How to dress when pricing jobs?

[Stephen Blair]

my customers find me, my work is my introduction. i am not josseling for first place with anyone. but i do take onboard and agree with what others are saying.

[Albedo]

my customers find me, my work is my introduction. i am not josseling for first place with anyone. but i do take onboard and agree with what others are saying.

 

You saying this made me think steve. If your customers find you thru referals and such like, then you'd have a lot of this because youv'e been established a long time in your area.

 

Just a point of interest for others in terms of setting up a business. I'm just starting my third year starting from scratch. The last few months say, 60 or 70 % of my work has been referals.

 

Its great when this happens, you can relax a bit.

 

So for me it was 2 years before this referal/ repeat business became significant.

[Stephen Blair]

You saying this made me think steve. If your customers find you thru referals and such like, then you'd have a lot of this because youv'e been established a long time in your area.

 

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I have spent years tipping my cap, saying yes please and no thank you, i provide a service. As i said before, i may not be the best arborist, but i have respect for my customers and their property. From the old broken plant pot, to the bently in the drive. I had a strict upbringing so this is second nature to me. The only diference now is i want the same level of respect back from them. I deadwooded my customers a few years back and it was the best thing i ever did. Where some saw me as nice, others saw me as week. They are the ones that cause stress and worry. I run my business like a good family pub. A bit like Steve runs arbtalk. We all enjoy a good bit of fun but there is a time and a place for everything.

[Albedo]

I have spent years tipping my cap, saying yes please and no thank you, i provide a service. As i said before, i may not be the best arborist, but i have respect for my customers and their property. From the old broken plant pot, to the bently in the drive. I had a strict upbringing so this is second nature to me. The only diference now is i want the same level of respect back from them. I deadwooded my customers a few years back and it was the best thing i ever did. Where some saw me as nice, others saw me as week. They are the ones that cause stress and worry. I run my business like a good family pub. A bit like Steve runs arbtalk. We all enjoy a good bit of fun but there is a time and a place for everything.

 

Yeah I have a ongoing deadwooding of the customers process. I told one guy once I wasn't gonna work for him because I could see we wouldn't get on. I'd come across him from jobs for his neighbours. Yesterday I put a silly price on a job in order not to get it, as the guy was being difficult.

 

The ones I don't spot in advance, I make a note in my job book if they are good or bad for repeat work. Notes in green box for good ones, notes in red box for bad ones.

 

When someone phones I look them up and see if they are green or red from last time, and what I charged etc.

 

Is this a bit OCD:blushing:

[Stephen Blair]

i wish i did that years ago Paul. We are small businesse who give 5 star treatment to our customers, if they have a problem they get to speak to the boss straight away and get their problem solved, if you take something back to a big store, you get pushed from pillar to post by staff following protocols, they dont get a 1 to 1 with the boss.

[testcricket01]

think it all depends on the sort of client it is, if its every day sort then just chainsaw trousers and company t-shirt clean if possible. but if you get into the big clients like council work and commercial clients i think smart is always best.

[18 stoner]

think it all depends on the sort of client it is, if its every day sort then just chainsaw trousers and company t-shirt clean if possible. but if you get into the big clients like council work and commercial clients i think smart is always best.

 

Shoddy, that would depend weather you want to portray yourself as a down to earth, hard working bloke, or an entrepreneur aquiring contracts to sub out:001_huh:

[Mike Hill]

think it all depends on the sort of client it is, if its every day sort then just chainsaw trousers and company t-shirt clean if possible. but if you get into the big clients like council work and commercial clients i think smart is always best.

 

Spot on.

[Samuel]

The guy i work for wears his company jacket/fleece and his chainsaw trousers and boots. He had just finished a job and had another round the corner so when he arrived he said sorry for the state i am in a have just come from a job, they were fine about it and he got the job.

[testcricket01]

Shoddy, that would depend weather you want to portray yourself as a down to earth, hard working bloke, or an entrepreneur aquiring contracts to sub out:001_huh:

 

i do some work for a bloke who did all council work and he used to just quote in his work clothes and they actually stopped useing him because of his appearance. so shoddy or not thats how it works round here.