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Had a Tender meeting today…
I was at a tender meeting today, the aim is to redo ALL signage at Walvis Bay port, and award a 3 year "preferred supplier" status to the successful tenderer. Currently they get 3 quotes on everthing, and award to the cheapest. Still our No.1 client, despite maybe half the work going to the opposition. So, no pressure, then!
It all worked out beautifully! As I imagined, the other 3 companies invited to submit could feel the rain, but did’nt know were the clouds were…
At a Site Meeting last Friday, the client repeatedly referred to the un-suitability of chromadek, showing us numerous samples of signs that failed very badly after only 2 years (sometimes less!!) In most cases the problem was with the chromadek corroding, especially on the edges. All the other guys quoted on chromadek signage again! (We submitted for alu frames with frontlit PVC, and on the smaller stuff, 3mm Perspex with graphics applied mirror image)This was how the opposition fared:
a) Competitor 1 (Computer Shop, Internet Cafe, and Signs)
Did’nt show up for the 12:00 meeting. Only pitched 14:00, because that was the time we had the site meeting last week. Disqualified.
b) Competitor 2 (Tour company, Quad bike rentals, and Signs)
Made a half-hearted attempt, all items (20 different catagories) listed on less than 2 full A4 pages. Erratic pricing (a 2460 x 1230 Chromadek board varied between N$ 680-00 and N$ 3250-00 – about 68 and 325 Euro. One said "Mechanical Workshop" the other "Container Workshop" You figure it out…..)
A pity, because of all the guys in town, I work most with this company. I do all their digi prints and engraving, and we also help each other with the odd bit of material. The owner is a very gifted designer as well, but they submitted no artwork proposals.c) Competitor 3 (Upholstery Company, Building Contractors, and Signs)
Made lay-outs – not as good as mine!!- printed it all on a single piece of 600 x 900mm Vinyl, and 3 typed A4 pages with prices. All on chromadek, and consistantly only 5% or so cheaper than me.
d) Competitor 4 (Signs, Engraving, Digital Print, Acrylic Manufacturing…..)
Made 3 Folders containing a4 sized lay-outs of every sign, including thumbnail pics of old signs, and reworked pics with new stuff imposed, written guarantee page for the different materials used, full technical drawings incl. wiring diagrams etc. on lightboxes, alternative designs proposed on some items, NO CHROMADEK, samples submitted of all materials (Incl. a small ally frame with PVC stretched)
They called my boss (who was’nt even aware of this lot – he works at an Insurance Company, and leaves this lot to us to run as we basically see fit) within 3 minutes of me leaving their office, congratulating us on a very "professional, well thougt out presentation"The tender was send to the suits upstairs, they now want the other companies to quote on the same system I did. Their marketing guy told ’em it’s no fair, I was the only one to propose something nobody thought of, and they now know my prices.
I will get an answer next week. (99% sure at this stage)
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5 Replies
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quote GERT DU PREEZ:T Their marketing guy told ’em it’s no fair, I was the only one to propose something nobody thought of, and they now know my prices.Don’t you just love it when they do that. (:)
Cromodek, now that a name I haven’t heard in years. They don’t use the stuff over here so the majority of people on here won’t know what that is.
Good luck with the tender, you deserve it after the effort you put in to it.
I remember years ago in Cape Town going to a customer to quote on a job only to find that they had invited three other sign companies to quote AT THE SAME TIME???? (chat.) (chat.) (chat.)
The stupid questions they were asking told me a lot about their lack of knowledge, so I was not asking the questions THEY should have, to give them any advantage. Needless to say the customer was a couldn’t care less what it’s made off type, I just want the lowest price! 🙄
Needless to say I left it to the other three companies to fight it out between themselves (:) I had better things to do. -
Gert, I had the same thing happen here too. I won’t go into it again because I’ve already posted my story here when it happened, but in a nutshell, I was in the short list between me and another guy. We were given a vehicle each from the national fleet, to produce signage for. The criteria was strict, and we both had the same requirements.
My job was, in their words, head and shoulders above the rest. I was looking at being awarded a national contract on the basis of my sample.
After being congratulated on my work, I get a call from the company concerned asking if I can tell the other sign company how I got such a good result, so they can have a second chance of getting the job closer to mine. I was dumbfounded, and told the guy ‘no chance’.
As a result, the tender has not been finalised, until the other sign shop can do a better sample. In the mean time, a second tender has been issued for some more work, and I was not sent any tender documents. By the time I had found out, the tender had closed, and the other sign shop got the job, uncontested.
Mike, recently I was asked to give a quote on a butcher shop. The bloke insisted that I be there at 1pm. So, I turn up, at the same time as 2 other signs shops. We had all been asked to be there at the same time. I said to the bloke, whats this about then. He said ‘I’m too busy to waste time meeting you guys separately, this way you can fight it out amongst yourselves’. I told him I had better things to do, and left.
I am constantly amazed at the lack of integrity of some people.
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quote Shane Drew:recently I was asked to give a quote on a butcher shop. The bloke insisted that I be there at 1pm. So, I turn up, at the same time as 2 other signs shops. We had all been asked to be there at the same time. I said to the bloke, whats this about then. He said ‘I’m too busy to waste time meeting you guys separately, this way you can fight it out amongst yourselves’. I told him I had better things to do, and left.I am constantly amazed at the lack of integrity of some people.
Quite right Shane – The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago – like you I told the client I wasn’t interested and walked out.
The cheek of some people eh 🙄
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quote Phill:The cheek of some people eh 🙄
Not much of a role model for our new wave of business men and women is it Phill. Problem is, they get away with it.
Sometimes I want to give them an earful on how to treat a fellow business, but by losing my block, I only lower myself to their level of professionalism. 👿
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I don’t really go for tender offers. Don’t think it’s worth my time
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