Do you rates go up as much as they should each year..

[Mick Dempsey]

19 minutes ago, oldwoodcutter said:

Young friend of mine runs a 3 van pest control firm, he meets up usually weekly with the owners of the other pest control firms in his area. They swap customers, and generally sort the job out.
All maintain a good standard of living and their respective firms grow ever more prosperous.
Most tree company bosses in this area find it difficult to even acknowledge anyone they meet on the road, let alone meet up and talk rates.

As it should be, giving clients the best deal, not fixing the market like your rat catcher mate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collusion

 

Edited October 21, 2017 by Mick Dempsey

[Will Heal]

In 25 years I'll be telling some new guy on Arbtalk that in my day we only got paid £80-100 a day, that;s if drone-chainsaws haven't killed off the profession by then!

I want a laser pen that I can reduce trees and trim hedges with whilst drinking a cup of tea!

[Gary Prentice]

11 hours ago, Will Heal said:

I want a laser pen that I can reduce trees and trim hedges with whilst drinking a cup of tea!

You mean you haven't got one already? 

 

[Ian Flatters]

I was charging £150 a day in 2010, that's still the going rate, so clearly something's wrong.
Let's also break down the "entitled" nonsense shall we. People don't live to work, they work to live, as an employed arborist you live a fairly frugal life in todays Britain. You are definitely not getting a mortgage without help, not unless you've been saving that 30% down payment since you were 5. A mortgage is 4 x your salary, well around me that doesn't even get you a can of fart spray let alone a two bedroom terraced house.
Or there's the option of renting, well rent is around £650 to £900 depending on whether you require a house or a flat.
If you are under 28 your car insurance will be around £400 to £650 depending on whether you drive a hatchback or a pickup.
Fuel for the month is obviously dependent but can be in the hundreds if you traveling to and from work.
Then there's your council tax, water, lecky and gas. Council tax alone is rarely under 90 quid a month nowadays.
Food isn't cheap unless you eat total rubbish and finally there's your gear which can run into the thousands new, obviously once bought and with a bit of care it shouldn't cost more than a few hundred a year to maintain but still it's a few hundred added to the other few hundred you NEED just to exist.

Now that all the essentials are out the way we can add tax, not an essential and in no way an option.

My point is people say they can't find good staff or keep them once they've got them, well that's because you can't take care of a family on an arborists salary, it's good money while you're young but the moment the missus wants to settle down you either need to start your own gig or change careers.

I think people not increasing their day rates are a bit to do with wanting to get work and not be passed for a cheaper climber. You know, a bit of fear if I go up £30 I may loose all these days I was doing for that company. I hear it quite often when we have regular subbies in, talking about work they’ve picked up because rockstar climber wants an extra £10 a day so matey boys got someone else in.

Personally everyone should increase their prices in an ideal world.

I can only really comment as an employer now as it’s been a while since I’ve subbed myself out.

Employee wise wages go up every year (as everything else has and does) and on top of that ours will be getting a good increase due to pension legislation that’s come into the fold as well. As a minimum it’s 1% this year then it’s going to go up to 2% then 3%.

So as a result our company costs have gone up too, not to mention everything else (which include fuel, services/maintenance costs, etc). We loose a percentage of work because of this, however... we’re not running around like busy fools trying to earn a profit to make up for those cheap jobs.

I feel that the main reason people haven’t increased wages is fear of loosing work, but isn’t it worse to be working for less profit that you were 5,6,7 years ago.

[skyhuck]

On 20/10/2017 at 18:43, skyhuck said:

GOOD!!!

 Just to be clear Ben, this is nothing  personal.

 

I wish all house prices would stop increasing and in the longer term fall.

 

IMO house price inflation is the biggest con to befall the working man. People are fooled into thinking an increase in the value of their home makes them rich, but how? when won't you need your home? Its a bit like being told your kidneys are work 50K.

 

Ok so you can leave your home to your children (if you've not ended up in a nursing home) and what will they use the money for? Oh yes to try and afford a home.

 

The reality is that house price increases have only helped the rich, the banks and estate agents.

[Andyd1606]

 Just to be clear Ben, this is nothing  personal.
 
I wish all house prices would stop increasing and in the longer term fall.
 
IMO house price inflation is the biggest con to befall the working man. People are fooled into thinking an increase in the value of their home makes them rich, but how? when won't you need your home? Its a bit like being told your kidneys are work 50K.
 
Ok so you can leave your home to your children (if you've not ended up in a nursing home) and what will they use the money for? Oh yes to try and afford a home.
 
The reality is that house price increases have only helped the rich, the banks and estate agents.

Spot on there's no point being the richest man in the graveyard

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

13 minutes ago, Andyd1606 said:

 

Spot on there's no point being the richest man in the graveyard

 

Just for fun....  I also very much like the "sometimes it's ok to be the tallest dwarf" catchphrase!  (Without being dwarfist)

[oldwoodcutter]

As it should be, giving clients the best deal, not fixing the market like your rat catcher mate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collusion
 

And what would it say on my tombstone Mike, “ He always gave his clients the best deal, but sadly died a pauper”.
I reckon not.

[Mick Dempsey]

5 hours ago, oldwoodcutter said:

And what would it say on my tombstone Mike, “ He always gave his clients the best deal, but sadly died a pauper”.
I reckon not.

What im saying is that even if price fixing were possible in our industry (which it isn't)  it's neither morally right or desirable.

Firms with poor standards would not go to the wall, better firms wouldn't prosper because they'd be giving work away to others Anyway who would decide who's "in" or not?

Edited October 26, 2017 by Mick Dempsey

[Mark Bolam]

I can see both sides to this, but I think more and more that people getting in door knockers or the cheapest quote wins brigade get what they deserve.

I feel sorry for the trees, like.