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Theorysparky

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I wont buy job leads to to quote against 4 other guys

and then have the potential customer look at my profile

have we got threads on these companies ?????? mmmmmmm i think so

 
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I wont buy job leads to to quote against 4 other guysand then have the potential customer look at my profile

have we got threads on these companies ?????? mmmmmmm i think so
Why wouldn't you want your potential customer to look at your profile. You write your own profile, list all your quals, it contains previous feedback (hopefully +ive) etc. Its a chance to showcase yourself to a customer. If you receive a lead where the customer has requested 5 quotes and you don't fancy quoting against 4 others you just don't buy that one. Sorry if I've missed something obvious there.

 
Hi Dave

Firstly bear in mind that post was put up on the 11th Oct before we knew what your were about so to speak....so i apolgize if i came across a bit abrupt.

As you know we get bombarded by companies all the time trying to get our money !!!!

Why have a profile ?????

who will vett it as to its authenticity ????? regarding quals ???

as for 5 quotes,,,,,,guys on here will price to make the job worthwhile for them.....others will price just to work even at a loss (small companies with 1 or 2 guys sitting around doing nothing,,which is a common practice)

are we told how many quotes have been requested ???? because if not then guys may have the attitude of 'cant be bothered'

do we get to see the other quotes afterwards.......lots of guys chase up quotes and ask what other sparks quote....

nice to see that you are responding to the forums issues

i may still sign up !!!!!

 
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Hi TS, sorry if my reply seemed a tad abrupt aswell. Having read it back it doesn't quite read how I meant it. I didn't actually even clock the date on it so my bad.

I thoight a profile page for each member was a good idea as it allows you to give a bit more of a background to yourself or your business. A well presented profile may make you appear more professional than someone who hasn't bothered and could help the customer in their decision making. It may be more useful in some trades over others. All your feedback will be collated there and you will get a unique page name also which you can use outside of the site too, if a customer asked you for any previous client feedback and you had 20 or 30 positive ratings you could point them to the profile and they could see your feedback.

In regards the quote numbers the customer specifies how many they want and then in the lead email that is shown to you so you know 'potentially' how many you'll be quoting against. I say potentially as a customer might request 5 quotes but if only 2 people buy it they'll only be quoting against each other.

Unfortunately we can't provide you with details of what the competition has quoted, as we can't provide them with details of your quote. Primarily because we don't know what prices are being given out. Once you're in contact with the customer all quotes, discussions are confidential between you and them. I know that other sparks might ask the customer what other prices they've had or ask to be the last to quote etc. Those practices have been around forever and theres not a right lot anyone can do about that.

The long term intention is to have only quality trades registered who hopefully will act professionally and in return increase the reputation of the site aswell. As such trade memberships, insurances, quals etc will be getting checked but at the minute I'm probably a few months away from having the resources to do that just yet.

Hopefully I'll get it right!!

Dave

 
quoting against others would be my problem

i have quoted first and been too expensive only to find that the customer showed my price to others and said

'can you better this' ?

quotes sent to you for you to pass on would be a better way..........

 
But there is nothing to stop the "customer" getting quotes in from more traditional ways aswell!!!
This is very true and any wise customer using these sort of sites would do a quick internet search and find at least four or five tradesmen type sites. Input the jobs onto multiple sites giving them maybe 10 or 15+ quotes for no outlay, then as Noz suggests possibly call a couple local sparks from the phone book or local paper as well, so for the cost of two phone calls they have a dozen or more quotes to compare. Two electricians have only spent a bit of time answering their phones, another 10+ could have spent

 
This is very true and any wise customer using these sort of sites would do a quick internet search and find at least four or five tradesmen type sites. Input the jobs onto multiple sites giving them maybe 10 or 15+ quotes for no outlay, then as Noz suggests possibly call a couple local sparks from the phone book or local paper as well, so for the cost of two phone calls they have a dozen or more quotes to compare. Two electricians have only spent a bit of time answering their phones, another 10+ could have spent
 
(a)Firstly many customer are now using these sites for convenience as they don't want to pick up the phone to a tonne of tradespeople (most of whom they can't get hold of or are too busy to attend).

(B)They are posting a job for convenience as they are then going to be contacted by a tradesmen who is actually interested,

©Look at the size of a yellow pages 10 years ago and look at one today.

(d)People are getting in from a days graft and posting jobs in the evening or at weekends when they don't neccesarily feel they can ring a tradesperson (don't forget this is not just for electricians).

(e)There is still a large amount of trades without their own website or at least websites that are not well optimised so probably generate them very little.
I appreciate you are doing your salesman pitch there Dave...

But some of those arguments are just as valid on the opposite side of the coin...

i.e.

(a)

As a sole trader I also much prefer the convenience of the customer ringing me rather than me trying to get hold of a customer who isn't in ..

(had one today old school friend of my wife who she bumped into the other day while shopping.. asked me to ring her.. I did she was out I left her a message.. she rang me back later.. didn't have me mobile in my pocket at the time so she left a message.. third attempt I rang her back.. finally we were both able to talk!!!)

So TBH.. IMHO that argument is irrelevant..

As it is as valid or not valid whichever way the call is made..

Bottom line is it boils down to... WHO made the call.. & Who's paying for the call!!!!!!!

(B)

Same again... why is it only a customer who wants convenience of someone who is genuinely interested? Why can

 
All good. We should carry that on over on the other thread so as to not be running up a double thread on this.

I can assure you though I use lead websites and have generated way more in profit than I have ever spent in lead fee's. So apart from certain frustrations they have been an additional source of business for us.

It about keeping all your options open.

 
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