MDShunk

Has this ever happened to you?

Send your customer to a lighting showroom to pick out fixtures and browse catalogs with the lighting consultant. Lighting consultant says to your customer, "If you order these fixtures right from us, I'll give you the contractor's price".

__________________

Roger123

Sure has happen!

And,

If you send them to the big box stores, they will talk the customer into having one of their "electricians" install the lights or whatever!

How can anyone compete with the big boys?

Lighting_man

We have an online shop http://www.lightingstyles.co.uk so deal online with end users.

For local contractors and other specifiers (including interior designers and architects) we have produced business cards. Our contractors are given a supply of these (some cards offer a discount, some offer free lamps and some offer 30 minutes free initial design)

So you client arrives at our showroom to select or discuss their lighting and present their card. We then know who has recommended them and who to speak with about what products, prices and designs we have presented to their client.

We strongly suggest that the client buys via their contractor or architect to ensure continuity and avoid contract difficulties. Even if we are pushed down the route of supplying the goods we hold the discount and ensure this goes to the contractor.

As a result our specifiers refer customers to us. Some even give cards out to friends and families!

We're in Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK so you Yanks can't send us your clients. But why not approach your chosen supplier and make the suggestion.

220/221

I generally stay away from selling residential fixtures and fans. I can't mark it up enough to cover all the issues that come up. One little scratch or ding out of the box will cost me several hours.

chenley

We have actually been called by an owner who used one of the installers from a big box store, since the owner obviously knew it wasn't being installed right. We got there and a ceiling fan had been installed. They drilled a ~1/2" hole in the ceiling, pulled 14/3 romex up from the switch in the room and made the connections above the cieling W/O a junction box. Cieling fan was supported with a couple of plastic anchors.

Ended up costing the HO both our time, a fan brace, etc. Have been doing quite a bit of work for that customer in the past three years.

te12co2w

We also try not to get into supplying residential fixtures and fans for the exact same reason. I don't think 100% markup would be enough to convince me to deal with all the issues. Customer changing his mind, fixtures arriving smashed or getting lost altogether, customer complaining about how much they cost.

kbsparky

One of our suppliers here has a nice showroom, and they honor the contractor's position. Their quotes to the customers contain a hefty mark-up for the contractor, allowing us to make a decent profit by supplying and installing the fixtures.

By keeping the parity here, we continue to refer customers to them to pick out their fixtures. One of the things I remind the customers is by using this procedure, we guarantee the fixtures, and make anything right that goes awry. I also tell them we are not responsible for owner-supplied fixtures, and any extra time to assemble/disassemble, or repair them is considered an extra and will be billed out as such accordingly.

Anyone who has dealt with the home-horror stores knows that missing or broken parts are a real hassle to deal with after the fact.

rbj

Wait until he says, "Are you interested in our discount installation rates?"

rbj

Whoops! Sorry Roger, I write but can't read some times. That's exactly what comes to mind.

bobelectric

I sometimes get cornered into going to a lighting store with a customer for my opinion on fixtures.I always step away when they negoiate pricing,but I,m on the clock,as agreed to before.Thats my markup.

sguinn

Usually the discount rates don't include paying for a qualified EC to come out and fix the job!

atomic

Bingo!

I make it VERY clear, parts you buy from me, I warranty. You buy it on your own, I warraty my labor only. I tell them to look at it like insurance. You might pay a bit more, but it's covered. I get 40% off list from the local lighting stores, so I can sell the stuff at list, and eveyone is happy. If your selling a $5000 lighting package that has a 40% markup, it's worth the occational bump in the road. If you get a real penny pincher, well, their gonna do what their gonna do. I usally only sell fixtures if it's a BIG lighting package.

That little scratch on the fixture, etc. - If you set up a good working relashionship with the lighting vendor, you can set up a win/win/win for everbody involved.

On the other hand, I can see wanting to just stay out of the whole mess!Less headache for sure. But if you don't mind a little headache, you can make a fair sum.

JMTC

Adam

Rockyd

Went to "Homeless Despots" the other day to see what the prices were for installs (Las Vegas) and this is what I saw -

3 outlets for $89

That would be a single pole, or 3 way, or a receptacle

For additional outlets $20 each

How do you compete with that?

No travel time, or anything, that I saw listed...

__________________
Don't let fear be your guide!

seo

There has to be some kind of catch to that. Those prices are for electrical work 40 years ago.

Peter D

Of course there is. Read the fine print and I'm sure there is a very big "catch" involved.

Rockyd

I'llget back to you when I check some of there pricing next week. Vegas isn't a cheap town. Perhaps they have a book? Something like "Hiring Dummy's for Free"? Oooh, probably have to be bi-lingual to read it too

__________________
Don't let fear be your guide!

leland

HD: I have a friend who does doors for them (carpenter).
He gets a flat rate /door-window what ever.

Anything aside from a straight flat change out.. he bills direct.

How many 'smooth' jobs do ya think he gets? Extras' every job.

Thats good for the customer to know.

resi,you buy the lights. I price in to hang them,'some assembly required'.. thats extra.

__________________
"When one American is not worth the effort to be found, we as Americans have lost" (Rolling Thunder MA 1)