Many homeowners ask tradesmen to spend two to three hours with driving both ways to estimate a job that would take two to ten hours to do. Hidden contractors' retaliation for wasting their time on free estimates is that they inflate quotes/estimates.
It's a "who would outsmart whom" game. Customers want tradesmen to work for free. The electricians obviously do not work for free and "innocently" overcharge to compensate them for the entire time spent on giving one or more prior free estimates.
Let's compare:
First electrician never works for free. He does 30 small and midsize jobs, works 100 hours and makes $5000.
Second electrician also spends 100 hours but wastes 40 hours on free estimates. He works productively and is paid only for 60 hours, does 20 jobs, and makes a total of $3000.
Both electricians work 100 hours. But first one makes $2000 more.
Assuming everybody is in sound mind, most tradesmen in the second group try to find ways to compensate them for wasted time. Higher rates, inflated prices, and other tricks are used. Every customer gets a few free estimates but eventually pays more money for each one of them.
Free estimates represent your piece of cheese in a mousetrap!
If it is a $3000 or bigger job excluding materials, we will provide a free on site estimate. Every contractor's quote includes the cost of this visit. You will pay for every visit and estimate this way or another.
It's a "who would outsmart whom" game. Customers want tradesmen to work for free. The electricians obviously do not work for free and "innocently" overcharge to compensate them for the entire time spent on giving one or more prior free estimates.
Let's compare:
First electrician never works for free. He does 30 small and midsize jobs, works 100 hours and makes $5000.
Second electrician also spends 100 hours but wastes 40 hours on free estimates. He works productively and is paid only for 60 hours, does 20 jobs, and makes a total of $3000.
Both electricians work 100 hours. But first one makes $2000 more.
Assuming everybody is in sound mind, most tradesmen in the second group try to find ways to compensate them for wasted time. Higher rates, inflated prices, and other tricks are used. Every customer gets a few free estimates but eventually pays more money for each one of them.
Free estimates represent your piece of cheese in a mousetrap!
If it is a $3000 or bigger job excluding materials, we will provide a free on site estimate. Every contractor's quote includes the cost of this visit. You will pay for every visit and estimate this way or another.
