# bitter mood



## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

man, the outlook for us up here is slim and none this year...i wake up daily feeling like i have a brillo pad in my gut, somebody wire brushed my ass...you think my prior posts made me come off as a jerk? the way i'm feeling right now, ain't no picnic dudes.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

Same here. I just lost a $600,000 job that is 15 min from our shop to someone that is 90 min away. I am bidding a smaller job now that has 8 GC's bidding on it. 

Went to the doctor the other day for a check up and my blood pressure was 140 over 80.


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## CanDoExcavating (Feb 11, 2010)

Day sounds like there should be some culvert work coming your way


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Those of us that know you steer clear when you're in a grumpy mood!


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

I was hoping the lack of calls was due to bad winter but I'm starting to think it will be another slim year for the residential guys. That being said some guys that bid public jobs were bitching about a job estimated @ 3 million went for 1.5 million @ the coffee shop today.


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## Mud Master (Feb 26, 2007)

tgeb said:


> Those of us that know you steer clear when you're in a grumpy mood!


How are you finding this DELMARVA market Tgeb?


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I find it not to my liking! 
Certainly does not look like it will be the worst year, but it sure could get better......and soon.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

Farm economy is pretty hot. Corn at 7 bucks earlier this month and 140 acres about 6 miles from my house sold for $10,900 an acre just three weeks ago.

Look on the bright side, your local economy is agriculture driven and right now they need to spend money or pay taxes. Most guys I know will invest in their farm before they send uncle any money. 

Hang in there, the good times are just around the corner.:thumbsup:


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Hey Day, Hit the brakes hard & let that bottle of Beam roll out to improve your disposition.:thumbsup::laughing:


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## Moxley-Kidwell (Jan 28, 2011)

tgeb said:


> I find it not to my liking!
> Certainly does not look like it will be the worst year, but it sure could get better......and soon.


I'm feeling about the same as you Tgeb. Either of you MD guys do much fed. gov. work? I don't, but looks like Social Security is set to build a big building in Urbana. They said $300M worth, but I'm sure one of the big guys will get it and sub to all the guys who want to work for free. One of my developers customers does have something to do with it though, maybe they will throw me a bone or two.

The housing market in the Mont. & Fred. county areas seem to be ok not like before, but I've got 3-4 developers I work for that are spending a little $.


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## PipeGuy (Oct 8, 2004)

tgeb said:


> I find it not to my liking!.. but it sure could get better......and soon.


When I was young and dumb (as opposed to middle-aged and dumb that is) I once got up the kahunas to approach this old Italian contractor (by old I mean a couple years younger than I am now) at a bid opening and smugly announce "I don't know how you expect to make money bidding work below cost". He looked at me for a couple of seconds (like one might look at an animal that had lost all usefulness) and replied "Volume boy.....volume".

Sadly, I think the next few years will still require lots of that thinking.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

griz said:


> Hey Day, Hit the brakes hard & let that bottle of Beam roll out to improve your disposition.:thumbsup::laughing:


:thumbsup: i just might do that! i could use a happy meal


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

dayexco said:


> :thumbsup: i just might do that! i could use a happy meal


I could use a happy ending :thumbup:


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

dayexco said:


> man, the outlook for us up here is slim and none this year...i wake up daily feeling like i have a brillo pad in my gut, somebody wire brushed my ass...you think my prior posts made me come off as a jerk? the way i'm feeling right now, ain't no picnic dudes.



I know exactly how you feel....but it is helping my diet :thumbsup:

I was told by a prospective customer that I am in fact a jerk, and a lot of my competitors do not like me. They are "considering" taking a chance on me and letting me build their new home.....I found out 3 other builders are bidding.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

joasis said:


> I know exactly how you feel....but it is helping my diet :thumbsup:
> 
> I was told by a prospective customer that I am in fact a jerk, and a lot of my competitors do not like me. They are "considering" taking a chance on me and letting me build their new home.....I found out 3 other builders are bidding.


Guess they weren't trying to "smooth" talk you.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

Ever heard the expression "cutting off your nose to spite your face"? Well.....I really wanted to....but I simply replied that opinions vary, and they might be better off with someone who is likable. 


What I need to start a thread about is how we have to deal with some clients and how it drives us to the breaking point. Of course, there are great clients, that make you feel good about doing anything and everything, above and beyond, to keep them that way. If only the jerks knew this.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

i know just what you're saying jay. in 31 yrs, i've built up a client base that KNOW, the price i give them is fair, it'll be done how/when they want, no issues...and i'll NEVER lowball the thing to change order my profit up at the end of the project as long as they don't change the scope of the project. trust me, through the years, i've "eaten" a few jobs, should have probably been like everybody else and knocked on their door and begged for more money, but felt that isn't what i told them, and would disrupt how they arranged their financial package initially. but like me, those customers are scaling back, more cautious, or just don't want to be involved with new projects. seems like the new customers drive around looking for the cheapest hooker on the corner, and then whine when they can't get them off.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

I have only seen one guy moving any equipment around here so far. But he is known to undercut everyone just to make his payments. Most guys around here have their equipment paid for so it is not to bad for them to sit it out but this one fella just started his business two yrs ago and went all out buying equipment. I mean a fairly new dump truck, new mini-ex, new skidsteer, new pick p "diesel", new trailer, fairly new big excavator, new skidder, fairly new stump grinder, fairly new dozer and he rents a huge garage to operate out of. His payments have to be $15-20k a month from what i see in his yard.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

dayexco said:


> i know just what you're saying jay. in 31 yrs, i've built up a client base that KNOW, the price i give them is fair, it'll be done how/when they want, no issues...and i'll NEVER lowball the thing to change order my profit up at the end of the project as long as they don't change the scope of the project. trust me, through the years, i've "eaten" a few jobs, should have probably been like everybody else and knocked on their door and begged for more money, but felt that isn't what i told them, and would disrupt how they arranged their financial package initially. but like me, those customers are scaling back, more cautious, or just don't want to be involved with new projects. seems like the new customers drive around looking for the cheapest hooker on the corner, and then whine when they can't get them off.


Well said. My father always told me if you're fair with clients they'll be fair with you. It is rare to find this train of thought in new clients.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

joasis said:


> Ever heard the expression "cutting off your nose to spite your face"? Well.....I really wanted to....but I simply replied that opinions vary, and they might be better off with someone who is likable.
> 
> 
> What I need to start a thread about is how we have to deal with some clients and how it drives us to the breaking point. Of course, there are great clients, that make you feel good about doing anything and everything, above and beyond, to keep them that way. If only the jerks knew this.


I know what you mean. I find myself willing to take more [email protected] then I used to just to keep working.


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