What’s your timeframe and availability?
This question is common, but I think it is kind of ignorant. Some potential clients will call or write with this question after receiving our proposal to survey their property. I take it as an indication that they are just shopping around, and think they can get something quicker if they apply pressure.
The proposal only explains that the process will begin once the contract is signed and a retainer fee is received. Without working through the process there is no way to tell when the project is going to be completed. Evidence, investigation, measurements, and analysis will be needed to make a fair determination of the boundary.
Complicating factors include, properties that have not had a survey or had one a hundred or so years ago, marks that were indiscriminately destroyed, and public records that were lost. These are things that cannot be rushed without risking liability, damage to reputation, and rules governing professional practice.
The image depicts a Venn diagram representing the concept of project management. The diagram intends to show that a service may be good, fast, or cheap. The advice give is that only two of these qualities can be chosen. The unicorn at the center of the diagram symbolizes that it is impossible to achieve all three qualities simultaneously.
In my mind it is better to have clients that desire quality and reliability.
Historic boundaries and conservation efforts.
Availability should be pretty easy to answer. Timeframe can vary of course. I wouldn't worry about a client who got hung up on that because it's like a hungry kid whining about food that is still cooking. It takes as long as it takes.
I always told them "when I receive the deposit and signed contract, I can give you an estimate of time (baring complications of course)!
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Typing class 9th grade!
The 'good/fast/cheap, pick 2' trope is often spoke of, but frankly I never thought had any application in Land Survey. Maybe if you changed it to "good, fast, and not 2-3x our normal fee. I pick good, you can pick the other."
People want timelines as part of a proposal. I usually try to frame it in terms when we will start on your project, not when we will finish. That's usually an easier target to forecast and hit, and leaves the delivery date open ended should there be some unexpected challenge. I find that people are generally patient when they know you're working on their project. They get anxious when it's 5 weeks into a 6 week promised deadline and they've not seen you. And, shamelessly I'll admit to 'starting' a project by just dropping by to set control and maybe flag a couple of easy corners when I need to buy some time.
Now there's always jobs that have a firm deadline, but we quote and plan accordingly. Good client communication goes a long way there. There's also our handful of regular, loyal clients. I leave slack in the schedule so I can keep them at the front of the line. If they don't need it, the next guy won't complain when you come out a week early.
Timeframe is a reasonable question to ask. People need to schedule other people for their projects and need to have an idea when things will be ready to move forward. Construction projects are especially sensitive to scheduling and get precedence in our schedule juggling act. When the job looks reasonably predictable, I try to give the potential client a reasonable estimate of how long it will take from receipt of a signed contract and retainer. If they wait three months to send those in, the timeframe may have changed and I will tell them that. "I gave you that estimate three months ago, before 8 other contracts for work came in. Our backlog of work has doubled since I last spoke with you." For the more complicated situations like not-my-real-name described I try to give a realistic expectation. "It could take 2 months, it could take a lot longer, I just don't know because ... "
it's funny how the people that ask for a timeframe are usually the ones that wait the longest to return the signed contract. It also makes me suspicious that so many random people use the same phrase "What is your timeframe and availability?" Maybe a robot is coaching them.
Also, I can understand how construction projects need to schedule their time, but I try to avoid that these days.
Historic boundaries and conservation efforts.
I used to tell potential clients that I could start on the research tomorrow. The completion date depends upon what evidence I recover in the field.
People have no idea what surveyors do or even what a survey is. If I get annoyed or frustrated with a surveying-ignorant person asking an ignorant question, it says more about me than them. If I don't discuss it with them over the phone, I'll tell clients that a boundary survey is like a home renovation, you never know how involved it is until you've peeled back a few layers. Also, it's a good idea to have an expiration date on contracts. My contracts contain a start by date and a contract expiration date that is typically 30 days for new clients and 90 days or longer for repeat clients.
@murphy What do you mean by contract expiration date? That would seem to imply drop dead date you plan for your product delivery. When I send out a proposal, I try to include a couple of statements with regards to timelines. First, I put an expiration date on the proposal. I'm not going to honor a fee I gave out 3 months ago without looking it over again and making sure I don't have a workload conflict. Second, I like to give them a best-case timeframe for beginning field work. This is based on current workload and begins not when the contract is signed but when the client delivers the required documents. Finally, when applicable, I like to give them a rough estimate of time from beginning field work to sending out the product. Of course, all of these items can be adjusted downward for a price.
I don't get annoyed when potential clients ask ignorant questions. I move on instead.
An ignorant client is a potentially bad client. They don't trust you, so it's better no to work for them. If you do, you may be too busy when a good client comes along.
I still haven't heard from "timeframe" guy. In the meantime, I have three new clients.
Murphy probably means that their offer expires if not signed and returned withing a certain time. My proposals have that too.
Historic boundaries and conservation efforts.
Yes, I meant my proposals expire. I use the house renovation analogy when they request a firm completion date.
Regarding the survey-ignorant client, I struggle with viewing myself as serving the public when more and more I pass on the clients who would benefit most from my experience. I used to be known as a PLS who could solve boundary conflicts and keep folks out of court. Now I've learned how to sniff the problem projects out and I feel like a hypocrite when I whine about low-ballers and poor performing PLSs. If not for low-ballers how else would the working poor get a survey done?
What is a typical expiration date for proposals? 14 days? 30 days?
May expire in thirty days is what is written in my proposals. I don't know if that is typical.
Historic boundaries and conservation efforts.
The main reason for a proposal expiry date is the timeline, not the pricing.