Very well put, both Jeff and Joel! I was trying hard to think how to respond reasonably and you've both saved me the trouble. Thank you.
> Very well put Jeff > > > -----Original Message----- > From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org > <re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org> > To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> > Sent: Wed Feb 04 19:48:41 2009 > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Prices on PV > > > Joel has clearly pointed out the obvious. Perhaps in your area there are > only a few solar dealers and you are working on a handshake basis, but its > hard enough getting clients to not "shop a job" without handing them over > our job cost worksheet. There was a time when our cost proposal listed > every single item and part number we planned to use. > > After having clients take this list to competitors trying to get a better > price we stopped this and now our proposals describe a complete working > system, nit the individual parts making up the system. We also found that > some of the competitors the potential client took our detailed parts list > proposal too would not have had any idea how to cost out their bid if they > had not seen our detailed material list. We lost a recent job to a > potential client that we completed a very complete site analysis as part > of preparing our cost proposal. > > During our site work the client was surprised to learn that we were not > recommending a roof mounted system as we found many shading and roof > design problems, and instead we determined the bast location was a ground > mounted array near the rear of their lot. When the client told me they > had decided to obtain a proposal from another firm, I almost begged them > not to disclose our very detailed proposal and design information to this > other firm. I felt it would be better for the client to not only see a > proposal from someone else without the benefit of seeing our cost proposal > first, but it would also be interesting to see if the other dealer would > recognize the obvious roof mounted array was a bad choice. You guessed > it, they showed our detailed proposal to the other firm who then proposed > the exact same system we proposed, item for item, except they lowered > their price about 1/2%. Yes, we lost the job. > > No, its not only not a good idea to give out this cost information, but > its also not a good idea to give out a detailed parts list breakout. If > the client wants another bid, then go for it, only let the competition > have to go to the same trouble you did to figure out what parts and sizes > of equipment will be needed. > > Jeff Yago > > > > ________________________________ > > Netscape. Just the Net You Need. > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Options & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
