Hey everyone, I'm Isaiah and I have a few questions about pricing and low balling what am I supposed to do if I charge my client one price for tree cutting and she brings it down way lower than what you offered?
If you know your price is competitive then just tell them you can’t do the work to the best of your ability at that price. If you’re not overcharging, then just let that customer go. Those customers are a pain to deal with. If they don’t see the value in your work then just go on to the next job.
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That makes a lot of sense
I like that advice it’ll be hard to tell one off unless your client list is full
You have to tell them to kick rocks. Because, you will have to deal with that person's energy until the job is done. And, they may decide not to pay.
I always get so irritated with these clients and we have learned to refer them out. I don't question my mechanic or my hair stylist when they're charging me, and the home service industry should be no different. Maintain confidence in your pricing!
that is good advice I have to keep that in mind seriously because as I’m trying to grow I have ppl just wanting to stop doing business with me and it’s kinda annoying
THe best thing I ever built was my contracts. Make sure you have tight contracts (easy to do in Jobber) so do one can try to pull that on you after you perform a service. As far as low balling on the front end, everyone learns this one the hard way. Lose enough money on enough jobs and you will become desensitized to low ballers haha. Once you know what you can't do jobs for, it's really easy to politely tell someone that you will pass on their job. I tell people all the time now "dang sounds like you got a good deal then!" and just let them go on their way. Half the time they still come back! It's crazy. We run businesses not charities so don't take their low balling personally and just politely pass on the work.
A long time ago I learned to simply remove aspects of the job to reduce the price and not to reduce the price overall. This says your work is valuable and your price is fair so if they want a lower price they need to accept a lower scope of work.
in your case maybe this is clean up or debris removal which gives them the option to work with you and put some of the work in to offset the cost. If that’s not something they want to do then let them work with the other company. I do like the “that’s a great price” comment and move on.
We’re in the cleaning industry, so it’s a little different, but the concept is the same. When a client tries to lower the price, we explain what we can do within their budget, while also reinforcing the value of the original quote.
For example, if someone requests a deep clean but only wants to spend around $300, we let them know we can work within that budget, but the level of cleaning won’t be as thorough as a full deep clean. We explain that a proper deep clean involves detailed work, using the right tools to reach areas that haven’t been touched in a while, and that doing it right the first time can actually lead to more affordable maintenance cleans in the future.
The key is to clearly communicate your value and be transparent about what would be scaled back at a lower price. Don’t undersell yourself. Most clients simply don’t understand what goes into the work, so breaking it down in simple terms helps them see why your pricing is what it is.
I'm in a different industry (painting) , but when I have clients ask for a cheaper (low ball) price after I've submitted a bid proposal to them. I simple pull out the bid and say of coarse we can do it cheaper, which services on the bid would you like to take off.
I’ve realized there are really only two ways to see a lowball: either we failed to explain the value, or the person is just a price shopper.
I’m moving away from justifying my prices altogether. I think when you spend too much time justifying your rate, it actually takes away your power and makes it look like the price is up for negotiation. If a client tells me they can get it done cheaper elsewhere, I like to flip the question and ask: 'Why do you think that competitor is cheaper?' Often, they’ll end up explaining the difference in quality or service to themselves.
I focus on establishing authority in my field and providing lasting results. My prices are higher because the value is higher. By lowering your price just because they asked, you're immediately reducing the value of your service in their eyes.
Charge for your job estimates!
I like how you think. Raise the bar of entry.
Don’t panic or immediately lower your price. Explain the value behind your quote… insurance, equipment, cleanup, safety, experience, and your time all cost money.
If they still want a lower price, you have two options: Reduce the scope of work to match their budge or politely walk away.
Not every customer is your customer. The cheapest jobs are usually the ones that become the biggest headaches. Respect your pricing and don’t work for free just to stay busy.
