customers!!!

[nailer]

so you better tell us your secrets then because i agree with other posts and not yours

 

nottstrees, there's no secrets. This is only what I have read in books and tried out. And only my opinion - not gospel. Its a bit tricky to condense it all into an arbtalk post but I'll try:

 

Advertising for small businesses, including yell etc. is a waste of time and money, unless its lead generation advertising.

 

Being the cheapest not only means you get less money, you also lose work because of it.

 

Customers will use you again if you do a half decent job, but if you want them talking to their friends about you they need to be seriously impressed.

 

Indifference can lose you work. A customer pays you good money to prune their trees; they make you a brew, move their car, recommend you - and what do they get? Not even an email or a note to say thanks. You never call and you never write.

[Jon Lad]

nottstrees, there's no secrets. This is only what I have read in books and tried out. And only my opinion - not gospel. Its a bit tricky to condense it all into an arbtalk post but I'll try:

 

Advertising for small businesses, including yell etc. is a waste of time and money, unless its lead generation advertising.

 

Being the cheapest not only means you get less money, you also lose work because of it.

 

Customers will use you again if you do a half decent job, but if you want them talking to their friends about you they need to be seriously impressed.

 

Indifference can lose you work. A customer pays you good money to prune their trees; they make you a brew, move their car, recommend you - and what do they get? Not even an email or a note to say thanks. You never call and you never write.

 

I'm not so sure about that working for everyone. Over the past 12 months as the recession has worsened I have had to reduce my prices otherwise I would have had no work. I know this because I have contacted people I have sent quotes to and they told me they got a cheaper price - end of.

To most customers a half decent job at half the price of someone who is going to seriously impress them, is good enough.

Also, if I get someone in to do a job: plumbing; electrician whatever and they do a good job which I'm happy with. I pay them straight off and will use them again. I don't expect them to start sending me letters or e-mails and it wouldn't influence me to use them again. But maybe that's because I'm in business myself.

If it works for you though, and it sounds like it is, keep it rolling.

[bareroots]

ask him to pay you up front, if not all then a percentage

 

hey there steve, I like alot of what you say but I've got a problem with asking for money up front. It's always been something I've avoided even when people offer. I don't know why, perhaps because I've been round to places where cowboys have got money up front and started the job and then done a runner as soon as the clients back is turned.

[Stephen Blair]

i use to have the money upfront fobia aswell, same as you, i have been to finish so many jobs that cowboys have left half done, but that had nothing to do with me, i am honest and a profesional tree surgeon end of, and my work history has proved that.

[bareroots]

I'm not questioning that at all steve. Please don't think that I was.

[nailer]

...I know this because I have contacted people I have sent quotes to and they told me they got a cheaper price - end of.

 

Do you think there is any possibility they might have thought another firm would do a better job and were willing to pay more for it, but out of politeness or some other reason said they went for a cheaper price?

 

To most customers a half decent job at half the price of someone who is going to seriously impress them, is good enough.

 

I'm not talking about double the price, just not cheap.

 

Also, if I get someone in to do a job: plumbing; electrician whatever and they do a good job which I'm happy with. I pay them straight off and will use them again.

 

But would that be enough to get you telling your friends about them?

[Stephen Blair]

I'm not questioning that at all steve. Please don't think that I was.

 

i was just making the point that Nailer is trying to point out, if i put a or a after my post it would of come across a lot diferently, now imagine thats how i came across to a customer, they would feel strange, either offended or maybe even nervous. not cool:thumbdown:, so a simple smile or a nice thank you makes all the diference mate:thumbup:

[arbclimber]

Nailer hits the nail on the head, sorry:blushing:

 

Its all about the marketing. If your marketing is sorted your business is sorted, if your marketing is rubbish so is your business. Sorry to be so blunt but Nailer is right 100%.

 

Nailer, what home study courses did you do?

[Stephen Blair]

an old customer is 12% more profitable than a new one and it takes 9 times the amount of cost to find a new one. look after your customers guys:001_cool: well the good ones, ditch the slow and late payers aswell as the hagglers and complainers.:biggrin:but try and resolve the complainers moans first.

[nailer]

arbclimber, I pm'd you.

 

JonLad, I just seen some of your pruning pics in another thread. You should be charging top dollar for that work.