I'm a maintenance manager and I hire alot of contractors.
I do shop price but it's not the most important thing by far. I dont want to be gouged (because I work for a public entity, that's pretty common pratice) but I can't have hacks working for me either. I've got a couple of dependable companies that do great work that I use almost exclusively.
The most important factor in choosing a contractor IMO is communication. Do I get a call when they're going to be late, do they call me promptly with a quote on repairs, If I've got a problem or question, do I have to wait days for an answer or call them 5 times to remind them or do they call me back the same day?
I have enough projects behind me that I know what's a reasonable price and what's not and I've learned that the lowest bidder is never the best price. If you're one of the good contractors out there, there are big busineese and organizations that need good dependable contractors every day. And being a little guy is fine.
I have big, big projects I'd never consider asking a small guy to bid on but I also have lots of service work, small installs, and other stuff that I'd rather deal with a one or two man shop because the process is so much easier for me to talk right with the boss. And lots of these projects are either emergencies or small enough that I don't have to get competetive bids. So my favorite contractors get the work automatically. And they should, they became my favorites by being the best.
Go see the maintenance manager at some big companies, introduce yourself, explain why you're stopping buy. Lots of us have a hard time finding good contractors or are frustrated with the guys we're using. I've met several of my regular contractors that way and it's been a great relationship for both of us. I get great service when I need it and they get a lot of work from me at pretty good prices. The good customers are out there if you're a good contractor.
Ryan
Maintenance Guy
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naysayer, skeptic, conspiracy theorist