Low ballers making an impact.

[PLD 14]

The debate rages and rages, but one thing is certain; Low Ballers are making an impact here in Fayetteville. This guy is established and was running head-to-head with me price wise this time last year.

[AD IMAGE REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT]

Trailer $49

1 Story $ 89

2 Story $119

[Adrian 155]

I always love it when you chime in Mr. Musgrave's. I walk away with alittle bit more than what I came in with. Also that's why I love this forum. Thanks to you and the time you have taken I have landed some real cool jobs per your advice. But darned if I still can't get some of those corporate mgrs. to return my calls. lol. But I keep plugging. Plus you never told me about the 3 foot high rats behind the dumpsters that just laugh at me when I squirt them with the x-jet.lol. kidding.... they need washing too.

You are exactly right about educating the customer. That in itself is the dividing line whether I get the job sometimes. But there is always 1 or 2 customers that simply don't want to pay a professional and fair rate for a resi wash. They prefer to go with the lowballer, regardless of quality of service. Price is all that matters to them, which is why I said ( or meant ) that the lowballers help us not get those kind of customers.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!

PEACE THROUGH SONIC DISTORTION

[Rfitz 14]

Un fortunately, a very educated customer of mine, told me of a really bad experience he had with a PW company that washed and stained his deck in the past, anyway when I gave him my bid to redo his deck, he didnt believe me when I tried telling him all the things we would do that all the other company's (Low Ballers) wont do, he still wouldnt believe me and I said here are references etc.. check them out, he said please do not take this personnally, but you are guilty by association of being in a profession that is not all that legit or honest, so I thought for a moment and realized he was right, so all I can do after those remarks is to do 110% on every job, and present a professional image when bidding, working etc.. and hopefully that alone will grow my business, and with over 50% growth every year it is not hurting, so my prices keep climbing every year but so does the level of quality in my work...

[PLD 14]

Someone didn't agree with the way you did something and now you are correcting their spelling and likening them to Christ?I mean come on,I'm can pick a fight with just about anyone and even I try not to go there.

Got no beef with disagreement. If we all agreed then this would be a pretty dull board. I do, however, take great umbrage when the responses are derogatory and insulting. The spelling correction and the references were just a sarcastic illustration that ALL of us mere mortals do actually make mistakes, and perhaps a public flaming might not be the best way to approach the offending party.

I don't care of you post an ad of someones prices but,you could have blurred the guys name and number.If the shoe were on the other foot would you think it was ok?

Actually, I'm split on this one. Posting his ad: No remorse. Engaging in a debate of his business practrices w/o him present: Not so good.

As for the other foot: My internet business gets 15k visitors/day. And I can tell you there is no such thing as bad publicity. So, if you wish to post my ads anywhere, anytime, please let me know and I'll send you the images. And feel free to discuss me however you like. Just talk about me. Please, talk about me.

If the guys prices bother you that much call him and ask him why he did it.Maybe the guy doesn't have the customer base you do and has a family to feed so he thinks this will remedy the situation.

I have considered that. Actually, the only reason I haven't yet contacted him (and another that comes to mind) is concerns about price fixing. But, I'm glad you brought us back there. That was the point of this whole thread. Not to dicuss a low baller, but rather to discuss how low balling has affected decisions in a business that is already established (pre-dates mine).

I'm far more concerned about discussing strategy than having yet another gripe fest about low ballers.

[PLD 14]

Please don't take my post so personally. It's not meant as an attack on you, but a constructive criticism on what you did.

Ok. Well, as long as we are helping each other out let me be of assistance in return. If you want to engauge in a meaningful dialog you should choose your words more selectively because you have a nasty habit of inserting derogatory phrases in otherwise innocuous comments. You may not agree, but each and every one of the phrases below was posted by you in this rather short exchange. And each one is a direct attack on the person the message is addressed to. Since that was me, I took it rather personally.

just ridiculous to post.

Common sense, guys.

Let's all be mature here

to post his info is just as creative as his [the low ballers] ability

Unless I missed a lecture somewhere there is nothing constructive to be said that requires the following adjectives. "ridiculous", "no common sense", "immature", "uncreative".

All that said, if you didn't actually intend to come across as offensive then I hope my comments have had some value.

[Jarrod 22]

Phillip, I don't see anything wrong with what you said about this guy or posting his ad. Posting his ad gave us all a better look at the problem.

Hey, is this the same guy with the wedgie that uses a pink bucket?

[squirtgun 122]

Now there is nothing wrong with posting special Ops photos of morons in action...lol.

Before the great computer crash I had an entire file just for those pics.I do, however, try to stay far enough away that face aren't recognizable.If they were close-ups I would blur them.