Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Why don't contractors / vendors seem to care about selling a product or
service?

I don't know if its because business is so good right now that they
don't need my money, or that they are over stretched and can not accept
any new clients, but I am completely amazed at how contractors and
vendors do not seem to care about making a sale.

I'll call them up saying that I'm interested in getting a particular
job done. The receptionist takes the message and says she'll forward
it to the sales/service department, and half the time they don't bother
calling me back. I end up having to "chase" them for days calling them
over and over until I finally get a response.

Others don't seem to care about finishing the job, and getting the rest
of their payment. This summer I paid a company to replace all of my
windows (a $8,500 job). They replaced all of them except for two (one
was the wrong type, the other was broken upon arrival). So we agreed
that I'd pay half of the job now, and the other half when the final two
windows would be installed (this is what they had suggested, not me).

Long story short, 4 months later, and countless, countless aggravating
phone calls on my part to finally get them to come over and finish the
bloody job, they got the remaining of their $3,500 payment (they had
already received $1,500 down-payment when I signed the sales contract
before they started the job)

Total time it took them to finish installing the final two windows?
About 2 hours.

2 hours of work to bring in $3,500 is a pretty sweet deal. If that was
me I'd be there in a second.

Why don't they care? It seems to me if I walk into an electronic store
and say to the first salesman "I'm here to buy a new TV. I'm looking
to spend about $2,500", it won't be long before I'm walking out of the
store with a new TV. If I call an investment firm and tell them I'm
looking to open a new investment account with them, I have an
appointment booked by the end of that same phone call.

If I call a heating contractor and tell them "I'm interested in getting
a new furnace installed", it takes days before somebody calls me back
to book an appointment for an inspection / quote (which will be booked
next week). And that's if they ever call me back.

I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and they've had the
same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so prevalent in the
home renovation / construction industry.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and they've had the
same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so prevalent in the
home renovation / construction industry.

Because the vast majority of contractors out there are sleeze balls.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Contractors are no worse than customers. How'd you like to look at job after
job, spend hours on travel time and estimating, and later find out that the
customer did the job himself, using much of the info you or other
contractors gave him?

"Larry Bud" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and they've had the
same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so prevalent in the
home renovation / construction industry.

Because the vast majority of contractors out there are sleeze balls.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

"I don't know if its because business is so good right now that they
don't need my money, or that they are over stretched and can not accept

any new clients, but I am completely amazed at how contractors and
vendors do not seem to care about making a sale. "

They're kind of one and the same thing. Business is strong right now
with all the building and home remodeling going on. So just about all
of them have plenty of work. Of course that doesn't excuse the way
they do business. They should at least let you know they are too busy
to take your work, not leave you hanging.

A friend of mine was trying to find painters to paint the whole
exterior of his house in the boondocks north of Albany. Even there he
had the same problem. Call, leave mesg, no one gets back to him.

This will all change come the next recession.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
Why don't contractors / vendors seem to care about selling a product or
service?
big snip

because they can afford to do so.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Bob wrote:
Contractors are no worse than customers. How'd you like to look at job after
job, spend hours on travel time and estimating, and later find out that the
customer did the job himself, using much of the info you or other
contractors gave him?

/snip/
Unfortunately that's the real world. By the time my company
(technology) responds to an RFP we have told them the solution, the
platform for the solution, the OS, the network required and given them a
high level project plan. We have had a few clients over the years
say "I'll just do it myself".

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and they've had the
same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so prevalent in the
home renovation / construction industry.

Because the vast majority of contractors out there are sleeze balls.

Contractors are no worse than customers. How'd you like to look at job after
job, spend hours on travel time and estimating, and later find out that the
customer did the job himself, using much of the info you or other
contractors gave him?

Hardly the same as getting ripped off by bad contractors. Just because
you give an estimate and suggestions to a customer doesn't mean he's
required to hire you.

However, you getting hired and paid by a customer DOES mean that you're
supposed to finish the job correctly.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Actually, IMO, it's mostly because the people the public deals
with aren't the ones who "own" the company or name. They don't
care and are just there to pull in pay checks. I've found I get
a lot better results from the sole proprietors than the bigger
guys. The only problem there is finding one you can trust and are
sure will be there tomorrow. So far so good, but ... g

Pop

--
--
Going Shopping? See The
North Country's (not so) Secret Shopper
at www.twaynesdomain.com

..
wrote in message
oups.com...
: Why don't contractors / vendors seem to care about selling a
product or
: service?
:
: I don't know if its because business is so good right now that
they
: don't need my money, or that they are over stretched and can
not accept
: any new clients, but I am completely amazed at how contractors
and
: vendors do not seem to care about making a sale.
:
: I'll call them up saying that I'm interested in getting a
particular
: job done. The receptionist takes the message and says she'll
forward
: it to the sales/service department, and half the time they
don't bother
: calling me back. I end up having to "chase" them for days
calling them
: over and over until I finally get a response.
:
: Others don't seem to care about finishing the job, and getting
the rest
: of their payment. This summer I paid a company to replace all
of my
: windows (a $8,500 job). They replaced all of them except for
two (one
: was the wrong type, the other was broken upon arrival). So we
agreed
: that I'd pay half of the job now, and the other half when the
final two
: windows would be installed (this is what they had suggested,
not me).
:
: Long story short, 4 months later, and countless, countless
aggravating
: phone calls on my part to finally get them to come over and
finish the
: bloody job, they got the remaining of their $3,500 payment
(they had
: already received $1,500 down-payment when I signed the sales
contract
: before they started the job)
:
: Total time it took them to finish installing the final two
windows?
: About 2 hours.
:
: 2 hours of work to bring in $3,500 is a pretty sweet deal. If
that was
: me I'd be there in a second.
:
: Why don't they care? It seems to me if I walk into an
electronic store
: and say to the first salesman "I'm here to buy a new TV. I'm
looking
: to spend about $2,500", it won't be long before I'm walking out
of the
: store with a new TV. If I call an investment firm and tell
them I'm
: looking to open a new investment account with them, I have an
: appointment booked by the end of that same phone call.
:
: If I call a heating contractor and tell them "I'm interested in
getting
: a new furnace installed", it takes days before somebody calls
me back
: to book an appointment for an inspection / quote (which will be
booked
: next week). And that's if they ever call me back.
:
: I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and they've
had the
: same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so prevalent
in the
: home renovation / construction industry.
:

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Sour grapes

--
--
Going Shopping? See The
North Country's (not so) Secret Shopper
at www.twaynesdomain.com

..
"Larry Bud" wrote in message
ups.com...
: I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and they've
had the
: same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so
prevalent in the
: home renovation / construction industry.
:
: Because the vast majority of contractors out there are sleeze
balls.
:

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Are you a contractor with that problem? Is so, you need to
reconfigure how you do your estimates. If you're not, then,
well, you don't know what your'e talking about. Do you?

Pop


"Bob" wrote in message
. ..
: Contractors are no worse than customers. How'd you like to look
at job after
: job, spend hours on travel time and estimating, and later find
out that the
: customer did the job himself, using much of the info you or
other
: contractors gave him?
:
: "Larry Bud" wrote in message
: ups.com...
: I've spoken to various friends about this issue, and
they've had the
: same experience. I don't get why this seems to be so
prevalent in the
: home renovation / construction industry.
:
: Because the vast majority of contractors out there are sleeze
balls.
:
:
:

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

..
"coorslte" wrote in message
m...
: Bob wrote:
: Contractors are no worse than customers. How'd you like to
look at job after
: job, spend hours on travel time and estimating, and later
find out that the
: customer did the job himself, using much of the info you or
other
: contractors gave him?
:
: /snip/
: Unfortunately that's the real world. By the time my company
: (technology) responds to an RFP we have told them the solution,
the
: platform for the solution, the OS, the network required and
given them a
: high level project plan. We have had a few clients over the
years
: say "I'll just do it myself".

As I said once before, you have to learn how to do an RFP then.
Besides, that's computers, not home repair. And not on topic.
I"ve done a LOT of RFP's and also RFQ's et al, but I don't give
away the store doing so. You could probably benefit from a good
seminar on the topic. Education never stops and only change is
constant.

Pop

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

..
wrote in message
ups.com...
: "I don't know if its because business is so good right now that
they
: don't need my money, or that they are over stretched and can
not accept
:
: any new clients, but I am completely amazed at how contractors
and
: vendors do not seem to care about making a sale. "
:
: They're kind of one and the same thing. Business is strong
right now
: with all the building and home remodeling going on. So just
about all
: of them have plenty of work. Of course that doesn't excuse the
way
: they do business. They should at least let you know they are
too busy
: to take your work, not leave you hanging.
:
: A friend of mine was trying to find painters to paint the whole
: exterior of his house in the boondocks north of Albany. Even
there he
: had the same problem. Call, leave mesg, no one gets back to
him.
:
: This will all change come the next recession.
:
Not likely unless gas/oil gets a lot cheaper. Most of the time
that means they can't get a decent return on their investment so
they don't want the jobs. It's human nature to take the easiest
ones first. Unfortunately.
Considering the lack of real "boondocks" north of Albany, I
suspect they just didn't want the jobs because they knew there
were others capable of it nearby.

I might sound pro-contractor, but I'm not, really. I'm neutral
as far as contractor's go. I use them if I have to and am
usually happy with their work, but if I can avoid one I do
because a lot of times I can't afford them. I find VERY FEW that
give away the store when they do an estimate, or especially an
RFP as one persin indicated.

Pop

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Wait until the housing mania ends, then they will call you back.

I am a contractor and registered here just to respond to your message. I have a small company that does home repairs and improvements. I take pride in responding to clients / potential clients in a timely manner. I never forget that by calling me, they have gone out of their way to give me an opportunity to earn their business. I’m sorry that you have been disappointed in your efforts to hire a dependable contractor, but as you are already aware, unfortunately yours is not a unique story.

From a contractor’s perspective, I could tell you all sorts of stories about difficult clients… but there is no point. Every client deserves the very best service my company can provide.

I can tell you it is a difficult balancing act to schedule all the activities involved in this business and manage resources to remain profitable.

99 percent of my business comes from referrals. Hopefully you will find someone you can trust and depend on in your area. And when you do, make sure you give is name to everyone you know. He will appreciate it and so will they.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

if the windows were a custom size maybe their manufacture explains some
of the delay.
bonus your carpenter 10 percent for early completion before your
desired due date.
good contractors keep booked well in advance to keep their crews busy.
it recently took me a month and a half to get custom cut window blinds
delivered the "next day".
sometimes you're not leaving the store with that new tv until you buy
an extended warranty during the hour it seems to take to bring it
around to the front door for you.
if you find a good roofer or carpenter or plumber or hvac man or
painter or electrician, try to give him a full day's work and a good
tip. and more jobs.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

This will all change come the next recession.

"Not likely unless gas/oil gets a lot cheaper. Most of the time
that means they can't get a decent return on their investment so
they don't want the jobs. It's human nature to take the easiest
ones first. Unfortunately. "

What does any of this have to do with the cost of gas, oil, or anything
else. Like any business, those costs get factored in, added on, and
passed along to the consumer. And how does a contractor even know
which job is easy, unless he returns a phone call? It's not that
folks won't pay, it's that they don't even get to that stage. And I
have seen this change with every recession so far. When that time
comes, these guys are banging on doors looking for business.

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

If you like his work when he's done, be sure to go out of your way to tell
everyone how happy you are with his work.

"RobertM" wrote in message
...
wrote:
On 25 Jan 2006 09:50:56 -0800, wrote:

Why don't contractors / vendors seem to care about selling a product or
service?
In SW Florida they simply have all the work they can handle.

Then why do they keep advertising? I just called three contractors to
have a job done. Two have ads in the local newspaper, but they didn't
return my calls. I understand there are some bad customers, but that
doesn't justify a lack of courtesy. The third one returned my call the
next day, then stopped two days later to quote the job and will be here
next week to do the job. I've seen his work, it's good and the price is
not the lowest but it's fair. This is the definition of a professional.

Bob

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

"RobertM" wrote in message
...
wrote:
On 25 Jan 2006 09:50:56 -0800, wrote:

Why don't contractors / vendors seem to care about selling a product
or
service?
In SW Florida they simply have all the work they can handle.

Then why do they keep advertising? I just called three contractors to
have a job done. Two have ads in the local newspaper, but they didn't
return my calls. I understand there are some bad customers, but that
doesn't justify a lack of courtesy. The third one returned my call the
next day, then stopped two days later to quote the job and will be here
next week to do the job. I've seen his work, it's good and the price is
not the lowest but it's fair. This is the definition of a professional.

Bob

even that's no guarantee. my gym is doing a $1million expansion. the general
contractor they had lined up and had already done some of the prelim work
(starting to get permits, plans, etc) just backed out. his excuse was that
he just got a $5million contract elsewhere. i don't know where the lawyers
start to step in, but it's probably going to happen. do they really want to
have someone they're suing finish the job, or there might be penalties in
the contract that they'll just pay because the other job will pay better?

regards,
charlie
http://glassartists.org/chaniarts

Why don't contractors / vendors care about making a sale?
 

True, there are no obligations either way. You find a good customer, you
try to keep him. You find a good store, contractor, vendor, you keep
him. Not everyone is suited to doing business with everyone else in the
world. I'm in business myself (repairing musical instruments), and some
of my customers are a pain in the butt. However, I always return a phone
call, even if it's to tell the person I can't do the job they want done.
I figure if I advertise, then I owe them a phone call if they
responded to my ad. I expect the same from the people I buy from.

Bob