fun corporate emails

[visual800]

I get maybe 3 or 4 of these per month Some are on track some are absolutely appalling....this is one of them

I

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

kind of a rude and unprofessional response. what if the price they dicktate was good? from what i found on google it's two vehicle magnet sized decals on front doors. if so, $200 doesn't sound too absurd for 15 mins of work. the new installer forms will probably take longer than the install, i'd probably tell them $200 is good for the install but add for the paperwork. or come back to them with your minimum charge... not that rude ass response. stuff like that is an invitation for them to leave a bad review on google.

 

[victor bogdanov]

Unprofessional response.

If you though it was too cheap you could have said:

I have reviewed the layout and based on our pricing this will cost $xxx, let me know if you would like to proceed

 

[binki]

The only time I fill out a vendor form is a W-9 which is often asked for by government agencies. Otherwise no.

 

[ChaseO]

I don't mind when they provide a budget. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not. When I don't like the money, I generally will politely decline. The one thing I struggle with is when they tell me when it has to be done and it is unreasonable.

The paperwork is a separate issue. I HATE when the job is done and now they need an hour worth of paperwork. Or download this program to get you paid... Just cut me a check, I'll wait.

 

[binki]

I don't mind when they provide a budget. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not. When I don't like the money, I generally will politely decline. The one thing I struggle with is when they tell me when it has to be done and it is unreasonable.

The paperwork is a separate issue. I HATE when the job is done and now they need an hour worth of paperwork. Or download this program to get you paid... Just cut me a check, I'll wait.

I didn't take the request as a budget but a reverse quote. At my age, I approve of the response as polite. Not what I would have done.

 

[FireSprint.com]

That was efficient.

It clearly tells them you are not interested in this work or any other future work their company would be willing to send you in very few words.

They might be "offended" but if their job is to find an installer, you saved them the time any back and forth with you.

I personally like to get a budget early on. How many times have any of us worked up a detailed quote, just to realize they we're expecting to pay $300 for $1500 worth of signage?

 

[visual800]

kind of a rude and unprofessional response. what if the price they dicktate was good? from what i found on google it's two vehicle magnet sized decals on front doors. if so, $200 doesn't sound too absurd for 15 mins of work. the new installer forms will probably take longer than the install, i'd probably tell them $200 is good for the install but add for the paperwork. or come back to them with your minimum charge... not that rude ass response. stuff like that is an invitation for them to leave a bad review on google.

View attachment 180787 View attachment 180788

this was not what they wanted it was a partial wrap, so therefore your google search turned up something that they were not asking for. Rude and unprofessional? I disagree. I basically stated how I feel about it...obviously its possible YOU allow customers to dictate your cost?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

this was not what they wanted it was a partial wrap, so therefore your google search turned up something that they were not asking for.

Given that the "attached layout" was omitted, that was the best to go off of. After all, just saying that $200 was an "appalling" for what they were wanting without context, isn't doing much. Plus, I wouldn't consider "decals" to be even partial wraps. Now, that was the term that they used, so probably wrong term, wouldn't be the first time, but there was nothing indicated by you to show anything different in the initial post, so that was totally reasonable to go off of what the Google search was showing (in my mind anyway).

Rude and unprofessional? I disagree. I basically stated how I feel about it...obviously its possible YOU allow customers to dictate your cost?

That was them stating the budget that they had. Not dictating that you do it for that cost.

I try not to let emotion get into the mix. Just have easily said, sorry, for the budget you are at, we are looking at X, for what the "attached layout" is showing we are looking at more of Y. No need to bring feelings into it. Bringing feelings into it, is actually unprofessional. Now, could it have been worse, sure, I could have distilled what you said to 3 words, conveyed the same feelings and been more efficient with my time.

I often have people come in with budgets and I let them know with that budget that they have, we are looking at this or that or just plain not feasible. Working within a budget is not quite the same as having someone dictate my cost for a specific thing. I think more people should learn to work within budgets, but I digress.

 

[FASTSIGNS]

I like when they give an estimated budget. Saves a lot of time wasted on estimating, conversations, etc.

 

[JBurton]

I personally like to get a budget early on

This is like sales 101. "How much would you like to spend" is the least offensive way to ask, and should be question 1 or 2, after obligatory weather commentary.

We get survey requests all the time with a budget. It is not necessarily what they will pay, more what they are hoping to pay. If this were indeed a partial wrap, I'd have a chuckle, reckon a price, and let them know if they'd like my superior service, I'd need this much money.

 

[Stacey K]

I've only gotten a few requests like this, I think because I was in a small town.

Another way to look at these bids...

This process is very common in other industries, so I'm polite if I say no. The reason I'm nice is because my son snowplows/cuts grass and 80% of his work is from property management companies in other states. They tell you what they will pay, it's up to you to decide if you want to do it. His Starbucks is out of CA, his UPS is out of MA, etc. If they can't find someone to do the work for the price they give, they will sometimes come back with a higher price. And sometimes they just don't know the pricing in your area. Once you are in the system, the same contact person might call you for work with other companies they work with, some pay more than others and it's not that guys fault. My son has had to explain snow/sleet/ice to a few of these people who are out of state because they either request over servicing or under servicing. It's just a phone call and it's worked out. Also...lots of his buddies want IN with some of these companies and never get a call. Once you are on the "list" more jobs come your way. You just decline the ones you don't want. And NEVER tell anyone who the management companies are. I have one customer who is like actually mad at ME because my son gets these jobs and he can't figure out how he's getting them.

So, sometimes it could be a good thing.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

this was not what they wanted it was a partial wrap, so therefore your google search turned up something that they were not asking for. Rude and unprofessional? I disagree. I basically stated how I feel about it...obviously its possible YOU allow customers to dictate your cost?

so share with the class what this partial wrap is... you're hiding it for a reason.

even if it's absurd, its unprofessional to respond the way you did and looks bad. i've had plenty of emails where someone proposes a low budget and i decline, but i've also had plenty of budgets that were fine and I accepted. it's nice to know where people stand without a bunch of back a forth. better they tell you $200 then you waste your time bidding them $1000 to which they won't go with.

 

[binki]

That was efficient.

It clearly tells them you are not interested in this work or any other future work their company would be willing to send you in very few words.

They might be "offended" but if their job is to find an installer, you saved them the time any back and forth with you.

I personally like to get a budget early on. How many times have any of us worked up a detailed quote, just to realize they we're expecting to pay $300 for $1500 worth of signage?

I get that. We once spent 2 hours on a quote only to be told they would shop our order and only order from us where we were the least expensive. We fired them that moment with extreme prejudice.

 

[Gino]

Quite honestly, the request is nothing to get upset about. It doesn't mention a wrap or partial, so $200 clams could be nice, but if ya don't want it at all, just don't bother answering anything at all. Wanna be slick, what the OP did probably just made them chuckle a little bit. Now, I've had bids like this and actual customers over the years become some really nice accounts and ended up paying really well. Ya just need to know if or when it's time to let go.

What I don't understand is........ this sudden 180 by the members here who are defending only $200 for a job ?? When y'all are getting on board with a pricing thread, y'all are saying, oh I'd get $945.00 for that..... or I won't turn my machine for that.
That's the puzzling part. There's no consistency to peoples' thinking.

 

[Todd Jelle]

Yeah, I don't know. Can I see the fine print. How many hoops needs jumped thru, How many photo need taken, if the truck is filthy can I just clean the door before my photos.
how many ways can they decide you didn't do a good enough job. How much staff time/ paper work needs done?
WE have had these 30 minute jobs, where we had more time in photos, paper work, chasing the payment than its worth.
I can understand the response, since we have been there done that.
vehicles, signs, service etc...
I think I have seen it all, then a new one pops up.
30+ years in the biz, some of these jobs aren't worth the time, just my 2 cents.