How The Hell Do Some Contractors Stay In Business??

Brickie

I have a question for my fellow masons:

How the hell do some of these nail bending wood butchering contractors stay in business when they blow off appts???

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“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” – Ronald Reagan

loneframer

It's called battered wife syndrome, the more you get your ass beat the harder you try to conform. Smack him around, I call it re-aligning the planets.

dakzaag

You didn't drive to Indy to look at that 80 yr old chimney that Wil was posting about?

And another thing, quit knocking my work. I spent hours getting that door to scrape the floor as it opens.

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D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
1. Stand back and say "man that looks nice!"
2. Repeat as often as needed.

Brickie

Indy,?? No, this is all Lake County. I'm in the process of screening non masonry subs for a couple of projects that I'm getting ready to start. These so called "Pros" make appts with me to come out & check it all out then don't show, no calls, nothing.

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“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” – Ronald Reagan

simplejack

In this economy a no show?!
...maybe they went broke on the way to the jobsite!

AtlRemodeling

I have no idea why and how some contractors are still around. During December I handed 3 full re-roofs to my roofing sub all in the same subdivision. He called two back and actually went for an estimate but never responded to the other.

2 were friends and would have used whoever I told them to use and the third was a client. Embarrassed me completely that I had recommended such a tool. Odd thing is the guy had done quite a bit of work for us in the past and always did good work at a very fair price.

Later I hear the guy was bitching that he had no work????????????????

JumboJack

Too true.Back in the day no shows where quite common.Right about now
guy's should be showing up early with coffee and doughnuts.

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

thom

Brickie, Why the hell are you calling the nail bending wood butchering contractors anyway? Trying to save a dime will cost you a quarter, any brickie worth a **** would know that.

Call a quality contractor, you will get:
A) a response in a timely manner
B) a fair (not necessarily cheap) price
C) a quality job

Brickie

That's just it Thom, I did call quality contractors.

Part of my screening requirements is that they be licensed, bonded & insured w/wc, verifiable references and A, B, & C of your post

__________________
“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” – Ronald Reagan

Brock

Most of the nail benders can sense a run and hide. I'm not sure what kind of job you are trying to sub out, but I can tell you I don't meet with prolly 20% of they yahoos that call for my services.

Tscarborough

What makes you think that they will stay in business? Any idiot with a cell phone can be a "builder" in a boom.

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It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

Brickie

Well..... just a bunch of Roofing, siding, gutters, doors, windows, porch & painting work for starters

I understand sometimes things happen & you're running late or have to cancel. This happens to me just like anyone else & when it does I pick up the phone & call. That's what pissed me off with these goofs. No one called to cancel.

__________________
“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” – Ronald Reagan

RZB

One of the few benefits of this recession is that a lot of the sub par contractors out there with bad reputations, by not returning phone calls, showing up for meetings, and most of the things listed above, are going to be forced out of business. What remains will be a good template of what works and what dosen't. Guys with just poor business sense or bad attitudes, will probably find themselves working at HD, bitching to all the other stockboys about how all these H.O's and contractors are too picky.

RZB

That reminds me, how have your prices been effected by the economy. Is there much price cutting, or undercutting? I've read that keeping your same prices and staying the course is the way to go, as lowering prices and undercutting each other is only going to be detrimental to the trades in the long run. Any opinions or thoughts?

dirt diggler

well, it's detrimental to YOUR business.

The world goes on without you. You'll always have competition and you will always hear about prices/lowballing.


I am a strong proponent of keeping prices (if not, raising them a bit) - and staying the course.


Why? Well, for one - the volume of work is just not out there. Instead of having 5 days a week booked - you may only have 1 or 2.


Now ... so you're working less - but you still need to make the same amount of money that you have been. So the ONLY way to compensate for this is to either a) raise your prices, or b) seriously re-structure your business.


Dropping your prices, lowballing, getting mixed up with the competition --- it WILL NOT help that. In fact - it can EASILY make matters worse.







Remember ... there MUST be a demand for your business. "Demand" means that there is a market that is willing to pay for you to provide your services. When that DEMAND is no longer there - you NO LONGER have a viable business. At that time, you can either a) wait until that demand comes back or b) find a new line of work.



low balling, messing with your pricing only invites problems. At best, you're simply prolonging the inevitable ...

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Thanks in advance!!!

joasis

One of my pet peeves is a no show. If I contact a sub to look at a job and we agree on a time and place, there isn't anything else to say if they fail to show up, and lacking the courtesy of a call in inexcusable.

We all remember the days (all of us that have been in business for more then 10 years) of land lines and pay phones. I never missed or was late for a meeting, ever. And we made that work when you would call your office or home number and get messages and return calls from a payphone.

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Brickie

I agree. What added to my "displeasure" was that I lost production @ another project I was working at to meet these goofs.

__________________
“Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country.” – Ronald Reagan

SLSTech

I have 2 card books - 1 with those I will call or try out, 1 for those that will never get a call again

Getting business references from me is hard, getting the do not call list - with pleasure

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Alabama Full Service Remodeling, Renovation, and Preservation by SLS Construction
Certified Energy Efficiency Audits, Ratings, Modeling, Verifications, & Consulting
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Chris Johnson

I don't give second chances, if they are a no show or if they don't return calls I look elsewhere, I have better things to do with my time than trying to shove work down your throat.

I do really hate when a guy calls 10 mins before the appointment time and gives a BS excuse. Unless someone dies (namely the guy I am suppose to meet) I tell them not to worry about it and look elsewhere.

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Chris