So negotiating – do you typically negotiate with the sales rep right there, or call them after? I'm bad at haggling face-to-face. Tips?
@phill68 If you’re not comfortable on the spot, you can absolutely call or email them after with your counteroffer. Some people invite all quotes then follow up later to negotiate once they've compared. I personally did some negotiating at a second meeting or over the phone. Reps might push to close at the appointment, but you can just say you'll think about it and then negotiate later. It works!
@dennis_rogue Good to know. I feel much more comfortable negotiating over email later. Appreciate the advice!
Great info here. Quick one: Do window companies ever throw in extras like free screens or hardware upgrades if you negotiate? All my quotes so far include standard insect screens and basic locks. Wondering if I can ask for, say, a better screen mesh or something as part of the deal.
I didn't specifically ask for that, but one of my quotes did mention a 'free upgrade to their better screens' as a promo. So yeah, some might. If there's any little upgrade you care about (like full screens instead of half screens, or a nicer lock finish), no harm asking. They might have flexibility on those since it doesn't cost them much but adds value to you.
@jennifer_river Great suggestion, thank you! I’ll definitely ask if they can include those upgrades at no extra cost.
I haven’t posted yet, but I just wanted to share: I successfully negotiated my window project down by about 12% thanks to many of the tips here! 🎉
I collected 4 quotes, told my preferred contractor about the others, and got them to come down $1,000 and include free tempered glass on two bathroom windows (that were code-required, normally extra charge).
Honestly, I feel pretty accomplished. I’m not a natural negotiator, but just knowing that it’s expected and having some comparison info gave me the confidence. So it really works.
Appreciate this community so much. Saved me a nice chunk of change and I feel great about the deal.
Curious if anyone dealt with negotiating with someone you know personally. I have a friend-of-a-friend who is a contractor who gave me a quote. It’s not the lowest quote I got (it’s actually in the middle), and I’d like to use him because of the personal connection, but I also want a better price if possible.
How to handle that delicately? I don’t want to offend him or make things awkward socially. Is it better to be upfront like “Hey, I have a lower quote, any chance you can match it? I’d love to work with you.” Or would that be frowned upon among friends?
Tricky territory when business meets friendship.
@maggiebuilder That can be a little delicate, but honesty is usually best. You can frame it in a respectful way: “We really want to go with you because we trust you, but as you know we have to consider our budget too. We did receive a quote for $X which is lower. If there’s any way you could come closer to that, even if it’s not all the way, we’d feel a lot better about moving forward with you.”
That way you’re not demanding, you’re expressing your preference for him but also your constraint. If he’s a friend-of-a-friend, he should understand – business is business. Maybe he can’t drop his price (maybe he gave his best thinking he’s doing you a favor already). But giving him the opportunity is fair.
I did something similar with a family friend contractor. He actually said he appreciated the chance and did knock a little off for me (or used some better materials at no extra cost, sort of a hidden discount).
If he can’t, you then weigh if paying a bit more to go with someone you know is worth it (often it is). And if you choose not to use him, just be honest and thank him – people generally get it that money is a factor.
@dukep90 Thanks for the tip. I’ll have an honest chat with him and hopefully we can work something out without hard feelings.