WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?!!!

[Clint]

Ok, I'll start by saying that I live in a very, very small town. I own a local business, We have had the recreation department sports photos come up for bid, I did, with only one other photographer NOT FROM HERE, NOT FROM ANY WHERE CLOSE. ( THREE HOURS AWAY!!!!!) He got job. Now this is just me speaking, I think I got the SHAFT !!!!, I pay taxes in this county and have a business here. The guy was only a couple of dollars cheaper on packages if thats what your thinking. WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?!!!

[DDCSD]

I would try to find out why they went with someone else. Ask the league/department director. Maybe price wasn't the reason.

[Highlight_Photography]

I would be annoyed too. I would contact them for feedback on why.

[int2str]

You over-bid and now you're mad??
Apparently you don't understand how bidding works...

Paying taxes does not entitle you to win a public contract in any way.

The fact that the other photog can drive 3 hours and still make a profit just shows how far off you were. No sense in complaining now.

Sorry if I sound harsh or grumpy, I'm just sick of the general entitlement society we seem to be living in these days....

[JeffreyG]

Here in Detroit you have to give a large donation to the charity run by the mayor's wife (95% of contributions pay for the staff of the charity). Then you can win bids on city jobs.

Thankfully that mayor had to move on due to an inability to be truthful in court. Count your blessings, you were simply outbid in a competitive environment.

[jra]

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?!!!

Bid lower next time if I really wanted the job ;) If it's not worth it to bid lower, I would accept the fact that the job wouldn't have been worth my time and effort and move on.

[Clint]

You over-bid and now you're mad??
Apparently you don't understand how bidding works...

Paying taxes does not entitle you to win a public contract in any way.

The fact that the other photog can drive 3 hours and still make a profit just shows how far off you were. No sense in complaining now.

Sorry if I sound harsh or grumpy, I'm just sick of the general entitlement society we seem to be living in these days....

Apparently I do understand how bidding works, what I cant understand is how he is going to make money when the bid I submitted was extremely low and I am not the general entitlement society, I am the take care of your own society. GOD BLESS YOU!

[Clint]

Bid lower next time if I really wanted the job ;) If it's not worth it to bid lower, I would accept the fact that the job wouldn't have been worth my time and effort and move on.


Your right, because if he bid lower than I did he is not going to make much profit especially driving 3 hours.

[AxxisPhoto]

Apparently I do understand how bidding works, what I cant understand is how he is going to make money when the bid I submitted was extremely low and I am not the general entitlement society, I am the take care of your own society. GOD BLESS YOU!

Sounds like you did everything you could. Who knows, maybe you'll get the next one!

[PhotosGuy]

Text edited by PhotosGuy: Please stop "shouting".

[ryant35]

Only 1 other photographer... I wish there was only 1 other photographer within 3 hours of me. There are almost 18 million people withing 3 hours of me, so that would put the photographer population into the 10s of thousands or so. Maybe, that was kind of off the top of my head.

[S.Horton]

I would try to find out why they went with someone else. Ask the league/department director. Maybe price wasn't the reason.

+1

Sometimes, we're less liked that we'd prefer to believe.

;)

[Karl Johnston]

Everytime i look at this topic I think of the line:

WWJD ...for a klondike bar?

[philwillmedia]

Buy a construction company...
Then build a bridge and get over it.

The other 'tog was cheaper than you - simple as that.
Maybe see if you can get some feedback but other than that there isn't a lot you can do.

BTW, why are YOU worried about whether HE will make any money by having to drive that distance.
Maybe YOU need to look at YOUR costs, not worry about his.

Just my two cents worth.

Regards
Phil

[DDCSD]

+1

Sometimes, we're less liked that we'd prefer to believe.

;)

Especially if the other guy was offering better "perks".

[lauderdalems]

I'm not up on Georgia's bid law, but in Alabama bidding is not required if under $7,500.00. Maybe they were taking price quotes and not formal bidding. In that case, the out of town guy may have had an inside track to your price.

Also local vendors can be given a 3% preference over non-locals. sounds like to me someone with the city may have preferred the out of town guy.

[tonydee]

Ok, I'll start by saying that I live in a very, very small town. I own a local business, We have had the recreation department sports photos come up for bid, I did, with only one other photographer NOT FROM HERE, NOT FROM ANY WHERE CLOSE. ( THREE HOURS AWAY!!!!!) He got job. Now this is just me speaking, I think I got the SHAFT !!!!, I pay taxes in this county and have a business here. The guy was only a couple of dollars cheaper on packages if thats what your thinking. WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?!!!

...

Apparently I do understand how bidding works, what I cant understand is how he is going to make money when the bid I submitted was extremely low and I am not the general entitlement society, I am the take care of your own society. GOD BLESS YOU!

Honestly, you have an attitude problem. That's not an insult... it's a critique. You ought to stop thinking about what everyone owes you, and start thinking - and communicating - about what you can offer them, and consider whether other people may offer more, and if so learn from them. Have you even looked at the other photographer's work? Regardless, being a gracious loser is much more likely to get you business in future - whether from the county departments or the people in it - than going on a tirade. And what's this "GOD BLESS YOU" business? That's plain insolent. Calm down and reason about things, learn to understand them, and then you might have a chance of changing them.

Tony

[birdfromboat]

wow, are you out of touch. I highly recommend you do not try your hand at any business that involves any more than showing up, taking pictures, and providing a finished product of some fashion by a due date. some of our jobs require agreements to pay fines for late work, insurance against poor work, payment of employee industrial accident insurance, on and on and on. All of that before you even put pen to paper to submit a bid.
Good luck in your future endeavors, but wow, you really need to simplify your job if bidding on photo work is beyond your scope.

[JWright]

Ok, I'll start by saying that I live in a very, very small town. I own a local business, We have had the recreation department sports photos come up for bid, I did, with only one other photographer NOT FROM HERE, NOT FROM ANY WHERE CLOSE. ( THREE HOURS AWAY!!!!!) He got job. Now this is just me speaking, I think I got the SHAFT !!!!, I pay taxes in this county and have a business here. The guy was only a couple of dollars cheaper on packages if thats what your thinking. WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?!!!

Suck it up and move on...

When I was on layoff from my aerospace job, I took up wedding photography as a way to help make ends meet. I got an average of one booking for every ten presentations I made to potential customers. Never once did I whine or complain about not getting a booking. I just kept at it until I did get a booking. Eventually, I got recalled to the aerospace job and gave up weddings for good...

You over-bid and now you're mad??
Apparently you don't understand how bidding works...

Paying taxes does not entitle you to win a public contract in any way.

The fact that the other photog can drive 3 hours and still make a profit just shows how far off you were. No sense in complaining now.

Sorry if I sound harsh or grumpy, I'm just sick of the general entitlement society we seem to be living in these days....

Amen!

[birdman59]

I noticed that a lot (not all,but a lot) of small business owners seem to have the attitude that you owe it to them to spend money with them, whether they're competitive or not.

[tomd]

I would try to find out why they went with someone else. Ask the league/department director. Maybe price wasn't the reason.
I agree
Was there a meeting of the "decision makers" that you can request the minutes from? Maybe that will shed some light on the story.
Tom

[chakalakasp]

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?!!!

Whine about it on an international photography forum??!11

Suck it up and count it as a lesson learned?!!!?!!ELEVEN

:rolleyes:

[Alleh]

wow, are you out of touch. I highly recommend you do not try your hand at any business that involves any more than showing up, taking pictures, and providing a finished product of some fashion by a due date. some of our jobs require agreements to pay fines for late work, insurance against poor work, payment of employee industrial accident insurance, on and on and on. All of that before you even put pen to paper to submit a bid.
Good luck in your future endeavors, but wow, you really need to simplify your job if bidding on photo work is beyond your scope.

You obviously have no idea how to run a professional photography business if you think it is just showing up, taking pictures and handing them over.

[Metalstrm]

Suck it up and count it as a lesson learned?!!!?!!ELEVEN

:rolleyes:

That ELEVEN cracked me up. Hahaha.

As for the OP, you need a change in attitude. Maybe he's a more skilled photographer?...

[beegeeboy]

I tend to agree with what most others have posted: you put the price in you were happy to do the job for, and someone else came in cheaper. And that's the end of it really. No-one owes you, or any of us, anything just because we happen to live and work in a particular area. You can't balme anyone else for putting in a better price than you; if he lives round the corner or has to take a 10-hour flight. Makes no difference. Basic, basic economics - best deal chosen, bad luck I'm afraid.:confused:

David

[burnxkr]

You over-bid and now you're mad??
Apparently you don't understand how bidding works...

Paying taxes does not entitle you to win a public contract in any way.

The fact that the other photog can drive 3 hours and still make a profit just shows how far off you were. No sense in complaining now.

Sorry if I sound harsh or grumpy, I'm just sick of the general entitlement society we seem to be living in these days....

Amen brother (or sister). Preach, we are listening.

[Dennis_Hammer]

A couple of things you may want to consider. First and maybe the evident is how much were you 'kicking back' to the rec department. Sad but true fact is most of these type of photo deals usually have a return on contract.

And next and if it was me this would be most important, if I am contracting a photographer to do this for a couple of hundred kids (or less/more) with a twice that many parents, I would want experience. Maybe the other guy has established himself in this type of photography and is more experienced than you. I have done this type of work and the logistical nightmare can be huge. Do you want to be the person answering the phone at Parks & Rec if a couple of dozen of parents are unhappy?

[bwolford]

That ELEVEN cracked me up. Hahaha.

As for the OP, you need a change in attitude. Maybe he's a more skilled photographer?...


Kindly explain the 11 comment...

[chakalakasp]

Kindly explain the 11 comment...

OMG YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ELEVEN??!?!?ONEONE

[jcw122]

Maybe he is.......better?

[Stealthy Ninja]

^^Exactly

Kindly explain the 11 comment...

WOW!!!11

You certainly haven't been on the internet for long!!!!!!11

Get it yet??!!!11

I had to LOL at the "eleven" thing too. Pretty funny.


As for the OP. I can understand you're upset. To answer your question I can only say what I wouldn't do:

Post this thread on POTN.

[GregMik]

You over-bid and now you're mad??
Apparently you don't understand how bidding works...

Paying taxes does not entitle you to win a public contract in any way.

The fact that the other photog can drive 3 hours and still make a profit just shows how far off you were. No sense in complaining now.

Sorry if I sound harsh or grumpy, I'm just sick of the general entitlement society we seem to be living in these days....


Here! Here!

Greg

[Lightchaser]

^^Exactly


WOW!!!11

You certainly haven't been on the internet for long!!!!!!11

Get it yet??!!!11

I had to LOL at the "eleven" thing too. Pretty funny.

Post this thread on POTN.

What the...???

[Stealthy Ninja]

What the...???

You need to read the posts in order. :)

The 11 thing is from when people type so fast that when they put on multiple exclamation marks at the end of a sentence, the last 2 come out as "11" and not "!!" it has become a bit of a joke.

GET IT??!!!!!111

[Lightchaser]

Got it. Thanks for the enlightenment! :)

[neilwood32]

With regards to the OP - you lost on a bid. Think of what that word actually means - it means you make an offer and they may or may not accept it!

If they are anything like most businesses/organisations out there they have probably have stipulated that they have no onligation to accept the lowest or any bid.

Also consider that what you consider cheap might be a very good price for someone else. They might spend less on PP, printing and other overheads than you.

Chalk it up to experience.

As someone else said - build an bridge and get over it!

[Clint]

I have calmed down now, and thanks for the therapy everyone.

[Stealthy Ninja]

As someone else said - build an bridge and get over it!

Then firebomb the bridge. It's good for your mental state (trust me, ninjas understand these things).