I was in shock yesterday when I went to an appointment for Refinishing hardwood floors in Westchester. My customer seemed nice, and he was asking the right questions (e.g. water based vs oil based poly, what sheen level to use, etc). He had checked out our online reviews, too.
I gave my estimate, and he said that sounded high. This is not the typical response I get. Usually, I hear, "That sounds reasonable." Most of my customers get 3 estimates and I probably win around 60% of the jobs. Yes, there are times where someone does come in lower...but usually, when this happens, it's usually around 10% lower, but it's still fairly close.
I was in shock yesterday, when he shared the other estimate which was 60% lower than mine! Yes, 60%. He swears it includes furniture move, which I don't believe. Then, I look at the square footage...which of course is wrong. It's off by 16%. Out of a reflex, I asked if he was really going to give this to a contractor that can't even properly measure his floors. He then told me that he even had another estimate that was lower than that.
I was shocked and explained that there is something wrong with that estimate, and I would be very cautious. I explained that we are reasonably priced and tend to be on the lower end for our area. He said, "They gave me a good deal, right?"...I almost choked and I said, "No, I would run. If they gave you an estimate that was 20% lower, then I would say, yes it might be a good deal, but this is a disaster waiting to happen." I explained how I had 2 customers that each had their floors refinished 3 times before calling me...and one had to replace the floors, that's how bad they were.
I explained that I'm sure he is not getting good quality and prob. only 1 coat of poly, and a whole slew of things, but he didn't seem to believe me...because he has 2 insane estimates (and of course no written contract). He can't even remember the names of the companies. He said he found them online and they are not from our county. He showed me one (so I'll be calling them today...simply because I'm curious). He also said they called and said they could start tomorrow. I almost gagged again. I said, if they are available tomorrow, they must be desperate, and that's another red flag. He then said, but now is a slow time. I corrected him and told him that we are VERY busy...and that this week (as it is vacation week) is one of the busiest weeks.
I wished him luck. It was clear he wasn't going to use us, and that's fine. We are busy and we have many customers that care about quality and value. I suggested he get 2 other estimates, and not use either of the two he called. I think he'll be really sorry if he does.
If you're looking for a Westchester Flooring Contractor that is reliable and has many happy customers, give The Flooring Girl a call at 914-937-2950.
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