Asking for your competitors quote to quote and better it?

[garthu]

@ Daveob and AdrianH... Ahhh...i actually recommend people to get 3 quotes! I agree, to want to quote without competition, now thats not fair... no the question was that getting a quote and handing it to the competition so they may beat it at a small % and win the work. I dont take it personally! Constructively.. not personally.

Some good stuff coming out, @ IanF, there rep proceeds them already, unscrupulous, which is what i consider this as well quite honestly. If i have to win my clients trust by beating a quote THAT I HAVE SEEN... then i think the client should NOT be using me! I like your response cause it's exactly that. remember it's easy to install an electric fence at a 20% discount... but to back it up for 2 years then.. not so easy! Funny this is the companies rep, as big as they are, they dont back up so well

Daveob.. yes good example, a fence we quoted 75K, another company 167K (that i cant fathom) and another 69K. The 69K got the job around a year ago, client had problems, eventually asked me to have a look as was now 2 weeks. When i told them R1600, they told me thats why i didnt get it in the first place, to expensive... GO FIGURE THIS MENTALITY AS THE FENCE IS STILL IN WARRANTY from the other company! Why should i do cheap, fair... but not cheap!

I think form a CLIENT point of view though, when a company asks for your competitions quote to do theres, some responsibility lies with client there to start with. This is probably not the company to go with as far as i am concerned if this is way they win there work.

Anyway my angle is to tackle it from a reputation point of view..., that i can maintain (at the mo and x fingers) and they cant!

[murdock]

here is another angle...my argument with customers is that i need a bill of quantities...detailing...product type and quantity...if they can provide this then i dont have a problem...comparing quotes...then it is like a tender...and you open the quotes on the same day...there is nothing unethical about this...there is just tooo much under hand and walking like an egyptian...one hand up and the other under the back taking.

i can see where all the people who have commented are coming from...we all have the same problem (small comapanies)...the customer want you to do all the consulting work...all they are doing is saving...but are they...because at the end of the day they try get the contractor to design...does the contractor know what he is designing...big problem in SA...then the time to carry out the project...there is no time plan...so the job ends up taking longer because 9 out of 10 the contractors gets some money then starts a new project so the key staff are moved to the new site etc etc...then when the job is completed...is the job actually completed or does it just look like it is...during the project who is checking quality?

so the solution...yes there is a solution and nothing unethical about comparing quotes...provided all the same infomation is provided...design has beeen done...material bill of quantities is provided...your reputation will either get you the job or depending on how straight the person handling the project is...no under hand bussiness will be done...well i suppose i can dream

from my 20 years experience...chances are if its a new customer price will win the project...and if you play your cards right will eventually get the customer...then you stretch the repairs out over a period of time to keep yourself busy as and when you need to be...days when you dont have work...use these customers to keep them busy...at one stage i had at least 6 - -8 months work lined up at any stage...to keep all my teams busy.