I have a client who is asking a quote from various designers for the same project and because we have free quote I think he already wasting the time of other designers for preparing a proposal and quotation. Is this right or wrong?
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Simply put, it's right. You have the moral right to give away your work for free if you wish to do so. And you're not obliged to care about other designers' time or work. Other designers possibly contemplate free work as an option too. When they enter a pitch they know their work may be lost for somebody else for any reason.
Also, free isn't necessarily the best quote. Your free work theoretically may worth less to your client than another designer's payed work. I'm not saying it is, just saying it's a possibility.
I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking if it's a good idea to offer free quotations, or to offer free work?
Mara
As long as it's not illegal it's right. It's called "business".
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Dirt and Rust
A few corporations I work for all are required to gather multiple quotes for the same project. I think that's smart business sense.
Then again, (and I've said this before), there's usually a good reason that the lowball bidder's rates are so low. You usually get what you pay for.
Additionally, as policy, we don't offer quotes. We'll be happy to provide a good-faith estimate based on all available information submitted. But if you need a firm quote, we're going to pad it generously just to cover our asses.
I think that's smart business sense, too.
Terrell Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
I believe you're correct in this question, to be right. There's no rule saying that free work is illegal. If your client needs a job done, and you can prove to him that your free work is going to be beneficial to his organization, congratulations.
If you are offering a free-quote, you should have a good reason for it. You either are pumping up your portfolio, you're desperate for work, you're trying to simply get your name out there...there's many good reasons to offer your work for free.
People who offer their quotes with actual price guidelines of more than say, $20, are more than likely reliable designers who have been in the field for some time.
I don't know how long you've been a designer, but negotiating prices with your client is tricky business. Communicate with your client and reassure him that even though you're offering your services for free, you're going to do your absolute best to work with him. Let him see your portfolio, or send him some .pdfs over e-mail, and at least give him the opportunity to see if you're worth the freebie.
With all due respect, your client might like your price but prefer someone else's proposal. In that case it's good business sense to go with the better proposal over the better price.
Let's say you approached your client with an offer of pro bono work, which we're all assuming you mean, and he was already considering a redesign or whatever. He's in the market for redesign and your offer spurred him into action. He doesn't have to accept your offer; he only needs to consider it.
If on the other hand you mean that offer "Free Quotes" and other designers charge for a "Quote and Proposal" that's ethically okay, it's your choice. However, consider the situation where you're doing work, and so are other designers and the client gets to decide after all the work is done which project he prefers... that's not cool. Read more here: No!Spec
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