[Trust me, this is a very shortened version of the call... The timer on my cell phone said 22 minutes when I was done. ]
Me: Hello, Carl speaking.
Caller: (man with soft middle eastern accent) Yes, I was given your number by (fellow surveyor). I have two lots totaling about 4 acres and I want to move a property line because I want to build an addition on my existing house and build another house on the other lot to sell.
Me: OK, that is something that I can do. I think that I can do it for between $XXXX and $XXXX. I can start in about two weeks because I have some other projects to get done.
Caller: Whoa... whoa... two weeks? And you better sharpen your pencil a little better and come down on that estimate.
Me: Sir?
Caller: Well you can't expect me to pay that for surveying just 4 acres . Yeah... I understand.... well, just think about it and call me if you can give me a better (lower) estimate.
Me: Sir, I can not give you a better (lower) estimate, because I do not know what I'll find out there to work with.
Caller: I really need a better estimate
Me: OK, sir, I will make it a little tighter .
Caller: OK, well I will think about it.
Me: Yes sir, have a good day.
I am not going to basically pay someone to work for them when I do good work and provide excellent service and handholding. Thankfully I am busy right now.
Carl
Now you know why that "fellow" surveyor gave him your number. You should have passed him on to the next guy.;-)
Does this mean Carl is considered a "Low Baller" by his "fellow surveyor"?!?!?!?!
😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉
JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Now you know why that "fellow" surveyor gave him your number. You should have passed him on to the next guy.;-)
I don't think ill of him at all. He's an LS/PE and this might just be smaller than he wants at this time... I hope that's it!!
🙂
> Does this mean Carl is considered a "Low Baller" by his "fellow surveyor"?!?!?!?!
>
> 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉
>
>
> JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think he does. I think that my friend would be expensive because he is an LS/PE and this is smaller than he prefers. No harm.
🙂
just had a similar situation with a lady from maryland who had bought 14 acres with nothing but an unrecorded map from 1956 and a bounded deed. you just can't make some people understand what it takes.
Carl my response is not meant to offend you (you are certainly not the only surveyor I have heard say this) but here goes.
> I don't think he does. I think that my friend would be expensive because he is an LS/PE and this is smaller than he prefers. No harm.
This take on the situation is one I often hear. Why is it that engineers see more value in our services than we (surveyors) do? Why is he (a PS/PE) more expensive than any other PS?
> Carl my response is not meant to offend you (you are certainly not the only surveyor I have heard say this) but here goes.
>
> > I don't think he does. I think that my friend would be expensive because he is an LS/PE and this is smaller than he prefers. No harm.
>
> This take on the situation is one I often hear. Why is it that engineers see more value in our services than we (surveyors) do? Why is he (a PS/PE) more expensive than any other PS?
I am not offended at all. I'm relaying that his office is in a office complex with more people working for him and a higher billing rate (I'm guessing), and I am solo with no staff. I'm about the situation. I'm not underbidding my self at all.
I understand that. I wasn't insinuating anything. It is just a common statement. I have always wondered why it is stated as such.
David
Once I was asked by an engineer friend of mine for a price on the surveying portion of a small project of his. Basically it was a replacement of a cross culvert under a county road (Title Sheet, P&P and detail. No contract docs, the municipality was going to be responsible for construction).
But, it would require more than 1/2 mile of cross sections (some almost a 1/2 mile wide) and a detail of a confluence that was upstream and tucked way back into the woods.
When I gave him the price he said,"You'll make more on the job than I will!"
I laughed and asked him where the 'law' was written that said engineers have to make more on jobs than we (surveyors) make.
He couldn't quote a source....
> Caller: (man with soft middle eastern accent)
Cultural thing. Going to haggle price to establish who has the bigger, uh, personality. I worked at a company with several middle easterners in management, they were all like this. You probably should have cut the call short, politely but firmly, after the first explanation at the latest.
"(man with soft middle eastern accent) "
This is the key to the whole thing.
You are in the bazaar. Everything is negotiable and it is not intended to be offensive to anyone. You will always be asked to "sharpen your pencil" and do better. The fact that he hasn't tried this on his heart surgeon yet and learned a lesson isn't important right now.
Years ago I had some dealings with Koreans. They were a bit abrupt in bargaining but I was slow to take offense and kept listening and talking. After a while I got some business from them and did a good job for them. It developed into hundreds of thousands of dollars of work. There are still no Korean-American surveyors around here so I am the guy. Never got stiffed on payment. One doctor put me off for two days so he could sell some bonds to get cash. That was not a problem, just good communication. I like people like that.
Negotiators hate me
I don't really care if I do the job or not once I realize I have a died-in-the-wool negotiator working on me. The game may be extremely important to them. Fine. I'll let them beat someone else to death instead of me.
Years ago I had a client who was presented with a bill for something like $710. As he whipped out his checkbook he said, "How about we round that off to an even $700?" I responded with, "How about we round that off to an even $800 instead?" He acted shocked. I told him that it wouldn't take any more effort to write the check for $800 than it would for $700. He ended up making it for $710.
Negotiators hate me
A good negotiation for Digger's amusement...
🙂
Loyal
Negotiators hate me
> I don't really care if I do the job or not once I realize I have a died-in-the-wool negotiator working on me. The game may be extremely important to them. Fine. I'll let them beat someone else to death instead of me.
That's exactly where I was at at about 12 minutes into the call.
Negotiators hate me
You got beat to death over ten dollars?
My life is worth more than that. And you need to learn to constructively negotiate with negotiators. They can all be beaten far down by any surveyor.
So you want me to reduce my charge by ten dollars? Fine. What will I be getting in return for that? Just a smile in response? Get the ten dollars. But it might be more like "well I have some land I want to subdivide and sell. Can I work with you?". OK let's talk.
I have got more business by negotiating with the negotiators than by blowing them off.
Negotiators hate me
ROTFL:-D