Fxcked Up!

[WesD]

Yesterday started horrible!

 

Arrived at the job to remove 2 large conifers, small drop zone with sheds fences and a by line to contend with and instantly realised I had priced the job very wrong and only 1 was coming down on the 1st visit!! Gulp!!

 

I had 2 options, 1 take a loss and crack on but the loss would have been substantial ( the odd time of its £100 quid out say I’ll crack on move on lesson learned) or 2 speak to the customer explain my self very apologetically and give them the option of us walking away whilst they go with quote number 2 or get more quotes. 

 

The customers knew I was genuine and could tell I was mortified a) because I’d Fxcked up but b) because I was potentially letting them down. 

 

We had a chat renegotiated on price compromised and cracked on. At the end of the day they where made up and understood the job needed 2 visits. We now have a good customer who has booked us in for 2 further jobs so the day ended well but started with a very humble beginning!

 

my reason for posting is quite simple, we get quite a few threads on here of non payers and awkward customers etc but yesterday I experienced the good understanding type and relearned the lesson of being human and getting it wrong from time to time. 

[AHPP]

I’ve done the same. As with most things in life, honesty is the best policy. Not as good as pricing right in the first place of course.

[Mark J]

50 minutes ago, WesD said:

Yesterday started horrible!

 

Arrived at the job to remove 2 large conifers, small drop zone with sheds fences and a by line to contend with and instantly realised I had priced the job very wrong and only 1 was coming down on the 1st visit!! Gulp!!

 

I had 2 options, 1 take a loss and crack on but the loss would have been substantial ( the odd time of its £100 quid out say I’ll crack on move on lesson learned) or 2 speak to the customer explain my self very apologetically and give them the option of us walking away whilst they go with quote number 2 or get more quotes. 

 

The customers knew I was genuine and could tell I was mortified a) because I’d Fxcked up but b) because I was potentially letting them down. 

 

We had a chat renegotiated on price compromised and cracked on. At the end of the day they where made up and understood the job needed 2 visits. We now have a good customer who has booked us in for 2 further jobs so the day ended well but started with a very humble beginning!

 

my reason for posting is quite simple, we get quite a few threads on here of non payers and awkward customers etc but yesterday I experienced the good understanding type and relearned the lesson of being human and getting it wrong from time to time. 

Good work. People like honesty.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Mark J

[oldwoodcutter]

I’m glad it all worked out well.
Anyone that says they’ve never dropped a clanger hasn’t been in the front line for very long .

[Wedgebanger]

Just a thought.... I wonder what the other quotes were. So when you had a chat, they may have seen you very better priced and thought that when you gave a second offer of walking away or the second price was still good or better than  what they had before...

 

its to just a thought, and like you say being honest is better, because you went home and slept well. Which may have been totally different if you chose a different approach.

 

?

[benedmonds]

In my 15 years of quoting there has been only 1 job that I tried renegotiating on. The massive infamous spodon poplar..

 

I quoted seperately to 2 neighbours with poplars in adjacent gardens. I pollarded one and it took me twice as long as expected. I took that hit but told the neighbour I couldn't do their bigger tree for what I priced. They were not happy and we didn't do it.

 

5 years later a new owner is finally having it done..

 

 

Edited June 23, 2019 by benedmonds

[eggsarascal]

Fair play. I would have taken the hit and kicked myself for the next week.

Edited June 23, 2019 by eggsarascal

[Tom Richards]

17 hours ago, benedmonds said:

In my 15 years of quoting there has been only 1 job that I tried renegotiating on. The massive infamous spodon poplar..

 

I quoted seperately to 2 neighbours with poplars in adjacent gardens. I pollarded one and it took me twice as long as expected. I took that hit but told the neighbour I couldn't do their bigger tree for what I priced. They were not happy and we didn't do it.

 

5 years later a new owner is finally having it done..

 

 

From what I d heard about it the price was right . Your not doing it are you  Ben ? 

[Mick Dempsey]

I tend not to renegotiate, just back out, stating some old pony.

 

I priced a biggish cedar, with wires and walls everywhere, I had next to no work at the time and went in far too low, even driving away I cursed myself as a fool.

 

 6 Months pass and she phones up and says she wants it done, I had plenty on at the time so told her I had a bad back and didn't want to aggravate it.

 

She was a bit miffed (probably because she had the other quotes in front of her!)

 

Until you cut something on the tree you are free to turn it down, or even delay it forever.

 

Unless there’s been contracts signed.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[oldwoodcutter]

The last time I got cold feet, after having a thoughtless quote accepted, I told the would be customer when they gave me the go ahead, Ive just signed a contract to do a 6 month job for the forestry commission.
If that had been the truth, I’d have lost less money doing the job I’d under priced instead. [emoji846]