Anyone else just fed up of customers at the moment

[Paddy1000111]

19 minutes ago, David Cropper said:

Mick, I drove to see a client of a tree surgeon who told me the job was a cert for me, grinding out 6 big hardwood buggers, not a problem. 2 and a half hours to get there, 130 ks, tree surgeons rained off so not on site. Client comes out, Porsche 4x4 in the driveway, plus I found out later, a garage with 3 Ferraris in there, asks the price, day rate or by the stump. I told him the price, by the number of stumps. Oh no, he says, too expensive, I was told your day rate is blah blah. I said yes it is, but only if I'm local and I'm not going to be going full belt to finish. I explained how far  I'd come, he seemed to think I was just round the corner. Please yourself I said as politely as I could, then drove another 2 and a half hours, 130ks home. That was a pisser  to say the least. I normally get the punter to send photos with a bucket next to the stumps to give a sense of perspective plus stump sizes. This bloke had insisted to the tree surgeon that he had to meet anyone who would be working for him. What was a sickener was that 9 days previously I'd been working 15 minutes away. The customer is always right, so goes the old saying. 

I've done the same on my website, allowed people to get approximate estimates by filling out a form and attaching some photos. It's worked well so far, you can almost always tell the height of the tree etc from the photos but it's ironed out a lot of dreamers. Obviously if people ring for a quote then I'll go and see them. 

I've also made a pro forma for quotes using the carbon copy duplicate paper. Designed it on A4 and had a company on eBay print them for about £10. Just means a load of tick boxes and the quote at the bottom. I've found it better than just writing a quote on a business card or texting it to the client because they know exactly what they are getting for the price

[Johnnyboxer]

I don't mind being told" it's too expensive, I can get it done cheaper," but find it really annoying to be told by someone sitting in a brand new Jag they can't afford it..  

The Jag will be on a PCP

He won’t own it

[Clutchy]

2 hours ago, Paddy1000111 said:

Client accepts your quote, you book the work in for a fair few weeks in advance, you get in a couple of guys freelanced in for the day to help you out, the customer rings you three days before and cancel because they have had a change of heart 🤦🏼 waste of your time and you've lost some trust from your subbies... 

We have: 

 

If the job is cancelled with less than 5 working days notice a charge of 50% of the job value is due. 

 

If the job is cancelled with less than 48hrs notice then the full job value is due. 

 

 

I always make the customers state they accept my terms and touch wood have never had a cancellation (bar 1 arsehole)  in years.

 

 

The point of the above is not to make money from them, its to stop them cancelling you and respect your time.

 

We also have a similar policy for ensuring parking is reserved for us.

[Paddy1000111]

2 minutes ago, Clutchy said:

We have: 

 

If the job is cancelled with less than 5 working days notice a charge of 50% of the job value is due. 

 

If the job is cancelled with less than 48hrs notice then the full job value is due. 

 

 

I always make the customers state they accept my terms and touch wood have never had a cancellation (bar 1 arsehole)  in years.

 

 

The point of the above is not to make money from them, its to stop them cancelling you and respect your time.

 

We also have a similar policy for ensuring parking is reserved for us.

I've not really got any terms like that. Ever had any customers get funny/decline a quote because of them? 

[Clutchy]

1 minute ago, Paddy1000111 said:

I've not really got any terms like that. Ever had any customers get funny/decline a quote because of them? 

Never.

 

Only to seek clarification on certain aspects. 

 

I mean if an old lady we have say booked 4 weeks away and 2 days before the job she calls and says shes unwell or had a bereavement theres NO WAY I'd charge a fee.

 

I may have lost quotes from it and not known but then I don't want to work for those people.

 

One thing I've learnt this year is the firmer you are with people and the more bullshit you decline with them the more they want you! Firm but fair, always.

[Paddy1000111]

11 minutes ago, Clutchy said:

One thing I've learnt this year is the firmer you are with people and the more bullshit you decline with them the more they want you! Firm but fair, always.

That was my reasoning behind the quote forms. Customers suddenly wanting disposal that wasn't agreed or stump grinding that wasn't quoted etc. The quote forms covered all of that and there was no question/argument about what they were or weren't getting 

[Retired Climber]

1 hour ago, Johnnyboxer said:

The Jag will be on a PCP

He won’t own it

How on earth can you know that? Not everyone with a decent car needs finance. 

[Mick Dempsey]

26 minutes ago, Clutchy said:

 

 

One thing I've learnt this year is the firmer you are with people and the more bullshit you decline with them the more they want you! Firm but fair, always.

Yes, it’s a kind of reverse psychology.

 

You act reluctant to do it ‘not really big enough, not my favourite sort of work, don’t usually get involved with this sort of thing’ so then if you relent and say ‘I guess it’s not far from me, could fill an afternoon I suppose, we might be able to do it’ they think ‘great, I’ve managed to persuade him to do it even though he’s reluctant’ 

Then the price become secondary, because you’re a sought after commodity and the cost isn’t as much of a factor.

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Mick Dempsey

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Yes, it’s a kind of reverse psychology.

 

You act reluctant to do it ‘not really big enough, not my favourite sort of work, don’t usually get involved with this sort of thing’ so then if you relent and say ‘I guess it’s not far from me, could fill an afternoon I suppose, we might be able to do it’ they think ‘great, I’ve managed to persuade him to do it even though he’s reluctant’ 

Then the price become secondary, because you’re a sought after commodity and the cost isn’t as much of a factor.

 

Whilst acknowledging the concept, I’d suggest it is not entirely devoid of potential adverse consequence. 
 

From my own (consistently poor) experience of trades brought in to work at home I offer one notable example which has always stayed with me. 
 

Having relaid the floor and skirting, and stated that the skirts should be stained and waxed to match the floor, the chippy was adamant that they’d look better painted. I didn’t want that, I didn’t agree and couldn’t fathom why he was so enthusiastic about it. 
 

I didn’t want them painted and said stained and waxed it is. 
 

It was only after pondering his determination to try and change my mind that I realised stained and painted made his job so much easier because he could fill and sand joints rather than cut them properly. 
 

Moral of the story - someone giving you advice is not always with your best interest at heart but rather it may be driven by what actually makes their job easier. 
 

I recognise the very same trait in myself on occasion and have a better understanding of it now. 
 

Also, I don’t think anybody actually takes any notice when someone says how busy they are. Ask any trade how busy they are and they always say “flat out” as they would be doing you a favour by turning up. 
 

 

[Johnnyboxer]

How on earth can you know that? Not everyone with a decent car needs finance. 

Educated guess

70% of new cars are on PCP

It’s how the motor dealer makes more of a wedge from finance than the metal [emoji6]