I think every homeowner has had the experience of a contractor coming to their home to review a project, quoting a price and when the homeowner follows up the contractor doesn’t respond. Sound familiar? So why don’t contractors come back?
While we would never do that, over the years I have heard this complaint many times from our customers. I’ve also spoken to colleagues in the business and have identified why this happens.coming to their home to look at a project,
3 Reasons Contractors Don't Come Back
REASON # 1
Probably the most common reason contractors will quote a job and then disappear is because of the seasonality of the business. If a contractor is quoting a price for a job during a slow season, they are hungrier for the business and will therefore propose a very competitive price.
If the homeowner doesn’t move forward right away, and the contractor’s schedule gets busier, they aren’t as hungry and can get more for the same job working with another customer. So they ignore your call.
You can also call this reason “supply and demand.” When the demand for the contractor’s work is lower, they will be far more competitive on price.
Recommendations To Resolve
- Always ask the contractor how long the price quote is good for.
- Ask them how busy they are and when is the next available date they can start
- Call for customers for recommendations
Reason # 2
The contractor may not have a lot of experience doing the type of work your project requires. But, he thinks it might be a good service to add to his business. So he quotes a price, but then considers the risks involved and decides against doing it.
This chimney repair to the right below is a great example of the risk involved in working from some pretty unsteady heights.
A mason that usually does patios and walkways might bid on a chimney job as a way to expand their business, but when they realize the risk involved; they think twice.
Recommendations to Resolve
- Ask the contractor about the amount of experience they have doing specific project
- Ask for customer recommendations
- Look on their website and/or their other marketing materials to see if this type of work is highlighted
Reason # 3
For contractors, their time is money and they have only so many hours per week to make their money. So, if it doesn’t sound like you are ready to sign on the bottom line, they are likely not to answer your call and move on.
Many homeowners are discerning buyers and really emphasize price. If a contractor senses you are attempting to create a price competition between them and other contractors they will back away.
Unlike buying a retail product at a discount and getting the exact item for less, in contracting if you are going to pay less, you are likely getting lesser of a finished product. To meet the customer’s price demand, they have to cut corners in order to finish the project.
As a company, we walk away from jobs that are competitively priced below what we think it’s worth because we pride ourselves on providing the best craftsmanship in the business.
Recommendations to Resolve
- If you meet with a contractor ask all your questions at that time. If you call to simply discuss the job they will think you are unlikely to commit and they will move on to other customers who sound more serious.
- Don’t get more than 3 prices because contractors don’t want to get into a competitive bidding war.them again
