# Taco Bell?



## lindenwood

They are accepting bids for snow plowing. The size of the lot is average it looks like it would take me 30 minutes to do each lot. I also have to bid another location. So I am bidding on two Taco Bell parking lots. What should I charge? I was thinking $100 for each lot. The other lot in Columbia, IL I have to drive to is 15 minutes away, and the lot in Waterloo, IL is in my hometown. Also I was thinking about cutting the grass for $40, because the space is very small only takes a couple of swipes with Lazer.

Any input is appreciated.


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## grandview

How about a couple of bean burritos instead for payment?


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## dayexco

grandview;1263676 said:


> How about a couple of bean burritos instead for payment?


i'd take the cash and go to taco johns...better grub


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## Matson Snow

grandview;1263676 said:


> How about a couple of bean burritos instead for payment?


I was thinking about a couple of Mexican Pizzas............

Those Lots i Bet will go in the $40-$50 Per-push range.....


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## Plow_Goddess

Matson Snow;1263690 said:


> I was thinking about a couple of Mexican Pizzas............
> 
> Those Lots i Bet will go in the $40-$50 Per-push range.....


More like $25 and a Chalupa per push


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## grandview

need one of these.


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## blowerman

If the size of the lot is "average" and you can plow it in about "30 minutes," can you explain what average is then? Also, how long will this lot take a guy like Dayexco? What if Day plows it in 15 minutes? Should his price be half of yours?


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## dayexco

blowerman;1263783 said:


> If the size of the lot is "average" and you can plow it in about "30 minutes," can you explain what average is then? Also, how long will this lot take a guy like Dayexco? What if Day plows it in 15 minutes? Should his price be half of yours?


hey, don't be nosin in on my casa grande's


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## clark lawn

around here taco bell is the race to the bottom. they got one of the cheapest in town already and try to get someone to beat him every year. i think they are about $40/push right now.


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## suzuki0702

blatterm. You think that its going to take you a 1/2hour to plow this place and your going to charge them 100. so your hourly rate is 200/hr? thats quite high my friend, try again


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## JTVLandscaping

I'll do it for 100 pesos!


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## ryde307

I just met another business owner a week or so ago that is getting out of the business. While talking we talked about when he wa a large company and one of his customers was Taco Bell. For what its worth and this was probably 8-10 years ago it sounded but Taco Bell Ired one guy to do an area he serviced 70 stores. He said the price is a blanket price of $75 to plow shovel and salt. It was a price they created and it wasnt changing. Again this was not recent but it relates.


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## grandview

So 10 years ago it was 75.00 ,so with inflation the price is now 35.00.


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## lindenwood

I way overbid it i didnt get the job so i just submitted 4 bids this week.


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## Drakeslayer

lindenwood;1607933 said:


> I way overbid it i didnt get the job so i just submitted 4 bids this week.


4 bids to who?


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## gpservices

You may have saved yourself a headache. Chains like taco bell are always just looking for the cheapest of the cheap, and as we all know a good reliable insured plow company cant plow for dirt cheap. I tried bidding on a chain gas station in my area, wow they basicly control the bid with the stack of paper work they gave me, they wanted 5 different style bids from me, by inch, by trip, etc... and they said in their contract they get to choose which one they want, and every year its a different guy doing it most of which i never see plowing again, ive found the best commercial accounts are small family owned buisness where i can go in and talk to the same guy everytime that is loyal to you, granted thats if you do a good job, happy bidding


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## Laszlo Almasi

clark lawn;1264226 said:


> around here taco bell is the race to the bottom. they got one of the cheapest in town already and try to get someone to beat him every year. i think they are about $40/push right now.


I kinda of have to agree. I had 14 Taco Bell in Northern VA and Maryland and i had to come way off my normal fee. It was alright but not the best. This year a National came in and undercut me so I was ok with them going elsewhere. If/when they call me back...my pricing will be different. And if they don't like it..oh well.


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## Laszlo Almasi

gpservices;1609733 said:


> You may have saved yourself a headache. Chains like taco bell are always just looking for the cheapest of the cheap, and as we all know a good reliable insured plow company cant plow for dirt cheap. I tried bidding on a chain gas station in my area, wow they basicly control the bid with the stack of paper work they gave me, they wanted 5 different style bids from me, by inch, by trip, etc... and they said in their contract they get to choose which one they want, and every year its a different guy doing it most of which i never see plowing again, ive found the best commercial accounts are small family owned buisness where i can go in and talk to the same guy everytime that is loyal to you, granted thats if you do a good job, happy bidding


:salute::salute:
Exactly! This is my target market right now.


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## gpservices

Yeah man thats the way to go, i do a tax office, small lot, easy to plow but will always need it and pay for it, never open on weekends or past 5, and always needs salt even with a dusting, and salting is just the easiest money there is, i flip a swith on my polycaster and let it rip and a married couple with kids own it and couldnt be nicer, not to toot my own horn but i always do my best and they love me, i plow their driveway too just down the street along with one of their employees drives.


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## ceptorman

While plowing a few weeks ago I stopped by Wendy's to get some grub. Their lot was a mess with 5 inches of snow. The manager noticed my truck and plow. He asked if I would be interested in plowing their lot. It was a huge lot for a fast food joint, probably 1.5 acres, figured it would take at least an hour. I'm thinking $100 would be an ok price. Before I could say anything, he says "I could give you your food for free, but I can't pay you"! I asked if he was kidding, he said the owner is cheap, and won't pay for snow removal on a weekend. I said I could not do that. So I took my $6 number 1 combo and left.


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## ducaticorse

I would take on one taco bell account for the fee of free tacos yearly. I love that place. As far as trying to make money off of them, EFF that...


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## ceptorman

But wouldn't an unlimited supply of tacos keep you on the crapper instead of your plow truck:laughing:


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## ducaticorse

Well I wouldn't eat them every day. Plus its fun to gas the cab when I have a shovelor with me. More motivation for him to stay out and do his job.


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## gpservices

Exactly thats a perfect example, and its surprising to me that buisness owners like that dont understand overhead, how could they expect that, you should of went outside and "slipped and fell" uh oh a lawsuit, he would change his tone real quick on snow removal.


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## dieselboy01

I put in a bid at 4 McDonalds in my area at $55 per push, per store, no salt or sidewalks. I though I was on the low end. The winning bid was $25 per push. One of the lots has a semi parking lot!! I have driveways that pay more then $25! I don't see how these people can make money plowing at that rate.


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## gpservices

Well thats just it, 9 out of 10 times they dont make money. Thats why theres a new sucker doing places like that every year, $25 i wouldnt even drop the plow, truck maintenance, fuel, insurance etc... Just to little $ to even come close i mean cmon 4 new load range E tires for my truck cost $1200, people just dont get it


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## R75419

gpservices;1610673 said:


> Well thats just it, 9 out of 10 times they dont make money. Thats why theres a new sucker doing places like that every year, $25 i wouldnt even drop the plow, truck maintenance, fuel, insurance etc... Just to little $ to even come close i mean cmon 4 new load range E tires for my truck cost $1200, people just dont get it


For $25 my trucks wont even leave the barn.... It amazes me the quality of work that is accepted just to get these prices. Hopefully the construction industry will rebound so the hacks are tired, fat and sleeping so we can make some decent money again. Of course one big storm would put several guys out of biz cause they wouldnt be able to handle it properly leading to them being fired.


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## ceptorman

$25!!! I'll bet they're not insured either....that's sad


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## TKLAWN

The whole situation seems to be getting worse and worse. Lots of hacks willing to work for nothing!


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## Laszlo Almasi

TKLAWN;1611088 said:


> The whole situation seems to be getting worse and worse. Lots of hacks willing to work for nothing!


And unfortunately it isn't only in the plowing biz that hacks are screwing things up. I have to contend with these POS backyard "mechanics" hack jobs all the time because they repaired a weed eater one time and thusly they think they can properly repair a high horsepower PWC in their driveway.

I'm sure there are other service industries experiencing the exact same thing that I am as well.


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## mwalsh9152

ya gotta love these lowballing hacks! I refuse to deal with that crap, I would rather do one tough driveway for $60 which takes me 10 minutes tops, rather than 4 for $25 a pop

I looked at a driveway before the blizzard his us last month. The guy contacted me via email from a craigslist add I put up. I quoted him $40 per push, as it was a substantial sized driveway and parking area, but looked to be pretty easy. He wanted a price for the whole storm, telling me that two other guys had already quoted him $100 for the entire event....I told him to call them back.....happened to drive by his house tonight, and it looks like he got a bargain, they went at a 45 degree angle from the street and plowed half his front lawn too!

I had another one that I picked up after the storm.... fairly steep driveway with the parking area at the top, with a line of cars, all snow has to go at the bottom. The dimwit they had started pushing UP the hill, and when he spun out almost halfway up, he just gave up and left, never to be seen again....leaving a mountain blocking the driveway


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## thelettuceman

mwalsh: Laugh My Ass Off !!!!Thumbs UpThumbs Up


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