Why does everyone think a 'bid' and an 'estimate' are the same thing?

I had a customer last week get mad at me because my bid came in $200 higher than some other guy's estimate. I tried to explain that a bid is a fixed price, I'm locked into it no matter what happens, while an estimate is just a guess that can go up. They didn't want to hear it, said I was just making excuses. This happens like twice a month, people shop around for the cheapest number and then get surprised when the final bill doesn't match. I've been running my tree service for 12 years, I know the difference. Why is this such a hard concept for folks? Has anyone else in a trade run into this where customers mix up the terms and blame you for it?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_murphy20d ago

Oh come on, is it really that big of a deal though lol

nina_lane1620d ago

I gotta say @linda_murphy, I'm leaning toward your side on this one. People get worked up over the smallest things these days. I saw a post yesterday about someone's neighbor leaving trash cans out a day early and the comments were like they committed a crime. Half the time folks just need to take a deep breath and ask if this is really worth getting mad over.