I told a client the full price upfront and they walked away

I mean, I had this job in Eugene last week, a full house move across town. Usually I give a rough estimate first, but this time I just laid out the exact cost, $2,800, right at the start. They said thanks and hung up, never called back. Maybe it's just me, but I thought being totally straight would build trust. Now I'm stuck wondering if I should go back to the old way of giving a lower ballpark number first. Has anyone else lost a job by being too honest on the first quote?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_dixon4913d ago

Wait, you quoted $2,800 for a move across ONE TOWN? That is a STAGGERING number to me. I moved my whole family from Springfield to Portland last year and it didn't cost half that. Were they moving a museum or something? I get being honest, but maybe the shock of the real price, without any warning, just scared them off completely. A lower ballpark first softens that blow, even if the final number is the same.

the_lee13d ago

My buddy got a quote like that once, turned out they counted his packed garage as a second home.

jennifer83313d ago

A PACKED GARAGE counted as a second home? That's a wild way for @the_lee's buddy to get a crazy high quote. I've heard of charging for extra stops, but that's a whole new level of creative math. They must have thought he had a full apartment hidden behind those boxes.