Kate you will remember that I recommended that you get a written Quotation
for any work reference the Nest removal, well in the mail this morning was
an ESTIMATE for some work I would like doing on my car. No, I want a
Quotation. I telephone the company and explained to the lady on the
switchboard/reception that they had sent me an Estimate, but I requested a
Quotation. "Well, it's the same" 'No, there is a difference between an
Estimate and a Quotation' "Oh, I will have to see the person who did it"

Question. Was she trying to pull the wool over my eyes, or was she ignorant
of the difference?

and I wonder just how many people DO know the difference. When I had my
businesses, I NEVER gave an Estimate, always a Quotation

Mike

The message
from "Mike" contains these words:

Question. Was she trying to pull the wool over my eyes, or was she ignorant
of the difference?

You'd have to ask her that...

and I wonder just how many people DO know the difference. When I had my
businesses, I NEVER gave an Estimate, always a Quotation

Well, nowadays they'd expect a multi-choice question, and perhaps the
proportion of correct answers might be quite high.

The trouble is, without such help, I expect most would answer without
careful thought.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Mike wrote in message
...
Kate you will remember that I recommended that you get a written Quotation
for any work reference the Nest removal, well in the mail this morning was
an ESTIMATE for some work I would like doing on my car. No, I want a
Quotation. I telephone the company and explained to the lady on the
switchboard/reception that they had sent me an Estimate, but I requested a
Quotation. "Well, it's the same" 'No, there is a difference between an
Estimate and a Quotation' "Oh, I will have to see the person who did it"

Question. Was she trying to pull the wool over my eyes, or was she
ignorant
of the difference?

and I wonder just how many people DO know the difference. When I had my
businesses, I NEVER gave an Estimate, always a Quotation

Mike



Good for you, Mike. There certainly *is* a difference, and more people
ought to be aware of it. Alas, some firms refuse to give a quotation;
presumably they fear losing their profit margin if they give too lean a
quotation. When this has happened with us, we have had the decency to offer
some extra payment - *only* if the job is 'spot on' to the point of being
impressive and the firm worth recommending to friends. I believe in being
fair, not generous! )

An Estimate is a very moveable feast - firstly in terms of time, and
consequently in terms of cost.
As far as I'm concerned, if a firm can't give me a good quotation, it can't
give me a good job either. It takes experience to do both. On the two
occasions we topped up a fee, the firm was new but very professional.
Indeed, the second firm we totally rely on now and frequently recommend the
gent to very appreciative friends and neighbours. We simply know he won't
rob us.

Spider

Kate you will remember that I recommended that you get a written Quotation
for any work reference the Nest removal, well in the mail this morning was
an ESTIMATE for some work I would like doing on my car. No, I want a
Quotation. I telephone the company and explained to the lady on the
switchboard/reception that they had sent me an Estimate, but I requested a
Quotation. "Well, it's the same" 'No, there is a difference between an
Estimate and a Quotation' "Oh, I will have to see the person who did it"

Question. Was she trying to pull the wool over my eyes, or was she ignorant
of the difference?

and I wonder just how many people DO know the difference. When I had my
businesses, I NEVER gave an Estimate, always a Quotation

Mike

Thank you Mike, I will remember :-)

kate

"Spider" wrote in message
...

Mike wrote in message
...
Kate you will remember that I recommended that you get a written
Quotation
for any work reference the Nest removal, well in the mail this morning
was
an ESTIMATE for some work I would like doing on my car. No, I want a
Quotation. I telephone the company and explained to the lady on the
switchboard/reception that they had sent me an Estimate, but I requested
a
Quotation. "Well, it's the same" 'No, there is a difference between an
Estimate and a Quotation' "Oh, I will have to see the person who did it"

Question. Was she trying to pull the wool over my eyes, or was she
ignorant
of the difference?

and I wonder just how many people DO know the difference. When I had my
businesses, I NEVER gave an Estimate, always a Quotation

Mike



Good for you, Mike. There certainly *is* a difference, and more people
ought to be aware of it. Alas, some firms refuse to give a quotation;
presumably they fear losing their profit margin if they give too lean a
quotation. When this has happened with us, we have had the decency to
offer
some extra payment - *only* if the job is 'spot on' to the point of being
impressive and the firm worth recommending to friends. I believe in being
fair, not generous! )

An Estimate is a very moveable feast - firstly in terms of time, and
consequently in terms of cost.
As far as I'm concerned, if a firm can't give me a good quotation, it
can't
give me a good job either. It takes experience to do both. On the two
occasions we topped up a fee, the firm was new but very professional.
Indeed, the second firm we totally rely on now and frequently recommend
the
gent to very appreciative friends and neighbours. We simply know he won't
rob us.

Spider



Spider I don't give a sod what a company's profit margin is. Tell me a Rolls
Royce is 'value for money' with respect to how much it costs to build and I
won't believe you. BUT, if a person is in the Rolls Royce bracket as my
daughter and son in law are, they 'want' a Rolls Royce and they have got
one. I 'want' a World Cruise, doesn't matter about the £sd, if I have to ask
the price, I cannot afford it and it is the same with a job of work being
done.

I have a wonderful saying on a dish which I keep on my desk.

"QUALITY" is like buying oats! If you want nice, clean oats, you must pay a
fair price; however if you can be satisfied with oats that have already been
through the horse - that comes a little cheaper"

I used to work for a chap who said "Mike, when the customer says 'jump' I
jump, and on the way up I ask 'how high sir'" Sacha has taken me to task
over this before but I don't give a toss. The customer is KING, but is also
a *******. I have talked about my customers ......... behind their backs
:-)) Sacha has told customers to their face that she is not there for chat
:-(((( wrong wrong wrong.

When I was starting out in business, I went to some seminars about costings,
to cut a very long story short, on an excercise we costed something at 'x'
pence and were told that this product was on the market at 10 x 'x'. Why?
Because that is what the customer is prepared to pay. HE, the customer, is
not interested in the profit margin, he wants value in his pocket. I had a
service which I sold at £35.00. Cost? £5.00 max. Why? My competitor was
selling at £75.00 + vat

Profit margin? As long as it is on the plus side, fine :-))))

Mike