Bid Timing Question

J

Jeff Robison

New member
Kind of an off the wall question but interested in peoples input. I am very good about getting to estimates quick and giving a quote very fast. On commercial accounts they are typically getting more than one bid and I am just curious if it is great to be the first bidder or closer to the decision time? The reason I ask is I always ask if they have gotten other bids in yet most times they will say yes and give you an indication of where they are and if they think that is within their budget. I also follow up very good and see if they have made a decision, where we stand, etc. Often I get the work just by doing this and several times I have had to alter my bid a little to get the work. I do not care about lowering my price $250.00 on a $5,000 job to get the work.

I guess what I am asking is that by being the first bidder am I giving my competition a price to use against me, like I do them?

Jeff Robison
Clean Up Atlanta
 
Jeff I have fealt the same thing many times and have experianced the same thing as far as bids. In my experiance the first bid usually doesn't win because the Pms will shop the price with other contractors alot of times. I don't like to be the first contractor to supply a bid but alot of others are so slow at getting bids out its almost impossible sometimes to not come in first with your price. I lost a apartment complex a couple of months ago to another contractor that they waited a month for his bid.
 
If the RFP starts off or has the words "we are accepting bids for...."
Means they are price shopping and will wait.
If the proposal or person says "can you clean a ..........." means they need it done right and/or quickly for some deadline and will pay accordingly.
 
Jeff Robison said:
Kind of an off the wall question but interested in peoples input. I am very good about getting to estimates quick and giving a quote very fast. On commercial accounts they are typically getting more than one bid and I am just curious if it is great to be the first bidder or closer to the decision time? The reason I ask is I always ask if they have gotten other bids in yet most times they will say yes and give you an indication of where they are and if they think that is within their budget. I also follow up very good and see if they have made a decision, where we stand, etc. Often I get the work just by doing this and several times I have had to alter my bid a little to get the work. I do not care about lowering my price $250.00 on a $5,000 job to get the work.

I guess what I am asking is that by being the first bidder am I giving my competition a price to use against me, like I do them?

Jeff Robison
Clean Up Atlanta
Click to expand...
Thats a tough question. I've put in bids where right off the bat the lowest and highest bids were kicked out. We also were the first and only company to put in a bid to clean this Condo Complex this summer and we got that job because they needed it done desperatly(This one paid well). Whenever we put in a bid we follow it up with a few phone calls. The longest running phone calls that we have done involving bids was this spring where we put in a bid to clean a 4 story parking garage. The guy tells us to keep calling him back every two weeks to see if its going to be done or not. We have religiously called this guy back every two weeks and now its like were buddies with this guy....but the job still has not been awarded yet....so who knows.
 
I think it depends on who you are dealing with and how well you know them. If asked, some will let you know if you are high, low, or "competive". So don't tell you anthing. I always try to get to know them better. A lot of times it IS who you know that will get you the job.
 
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