Taking the Proverbial

[carlos]

the other option on jobs like that is to work on an hourly rate with a rough estimate if they ask, then when you get asked to split carry allover the garden into the garage, cook dinner wash up etc! your still getting your money and probably wont get asked to either on hourly.

carl.

[MarshallArb]

im now in a similar situation:

 

when i started out i got some regular weekend logging work on a estate i live on and my father is the caretaker for. i quoted the job at 75quid a day on the condition that the only machinery i needed to use was my saw anything else was provided fuel etc.

 

that soon escalated and was soon doing felling work and more recently a few awful dismantles. all requiring more and more equipment and increasing in risk. and you guesssed it- it was all expected at 75quid a day.

 

i now have pleanty of work and price competitively with competitors. each time i work for the estate im loosing more and more money. problem is i dont want to annoy them cos its where i live and they employ my father and also they have close links to the estate that employs me almost full time as a forester.

 

lesson learned-dont do cheap work any more

 

if anyone has any way out for me on this would be grateful for any ideas. im getting close to loosing my rag cos im constantly told to keep my bills reasonable (as if they arnt enough allready) and getting nagged about burning brashwood up even when its raining!

 

anyone have any ideas they will be gratefuly recieved. i cant think of owt to get out of it.

[Mark Bolam]

In all fairness mate, it will end up being a good experience for you. Learn from it. Disagreements on spec on a big job could cost you a bit more than a days sweat for f-all.

 

John Russells advice is, as usual, spot on.

[CGW Chestnut]

We have it with joe public wanting discount on posts etc They ask for a discount if they where to order 50 posts wanting them cheaper than we sell to the trade, we just tell em we'll will knock the timber tax off, they fall for it everytime.

[Stevie Mac]

Thanks for all the advise people.

 

I have had one job passed onto me from him in the past and hopefully get more work passed on in the future.

 

Went back today to ring up stack of logs and finish tidying up, and got a jar of homemade chutney, that made it all worth it.

 

Cheers

 

Stevie

[kimtree]

Glad it worked out for you.

i find that 9 out of ten clients regard kindness as a sign of weakness.constantly i get 'while you here can you just' if the client has been friendly and offered drinks whilst we have been on site i'm happy to obilige and do small jobs for free or a small consideration

however most clients seem to think that while your there anyway ANY extra job will be at a small price.

most seem putout when i say well that will be an extra 250,500,etc

[Pat Ferrett]

If asked to do unpaid extras I always say the same thing : If I did 10% extra on every job ,then 1 day in every 10 Im work for nowt. Just finshed 2 days of coni bashing for the owner of a rented property, the tenant wanted to keep the dead branches to start their fire, the problem is that they wanted it stacked in the corner and it now looks like I've left a load of rubbish on site and didnt clear up properly.. Im now going to have to tell the owner and I know she wont be happy as the house is on the market.

[john p]

i doubt many plumbers get asked 'while your here,can you fit a hot tub',or chippies being hassled to knock up a staircase cause they finished sooner than client expects,so why does it happen to us with alarming regularity?