeting I sit down with customers again for 2 hours and look at where we can make some savings...Doesn't go great as customer doesn't want to compromise as still wants the lot. Sharpen the pencil slightly and save them a few quid by scaling it down, choosing different fittings etc and re price which takes another 4 hours.

3rd site meeting tonight (another 2 hours) which I thought would be just striking the deal but customer wants to go over it again. He wants costs for different variables because he has a budget which he needs to stick with but builder has had a few unexpected issues which has ended up costing a few quid.

Money isn't an issue with the customer as he has pots of it but wants to strike the balance between build cost and what it will be worth once complete.

So now I have to wait for builder to nail down his final cost so then I can resubmit with whatever is left in the pot. So far I've spent 18 hours on the job and still haven't got the customer to sign on the dotted line.

It's really annoying as he's a nice chap and I do get that the cost has to be proportional to the end result but come on mate I'm nearly 20 hours in .....
 
Well courting the customer is part of landing the job. However I get the frustration at time spent with nothing on the hook. I tend to work out a price and leave it with the customer. If they think it is too much I say well that is the only price I have for the job, try to get some other estimates. Because I know the price I will put in is fair (which is unusual) I know they will come back after falling off the chair at other prices, or not if they use the amazing prices you can get out there for cash and no cert.
But there we are we all have our different methods eh! I just would not have your patience or time for all that fanangling.
 
The thing is the job is going to be a real show piece....RAKO lighting and blinds, sonos throughout, gated access, cctv, intruder, heated garage for classic cars that has a rotating car changer, tesla wall, swimming pool, tennis courts, stables, par 3 golf hole, lake, gym etc. You can see why I want the job as it will be brilliant for the portfolio.
 
The thing is the job is going to be a real show piece....RAKO lighting and blinds, sonos throughout, gated access, cctv, intruder, heated garage for classic cars that has a rotating car changer, tesla wall, swimming pool, tennis courts, stables, par 3 golf hole, lake, gym etc. You can see why I want the job as it will be brilliant for the portfolio.

Sounds like a belter . Dont get much of that up my end .
 
Yeah he's worth a few quid. The company he owns design and make soft toys. The sort that cost about £30 for a teddy bear in gift shops when you take the kids out for the day :eek: The house itself isn't huge in relation to the land but it's everything else that goes with it. It will be a cracker of a job just got to nail the customer down.
 
The aspect of being SE or the boss of a small business that people don't understand.

My last big job, all agreed, but still spent a lot of time discussing things before I did anything ..... Worth it inn the end
 
The aspect of being SE or the boss of a small business that people don't understand.


It sill amazes me that people who i refer to as having office jobs can literally not even know what a red plug is used for . Trying to explain to people why we have to do things certain ways i don't know whether to laugh or cry .
 
Yeh I can see why you are going the extra mile for that one. So strike what I said earlier, I would have the patience. Just had a lovely job for LARA art school in Bristol. Lutron controls x 10 with 36 high CRI Cree panels and spots to make it perfect for colour rendering. Using the law of inverse squares calculating lumens and the fall off on easels etc., pretty tech. but fascinating. Really interesting job didn't charge full on as I wanted this in my portfolio.
 
Yeah he's worth a few quid. The company he owns design and make soft toys. The sort that cost about £30 for a teddy bear in gift shops when you take the kids out for the day :eek: The house itself isn't huge in relation to the land but it's everything else that goes with it. It will be a cracker of a job just got to nail the customer down.

You better hope he does not read the above...he'll smell your enthusiasm and book another meeting ;)

How about getting him to give up something that won't hurt him as much as cash?...like 100 plush toy Leesparkyteds,each with their own little tool belt and volt pen...you could hand them out to executive customers...you'll make them meercats redundant :)
 
Yeah he's worth a few quid. The company he owns design and make soft toys. The sort that cost about £30 for a teddy bear in gift shops when you take the kids out for the day :eek: The house itself isn't huge in relation to the land but it's everything else that goes with it. It will be a cracker of a job just got to nail the customer down.

You better hope he does not read the above...he'll smell your enthusiasm and book another meeting ;)

How about getting him to give up something that won't hurt him as much as cash?...like 100 plush toy Leesparkyteds,each with their own little tool belt and volt pen...you could hand them out to executive customers...you'll make them meercats redundant :)
 
You better hope he does not read the above...he'll smell your enthusiasm and book another meeting ;)

How about getting him to give up something that won't hurt him as much as cash?...like 100 plush toy Leesparkyteds,each with their own little tool belt and volt pen...you could hand them out to executive customers...you'll make them meercats redundant :)
haha great idea :D
 

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