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10:15 am · Smoko, spent on spreadsheets

Six quotes back.
None of them comparable.

Same spec, six formats. Levelled onto one line.

same job, same basis

Tell me what you need

Plain English is fine — the way you'd say it in the yard.

1
Your brief,
plain English
2
Six suppliers,
same questions
3
Replies
levelled
4
You award

Check the spec before it goes out

The questions I've added

Untick anything you don't want asked.

Six questions decide the price. Most requests ask two.
Everyone asks rate and availability. The rest is what moves the total.
What they quote you
Rate
$4,200
→
What you actually pay
Rate
$5,780 +38%
DeliveryFuel Min. termWeekend Damage waiver

the five nobody volunteers

Who can actually supply this

Shortlisted on fleet, rating and distance — not search ranking. Illustrative suppliers.

Nothing sends until you say so

Your name is on this email, so you read it first.


    
Same numbered questions to everyone.
      Identical questions for 6 selected suppliers, so the answers line up — and the gaps show.

    

      
      
    

    
I don't negotiate and I don't send. Both stay yours.

  


  
  

    

    

    

    

    

      
Who actually answered what

      

      

    

    

      

    

    

  


  
  

    

    
Same job, one number each

    
Every quote rebuilt as the cost of this job — 20 units, seven days, delivered, fuelled, ex GST.

    

      

        
As quoted

          
Five shapes. Not comparable.

        
 

        
True cost, 20 units × 7 days

      

    

    

      

    

    

      

        

        

      

      

        
What you'll actually pay

        

      

      

        Hire
        Delivery
        Fuel
      

      

    

    

    

    

  


  
  

    

    
Your call

    

      
What I'd do

      

      

    

    

    

      

        

        
Purchase order drafted, the unsuccessful suppliers thanked, and this
          comparison filed against the job. Next time you hire light towers I start from what we
          learned here — including who answered first time and who had to be chased.

      

      

    

    

      
That's the whole loop.

      
One brief, three decisions, six suppliers on the same question. The typing and the waiting are mine.