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Post by blacksheep on Apr 20, 2008 6:16:48 GMT
Anybody know anything about this company? www.thebookcasecompany.co.uk/index.htmlI came across them yesterday when delivering a pair of side tables I'd made for a client. 'How much would you charge for this?' she asked, showing me a photo in a very nice brochure. I quickly worked out a rough figure that I would be very happy with. 'Fine, when can you do it?' My price was about two-thirds of theirs. I love companies like this! They do all the hard work and I get the job! I even came away with the glossy brochure. Needless to say it will be in my briefcase to be pulled out when the occasion arises! Bookcases, office areas, and alcove units are my main business at the moment. Phil  |
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Post by jfc on Apr 20, 2008 6:58:13 GMT
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Post by blacksheep on Apr 20, 2008 7:06:44 GMT
I have refurb-a-sash as my local sales team ;D My other favourites are Neville Johnsons and Hammonds Bedrooms. If either of those has quoted I know the job is mine! Phil |
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Post by jfc on Apr 20, 2008 7:18:19 GMT
Ive just seen this job on the refurb a sash site  I wonder how much they quoted to do the door and glass . |
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tim
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by tim on Apr 20, 2008 11:49:40 GMT
Anybody know anything about this company? www.thebookcasecompany.co.uk/index.htmlI came across them yesterday when delivering a pair of side tables I'd made for a client. 'How much would you charge for this?' she asked, showing me a photo in a very nice brochure. I quickly worked out a rough figure that I would be very happy with. 'Fine, when can you do it?' My price was about two-thirds of theirs. I love companies like this! They do all the hard work and I get the job! I even came away with the glossy brochure. Needless to say it will be in my briefcase to be pulled out when the occasion arises! Bookcases, office areas, and alcove units are my main business at the moment. Phil Out of interest what was the size of the job and how much were they quoting? Cheers Tim |
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Post by blacksheep on Apr 20, 2008 12:13:42 GMT
Out of interest what was the size of the job and how much were they quoting? Cheers Tim Two cupboards with a desk hole between them and with open bookcases above. 8' run in total. Painted with oak desk top. I quoted £2500 - their price was over £4000 I can build that in a week with another day for fitting. No more than £400 worth of materials at the outside. Nice little earner! Cheers Phil |
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Post by jaco on Apr 20, 2008 15:29:25 GMT
NIKE!
Their slogan - "Just do it!" or "Go for it"!
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tim
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by tim on Apr 20, 2008 18:45:12 GMT
Out of interest what was the size of the job and how much were they quoting? Cheers Tim Two cupboards with a desk hole between them and with open bookcases above. 8' run in total. Painted with oak desk top. I quoted £2500 - their price was over £4000 I can build that in a week with another day for fitting. No more than £400 worth of materials at the outside. Nice little earner! Cheers Phil Indeed! Cheers Tim |
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Post by ''The village idiot'' on Apr 20, 2008 21:41:47 GMT
Are you quoting is like for like and I mean like for like. Not only matching the project design and size but are you matching the materials, paint finish, natural timber finish, and ironmongery etc. Is the client telling you what they originally asked the company to quote for, and did they show you the specification?
Example; did the original company quote for a melamine A/C lacquer finish, did they quote for a hardwood construction thought out not just the oak top, and are you quoting the same etc.
With such a large difference in price (60%) something must be adrift don’t you think?
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Post by jfc on Apr 20, 2008 21:49:16 GMT
I dont think the handles and finish account for the extra money , it's more to do with paying for the salesmen and glossy mags . Fair enough but dont be suprised when you get under cut by someone that doesnt have those overheads .
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Post by engineerone on Apr 20, 2008 22:09:34 GMT
you have to be paying for their overheads, and the advertising as well as the commission for the salesman, and the margins for financing etc. as has been said elsewhere, if things do go wrong, cutting overheads is the most difficult thing, so keeping them tight at the get go ensures that you should be able to survive in the down turn, whereas many of these companies may well not be able so to do. the other thing is like many i look at what is sold in say john lewis, and wonder how they dare charge so much  so you do wonder how wonderful the actual work is of some of these big companies. having in recent times taken apart a number of bits of shop bought stuff from places like g plan and ercol what you are paying for is the outer styling, not internal decency. paul paul |
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Post by blacksheep on Apr 21, 2008 6:39:00 GMT
With such a large difference in price (60%) something must be adrift don’t you think? Not at all. They are a fairly big company taking out expensive adverts in glossy magazines, offering a nationwide delivery and fitting service. They produce a fancy brochure which they send out willy nilly, they must have several salesmen - sorry, designers! - on the road in company cars, a customer services department, an accounts department, a couple of fitting teams, and maybe 6-10 blokes in the workshop actually making the stuff. There will also be maybe two directors in fancy cars playing golf three days a week! Wheras... ... I'm just me. My total overheads come in at under £100 per week including diesel for my van. Economies of scale? Interestingly, my stepson (who I trained up) works for a big local cabinetmaking firm who buy maybe 100 sheets of veneered MDF a week from the same supplier that I use for my half a dozen sheets. I asked him the other day how much they pay. It's the same price as I pay! Hardwoods are pretty much a commodity price - shop around and you can get the same price as the big boys. I pay what I think is a very good price for my hardware from Hettich- if bigger firms save anything it is only pennies. So the little guy like me (and I suspect, all of us here) being able to come in 30-40% cheaper than bigger firms with even bigger overheads and still make good money is no suprise at all. A certain proportion of people will always want to go with the big firm with the glossy advertising, thinking that they are somehow more 'proper'! As money gets tighter however, I suspect that more and more people will be getting their ideas from companies like this and then searching the internet or Yellow Pages for a local guy to do the work for them. I'm not going to complain. ;D Cheers Phil |
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Post by blacksheep on Apr 21, 2008 6:52:08 GMT
Are you quoting is like for like and I mean like for like. Not only matching the project design and size but are you matching the materials, paint finish, natural timber finish, and ironmongery etc. Is the client telling you what they originally asked the company to quote for, and did they show you the specification? Example; did the original company quote for a melamine A/C lacquer finish, did they quote for a hardwood construction thought out not just the oak top, and are you quoting the same etc. To answer your other points VI, if you look on their website all their painted carcasses are MDF and their doors and frames are tulipwood. I make my doors and frames from beech as tulipwood is crap! The only difference is the paints and lacquers. They use water-based; I use AC. So I think my spec is better! Cheers Phil |
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Post by cnc paul on Apr 21, 2008 17:34:25 GMT
Jason,
When you gave her a price of £2500 I bet she nearly bit your hand off ;D
Sounds too cheap to me
Paul
Woop's ... sorry Jason
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Post by jfc on Apr 21, 2008 17:49:40 GMT
It was Phil ( black sheep ) that quoted 2.5k . Mine wasnt far off at @1k for the stained glass and 1.2 k for the door plus iron mongary .
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so you do wonder how wonderful the actual work is of some of these big companies. having in recent times taken apart a number of bits of shop bought stuff from places like g plan and ercol what you are paying for is the outer styling, not internal decency.