17/08/2022
So……
today I recieved a call from a client who has just had a new 50x30 arena built and a sand and fibre topping used as the surface.
its been down for just 1 week the client stated and is riding deep is uneven and not very good.
the client wanted to buy a harrow.
as the client began to explain the installation method i started asking questions.
1 how much sand was installed by the contractor.
the client didnt know
2 where did the sand come from eg which quarry or even what area
the client didnt know
3 how much depth of sand is there in the arena it should be 125mm
the client didnt know
4 how much fibre did the contractor supply
the client didnt know
5 was the fibre mixed in to the sand with a power harrow
the client said no just spread with a digger and was still in big lumps
6 who was the contractor
the client wouldnt tell me
yet the client is ringing me 1 week after install to find out how to get his surface riding correctly and not calling the contractor who sold it to him.
what the client did know was this contractor was half the price of any other quotation he had been given.
All the above questions i asked the client i stated to him would be on the quotation surly.…….Right people !!
the client said no there wasnt much detail in the quote.
my answer was “it sounds like this contractor has had your pants down mate”
by now im getting annoyed because this is the 3rd such conversation in a month i have had with people who have paid a contract to do a job with no spec or detail of what the are buying and then call me telling me they did a really good.
So why the fxxk are they calling me 1 week aftre install if its such a good job.
surly if 1 contractor is half the price of the others, alarm bells start ringing……right people ???
well not it seems in the equestrian game.
we have been building arenas and installing surfaces for 20 years and its expensive to do it right !
Even more expensive to do it twice, and sort some muppets balls up because they were half the price of the other Quotations.
our quotations are detailed down to the last grain of sand.
So FOR YOUR SAKE people do yourselves a favour and get a detailed quotation for everything with quantities.
And if its half the price of the rest then ask that contractor how he thinks he can do the job for half that of the others, and dont go asking the others why they are so expensive.
its not the contractor whos the idiot here its the client and as a professional company i get fed up of these types of people calling me because they didnt spend enough and were stupid enough to give money to anyone without a detailed quotation.
the last one I went to see a few weeks ago had paid £67k for a
40 x 60 arena. With no detail in the quote what so ever other than the grade of membrane which the contractor had stated was 650gsm and was actually 180gsm.
a 40x60 arena cost double what they had paid to do it right.
use a reputable company and ffs get a detailed quote.
RANT OVER !
happy riding everone
