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More or Less Lowballers

Carlos Gonzales

New member
I know alot of you are still buried in snow and freezing temps but over the last year have any of you seen an increase in low ballers.

How are they getting their pricing message out there...handouts? business cards?

How are you finding out their prices? Just curious
 

David Vicars

New member
I've seen a decrease in trunk slammer, so to speak.
When I first got here, construction was going strong and everyone was a
pressure washer. Now that construction has pretty much halted, they've
moved on to the next boom town.
But alot of the pricing by most companies around here is just crazy.
I think most of it is they don't any better.
 

David Vicars

New member
I'll give you a example. Myself and two other companies bid on a commercial flat work job. Two of us were within $40.00 of each
other, the 3rd was half as much as us.
Most companies here are like the third.
 

Carlos Gonzales

New member
I'll give you a example. Myself and two other companies bid on a commercial flat work job. Two of us were within $40.00 of each
other, the 3rd was half as much as us.
Most companies here are like the third.

David..was the company that bid low the winner of the contract?
 

David Vicars

New member
Yes, Carlos. That's what I don't understand. I would think there is a problem with someone bidding that much lower. It was a price thing.
I went by and the service was low quality.
 

Greg Nash

New member
Carlos I encounter more new guys every year since I've been in business. most that are new are usually lower priced. They come and go but they will always be here. I think lowballers usually advertise price no matter what kind of advertising they do. In my area one company actually puts 99 dollar house wash on their trailer.
 
Greg!!!

You promised you wouldn't say anything about my sign online!?!?

:Smiley-2269:

All kidding aside, Greg pretty much hit the nail on the head for Central Florida. They come and they go.
 
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plainpainter

New member
Fewer lowballers in my area. High volume cheap pricing business model doesn't work in New England. They get lucky sometimes for a few years - work on word of mouth - some of them are 'employed' by more succesful paint companies who throw them the 'prep' work for their projects. I live in a pay-to-play area - you have to pay alot to reach people. The pricing these guys go by is putting them out of business right now. And this past year really buried alot of these guys - when times are good, they ride on the coattails of others - but that's gone. I have found their pricing when some homeowners laughed at my price and told the figures of others - I shook their hand and left.
 

cleanhoods

New member
Theres plenty in my area but they are more clever.They come in a few months before i am due or a few months after to come in and give them a un believeable price and they avoid the owners and customers take it then they call me back expecting the same price they left me for.I raise the price more and they complain a little but usually get me back.You drop me for money i will raise you for money.Then i have the headache of catching the system back up cause of the low ballers usually dont know what they are doing.They think if you have a pressure washer your a hood system cleaner/detailer when really they are a ground cleaner.Some of these low ballers learn things off the net and think they are a professional in 6 weeks,lol.Had one not long ago but now my customers know toi watch out for them they called every hood company in the area and still dont know what the companys name that tried to low ball me.Main thing let your customers know that there are low priced low quality people out that are thieves in the night.Nothing but THIEVES.Heck some of the low ballers may be here now just watching and waiting for you all to post stuff to coppy your style or price.Or waiting to hack into your PRIVATE MESSAGES to see if there is anything there that will help them. Luckally i had no business info in my private messages that the certain people could use.

Marko
 
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cleanhoods

New member
Hopfully i dont get banned for telling the truth and hopefully us as business men and women can resolve these issues i have.Good thread Carlos that you started.Hopefully good advice comes out of this thread as well.But you know just as well as many others i am telling the truth.I am real as real comes i didnt learn from schools i didnt learn stealing from folks just to better myself i learned on my own with pure expiereance.Exhaust hood system detailing is what i know pressure washing is in my family second generation here and my children will be third.
Marko
 

Scott Stone

New member
I had one of those bids, where one person bid half of everyone else. We were a little closer though. We had 4 companys within $25 of each other, and three were within 50 cents, over the life of a 5 year contract.
They let the low baller work for a year, did not renew his contract, and attached onto another contract I have. It ended out working to my advantage, by a LONG ways.
I also take VERY good care of anything this customer gives me.
 

Carlos Gonzales

New member
Hopfully i dont get banned for telling the truth and hopefully us as business men and women can resolve these issues i have.Good thread Carlos that you started.Hopefully good advice comes out of this thread as well.But you know just as well as many others i am telling the truth.I am real as real comes i didnt learn from schools i didnt learn stealing from folks just to better myself i learned on my own with pure expiereance.Exhaust hood system detailing is what i know pressure washing is in my family second generation here and my children will be third.
Marko

No you wont' get banned for telling the truth...but the question is whether or not you know the truth Marko.

I am going to take the liberty and adjust some of your post where you reference the UAMCC.

Marko...you are on a short rope here....take it easy that is all I can say. This thread has nothing to do with BBS's and the term BBS should not be brought up on this thread...period...go it! Thanks!
 

precisionpower

New member
Carlos, I personally haven't seen an increase in LB's. Not to say there hasn't or won't be an increase though. I've noticed a few establishments that are having it done less frequently.
 

Scott Davis

New member
Ive noticed a few more pop up, but not a big increase. The economy is still pretty strong in Houston, so the lay offs havent been extensive. But also, We do roof cleaning almost exclusively, and not alot of people get laif off and think "im gonna go clean molf off of roofs". They normallly advertise house washes and driveway cleaning.
 

James Foley

New member
I got better pricing for a House Wash 10 years ago. Why ? more people are doing it or adding the service on. With the economy the way it is this will get worse.
 

precisionpower

New member
I got better pricing for a House Wash 10 years ago. Why ? more people are doing it or adding the service on. With the economy the way it is this will get worse.

Jim, with that approach, you will get lower prices. I'm definitely not on a high-horse, but quality cannot be replaced. The folks who I work for know quality and professionalism, as they are professionals themselves. It amazes me whenever I give a bid/estimate/etc. and the homeowner or business manager shows me a bid that is scribbled down on an old envelope. Quality, if nothing else, makes you stand out in the tough times, when it's most important.
 

James Foley

New member
I was getting 10 to 12 cent a SQFT back in the 90Tees when I started. That is the high end now and I do high end. Many people work for 60 dollars an hour and bring that down to 5 to 7 cents a SQFT. I think this Lowball issue is something we all have to deal with and understand how too. In hard times it gets worse an that was my point. I've commented on this subjected for over tens years now and my pricing was the same then as it is now.

The key here is I have all repeat customers and it's always easier the next cleaning !!
 

Eric Flynn

New member
Ive noticed a few more pop up, but not a big increase. The economy is still pretty strong in Houston, so the lay offs havent been extensive. But also, We do roof cleaning almost exclusively, and not alot of people get laif off and think "im gonna go clean molf off of roofs". They normallly advertise house washes and driveway cleaning.

We are neighbors with Scott...and he is correct about the situation in our area. We haven't seen very many new roof cleaning companies at all but I have seen an increase in folks "advertising"...okay, lowballing on Craigslists, and putting out their bandit signs. There is a city ordinance against these signs which seens to have gotten a little laxed since the hurricane...but I've seen more in neighboring cities then in our town.
Seen one the other day that said "Powerwashing-$75". Could be a teaser to get you to call so they can upsell, could not be. Overall, I guess it hasn't been that bad, but I'm just waiting on Spring/Summer to get here...
 

Gene Fivel

New member
Working on a city contract thats coming up but Don,t think I will get it .....Hacker bid 19,000 per year and 2 others bid in the 70,s ...... I will bid it fair but none of the others reclaim.......Wonder if I should point that out to the city?
 
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