Would do this Table Move?

PoolTable911

PoolTable911

AdvancedBilliardSolutions
Silver Member
Would you travel 3 hours each way to move an 8ft furniture style pool table for $350.00? Also, the table move is a 45 minute ride. I am asking this because I have a company from another state coming to my area charging less than competitive prices. I am all for people making a buck but how can someone make money at that price? How do you pay your insurance, taxes, fuel, help and wear and tear on vehicle. I think maybe someone here can enlighten me. For the record I know this is a free country and people can do as they please. I just want to see how I can still pay my bills and compete.:mad:
 
6 hours round trip drive eqauts to about 360 miles, at 50 cents a mile that adds up to about $180 in fuel at my expense. As a driver, at $20 an hour, that comes to $120, throw in $100 for breaking the table down, loading it for the move...and you're already up to $400 and you still haven't delivered and set the table up...another $150, that brings it up to $550...no, I'd pass even at the $550 price as not worth while.
 
Table

PoolTable911 said:
Would you travel 3 hours each way to move an 8ft furniture style pool table for $350.00? Also, the table move is a 45 minute ride. I am asking this because I have a company from another state coming to my area charging less than competitive prices. I am all for people making a buck but how can someone make money at that price? How do you pay your insurance, taxes, fuel, help and wear and tear on vehicle. I think maybe someone here can enlighten me. For the record I know this is a free country and people can do as they please. I just want to see how I can still pay my bills and compete.:mad:
Click to expand...

-
Pat we all know those guys won't last long, it will not be long before there out of work for several reasons.....and you'll be getting the call to fix,repair or complete the job.
Keep your head up'


Rob.M
 
dontlitethat said:
-
Pat we all know those guys won't last long, it will not be long before there out of work for several reasons.....and you'll be getting the call to fix,repair or complete the job.
Keep your head up'


Rob.M
Click to expand...

This company has been around for 30 years. I just don't understand how at those prices.
 
I am just wondering.... Is the source of your information the other company or is that price quote what the "customer" told you? How do you know that the information is correct?
 
tsp&b said:
I am just wondering.... Is the source of your information the other company or is that price quote what the "customer" told you? How do you know that the information is correct?
Click to expand...

From two different customers and I sent an email like I was a potential customer asking for a quote. All said the same thing.
 
PoolTable911 said:
From two different customers and I sent an email like I was a potential customer asking for a quote. All said the same thing.
Click to expand...

The bottom dollar customers are always going to be out there, the bottom dollar installers as well. Nothing you do in business is going to be able to change this cycle, unless you want to be a bottom dollar installer as well. There's always going to be a market for the hacks to survive in, that's the way of the world no matter how much press is out here about quality work being done. It's your desire to do better, be more Professional, and on time to the job that sets you apart from the turn'n burn installers, and for that you get the customers that DO know the difference, and are willing to pay for more up close and personal services.

I couldn't do what you do to pay the bills Pat, not for a living anyway:D My desire to only work on the top quality built tables is to a fault, to the point that at times I can't pay my phone bill as well as other bills at times because I just can't bring myself to the point of working on pool tables that I consider to be a waste of my time.

But, if I had to guess, I'd say that about 98% of all the tables in the market place are tables I'd never touch, but that says a lot about the customers who did buy them, and they're the bottom dollar, "It's just a pool table" customers, which is exactly why the lowest price for moving pool tables is always going to win out over the price of quality;)

Glen
 
Is there a possibilty he is "grouping" jobs together where he will be near that area so it makes it worth his time? I dont see how it would be profitable to spend 6 3/4 hours driving for $350.00 plus tear down and set up time. Thats like $35.00 per hour not including gas and the governments cut. There would be no way that he could payan employee to do it and end up in the black, then what if there is an issue with the install? That would put him above his eyes in the bad smelling stuff.
As a customer there is no way I would expect a decent job at those prices, when something sounds too good to be true, it is.
 
fastone371 said:
Is there a possibilty he is "grouping" jobs together where he will be near that area so it makes it worth his time? I dont see how it would be profitable to spend 6 3/4 hours driving for $350.00 plus tear down and set up time. Thats like $35.00 per hour not including gas and the governments cut. There would be no way that he could payan employee to do it and end up in the black, then what if there is an issue with the install? That would put him above his eyes in the bad smelling stuff.
As a customer there is no way I would expect a decent job at those prices, when something sounds too good to be true, it is.
Click to expand...

We all try to group jobs in certain areas to make the most profit for a day. But it is not an easy task to do. I take a job an 1 1/2 away knowing I can get another job in the area or somewhere on the way home. I could not possibly take a job over 3 hours away for that little of money and hope I get another job. I am pretty sure the person I am talking about reads this forum. I would never call someone out by name but I would like to here from him and others if you know how this can be done and still give quality work and make a profit. Because at the end of the day we are in this to feed our familys and make a living.
 
dontlitethat said:
-
Pat we all know those guys won't last long, it will not be long before there out of work for several reasons.....and you'll be getting the call to fix,repair or complete the job.
Keep your head up'


Rob.M
Click to expand...

Exactly Rob! We see it all the time in our area. Personally, we have a lot of these "fly by night " installers popping up everywhere. We just recently went and had to re-recover a customer's table where the so called installer put "craft felt" from Walmart on it. It was glued down with Elmer's glue!!!! Yes believe it or not! The customer said she went with him because he only charged $100 for a refelt and re-rubber while the rest of us were charging around $295( refelt) and $150 (re-rubber) and up.

Needless to say it took countless hours to scrape off the felt from the slate. As for the re-rubber; the installer handed them to the customer and said that he didn't have time to do it and he would come back at a later date and do them. Guess what? He disappeared and refused to answer the customer's countless phone calls. It's only after she retained an attorney did he return her money.

So anyways as sad as it is there are going to be installers around us always trying to cut our prices, but in turn they will eventually be calling us to "fix" the mess that these installers have done. And as far as going 3hr for $350 NO WAY! I'm with Cobra, I wouldn't even do it for $550...lol

We have learned after 28 years of owning this business that sometimes it is our reptuation that keeps us going!

Like Rob said Pat "keep your head up:)
 
I must admit that I do not feel 1 bit of sorrow for the customer, they got exactly what they were looking for, a cheap job.:rotflmao1:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top