Losin'

[NS'Creter]

So I go to price a small job the other evening...a very nice elderly couple, very vibrant...anyway, they look at the pix and we talk the talk. I worked out the price right there, it was pretty basic, and they go for it. She even went so far to tell me that my price was reasonable because she had priced some DIY crap and it was more than half of my price. We set a tentative date for mid July and go merrily on our way. Well today we're on a job and the lady calls...they have decided not to use us because their contractor was going to do something for them. The job was a small doorstep and walkway which they had considered tile for but decided against...even before I came along. I want to know who is doing what for them. Do I have unknown competition? I was the only game in a small town. Or did I lose it to tile because they had a guy over for something else and he said something stupid like ,"Oh I can throw some tile on there for a few hundred bucks." If I lost it to tile I'll feel better about it...if there's some rate cuttin' hack flyin' under the radar in my backyard I wanna know. Is there a tactful way for me to find out? Can I call and ask if I could have done something differently? Or do I have to stalk the site and see it for myself?

[xscash]

i post on my site that we compete and are usually less than tile. today i received an e-mail from southern Florida about a 3200sq ft stain job they would like me to quote. 3.50 sq ft was my quote. well, boy did i get an arse reaming e-mail on how a guy doing tile on craigs list will install tile for 1.49sq ft. and my site said we were less than tile. some people are not doing it for the look, just the price. personally, i would rather do extra work for free for someone who appreciates the craft than compete with idiots.

[NS'Creter]

The Craig's List guy will install for that rate or install and supply? Install I'll bet. I had a similar situation and the guy got pretty mouthy with me claiming that he could get tile supplied and installed for $3.00. My price to him was $3.50 and after me trying to sell the benefits and be diplomatic he was pushin' my buttons...I told him that I would compete with quality tile, not junk. I was glad to walk from that one.

[Lindy]

"High Defination concrete" (a term I coined) is a work of individualized, custom created art using concrete as our media; much like a artist that uses a blank canvas to do so. Comparing Hi-Def concrete to ordinary manufactured/limited colors/limited designs associated with tile is like comparing a custom paint job on a new Lexus to that of an old time/anolog Ford Pinto.

We must NEVER prostitute our work out to morons who have no appreciation for it; instead we must strive to maintain our professionalism; never lower ourselves to political like mudslinging (when it comes to defensive sounding off to potential customers that are price shopping with tail-light contractors); and most of all we MUST maintain "that's my price and I'm sticking to it." Only by following these, and other professional business practices, combined with creative level of trade related expertise, can we expect our businesses and architectural concrete industry to grow and prosper.

[NS'Creter]

You are exactly right Lindy...cool phrase too. 9 times outta 10 I can hold my big mouth shut in situations like that, but that guy was really workin' it. I may have been having an "off" day too, I don't remember. I've managed to "stow it" ever since that time though...that's why I sometimes rant on the board ... I gotta vent somewhere!

[aynet]

Just like a duck -- let it slide.
Truth is, some folks just ain't worth you gettin' your blood-pressure up.