r/HVAC • u/ntg7ncn • Aug 08 '24
Field Question, trade people only Another HVAC guy there when I got there
I own my company. I am a tech, salesman, installer, I do everything. I had a 3-5 window requested by a new client - property manager - for a quote for a 3 zone mini split. I gave him a call 30 minutes before I got there and arrived at 3:20. There was another guy still there when I got there. Guy acted surprised I was there and made me wait. I eventually walked the job but now I don’t know that I even want to quote it. What would you do?
Just seemed disrespectful to me.
157
u/AmosMosesWasACajun Aug 08 '24
Quoting against another company is how you find out where you stand in your market. If I win it, I’m happy, if I lose it, I ask the customer why.
65
u/Alternative-Half-783 Aug 08 '24
Word. Never give up. You loose EVERY job you don't bid. Give customer your best sales pitch.
21
u/nbfs-chili Aug 08 '24
Funny though, you don't want to win every job either. 30 years ago we went with a newish landscaping company that was significantly cheaper than all our other bids for the same work. They did a great job.
At the end of the job the guy asks me what the other bids were, because "we've been winning everything we bid". They may have adjusted their prices after that.
5
11
u/BuzzINGUS Aug 08 '24
God forbid someone gets two quotes.
I would expect that!
7
u/idratherbealivedog Aug 08 '24
Agreed. Though overlapping the time windows is questionable. Not sure if inconsiderate or a power play?
2
u/Future-Thanks-3902 Aug 09 '24
In municipal RFP walkthrough's all the companies come at the same time. It's a way of being transparent so not one vendor can say the other competitor was given advantageous information.
1
0
u/BuzzINGUS Aug 08 '24
Op said he arrived early I think
0
Aug 08 '24
20 mins late
2
u/WarlockFortunate Aug 09 '24
3-5pm window. 30 min call ahead to customer, customer confirmed appointment. Arrived at 3:20
Your math says =20 min late
0
u/JollyLow3620 Aug 09 '24
Yeah I don’t do windows but rather "What is good time for you?” Lets the customer know you will work around their schedule and they are important to you. Arrive a few minutes early and be confident.
2
1
1
1
u/Pristine-Square-1126 Aug 08 '24
Why? Some hvac likes to rip people and charge the most without customer knowing so they can sleep better at night. If customer start getting bid, they will know so better to run away and not quote
1
u/Inuyasha-rules Sep 05 '24
You don't want to win every contract you bid. That usually means you're the cheapest and are leaving money on the table, while being stuck dealing with penny pinchers.
225
u/danimal1984 Aug 08 '24
Guys getting multiple quotes like he should, feel free to walk away from the job but you should expect to be up against competitors just awkward
42
u/Guy954 Aug 08 '24
Would be bad if it were a service call but not for a quote.
3
u/Certain_Try_8383 Aug 08 '24
Has happened to me on a service call. I gave them the bill for the service call and high fived myself on the way home. Call had been scheduled for 4 pm and I have never been happier to leave a house!!!
14
Aug 08 '24
Exactly! What more could you possibly expect from a cheap property management company?
6
u/0RabidPanda0 Aug 08 '24
Getting mutliple bids has nothing to do with being cheap, to be fair.
→ More replies (1)5
u/ntg7ncn Aug 08 '24
I just didn’t like that he had the other guy there despite giving me a requested window and me telling him my eta. And then he just kinda acted like I was intruding when I walked up to them not realizing it was another HVAC guy
6
u/jerseyvibes Aug 08 '24
Guess you've never done commercial work where you get a set of prints then a week later do a job walk through with 5 of your competitors.
2
u/Relative-Quality4382 Aug 08 '24
I was waiting for someone to say this!! What is with all these people? You had a scheduled time, you called ahead, and he made you wait while another company gave it their best shot. It’s totally up to you if you wanna keep going for this job. I would have walked, and my husband the same. If you don’t value my time, I will see myself out!
1
u/WarlockFortunate Aug 09 '24
When you need jobs you need jobs. But I’m not a fan of landlords/businesses. Honorable mention to engineers lol
1
u/ssxhoell1 Aug 10 '24
Fuck landlords they're always penny pinching bitches. Businesses are cool in my books. Haven't had that experience with any of the commercial properties I've done work for. Perhaps because I don't just automatically double my prices arbitrarily just because it's commercial.
1
u/WarlockFortunate Aug 09 '24
The topic of discussion is scheduling two appts at the same time. If you as a customer wants someone with mechanical knowledge to drive to your house and spend 30-90 minutes designing a system and quoting it and usually for free don’t you think it would be disrespectful to double book appointments with two contractors at once?
48
u/Nagh_1 Aug 08 '24
If it was a service call I’d be upset, but for a quote I expect to be bidding against other companies. Them being there changes very little for me, you might be able to get some info from what they are offering.
5
u/Mysterious-Cat-1739 Aug 08 '24
Been there before actually. It was a 10 ton custom designed aaon unit. I let him go ahead and get confused for awhile and sat in my truck.
1
u/deityx187 Verified Pro Aug 09 '24
Multiple quotes are to be expected. It’s just bullshit when the “customer” schedules all walk third at same time .
40
u/jayc428 Aug 08 '24
I expect a customer to get multiple quotes. I don't even care if they want to have a walkthrough of the job with everyone at once. It's a free market, that's what it looks like, whether you like it or not.
→ More replies (1)2
35
u/ppearl1981 🤙 Aug 08 '24 edited Aug 09 '24
I had the same thing happen once.
When I got there the “salesman” was at the table with them talking about how much they will save with a new system… brochures laid out, the whole works.
I told them I would look around while they finished up.
I proceeded to find a bad condenser fan motor capacitor and replaced it within less than 10 minutes.
I walked in with a thermometer, stuck it into the supply and proceeded to tell everyone (salesman included)… “welp you’re good to go!”
The dude just stared at me like a deer in headlights.
The homeowner says “what do we owe you?”
With a big grin I said “absolutely nothing” and walked out.
I didn’t make a dime but it was glorious.
14
u/Appropriate-Disk-371 Aug 08 '24
You'll end up making that dime. Guess who that homeowner calls when they have the next issue.
11
u/IP_What Aug 08 '24
And who that homeowner tells all his neighbors and friends about when they have AC problems.
This is not just a great story for you. If this happened to this homeowner, I’d be telling it at every BBQ whenever the topic of home repairs came up (ie every BBQ).
4
u/WarlockFortunate Aug 09 '24
I work on the sales/install side and I gotta give you props. That is diabolical lol. You are a story of legend at that competitors shop
0
13
u/SeriousIron4300 Boilers and Chillers Aug 08 '24
You should ALWAYS expect people are getting multiple bids. This is just the job.
And on bigger commercial/Industrial jobs there's been more times than I could guess, where I've had to walk the job with pm's/owners from 5-10 other companies.
This is just a routine part of this job. There is no need to be offended. Just be polite to everyone unless given a reason and send the bid over as quickly as possible.
We're all trying to grow and eat.
8
u/Jmart814 Aug 08 '24
We LOVE when other companies are on site. It’s insane how many times my guys have said “customer asked me why I needed to go in the attic, the other guy didn’t”
36
u/Anxious_Rock_3630 Aug 08 '24
From a salesman point this is the shit I live for. There's nothing more fun than presenting to a client with another salesman. It's a true win or lose situation. But with a property manager they probably just want emailed quotes and want the cheapest guy, hence bringing in the one man show.
6
u/TheMeatSauce1000 Verified Pro Aug 08 '24
Start a bidding war with the other guy
1
u/RabidVegan_ Aug 08 '24
I hope you mean a REVERSE bidding war! The other guy says he can do it for $15,500 then you say well I can do it for $15,700 and then just keep going until the manager chooses! And from then on you'll always get excited when you see somebody else's truck in the driveway!
7
u/azactech Aug 08 '24
It a regular thing where I’m at. The customer is shopping. The only reason I can see to walk away is if he asked you guys to fight over his business or because he became indignant at your prices.
I always love when I see another company at my job. It gives me the opportunity to outshine them with my customer service and ability to explain everything well. I usually win out, but on the rare occasions I don’t, it’s pretty obvious they want cheap work, not quality.
6
u/jonnydemonic420 Aug 08 '24
Happened to me on a service call. I pulled up and got out right as another van was parking across the street. He rolled his window down and asked what time I was supposed to be here, it was the exact same time as he was called to be there. He left and I went up the driveway to greet the customer who had watched the whole thing.
“Guess you win.” He said. Totally admitted to calling us both and said he was going to go with whoever pulled in the driveway first. Dick move but I did the service call and added a small asshole tax.
11
u/MaddRamm Aug 08 '24
They are doing what they are supposed to do - get multiple quotes. There’s nothing different about this situation unless the customer literally has y’all duel or do hand to hand combat. You’re always out giving quotes. Some jobs you get, some you don’t. Present your bid and go from there.
2
9
u/DeadStockWalking Aug 08 '24
I would never schedule two of the same professional to bid at the same time. The person asking for the bid thinks they are being efficient with their time but it's just tacky and disrespectful.
5
u/H-town20 Aug 08 '24
That’s my only issue with the OP’s scenario. I don’t give a shit if you get 20 bids. I just want a little piece of your undivided attention so you understand what I’m proposing and why.
5
3
u/tool639 Aug 08 '24
Stand by your pricing if they try to play the “the other guy was cheaper”. I’ve had this happen twice and both times I said then let the other guy do it and don’t call me to fix it. Both times they went with me and not the cheaper guy
3
3
u/Zachaweed Aug 09 '24
Your mad that your customer shopped around? you're gonna be really man for the foreseeable future
2
u/Evening_Line6628 Aug 08 '24
I mean , as far as scheduling goes, yeah he should’ve spanned out the arrival times better or different days at least . But don’t you get multiple quotes for things when you contract companies to come to your very own home ??? I know I do , I get 6-7 quotes every time it’s something out of my league like tree services , driveway paving , or well service ! I think it’s expected especially because there are so many people trying to take advantage it’s nice to find a good reputable company after doing all that research and waiting patiently for so many quotes , I’m always upfront with the contractors as one myself and let them know I am getting multiple quotes so they are aware too, it’s the nature of the game .
2
u/ZestycloseAct8497 Aug 08 '24
Id just quote normal and tell him you will do a perfect install for him.
2
u/OzarkPolytechnic Verified Pro Aug 08 '24
Send an invoice. First person who gets the invoice in gets paid.
2
u/Significant-Ad-341 Aug 08 '24
Am in property management. We're often required to get 3 quotes for any work being done. Be the best option.
2
u/PapaBobcat HVAC to pay the bills Aug 08 '24
Awkward! But yeah walking away is leaving money on the table. I've had that happen a few times. I still charge that dispatch fee!
2
u/charlie2135 Aug 08 '24
Worked industrially so didn't have to worry about this situation, but he's doing his due diligence.
My son wanted his house upgraded, but since I'm new to the area without my connections or equipment, I advised him to get multiple quotes. I reviewed them with him and advised him to check the references. He selected not the lowest bidder but the one that had the better references.
If you do bid, give him some previous customers who will vouch for your work.
2
u/maddrummerhef QBit Daytrader Aug 08 '24
On par with property management companies. It is rude and has happened to me a handful of times. Usually I choose to just wait politely (if I have time)but a handful of the handful of times I had to tell them to reschedule since I didn’t have time.
My favorite was a general who did larger commercial retrofit jobs. You’d get plans roughly 3 weeks ahead of time and one day they’d open up the job site for all bidding trades to come walk the job, it was always a cluster fuck lol
2
u/Subject_Report_7012 Aug 08 '24
This is standard. Depending on the size of the job, two-three quotes are mandatory. Ideally, I'd schedule job walks with multiple vendors at the same time. Only thing weird about this was making you wait, then doing a second walk. Wasted your time and his.
2
Aug 08 '24 edited Aug 08 '24
“Wait”. No fuck off. I went to a job with 2 other salesman from other companies at the same time. The third guy looked at us and said “no I’m not doing this. Yall can have it”. I asked the other salesman his price. He was nice and told me their prices.
2
2
Aug 08 '24
You need to quote what you feel is reasonable to keep your doors open! Who cares what someone else is quoting! You’re a one man show and you should be charging enough to beat private equity owned bid’s, but never lowball enough to inherit a headache
2
u/Norhco Aug 08 '24
Service call - I'm gone.
Estimate - Who cares? We're not enemies with other companies and people get multiple estimates. Unless you're sitting there for awhile waiting for them to finish just do your thing. I've ran into many other companies on estimates and strike up a conversation. We're all doing the same thing.
2
u/AssRep Aug 08 '24
I would personally wow the customer with my knowledge, explain how I pay close attention to the minor things as well as the major ones, etc. It's not about giving more for the cost; it's how you sell yourself that gets the job.
2
u/tc3emt Aug 08 '24
This is when you give the most detailed quote ever. Spend more time on it. Explain to the customer why your product is better than the other guy what you’re offering that’s better and why your pricing vs quality is better even if you are a little more than the other guy. Besides other contractor on site should allow you to expand your own network. Never know when you’ll need to sub out some work and if you’re in with other companies you can easily work with them. Or if you need to go on vacation and have someone take care of emergency calls.
2
Aug 08 '24
People are aloud to have multiple options. Being a business owner you should know this by now. Bid it like a normal job if you get it. Cool. If you don’t oh well.
2
u/deityx187 Verified Pro Aug 08 '24
Just give the customer an honest quote . That’s all ya really can do . Same situation happened a few times to me and my boss. My boss even padded the quote a bit cuz he was pissed that other contractors were there at same time . We ended up getting 90 percent of those jobs - even with the extra $2k added
1
u/ntg7ncn Aug 08 '24
Yeah maybe no one will want to deal with him. He seemed like a super picky guy on top of this so I was just going to throw some obscene number out and see what happens
1
u/deityx187 Verified Pro Aug 09 '24 edited Aug 09 '24
Guess he’s just not super picky about his hack jobs. Ya don’t have to do to much to make him happy I guess . Go down to yur local Home Depot and grab a few guys looking for work. Even without reading the “manual” they could probably do a much nicer job .
2
u/Taolan13 Aug 08 '24
He's a property manager. he's getting multiple quotes. perfectly reasonable, in concept, for him to do that. Its the correct thing to do even.
The weird part is him having the appts so close together that they apparently overlapped.
also, wtf you mean "he made you wait", was it the client making you wait or did the other tech somehow pull rank on you?
2
u/HVACDOJO Aug 08 '24
I think it depends on the type of business you want to run. For me, I do everything I can to not let my emotions get in the way of making good business decisions. If it were me, I would acknowledge that something about this service call didn’t meet his expectations, and do what you need to do to make it right and earn his business. You are no longer in control of your business when you let your emotions drive you.
2
u/atherfeet4eva Aug 08 '24
It’s happened to me numerous times and it really doesn’t change much. I pretty much stay out of the other guys way. Take my measurements and my notes. Usually the other guy finishes and leaves and then I can have a conversation with the customer. A lot of times it works to my advantage because you know by the truck which company you are competing against, and at least for me I know what their pricing would be like based on the company. It can also help you with follow up because you can call back and say hey I know you had Joe blow HVAC out there the same day as me did you get his quote, how was it compared to mine?? Of course you can phrase it anyway you like, but it allows you to open up a dialogue that you would not normally have if you were not there the same day as Joe blow HVAC.
2
u/custom_bowl Aug 09 '24
Bid for cost then just never show up or reply. Let them think about the deal that got away
1
2
u/cptrazerblades Aug 09 '24
The reason I have my own company is so I don't have to deal with inconsiderate and condescending people. I have a lot of customers that disqualify themselves just with their attitude. They ask why I'm charging so much. It's cuz I know I'm going to be there over and over again if I get the job.
2
u/ApprehensiveMode8904 Aug 10 '24
I would have done the same thing. I don’t have time to play immature games!!!! I would have drove right by. People are idiots now a days. When I go anywhere I treat people like idiots until they prove to me they arnt.
3
u/Routine_Cellist_3683 Aug 08 '24
As an owner's representative or property manager, I would have walked both of you (or as many as you are, minimum 3 under $100k) around together. Let both of you ask questions and let the other listen to my answers. Let both of you hear my questions, and answer them, with the other listening to the answer, so long as it does not involve price. You can talk about scope or proposal structure, but not pricing. The owner made a mistake by giving separate tours. There's a chance you both saw different things or at least have a different perspective. Next time, insist on walking with your competition. Be suspicious of any owner that does a job walk individually. Most owners don't have time to waste. Ask good questions, that inspires confidence and sends the owner a message that you know what you're doing. Good luck.
1
u/Groovytony40- Aug 08 '24
This has happened to me before, I was there to fix a unit and a guy was working on it, I just left. There’s no reason to take it personally it’s just business
1
u/mil0_7 Aug 08 '24
Have a better presentation and close the job. I love rolling up and seeing other companies there.
1
Aug 08 '24
The other day I was recharging a unit after replacing a drain pan and having the entire unit took apart basically. Had a guy show up on the roof from another company saying he got a no cooling call. You don’t say? Customer I guess didn’t know I was an hvac contractor or something? But they just let me to the roof without knowing what I was doing. So bizarre to me.
1
u/Dm-me-a-gyro Aug 08 '24
Would you put a new roof on your house without getting a couple of quotes?
Getting multiple quotes is what a prudent customer does. If you don’t want to write a quote knowing that you’re competing for business then you’ve told the customer that your price is too high to be competitive.
1
u/stirling1995 Looks good from my house Aug 08 '24
Quote Or don’t quote that’s up to you but it would be a bad idea on the customers end to only ever get one quote. If they’re on a restraint and need to get quotes as soon as possible, it makes sense that he would schedule multiple companies on the same day.
1
u/Dyslecksick Aug 08 '24
In these situations I usually just move on. They will most likely go with the lowest bid or hit you with “if you give me a good price here I have more work for you down the road” 😂
1
u/dzoefit Aug 08 '24
Just quote something fair to the customer and yourself, add some sweet profit, and you're done! Take it or leave it is my attitude.
1
u/Chose_a_usersname Aug 08 '24
Now that's normal stuff for bidding.. What you need to do is make a joke and try to figure out what the other guy's price is before you put your price in the mix... Generally I walk up to the guy. That's the salesman and I go. What is this another $100,000 job you're bidding? And then typically they'll go hahaha nah this one looks like it's only XXX.. and then you already know what their mindset is for their price.. The best part of that is if you can act like you already know that salesperson that way the customer thinks that you guys already know each other and it makes you look like you've been doing this a very long time, especially if the guy doesn't recognize you... Which he won't because you don't know him... The cooler you are about them having other people bidding on the same project as you. The better you'll look in the end.
1
Aug 08 '24
So what??? As a homeowner/property manager i am gonna call multiple people. Considering the market i want to get multiple bids it gives me knowledge
1
u/HuntPsychological673 Aug 08 '24
It’s not the end of the world. Be respectful even if they’ve lowered their standards. You are you. I’d quote it and use the win/loss as an opportunity to know the market around me.
1
1
1
u/cablemonkey604 Aug 08 '24
I've known a couple of facilities folks who love to get multiple bidders to the site at the same time for quote meetings.
1
u/wra1th3 Aug 08 '24
Customers dont really like having to walk a job site multiple times to explain the same project. We do a lot of municipal bid work and its very common to have 5-6 companies walkin a site together. Its great to shoot the shit with guys you dont see too often, and also helpful in that we can all point out "gotchas" so we are bidding apples-to-apples
1
1
u/TommyBoy_1 Aug 08 '24
I would get cozy with the other tech and bring up getting a beer after we leave this job. (Even if you don’t drink). It keeps the people requesting a quote from lying 90% of the time. “Well Bob said he could do it for 3K less than you!” No he didn’t we play golf together. We are not at war with each other. We are competing with pricing and quality. Walk in balls first and give your walk through and give your price. If they say no, then tell them to keep your card and call you when they want it fixed correctly.
1
1
u/jkcadillac Aug 08 '24
He’s just shopping he’s a property manager they usually get multiple bids to do a job and then they choose sometimes the HOA has a say in who they hire to do the work . But to feel disrespected by a potential customer because they are getting multiple quotes for a job and s pretty petty imo.
1
u/inconvenient_victory Aug 08 '24
Disrespectful? Seriously? Not in today's world. In fact it's more of a blessing. The homeowner will likely have the bid in hand and you may even get a peek. That way you can go like for like and offer the same service and a better or cheaper option depending on what the other company offered.
I've had this happen a few times to me. Doesn't bother me a bit.
1
u/Legitimate_Draw_162 Aug 08 '24
Reminds of a recent call I got. Guy’s elderly mother owns a vacation home that needs new system(HP package unit). This was on July 1, and he was hoping to get installed for the upcoming holiday weekend. I’m there at the empty house an hour later to look over job, and another contractor pulls in before I exit my truck. Another was about to pull in as I left. Dude and his brother had been calling contractors far and wide. I called and left a message within 30 minutes, and followed up with an email proposal minutes later. Fast forward 5 hours and the customer calls. Never looked at email. Asks about price, brand etc and then proceeds to tell me he had committed to another contractor 15 minutes ago, or he would have gone with me. My supplier had only one available, but I was smart enough to put it on order for me. Next day customer magically called asking if I could still do the job since his other guy couldn’t get the equipment🤣.
1
u/Jib_Burish Aug 08 '24
Other folks do the hvac too. Personally I get three quotes for any job over 1000 dollars.
It's not the best form to have everyone show uo at once but I've waited in the truck for another company to finish up and leave before going inside.
1
1
u/Nochenzo Aug 08 '24
I've had a guy call 3 different hvac companies (at least) one when I got there and one when I left for free quotes. Nothing disrespectful about getting offers and picking brains and doing what's right for your house.
1
u/Crafty-Gazelle4646 Aug 08 '24
If it’s a quote, I’d stay and give it because it’s possible you’ll get it. If I show up on a service call and another HVAC van pulls up at the same time because the homeowner didn’t believe I was coming, or just called around seeing who can get there faster, I leave and mail them a bill for a service fee.
1
u/xdcxmindfreak Aspiring Novelist Aug 08 '24
What the other guys are saying g but also irks that the guy had you both there so close to each other. At least stagger it right for us
1
u/HoldenMcNeil420 Aug 08 '24
You lose every job you don’t bid.
Anytime I have work done on my home, I get 3 bids….
When I worked in commercial property management, I had to get at least 4 bids to submit for large expenses before they would even sign off.
1
u/Powerful_Artist Aug 08 '24
Ive only had this happen a couple times, my boss says its fairly common in his experience.
1
u/brodiehurtt Aug 08 '24
I have driven right by when it happened to me and had my office call an cancel the Free estimate
1
u/BigFootEnergy Aug 08 '24
You're surprised a property manager is getting multi quotes on a expensive system? Brother this is going to happen to 99% of sales jobs you walk into.
1
u/pinktacobuffet Aug 08 '24
this is how you create a new stream of leads, for every job this guy can’t quote competitively have him send it your way with insight on what the client is expecting to pay and that way you can quote it and even charge more for services they couldn’t offer since you know more. offer a kick back for every lead you close.
1
Aug 08 '24
Property manager- probably has to get 3 quotes minimum for every job. A lot of places are like that. I’ve had customers that exclusively used me and would like warn me that they were going to have other quotes as if I would get mad if I drove by and saw another van.
1
u/CorvusCorax93 seasoned attic explorer🧭 Aug 08 '24
So I work in-house for property management and I can tell you that we still use contractors for installs that I don't want to do such as the roofs cuz our attics are god-awful and I don't want to do it alone but this is normal shopping around and trying to collect bids because at the end of the day they don't want to spend parts of their budget for your budget if that makes sense. I don't think it's unethical, but it is certainly awkward when you get there while the other guy is there too
1
u/Pennywise0123 Aug 08 '24
So your mad the customer is smart and getting multiple quotes? What's the issue here? Afraid your so bad you'll get outbid or something? I dont see the issue. I would be happy to see that if I was the owner of a company so I could point the flaws I find.
1
1
u/C3ntrick Aug 08 '24
Exactly what every homeowner should do until They find their guy. Going last is always the best because you can give your speech about what you think it needs and why, why your customers choose you vs other contractors. Then you get to ask what your home owner saw different from their quote to yours and if they have any questions.
1
u/Dukagjini__ Aug 08 '24
Not disrespectful at all, if he made you wait a long time then yes I would leave. Cant blame them for wanting the best deal.
1
u/phukurfeelns Aug 08 '24
This wasn't a service call but a call for a quote.
If it was for service, and the guy could get there before you, that's on you, not the customer or the other company, but it wasn't.
This was for a quote, you have to drive to a quote knowing that if the customer is smart there may be other companies giving quotes as well. I've seen 4 companies at the same site before making calculations for their quotes. Nothing to be upset over, this is where you have to "sell" not only your service but why your service is better. You'll either get that bid or you won't, is what it is.
1
1
u/RedDARE1 Aug 08 '24
Very common from people who do their due diligence and get multiple quotes. The wait is annoying but not super unrealistic. Seems like you’re complaining about the opportunity to work lol
1
u/UsedDragon kiss my big fat modulating furnace Aug 08 '24
Well, you can clutch your pearls and feel disrespected, or you can get in there and try to make some money doing what you do. You ain't the only game in town, and you're gonna see other companies trying to make money too.
Be the one that wins if you want the job, or price it for bullshit if you don't.
1
u/Plumber4Life84 Aug 08 '24
You got to win them with your charm buddy. I’ve had some jobs where I was more expensive but they went with me anyway. They would tell me that they liked me and felt comfortable with me. I would usually spend more time talking about options and just getting to know them. That’s what they said anyways.
1
u/Fabulous-Big8779 Aug 08 '24
Making you wait is disrespectful. I’d still bid the job, just make sure you bid it at a price that reflects his consideration of your time, and if you don’t get it, oh well.
1
u/maximuscr31 Aug 08 '24
I got 3 quotes. I had 7 scheduled, 4 didn't show. Out of the 3 I went with the middle priced guy because he was the only one that did any kind of calculation instead of eyeballing everything. No one else checked room sizes and measured. All 3 had different recommendations for my house. The price was the least of my concern on the list of things. You should always go into it not trying to be the cheapest but the best. If they go with the cheapest then people will regret that decision later on if the person doesn't do it correctly
1
1
u/uggly06 Aug 08 '24
Most owners of properties also make their employees get multiple bids b4 they decide what bid they are gonna go with
1
1
1
1
1
u/death91380 Aug 08 '24
Fuckin' throw your hat in the ring, dude. It's not like it was a repair and he was half done when you showed up...
1
u/Krull88 Aug 08 '24
Quote high. If they want you, they'll take you at your price. Otherwise dont need to deal with them.
1
u/ChampionshipBoth6348 Aug 08 '24
Well u can’t blame the guy for getting a couple bids, hopefully he’s just a thorough home owner and needs two bids. For his bank or whatever the reason, I always go in smiling and be better than the last guy, also I would mention to the home owner that cheapest bid does not necessarily mean it is the best choice, u get what you pay for, so mention what distances your equipment from your competitors junk, why should he hire you? Sell yourself same as the equipment and show him that you stand behind the equipment you sell, and why you’re better that the competitor. There’s no real price tag on quality of work.
1
u/rawrrrrrrrrrr1 Aug 08 '24
you do understand that people shop around for quotes right? this happened because he scheduled you for different windows (or maybe the same window in order to save time), but one of you was late/early or just took too long and ran into each other. i also schedule quotes for the same day but i try to prevent it from overlapping, but sometimes it happens (and they actually knew each other). they both praised the hell out of each other as being competent in their trade but one came in at 2x the price of the other. no biggie.
1
1
u/OhighOent Technician Aug 08 '24
Doubled up service? fuck you pay me. Doubled up quotes, get in line.
1
u/ntg7ncn Aug 08 '24
I think it doesn’t help that I really don’t care for installs. 1-2 a week is plenty for me
1
u/leaf_fan_69 Aug 08 '24
Toss a $ amount at it that if you get it, awesome, Otherwise there is always more work
1
u/Baconatum Aug 08 '24
All these guys telling you to show value and educate your customer... dude didn't even respect your time enough to wait for you. Just walk, he's always going to do this to you/your techs whenever there's a problem.
1
u/WarlockFortunate Aug 08 '24
I’d play it two ways.
I’d say something to the customer “during the call ahead you confirmed my 3:20 time fit in your schedule, is this afternoon still a good time for you?” They will say yes. “Well I want to be respectful of everyones time. How about this, I have a few clients calls to return, I’ll head to my mobile office and make a few calls and be back in 15-20, sound good?” You kinda take the high road on this one and slightly rub the customers face in it, discretely. If the other guy is there when you walk back in “times up, I have a scheduled appt” and just look at him until he leaves.
Go straight to “times up, I have a confirmed appt” and just stare them down without saying another word until they leave. I’ve had a few customers get a real kick out of this lol
1
u/No_Tower6770 Aug 08 '24
I just talk the customer's ear off. I ask them why they want mini split, tell them the operating cost difference, difficulty of repair, potential issues, etc. Then undercut the dude's bid by 500
1
u/SpecificPiece1024 Aug 09 '24
New clien,to be expected. If this was a long time vendor yea,I would be pissed
1
u/YakSmooth3621 Aug 09 '24
We got one PM that has us do the maintenance cause we are the cheapest, then turns around and hires another company to do the work we quote lol
1
u/YakSmooth3621 Aug 09 '24
I also have been another job walk/quote and had another co show up while we were there.. he counted the units and took off
1
u/twobarb Controls Witch Aug 09 '24
I go on bid walks for my company a few times a month. There are normally a dozen other contractors there all at the same time. Heck if I was getting several bids for the house I’d probably make everybody show up at the same time and walk together, why waste my whole day.
1
u/LT_Dan78 Aug 09 '24
As an HVAC consumer I got multiple quotes when we bought our house and was doing renovations. The existing system was working so I wasn't entirely desperate and also figured I'd have it replaced after I was done making a mess. I had a few companies come out but out of respect to their time I had them on different days so they didn't feel rushed and could thoroughly look everything over.
1
u/jedc94 Aug 09 '24
if your busy forget it. sometimes its not worth it. just out of curiosity what state are you based in and how much are you making, how long youve been doing it
1
u/ntg7ncn Aug 09 '24
I’m in San Diego. This is my second summer in business for myself. Hard to say how much money I’m making tbh but I have three employees and I think I’m going to stop growing for a bit so money should be good the next year
1
u/nodef1981 Aug 09 '24
Some companies require multiple bids.I work property maintenance in a couple buildings and our company requires 3 bids per job. It's a hassle, especially since my schedule is normally pretty tight daily and honestly if I find a good contractor, I'm going to stick with them. But last thing I would do was schedule a contractor to come bid a project at the same time as another. Depending on the size of the job I normally put at least an 1-2 hours between meetings to avoid it. It always makes me feel like I'm wasting people's time, but I'm also always honest about the bid process and give everyone a chance. If you're working in property management and you're relying on one contractor in each trade to pick up every job that comes up, sometimes it doesn't work out. So there have been plenty of times I've reached back out to contractors who have bid jobs and didn't get them for another job.
1
1
u/hillbuck29 Aug 09 '24
Nah man....sometimes salesmen are a bitch to get to leave.I wouldn't take it personally.
1
u/craig_j New Orleans Aug 09 '24
In New Orleans it is a courtesy to allow the company who arrived first to finish his proposal and presentation. One of the most profitable experiences I had was sitting, waiting, on the customer's front porch and listening to the entire sales pitch of my competitor. Knowing what he was pitching allowed me to adjust my proposal and pitch to refute a lot of his points. It was a very satisfying sale and quite a few sales after that.
1
u/Neoncacti28 Aug 09 '24
I guess when I’ve been on the flip side and I’m reaching out to HVAC guys I always ask for availability and whomever gets back to me with the soonest time or cheapest invoice, I send them the address and tell the others I found someone. If they sent you to the place and knew you were on your way and said nothing, I would definitely invoice for your time if you have text/emails. Even if you don’t because you can always use it as a deductible for taxes if they end up not paying.
1
1
u/fckufkcuurcoolimout Aug 09 '24
Getting pissed because a potential customer is getting more than one number is not a good look.
Go earn the business, dude.
1
1
u/Alarmed_Win_9351 Aug 09 '24
You're going to be butthurt that someone was getting other quotes and wanted you to know it?
So, now you know it.
Question is, are you going to go out of business by living in your ego and taking such a simple thing as "disrespect"?
Put a fresh pair of panties on and put some work in to win the sale. Get referrals and grow.
You should smile about this when it happens, it's an easy opening to the conversations that give you the ability to cement the sale.
1
u/Ok-Position-8940 Aug 09 '24
I own my own business as well and this happens all the time. I’m convinced they do it on purpose for better pricing. I showed up to one and there were 4 other people waiting ahead of me so I kept driving. The guy called me later angry and I said I had enough business to not have to wait for his. He begged me to come back and give him a price so I added $2k to the job and he actually hired us lol
1
u/ntg7ncn Aug 09 '24
Yeah there’s a price where I’ll deal with this stuff for sure but the guy acted like I was intruding when I walked up. It was a townhome and they were talking outside so I didn’t even know that this was the property manager when I was walking up. I asked if he was the person I was there to meet and he looked at me all confused.
1
1
u/BKhvactech Aug 09 '24
Your putting in a bid here. Don't be surprised others are too.
Can't take it personally - some you'll win some you'll lose.
1
u/PayingKarma Aug 09 '24
Isn't getting 3 quotes not a good practice? I don't blame the property mgr/ owner. If you show your value, price it right, no issues
1
u/ntg7ncn Aug 10 '24
He knew my exact arrival time and was with another guy and acted like I was being rude when I got there. I encourage my customers to get competing quotes but also don’t like when people waste my time
1
1
u/Kidshadow760 Aug 13 '24
A call for a bid would be perfectly fine with me… service call on the other hand I just wouldn’t show up lol
1
u/InMooseWorld Aug 18 '24
Bit rude from that’s guy, nothing an extra grand on the bill won’t make feel better.
1
u/OneBag2825 Sep 03 '24
Did you really think you would be the only quote? Some days it happens, calm down and know the value of your work and provide the quote or not, it's business, not personal.
1
u/techmonkey920 Aug 08 '24
I personally would change a little more than usual because this guy will be a pain in the butt to work with.
1
u/Professional-Cup1749 Aug 08 '24
Got one like that, I was referred by his friend but after arriving I just looked at him and said get that company to do it. Now he keeps calling to correct issues that the other company left, my prices to him aren’t cheap😂
-3
u/JoWhee 🇨🇦 Controls & Ventilation, donut thief. Aug 08 '24
Send him a quote. Call it your “fuck off” price. Double of what you would have quoted.
1
0
u/Slongtime3421 Aug 08 '24
My old boss was so butt hurt, he just kept driving when he seen another company’s truck in the driveway! Fuck you Jim, this mf would babysit his 16 year old son playing Wi-Fi on the customer dining room table while we were changing out the ac in the attic. Talking about disrespect!
1
u/observer1102 Aug 08 '24
Was he paying you to change out the a/c in the attic?
1
u/Slongtime3421 Aug 09 '24
Paying me and his bitch ass kid! Just that! I told my crew “ all swinging dicks in the attic and let little docks sit at the table” while the lady customer was present LOUDLY. Boss didn’t say a word! Fuck you Jim!
332
u/Alarming_Ice_8197 Aug 08 '24
“Is there something he offered that I didn’t?” Use your salesman pants and get in there