i'm gobsmacked...

[alex_m]

let us know how the tree fares anyway. include any local news stories that may occur

[alex_m]

when quoting i will often tell the customer to get other quotes and give them a couple of names usualy people who charge the earth,it makes my quote look great,

 

i like it! makes you look honest, but really....

[Jamie M]

I'm moving house to a bit of a wreck that needs a lot doing to it. Three quotes for all work to be done and all trades have matched one another (sparks, roof, damp and timber) on price but thats because the max difference was £100 on £3 grand plus quotes.

We as arborists are too often seen as glorified gardeners so cannot be held ransom to ridiculous prices from other less 'professional' outfits.

[chaffey]

I'd always run with the fact something is going to go amiss if you're giving a fair price and they're so much cheaper. As someone has already said are they insured to do the work? Are the employees insured? Where will they be dumping the waste? Will they be taking the waste?!! I lost a regular hedge cutting job that i used to do to someone that quoted cheaper than i did it for and then completed the job charged the same as i done the job for!! The customer then phoned me to get rid of the rubbish, which i did very happily for a nice fee. The job came back to me the next time mind you. Let it go you never know they might just get you in to finish off lol.

[combined tree services]

dave, no one said anything about bad paying,, i never mentioned it at all,

and when i went round to see the wife of this particular pro surfer i explained what was involved in great detail, from insurance, etc etc etc... she knew exactly what was going where,, and why the cost was £300..

 

Ady , i was refering to tommers post , but while im here who cares if the person is a "pro surfer" or a pro postman lol im sure you did explain it in great detail to the client . any way it will be interesting to hear how the job turns out .

[Frank]

Been thinking about this idea for a long while now and I think this would an ideal scenario to test it out on.

 

Imagine If there was a piece of computer software available that you could upload an image of a tree onto and then specify the job spec i.e 15% all over reduction etc, then the software would bring up a digitally enhanced image of the tree as it could be after works. Showing the customer exactly how their tree would look with a sypathetic reduction rather than a lopping or topping.

 

You could turn up at the customers house in a posh 4x4 wearing smart shirt and jeans, take a photo of the tree from different angles, then go inside for a cup of tea with your laptop, upload the image, then produce the "after" shot on the screen plus a portfolio of other works you have done.

 

After all this the customer will be thinking "this is going to be expensive", then when you say £375+vat. It all seems good value.

 

Then when the other guy turns up 2 days late in a clapped out transit looking like hes been dragged through a conifer hedge backwards, and states "where do you want it lopping". Suddenly his quote of £140 seems plain ridiculous and she will just want rid off him as quick as possible to ring you straight back and get you round again to do the works.

 

Sound good???

 

 

 

Then you could turn up to do the works in a clapped out transit, looking like you have been dragged through a conifer hedge backwards and say " where did we say we was gonna lop it". hahahahahaha

[skyhuck]

The other guy may be absolutely on his arse, he may have kids to feed and bills to pay and desperately need the work.

 

I get frustrated when I miss a job by a few quid, but if the other price is less than I would ever even consider doing it for, I'm not bothered, let them get on with working for nothing!!

 

I can stay at home warm and dry making no money, that beats working in the cold for nowt.

[benedmonds]

You find that bad, I quoted £950 + Vat to do a job, for a housing development, found out they didn't go with us because we were too cheap!!!!

 

I didn't even price it that cheap 1 day for 4 men and 2 trucks

 

I never met with the client only a landscaper so I didn't get a chance to sweet talk them....

[ad15]

skyhuck,,, fair point. well said,

 

dave,, i only mentioned "pro surfer" as he's probably the one surfer who has made a pretty good living out of it,,, in fact, he IS the Uk's most well known familly..

 

darren,, i love technology, as tommer will testify,, i like your thinking,, in fact i've been considering swapping to ipad for a while,, you make it, i'll buy it,,

[Big 'Ammer]

It's only half a days job.

 

It's Autumn.

 

Somebody else will ring you tomorrow.

 

Cheapskates already busy now.

 

Forget about it.