Joe Pelonio
10-21-2008, 1:54 PM
I was just at my local plastic supplier and heard his conversation with a customer that I found sad but familiar, and thought I'd relate it to you and see if you all have the same problem.
Apparently he'd left a voice mail quote for a retail fabrication job, and she was calling back. It was an exact repeat of an order she had placed 4 years ago, and she wanted it for the same price as before. By the time he was finished, about 15 minutes, he had to explain that acrylic is made from petroleum, that it has to be shipped to him, that rent has gone up 4 times, that the cost of labor has gone, up, even down to utilities and other overhead. Even then she insisted that he should do it for the old price.
His response was that he was not going to do any job where he made
nothing. He finally offered a small per-item discount if they could take an extra week to make them and she had to take it or leave it. She has to "think about it." :mad:
Apparently he'd left a voice mail quote for a retail fabrication job, and she was calling back. It was an exact repeat of an order she had placed 4 years ago, and she wanted it for the same price as before. By the time he was finished, about 15 minutes, he had to explain that acrylic is made from petroleum, that it has to be shipped to him, that rent has gone up 4 times, that the cost of labor has gone, up, even down to utilities and other overhead. Even then she insisted that he should do it for the old price.
His response was that he was not going to do any job where he made
nothing. He finally offered a small per-item discount if they could take an extra week to make them and she had to take it or leave it. She has to "think about it." :mad: