How to tell a Contractor they didn't get the job?

stresshead101 · 17-08-2020 02:17PM #1

Anyone have a good way of telling a contractor that you are going with someone else?
I feel like I'm preparing to break up with someone.

"I've found someone else..."
"It's not you, its me..."
"I'm not ready for such a serious commitment right now.."

Car99 · 17-08-2020 02:20PM

stresshead101 wrote: »

Anyone have a good way of telling a contractor that you are going with someone else?
I feel like I'm preparing to break up with someone.

"I've found someone else..."
"It's not you, its me..."
"I'm not ready for such a serious commitment right now.."

Depends on the reason your dumping them . How you found someone better or cheaper or both?

AMKC · 17-08-2020 02:33PM

It's never easy breaking up.

You could just forget about that someone else and stay together that way you would not have to tell them or have the break up. There you ho I just solved your problem for you. Just stay with your current contractor unless this new one is significantly cheaper or the other one was unreliable. Why go through a breakup at all. Alternatively you could keep both on somehow.

sydthebeat · 17-08-2020 02:50PM

You've been unsuccessful with your tender

JoeA3 · 17-08-2020 03:03PM

Just be firm and polite about it and move on.

You’ve considered all the available options, you’ve consulted with your engineer/architect and you’ve decided on this occasion to give the tender to someone else. Thanks for interest, etc.

donegal_man · 17-08-2020 03:18PM

Firstly OP make sure to keep it professional, however friendly you may be with the contractor, do it by letter rather than phone call or e-mail, personally I always send by registered post.
Thank them for the bid and include the date it was submitted.
Let them know the reason the bid has been rejected (price, lack of experience etc.)
If there's a possibility of working with them in the future then include that in the letter
Finally sign it! You would be surprised the number of business letters that go out with just the sender's name on the bottom

Metric Tensor · 17-08-2020 03:23PM

Good advice above. Just be polite - any contractor worth his/her salt deals has dealt with this many times before. Most are also quite busy so will be moving on to the next tender/project without a backwards glace.

I do this a lot and have only encountered two or three contractors in my career who have been unmannerly in return - one was a right pr!ck - to be fair to the others they were disappointed they didn't get the job so were a little bit moany.

Calvin001 · 17-08-2020 03:27PM

If you have been fair with them (and not used them for a price to check someone else) and you have done the proper due-diligence on all prices, then just tell them where they came in the order (went out to 4 guys, and you were 3rd!, 10k off the lowest), what part of their price was high or what part you didn't like in their price.

If they start promising you they can reduce this or change that, just tell they you will consider that if you find you cannot proceed with the first guy your going to talk to.

skooterblue2 · 17-08-2020 03:28PM

sydthebeat wrote: »

You've been unsuccessful with your tender

"....enclose a bigger envelope next time." Liam Lawlor school of economics

stresshead101 · 17-08-2020 04:11PM

Car99 wrote: »

Depends on the reason your dumping them . How you found someone better or cheaper or both?

Tbh we had someone lined up, on personal recommendation, but he put us off for two weeks and then on the third, he hit us with a "I'm going away now for two weeks so I'll get on it when I'm back".
I don't have time for that behaviour. Who knows when he will contact us after his holiday (and what if he has to self isolate..?).

So I contacted a few people, left messages, etc.
These two (both new) got back to me so quickly and both have great ideas so I'm seeing them through. It'll just be a matter of picking one over the other because skill/quality wise they are both equal.

Guy:Incognito · 17-08-2020 04:12PM

They'll realise all by themselves next time they drive by and see the work going on.

stresshead101 · 17-08-2020 04:16PM

AMKC wrote: »

It's never easy breaking up.

You could just forget about that someone else and stay together that way you would not have to tell them or have the break up. There you ho I just solved your problem for you. Just stay with your current contractor unless this new one is significantly cheaper or the other one was unreliable. Why go through a breakup at all. Alternatively you could keep both on somehow.

Unfortunately keeping both isn't an option because relatively speaking its a small enough job, about a weeks worth of work at most.

Really, we have to just pick between two who arrived on the scene at the same time. One or two dates but its getting serious now and we have to choose :P

Graham · 17-08-2020 04:20PM

stresshead101 wrote: »

One or two dates but its getting serious now and we have to choose :P

Which one is likely to get down to the job quicker?

Which one has the more expensive tastes?

stresshead101 · 17-08-2020 04:22PM

donegal_man wrote: »

Firstly OP make sure to keep it professional, however friendly you may be with the contractor, do it by letter rather than phone call or e-mail, personally I always send by registered post.
Thank them for the bid and include the date it was submitted.
Let them know the reason the bid has been rejected (price, lack of experience etc.)
If there's a possibility of working with them in the future then include that in the letter
Finally sign it! You would be surprised the number of business letters that go out with just the sender's name on the bottom

Thanks! I think it's a small enough job anyway so a phone call would probably be sufficient. But thats good advice for any future works! I think Ive always been a bit hesitant about getting loads of quotes because I don't know a good way to pick.

meeeeh · 17-08-2020 04:35PM

stresshead101 wrote: »

Unfortunately keeping both isn't an option because relatively speaking its a small enough job, about a weeks worth of work at most.

Really, we have to just pick between two who arrived on the scene at the same time. One or two dates but its getting serious now and we have to choose :P

Firstly you don't do anything before you know the job is going ahead with the person you decided to go with. Confirm first with them. First contractor can be told that you couldn't wait that long and you found someone else. Whoever else is not chosen you just let them know that you are not going with them. If they ask you for a reason you can tell them why or you can say it was close but the decision is final.

They are more used of this as you are and they know it's part of the job. Sending letters is complete waste of time. They might be quoting other jobs and it's better to know over the phone asap (many would out of office and don't check emails as often) and not waiting for snail mail to arrive. What you don't do is use one persons designs and give them to another contractor to do.

Car99 · 17-08-2020 05:44PM

A one week job , you wont be top of any ones priority list . The quickest person you'll get on site might be the one you're breaking up with.

kevcos · 18-08-2020 07:18AM

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

They'll realise all by themselves next time they drive by and see the work going on.

^The cowardly way about it.

the_pen_turner · 18-08-2020 08:01AM

kevcos wrote: »

^The cowardly way about it.

Exactly. A disgraceful way to treat anyone. Look at all the time , mo ey and effort that person has given you and you just ignore it. . Trust me when I say this , that isn't forgotton

Wildly Boaring · 18-08-2020 08:05AM

the_pen_turner wrote: »

Exactly. A disgraceful way to treat anyone. Look at all the time , mo ey and effort that person has given you and you just ignore it. . Trust me when I say this , that isn't forgotton

Sounds like the contractor has put zero time or effort in, hence the seeing other people.

OP for a week's work, give them a shout. Thanks for the time, have another fella lined up for Monday.

the_pen_turner · 18-08-2020 01:25PM

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Sounds like the contractor has put zero time or effort in, hence the seeing other people.

OP for a week's work, give them a shout. Thanks for the time, have another fella lined up for Monday.

Whee does it say that there was no time ir effort put in. . Surely there has been discussions on the job, site visits, material quantities worked out and ordered
All I see is that the contractor wasnt there for 2 weeks and then is not going to be there for 2 more weeks. A pita an inconvenience but we are in the middle of a pandemic and every trades is mental busy trying to catch up

Wildly Boaring · 18-08-2020 01:32PM

He "Put them back for 2 weeks then on the 3rd announced he was off on 2 weeks holiday"
No use to a customer
If he knew he was unavailable for 5 weeks he could have told them the truth day 1 and cut the misunderstanding on both sides.
Some be more than happy to wait others not.

hurikane · 18-08-2020 01:36PM

Had to do this a couple of times. Generally then are fine about it. I had one electrician who got abusive and a plaster who couldn’t have been nicer and thanked me for letting him know.

How to tell a Contractor they didn't get the job?

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