Trade Discount?

ATH

Here's the short list of questions ...

1. Do you offer discounted "trade prices?"
2. If so, what sort of deal do you offer?
3. What "trades" are included?

Here's the story that goes along with the questions ...

We have a relationship with a real estate agent. She hands our name out to her clients who are in need of work done on their new home or to sell their old home. We've gotten a handful of jobs this way.

Recently, she asked us to look at the home of a friend that she will be putting on the market shortly. As a gift for her friend, she is paying for the repairs and other work to get the home ready for sale.

We gave her estimates for a laundry list of work on the place.

Recently, she was speaking with an interior decorator who expressed surprise that she didn't ask (and we didn't offer) trade prices. So, she has now asked and we are mulling this over.

She has helped us out in the past and is likely to do so in the future ... unless we sour the relationship. On the other hand, is a real estate agent even considered "in the trades?"

We have been very careful to never lower our prices unless the description of the work changes, so this is a very difficult question for us.

Thanks in advance for your help and insight.

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Wayne
Around the House
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Mike Finley

I would rather keep everything consistant than get into the practice of discounting for this person or that person.

Working for her at a discount means you aren't working for somebody else at your normal prices, there are only so many work days in a year.

Start paying here some sort of referral fee or give her a backrub or something everytime she sends you a customer, whatever you want to do, but I would be rewarding her for her referrals and working at full price.

Is she going to cut her commmission if she sold your house for you?

Gordo

I never expect a discount from somebody I am doing business with. Ask this interior dictator to come decorate one of your jobs for free or at a discount and see what she says. If you really need the job and you want to keep the peace, offer your discount with these stipulations.
1. They pay with their own money (not yours).
2. They assume all warranty.
3. They assume all costs associated with any delays due to the order being messed up.
4. They are responsible for delivery to jobsite.

Hope this helps.

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Looks like some pros were here.

slickshift

I'm not surprised an Interior Decorator brought that one up
The best thing in dealing with them is don't
If actually want the job (and that's taking a big risk with a decorator at any price), I will triple the bid, awaiting the inevitable request for a discount
Then depending on how much of a PITA I expect them to be, discount nothing or incremental amounts all the way down to twice what the bid would be for a "non-trade" person
No less

I have never, ever, ever, been asked for a "trade discount" by anyone other than an Interior Decorator

Real Estate agents are not in the trades
It's great she refers you
If you want to offer her a discount price on...well it's not even her house is it?
....I'm having trouble seeing the connection

I think this is another Fouled Up By Decorator situation

I think it's "Just Say No" time

Teetorbilt

ID's don't usually get discounts, they mark you up.

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Tscarborough

I rank that up there with "contractor pricing". My pricing is based on volume, period. Who you are and what you do is irrelevant, and has no bearing on my costs, so why would it affect my price? That is the same thing I tell guys that promise more down the road for a "little help on this one". "Sure", says I, "contract me the whole deal, and your price will drop". Never happens.

nadonailer

No

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