Quote Blooper

[glorybound]

I know people want to get the most for the least, however, sometimes common sense has to prevail. I have a potential client that has requested a quote for several exterior views. I simply divided the cost by the number of views, so the quote shows home many views they'll get. Let's say the main view was $3000 and every other view was $500. I took $3500 by the number of views, let's say 10 views. My quote was $350 per view and there will be 10 views. They came back saying, "we decided to just go with the one view for $350". I explained to them, that isn't how it works. They said, "our client has already agreed to the $350 and you are putting us in a difficult situation!"

[dlparisi]

Damn clients... I usually structure proposals as first view cost plus additional views cost. There is a note that additional views are contingent on acceptance of the first view.

[glorybound]

Yes, me too usually and we originally discuss one view, but we didn't talk numbers at that time. I told them that I discount other views, for the most part. They knew what they were doing.

[eligiusz]

Why would You devide by views ? If You wrote view price 350 and number of units - 10, then You cant blame the client. I guess the best option is to apologize to the client that You have wrote a misleading quotation and that the price per view depends on the quantity.

[glorybound]

It was more of a bait/switch. We talked ranges earlier, so he knew what I to expect. I always give a range and then if I am in the ballpark I send a formal quote. I don't quote per view, which has always seemed strange to me why people do that. This one was pretty straightforward. We decided on a fee, what he'll get and the quote was just so everyone knew what to expect. When he saw the $350 per view he pulled the bait switch. I don't know, lesson learned. I thought we were on the same page, so I was lazy when writing the quote.

[eligiusz]

I see, well I hope You won't have to do it for 350

[Vizioen]

LOL, yeah that's why I never specify the price per image but rather, for amount XXX you get XXX visuals. Clients like to read /interpret what they want, so you need to stear them a quite a bit so no misunderstandings like this one arises.

[stevesideas]

I know people want to get the most for the least, however, sometimes common sense has to prevail. I have a potential client that has requested a quote for several exterior views. I simply divided the cost by the number of views, so the quote shows home many views they'll get. Let's say the main view was $3000 and every other view was $500. I took $3500 by the number of views, let's say 10 views. My quote was $350 per view and there will be 10 views. They came back saying, "we decided to just go with the one view for $350". I explained to them, that isn't how it works. They said, "our client has already agreed to the $350 and you are putting us in a difficult situation!"

That really is their problem. If there is no communication with you as to the final decision before they agree with the client then that is hardly your fault. Alternativly you just make sure you caveat additional scenarios in future to cover yourself against a change in decision that you are not involved with. Assume every client lacks understanding of any process.

[VelvetElvis]

My quote was $350 per view and there will be 10 views.

If it was worded exactly like that, then I can see where they got confused. Since you are the one writing, this one is your fault. Don't lay it on the client to try to mind read, esp when we as an industry bitch to the high heavens when clients want us to mind read or read between the lines.

[flino2004]

I agree it's your fault in this case...Why would you charge $500 for 9 views? ..I've seen some posts of you before complying with low fees by companies from India, China, etc ....at this ratio you are 66% cheaper than those $150 per view companies.
I would charge x for the first view and x/3 per additional view with a minimum of 3 views..... I past for something similar some time ago, I quote 3k first view and additional for 1k total of 10k....so the client divided 10k/8 and ok..." I want 1 view"...He wanted to play smart but my quote was very clear and it was a minimum of 3 views (5K) so at the end, He came to me again to try to make work negotiating the fees and I "fired" the client.

[glorybound]

I think some are missing my point. We spend a few weeks, back and forth, talking about price. I told him that I would charge him X for a street level front view and then the conversation went to extra views sometime later. I told him that I discount extra views, as long as there isn't more modeling to be done. The quote was just averaging everything together and the sum was what we had agreed on. He would get X amount of views for X amount of money. When he saw the average, that is when he tried to switch things around and hold me to it. Yes, I should have written the full price of the main view and the discounted price for the others, however again, the sum amount would have been the same and so would have been the deliverables. The moral of the post is not to do what I did; just trying to help others to not make the same mistake.

[Morne]

...nevermind...
ignore my post

[JezUK]

It's a shame, as good client relations can turn sour in an instant - I've had that too, only yesterday in fact.

"My quote is $3500 and there will be 10 views" - they can work out the 'per view' themselves....

[Oleg_Budeanu]

To avoid such things I quote all the "components" of the project. For the exterior I quote these :
1. building modelling
2. texturing / materials
3. environment modelling + texturing
4. final render cost per view

You cannot render a final without all the stages before that. Never had any issues with this quote structure!

[tricky]

Ah yes - 20 years of quoting and we still hold a finger to the air most times! (and the client always finds a way of coming up with an option we haven't accounted for).

We tend to give a total cost for the entire job rather than breaking things down. The client often wants a breakdown (like a menu they can pick and choose from). The problem is that it soon becomes VERY complicated as one cost depends on another, or one part of the job would be cheaper if they had done a prior part. You then need to start giving costs for 'from scratch' or 'assuming x is done'.

We try and put the client off a breakdown wherever possible.

It's tricky (all in my avatar name!)