Anyone want a good laugh on pricing?

[Brian Young]

So we've serviced a few Dollar Generals for the past few seasons and a new maintenance company called ("Command 7") picked up the contract and calls so I said sure we'd be happy so send over your numbers. I about choked on my own spit! $2700.00 seasonal, 3" trigger, salt any icy conditions and after every plowing event, sidewalk snow shoveling and salting. WTF did I just read!!! We average 90-140" of snow depending what side of the hill our lake effect set up. I tried to explain this to this guy and all he said was DG refuses to pay the prices they've been paying over the last few years. I would hope not even a damn fool would take this contract...it won't even pay for the cost of salt!

 

[Mark Oomkes]

Not so new...

https://www.plowsite.com/threads/national-maintenance-services.175496/page-2#post-2335792

https://www.plowsite.com/threads/command7.173947/#post-2301926

https://www.plowsite.com/threads/rite-aid-command7.170610/#post-2210286

 

[iceyman]

Someone will take the bait .... maybe

 

[thelettuceman]

Brian: My family owns a building. DG is a tennant. More of the same DNA on the real estate side of DG

 

[MKM Matty]

SMS has it up my way and they are paying per occurrence, DG has said no more than 2 salt applications per day, but yes want 3 inch trigger for plowing. Funny how 1 company does seasonal and different company pays per occurrence.

 

[Manx Man]

So we've serviced a few Dollar Generals for the past few seasons and a new maintenance company called ("Command 7") picked up the contract and calls so I said sure we'd be happy so send over your numbers. I about choked on my own spit! $2700.00 seasonal, 3" trigger, salt any icy conditions and after every plowing event, sidewalk snow shoveling and salting. WTF did I just read!!! We average 90-140" of snow depending what side of the hill our lake effect set up. I tried to explain this to this guy and all he said was DG refuses to pay the prices they've been paying over the last few years. I would hope not even a damn fool would take this contract...it won't even pay for the cost of salt!

That’s just crazy! $540.00 a month with salt included!!?

 

[milkie62]

Some new guy will see $$$$$ and sign up quick just to get a customer.

 

[rippinryno]

Even if you averaged 20" of snow per year that contract is way to low. I would offer them a per visit rate if they require emergency service. make it worth your time.

 

[jvm81]

So they only offer snow services. Who or what company offers mowing/landscape/ etc services? I have taken care in the past but this year outta the blue another mowing company in and I had to idea who contacted them. But snow ....that is low...

 

[MSsnowplowing]

Wow the nationals are really getting cheap this year.
They are trying to get companies in my neck of the woods to do targets and lowes, 5-6 acre lots with a 1 inch trigger, salting, sidewalks, etc... for $20,000 for the season.

Sad fact is they will find someone to do it who has no clue.

 

[tpendagast]

So one thing to understand on "how" this happens (stupid pricing i mean)

Is that these people arent professionals, they dont know the job, the equipment or the costs.
They base the pricing off of previous public bid information (the last tie this went out to contract it went for $100 so if we bid $80 we will get it)
they base ALL their numbers off the same property ("well the one in kentucky is $100 so the one in minnesota should be the same price, right?)
They dont realize that one property can be two or three times the size of another one and dont understand why they cant be done for the same price.

by the time they are talking to you, they have ALREADY committed to pricing and the end user has nothing to do with how cheap the property is going for... the bidding war to the bottom is.

 

[leigh]

They Know exactly what they're doing .This business model is sheer genius ! There could be hundreds of the "middlemen " reading this forum as we speak ! Payroll loans is right up with these guys ! There is no solution,it will never change,the good old days are gone.Just move on and seek the lucrative jobs.It may take more work than waiting for a call and getting your pricing done for you, but if we run our own businesses this is the norm. If it doesn't work, get out and do something else for the winter .If I was a bartender I'd head south for the winter ,maybe the Keys

 

[Indycorp]

Dollar General has some fine customers (sarcasm) who have excellent lawyers. I wouldn't plow or do ice management for them for any price.

 

[naturescaretaker]

So we've serviced a few Dollar Generals for the past few seasons and a new maintenance company called ("Command 7") picked up the contract and calls so I said sure we'd be happy so send over your numbers. I about choked on my own spit! $2700.00 seasonal, 3" trigger, salt any icy conditions and after every plowing event, sidewalk snow shoveling and salting. WTF did I just read!!! We average 90-140" of snow depending what side of the hill our lake effect set up. I tried to explain this to this guy and all he said was DG refuses to pay the prices they've been paying over the last few years. I would hope not even a damn fool would take this contract...it won't even pay for the cost of salt!

If Command7 calls, hang up. Before Command7, they were known as Intergrated and before that... Symbiot Business Group. Google that one. That is who owns Command7 if you did deep enough. When they call, run. I have a list of hundreds of contractors that they have screwed all over the country.

We did work for them in 2015 and had to ultimately take them to court (and won) to collect monies owed.