Heating Help

quality and comfort

that comes with the extra expense? when anyone figures out how to sell quality and comfort, do yourself and everyone else in the biz a favor and start doing seminars but i do feel for ya, and your stages of grief gave me a good chuckle

Wayne My uncle owned his plumbing & heating business from early fifties until my father bought him out in 76 and then I took over in 89. The uncle had two mottos he lived by and passed on to my father and mine to me. 1)ALWAYS Do the best job you can for the customer at a fair price for both. 2) As long as you have enough to more than enough work (which to me never seems to be a problem after following # 1) NEVER worry about the jobs you don't get just the ones you do get

Lost a job

We put a bid on a municipal job in earl December ( work to commence 15 days from bid opening) At the bid opening, my bid was opened 72K, next bid 79K feeking pretty good, want to make money & not give the job away. Feeling confident, I knew I could make a buck, I even added in for winter conditions so I was covered. Next bid was 27.5K What?? Dumbfounded!! The municipality took it. I'd like to know what the budget was for the job, but they wouldn't say. The design professional should have known better etc. etc. They still havn't started the job. My bonding agent tells me his company would not bond the job if we were low bidder in that situation- too much risk I guess. Anyway just look forward to the next one, plus as my son says " we could be out there working in the cold right now (12 degrees this am) " Chris To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Chris,

I bid public projects in Mass and it's the law to release the information you requested if it was provided to the Municipality. We have what's called a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request and it must be honored within 10 days. You should check your State laws. I hate losing bids but do so 75% of the time and it's part of the process. Those 25% wins feel much better. :-) Jack

Got a call last night

from the GC on a job I bid, letting me know the HO was going to go with Heat Pump in their addition instead of my nice gih eff. hydronics package. They decided to economize. I shouldn't care, but I'm bugged. I'm going through the stages of a lost bid, hurt, denial, anger, sour grapes, and then acceptance. :( I got plenty of work, and I wish high efficiency hydronics cost less so more could have the quality and comfort that comes with the extra expense, but not everyone can put out the money to make it happen. Heavy Sigh! WW To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

You sure

the GC didn't really push the customer to go with the heat pump? I bet he did. He doesn't have to live with the result. When the heat pump doesn't work as promised, or is way too expensive to operate due to skyrocketing electric rates, you'll be back there doing hydronics. "Steamhead" To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

I understand Wayne..

been there and It stinks...rest well that in a few years they will wish that they had you do the work. kpc

Wayne

It's hardest to deal with when you have done EVERYTHING you can possibly do. It seems like it should be a no-brainer. I just finished a proposal for a 60,000 sq/ft Fed-Ex building that they want to keep at 45°F (for now) and as vehicles pull in and out, they have CO monitors that will engage 500,000 CFM fans to pull in fresh air. You and I know it will be tough for that place to recover with unit heaters, but my proposal is a full $170,000 MORE than my forced air counterpart in the same office. I'm thinking that the almighty dollar will win out again. Hang in there Wayne. Regards, PR

Free your mind

Free your mind and offer your customer more option then you do now. What wrong with installing a system that would fit the budget? I love hydronic heat however, if the customer can not afford it I'm sure not going to tie myself down not making any money because I'm to proud to provide other forms of heatplants. So are you guys saying you all stop working when summer comes along? This reminds me years ago when I was working for a oil company and I was losing all kinds of sales because we were a oil company and alot of people wanted to go gas.

We all go through it

My favorite is when a G.C. will build a 300K to 500K house and put forced air in it because they can heat and cool at a fraction of the cost of a wet system. Sure it will heat but it will be nowhere the comfort of the hydronic system. Maybe we should start asking if these new home owners want to as comfortable as they can be in their new homes. In a heating dominate region hydronics is the only way to go.