How busy are you at the moment

[Jon Lad]

1 hour ago, Mike Hill said:

We saw all this before from 2008 to about 2010.

 

Its just a fact that when people feel the pinch the last thing they spend money on are their Trees.

 

Absolutely spot on. 👍🏻

[Dan Maynard]

2 hours ago, swinny said:

I want this and this and this and that and that aswell and ohh yes cut all that up whilst here for firewood  and do this and that and this and that.....

Had this a couple of weeks ago, lady met me with a list that turned into two full days work which is now all done. Need to find a few hours to go and cut up the firewood now.

 

I just never can tell.

[pleasant]

21 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I have a recurring situation where there’s a tree that the (80 or so year old plus) clients have fretted about. Most recently a perfectly decent white poplar over a chicken run, they want it removed cos they think it’s a danger but  have balked at the price, understandably imo.

 

So I try to explain (as sensitively as I can) that in all probability they will be dead and I will be long retired before it really becomes an issue, so why don’t we knock a few low branches off over the chicken run for a few hundred bucks and call it good. 
 

The relief I see in their faces is enough to warm a heart even as cold as mine.

Point being, try and find out what really is the driving force behind their call to you and address that first.
 

Agree, but a lot of tradespeople aren't used to communicating face to face it's either text or email which tends to be either back or white. Its not until you actually talk to a customer to get to the bottom of things and negotiate so all parties are satisfied. Regretfully this seems to be a dying art

[treevolution]

Has anyone's work improved. 

 

I have only 5 days booked in for this month and two in May. 

 

Hoping that sun out means more phone calls but I don't feel very confident that it will get much better. 

 

 

[doobin]

Huge uptick in the amount of people (well, wives and girlfriends) responding to ‘recommend a tradesman’ posts on FB. 

[rapalaman]

1 hour ago, treevolution said:

Has anyone's work improved. 

 

I have only 5 days booked in for this month and two in May. 

 

Hoping that sun out means more phone calls but I don't feel very confident that it will get much better. 

 

 

About the same here - 5 days plus 2 a month cutting grass. Waiting on two tpo approvals that are way overdue so will chase up next week.

for the first time in over 30 years I’ve put feelers out to expand the grass cutting round - never ever had to advertise so it’s a sure sign times are gonna get tough I think ☹️

[Excels1or]

3 hours ago, treevolution said:

Has anyone's work improved. 

 

I have only 5 days booked in for this month and two in May. 

 

Hoping that sun out means more phone calls but I don't feel very confident that it will get much better. 

 

 

We're busy again, but only within the past 2 weeks mate

[swinny]

Quiet where we are in all fairness. I've priced a few big jobs recently but there's one company scooping them up for peanuts. Must be sign of the times but generally that's how they roll.... 

 

You would always think the 2-300 quid jobs would be dead certain to get but some folk holding back still

[AHPP]

30 minutes ago, swinny said:

You would always think the 2-300 quid jobs would be dead certain to get but some folk holding back still

Pretty much anyone can do a 2-300 quid job though, 30’ birch takedown sort of things. Ladder, a few straps, Makita battery saw, brash away in a mate’s panel van, logs on the kerb. 

[swinny]

32 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Pretty much anyone can do a 2-300 quid job though, 30’ birch takedown sort of things. Ladder, a few straps, Makita battery saw, brash away in a mate’s panel van, logs on the kerb. 

Even so they are easy and bread and butter.... people usually have certain spare money they're willing to spend happily without considering or speaking to a partner as they would with a 5-700 quid job and that's when it's 3 quotes and miss out on it by 50 quid scenario 

 

3 easy jobs is better than one hard one 😉