Surveyor offering a FREE model to "get started".....

Talked with a contractor today and the surveyor that was setting up control for a new job for them offered a deal of a free surface (because he wanted to start creating models) with the staking.

Since the contractor is now not satisfied with what he received (only partial surface, multiple files, too much linework, etc).  I am now in the process of giving the contractor what he wants and needs (though a week later and time wasted).

Please if you are going to offer modeling, know what you are doing and at least charge for it.

I think, "You get what you paid for", holds true to this freebie....

On the other hand, the surveyor was up front with the contractor. If it had worked out he would have had a no-bid client going forward.

There are lots of busineses that offer free samples to their clients. It's a tried and true marketing plan.

Usually it is the office that calls the shot because of the price and the field guys hate it because they are stuck with crap and they say it takes them forever to get anything done. (Example: this particular job- Surveyor- two days to complete, Me- two hours and more detailed, etc...)

The problem comes on the second model when they realize what is really needed and their costs usually are greater than what i charge and they come back because of quailty of the models, cost and turn around time.

I let my work speak for itself, and I don't need any "marketing" ploy to get good clients.

I value my work too much to give away for free. (Wonder what would happen if there is a major mistake for a free model?)

Thad,

For those of us that may not be totaly up to date.  Is "model" the new word for topo or contour map? How is it used by the contractor?
What is very interesting to me is the comment about two hours as compared to two days.  What kind of site was it and what are your
data collection tools/methods?    Thanks

This is not data collection, it's construction.

In this sense, the "model" is basically a TIN surface.  The contractors can load that surface into their GPS-enabled equipment, then no matter where it is on the site, the equipment tells the operator how much up or down to get to grade.  It's a dream for the big dirt movers who are throwing around 20 feet of cut/fill - way better than overlot stakes.  Blade operators often mount GPS receivers on the ends of their blades for fine-tuning the grade.  It can greatly decrease the amount of time required to grade large sites.  Fancier equipment will combine GPS and lasers to allow an incredible amount of control, good enough that we've even paved runways to FAA standards with such a setup.  (Although we only use that for the dirt subgrade and the asphalt base course...  the top-level concrete is done with string lines.)

My interpretation was that the inexperienced Surveyor who was creating the model "for free" took two days and created an unusable model, whereas Thad was able to create a usable one in only two hours.

Richard explained it well.

Is there something about practicing outside your area of expertise for surveyors?   There is for engineers.