Do you let these slip away....?

[PrimaDonna]

Went out to give a local Winery an estimate. Multiple floor coverings - rubber floors, ceramic tile and carpet. Received this email today.

Hello John,

Thank you for your time and suppling an estimate for cleaning the floors at our location in Peddler’s Village. At this time we have decided to go another root, having the floor lightly cleaned by another company and will be planning to replace the flooring in the near future.

Thank you again,

Do you respond to these kinds of emails? Just thank them for letting you know....or do you do more to try to show value and keep the door open in the future?

Curious to know how people respond. We did the value thing....and I'll post what we said, soon<....curious to see how others would have handled before I post.

(And I didn't call her out on the grammar and typos,.....How do you go another "root "anyway?)

 

[Nate The Great]

I'd hit them back with a bid for replacing the flooring... One good thing about having our flooring license..

 

[Lee Stockwell]

The other was a better value in their eyes

 

[hogjowl]

That wasn't her question fellow asshole

 

[Jimmy L]

Your bid was too high. Ask them what the other company charged. You have nothing to lose.

 

[Cleanworks]

I usually thank them for the opportunity to be of service and let them know they can always call me for advice or more info. I have customers go with cheaper bids and then call me when things go wrong. Gives me a second opportunity to get 2 cents in and I often get the job the second time around.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We lost out on two bids this weeks a horder house for 16k and a trauma scene for 10k. We thanked them both for considering us.

We truly appreciate the opportunity to bid. They found cheaper but at least we had a shot. We are rarely the cheapest but we usually aren't the most expensive either. In both cases the paying party wasn't getting a direct benefit from the service, so it was simply a commodity. Not much we can do about that.

Win some, lose some.

 

[hogjowl]

Pisses me off!

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

I usually thank them for the opportunity to be of service and let them know they can always call me for advice or more info. I have customers go with cheaper bids and then call me when things go wrong. Gives me a second opportunity to get 2 cents in and I often get the job the second time around.

We do the same as Ron. The only time we question the customer is when they are trying to get us to lower our price by shopping another company against us.

 

[Cleanworks]

We do the same as Ron. The only time we question the customer is when they are trying to get us to lower our price by shopping another company against us.

Nothing wrong with discussing level of service with the customer. With out bad mouthing the competition, you can ask if the service level is the same. Does the lower priced company prevacuum? Agitate? Use environmentally friendly chems, etc. What method are they using? By letting your customer know what a proper service entails, gives them a way to measure up the competition. We can't get them all but the clients who are interested in a quality service rarely go with the cheaper quote

 

[Old Coastie]

It sounds as if they changed their scope of work to spend less. Your price may include work they are no longer wanting. Yes, a friendly letter, and why not ask if a second look wouldn't be in their best interest?

 

[steve_64]

You hear back on estimates you don't get?

My last three I got the one in the middle several months after the bid. The other two I never heard back from.

Thought of following up but fook em I'm busy enough.

 

[Cleanworks]

I always follow up. Usually within a week or less.

 

[hogjowl]

Water under the bridge.

I'm on to other slews already

 

[Cleanworks]

Water under the bridge.

I'm on to other slews already

Slews?

 

[ruff]

Don't ask.

 

[Mikey P]

I'll ask...

 

[BIG WOOD]

I just put a bid on a big job last Monday, and I'm gonna follow up with it the next Monday coming up. If it's anything like it was last year, I've probably lost the bid again, due to the local prick (my main competitor) that is underbidding like crazy. I'll be surprised if I did lose the bid, because I dropped my price dramatically to have a better chance at getting the job.

But I'd like some input on how I can reply to it this Monday. It's the biggest bid I've ever done so I'll need to talk a little different than I normally would.

 

[hogjowl]

In this case,a slew is an inlet into a river.

It can also mean a lot. Like Mikey has a slew of lemmings

 

[Desk Jockey]

You Southerners just have your own little world down there, don't ya?

"Slew" I though that was for prospecting.

 

[hogjowl]

I can understand why a wet back would think that

 

[Desk Jockey]

LOL

fooker!

 

[Cleanworks]

In this case,a slew is an inlet into a river.

It can also mean a lot. Like Mikey has a slew of lemmings

are they contagious?

 

[hogjowl]

are they contagious?

Too late for you

 

[WillS]

If it isn't the owner calling, usually the secretary or facilities manager is having to take the quotes to management. They see the dollar signs, not quality. We went and quoted a commercial building that had 3 other carpet cleaning companies there at the same time giving quotes. When that happens, it is not even worth it.

 

[SamIam]

In this case,a slew is an inlet into a river.

It can also mean a lot. Like Mikey has a slew of lemmings

Or I slew another giant job!

 

[steve_64]

Slew..past tense of slay or to skid uncontrollable.

Slough...wetlands or swamp

 

[hogjowl]

Slew: inlet to a river

Idiot

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[hogjowl]

LOL
I grew up with those warriors