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  • Pricing frustrations...

    I'm glad we have a place where we can all talk about pricing - because it's really important in my opinion.

    I worked in a professional industry that was mainly made up of individuals working independently and setting their own prices. When the industry began to slowdown and tighten-up a bit everyone began dropping their prices to beat-out the other guy for the job. Prices went in the toilet and you had to produce more, faster, cheaper. That was 10 years ago, and the industry is still in bad shape.

    So when I see prices cut from "normal" to "cheap" I get nervous. I just saw a reply posted on a cycle forum yesterday (he was asking about painting or coating his wheels) where the guy decided not to spray-can them because he could get them powder coated for $40 a rim. He was going to clean them, but not blast them or anything.

    How can anyone do it for $40 per rim - and why?

    People see this and think our work is nothing...cheap...easy...a notch up from spray-cans - "get it powder coated - it's cheap!" is an actual comment I have seen. This guy will agree...

    Please just keep this in mind when you are tossing out prices. Bottom-of-the-barrel prices effect everyone trying to get a fair price for their time and labor.

    If we hold a decent line on fair prices it will help us all.

    This isn't directed at anyone or a reply to any specific thread.

    Please feel free to comment on my rant.


    Jay

  • #2
    Re: Pricing frustrations...

    I feel the same way. However, there is a difference between declaring a price to an open market and offering an introductory price.

    I'm guilty of pricing my services way too low when I first started, and sometimes too high, but I'm getting there. I think that's what happens with just about any industry. You start doing something and the real costs don't show up until few jobs down the line. Suddenly things like electricity, water, masking, powder, media, etc, start to eat away at your profit. Now there's no choice but to conform to the industry standard, and that's really the way it should be.

    I would hate to see anyone bottom out the market with ridiculously cheap prices. It just takes a while to figure out what pricing should be. I find that I gotta do a job at least once to get a real idea of what is involved, every job is different so the learning curve is steep.

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    • #3
      Re: Pricing frustrations...

      I understand, that's why it's nice to have this forum where we can all "toss it out there" to get some feedback.

      I don't know how to price half the stuff I see here - but I know someone does!

      Thanks guys and gals!


      Jay

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      • #4
        Re: Pricing frustrations...

        Originally posted by [SM
        Juan]I feel the same way. However, there is a difference between declaring a price to an open market and offering an introductory price.

        I'm guilty of pricing my services way too low when I first started, and sometimes too high, but I'm getting there. I think that's what happens with just about any industry. You start doing something and the real costs don't show up until few jobs down the line. Suddenly things like electricity, water, masking, powder, media, etc, start to eat away at your profit. Now there's no choice but to conform to the industry standard, and that's really the way it should be.

        I would hate to see anyone bottom out the market with ridiculously cheap prices. It just takes a while to figure out what pricing should be. I find that I gotta do a job at least once to get a real idea of what is involved, every job is different so the learning curve is steep.
        100% agree ^

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        • #5
          Re: Pricing frustrations...

          i feel the same way too.there a powder coater near me that just scuffs parts and then under cures them.i've already got about 5 very unhappy customers from him.he is powder coating wheels from $8-$35 a wheel.so i deffently hear you on that one.he also garrenties his powder coating job to be smashed with a sledge.(no i'm really not kinding either)LOL

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          • #6
            Re: Pricing frustrations...

            $8 a freaking wheel?! I can barely make money at $80 a wheel!

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            • #7
              Re: Pricing frustrations...

              I think we need another main forum topic specifically for pricing. Someone can go on there and ask about pricing on a certain item, and it would make it alot quicker for everyone. You wouldn't have the problem of people coming on the general powder coating forum to ask a price on a wheel or atv frame once a month or so. I think it would be alot easier just to skim through a pricing forum. Just a random thought.....

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              • #8
                Re: Pricing frustrations...

                yes like 8 bucks a wheel.tell me about it.but that is why his powder flakes off 6-8 months later too.it's good for me,but it also is not good for the bussiness in general

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                • #9
                  Re: Pricing frustrations...

                  The surest way to keep pricing the way it is for us is to continue to help each other. This team work actually protects all of us. The industry spoken of forgot that years ago. And business became cut throat. This is todays industrial world. We don't have to be like that. Even in competition with a coater close to ya would be less if you do hand in hand working. Theres enough business out there for everybody and equal pricing will actually help us. To cheap and a customer wonders what he's not getting from you, and to high he's wondering what he's paying for. Just my two cents. I am for the pricing section. Sure would help us newbies.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Pricing frustrations...

                    That guy wont be in business for long, and you'll soak up all his customers. :P

                    I think we should have a pricing forum as well.

                    So far, I've only low balled 2 jobs. I thought it was fair until I got into the job and realized what deal the guy got. Most of the time I feel like I'm gouging the customer in these tough times! But hey, I gotta eat too.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Pricing frustrations...

                      At first Todd had a terrible time trying to price parts. Once he started tracking costs etc he got it down pretty good, but we still have the occassional "from the left field" that we don`t know what to charge... urrghh. We also have another powdr coater 30 min away that does it cheap. Oh well that is free enterprise for you & so far our good rep has work still comming through the door without lowering our prices. The other thing to remember is try not to get "caught" giving a quote until you see the part

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                      • #12
                        Re: Pricing frustrations...

                        As a newbie at powder coating world, pricing is my main frustration. I would like to get a fair market valve on the products I powder coat. I look over other PC website to see what they are pricing their work at.

                        Some quote a price, then say its sandblasted, prep then coated. In some cases sandblasted takes longer then coating so how can they price a blasted part as the quote?

                        I too would like to see "price quote" as part of the forum.

                        Thanks for all your help the past 3 months

                        Mike

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                        • #13
                          Re: Pricing frustrations...

                          yes,it would be a good idea for a price quote forum.maybe with or without blasting and stripping.i agree sometime blasting and stripping takes a looong time

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                          • #14
                            Re: Pricing frustrations...

                            Here's a couple of recent comments on painting vs. powder coating motorcycle engine parts. Typical...

                            "Black powder coating is the cheapest too, FYI. I can get my engine chemically peeled/stripped (with it being completely stripped of components of course) and then powder coated for under a bill. "

                            "PC'ing an engine doesnt sound like a good idea to me."

                            "Usually powder coating comes out better as well considering they can rework it over before baking if a line comes out funny or something. With paint, you best hope everything is perfect before spraying it."

                            "Why's that then? It's durable, gives a nice finish, doesn't cost a lot... sure it's a bit orange peely looking in comparison to paint, but it's only an engine after all."



                            Jay

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                            • #15
                              Re: Pricing frustrations...

                              I am one of those people doing MC wheels for 40 a wheel, I know this sounds unheard of, but I cant get people to bring me anything. I have had to throw a couple deals out there to get people in the door. Now I am up to 50/wheel for cars and MCs. This is for STANDARD colors only this is for simple black/white single shot colors. I used to price intakes in the 65-70 range now for a LT1 TPI if i do the runners in a different color, and the rest of the intake in another I am charging 150 and not hearing a complaint. I do an intake in single color for 75 now. Pricing is a tough battle, and you are always going to find someone who will undercut you I have learned this also, But I have also learned that the person undercutting you will slit their throat quickly. There was a part that a guy brought to me done by my competition and he was unhappy with the way it looked. I gave the guy a good deal on fixing it and also checked to see if the part was fully cured while he was standing there. Sure enough just as I had expected the part was severly under cured, the guy got his money back and I got the buiness. We still work together as of today when he needs stuff done
                              http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...60garfield.jpg

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