Pay for an estimate?

[Team Gopher]

Do you think this is a good way to stand out or bad?

What if your marketing material said you would pay the customer to bid on their property? The payment would be made in the form of a dollar amount credited on the job if they accepted the bid.

[Landscape25]

I think it is confusing. I would prefer to be paid a consultation fee and credit it to the job. I would not pay someone in addition to my time, gas, etc. to go to their house and give them an estimate. I don't offer lawn service but do offer maintenance. They could just as easily shoot you down, they have nothing to lose and probably not a lot to gain. It is definitely outside the box though, it may work for someone, maybe a volume business.

[Sammy]

Bad Idea. It would attract all the worse tire kickers.
Others would see it as just a B.S. gimmick.