Pet Peeve Bidding

Some customers must know the cost 9f the most minimal job. I have customers want the cost of removing a broken stud or even drilling one hole or bending a piece of sheet in a press break. One fellow wanted me to price welding a manifold for a "H" Farmall with pieces missing. My answer was that it was beyond repair and the thing to do was to replace it with new or used. His next question was how much I would charge if it could be repaired. My answer was that I never gave much thought to pricing an impossible task ,but if I attempted. The cost would be extreme and he would not want to pay as it would never be completed. He went away angry!
I did some contract work on larger jobs, but priced way beyond what I thought the cost of materials and labor. as do all other contractors. I always had enough work at cost plus

There are things I will bid and things I will not, there is nothing wrong with telling a customer that the chance of success is not worth the risk.

They WILL come back upset if it does not work, even though you told them it would not.

A challenge of the impossible is usually for free and no guarantee. A challenge of the ridiculous is avoided. I will work on unobtanium. Jim

I believe they should have a rough cost up front. Negotiation should be done before sale not after. But ever little bolt and hole is non sense. You did not lose much on that guy with the Farmall h manifold. I am a firm believer that weeding out some of them penny pinchers, borrowers, barter types, you will be ahead a lot faster.

Mechanic buddy got a call from a guy that bought one of those Chinese 4-wheelers. It came in a box. He was over whelmed and asked the mechanic if he could assemble it. Knowing full well nobody would touch it he told him to check around for somebody else because his shop was full. The next day the guy called back and asked again because he couldn?t find anybody. My buddy accepted as he has done some work for the guy in the past. Of course this was 2 days before the 4th of July and he wanted it in the 4th for his grand kids. Needless to say it wasn?t ready for the 4th.

I have been in the welding and repair business for over 40 years, 90 % of my customers are repeat customers and never even discuss the price. They just want it fixed ASAP. Every now and then a newby staggers in or calls me on the phone and starts asking how much it will cost to fix something or how much do I charge and hour. My first answer is, I don't price anything sight unseen, bring it in and I will look at it, most don't. The second answer, it really doesn't matter what I charge per hour, If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it anyway and I need to get back to work.

Years ago I was working an implement dealership. A fellow called up and after a brief
conversation, I figured his tractor needed a clutch. Of course he asked how much, which
was not unusual. So I got the "book" out and looked up the hours. I asked if he had a loader on it.
Of course it did!!! So I said the book says X hours which I padded a bit, then I told him to
add one to four hours to R & R the loader. "Why so much to R & R the loader?" he asked. He then said,
"When I take my Cadallac in for repairs, they know exactly how much it will cost!" I explained to him that
they were not dealing with 10-15 year old machinery that was rusty and carroded and such. I explained that if I twist
off a bolt in the main casting it will be a few minutes or an hour or two to fix. You know how it goes,
either it comes out easy or it's a fight. He was bound and determined to get a firm price!!
I said no way. Too many variables on equipment. Anyway he brought it in (or we went and got it) and repaired it.
When he came in to pay the bill, he didn't cry too much. I learned to pad the "bid" enough to be able to
come in under what I said, so they'd feel good.
Oh, BTW, this guy owned a fairly large insurance agency locally, and the "ranch" was a "play place" I think.
I would rather deal with an ole' dirt farmer any day!!
Just my experience!!