New Pickup=lost client...

[Ty Korrigan]

Nuts...

So I turned up to do a quote at property of a retired couple of Ex-pats IN our shiny new Navarra.

Its the basic model, we worked hard, saved hard and chuffing deserve to own a decent bit of kit now and then.

No alloys, not sign written yet, just a big white grunty whale.

Anyway...

Back to the clients.

A technical take down over phone lines, gates, traffic to be controlled blah blah...

I gave a what I thought to be a competive/low/cash option figure over a cup of tea only to receive the response along the lines of "How can a couple of trees be so expensive? I'd do them myself if it weren't for my back/age/wife...

So thats how you can afford that new car then eh?

Must have cost a pretty penny?

I'll think about it, goodbye."

 

I received an e-mail later saying they have found another 'local' company very much cheaper...which is an odd thing for a client to do in fact...

 

On my mind...

1.Was it my truck that lost me the deal?

2.Was it the fact that tree work is costly and they just didn't have the funds?

3.Is the e-mail a cover for 2.

 

I will pass by in a few weeks just to see if the work has been done or not.

IF not then number 2 applies.

If it has been done then fair go I say!

Another more hungry firm could have underpriced to win in hard times.

If number 1...I'm going back to the 10year old Kantgo (Kangoo) for quotes.

 

Cheers for listening (reading) Ty

[Chris Sheppard]

I think in some cases number 1 is right (even if it shouldn't be).

 

I think there's a happy medium somewhere between shiny and knackered

[Peter]

Putting off the cheapskates is a good way of eliminating problem clients IMO.

 

I may start borrowing the father in laws Alfa for quoting.

[WorcsWuss]

If they have a problem with someone working hard and earning a good living I wouldn't be worried what they think nor would I want to work for them, they clearly need the money more... Puts you a few pegs higher than them in the 'what I made of my life' stakes.

One of our plumbing subbies has a couple of RR Sports, motorhome, bikes, boat, you name it. Which says to me he's good at what he does and that reassures me I'm employing the right guys [as I rock up in the clapped out pool car Mondeo!] and the last thing it makes me think is that he's ripping people off, you can only keep that up for so long.... certainly not long enough to achieve what he has...

[MATTMOSS]

There is another option you may have over looked?????

 

Now and again you come across a customer who you cannot please no matter how hard you try!!!

 

But youre probably just too expensive, driving around in youre new motor!!

:lol:

[Rich2484]

Next time throw some mud at the truck before going for a quote, make it look tatty and don't forget the rags for clothes.

[daveindales]

don't dwell on it. nobody will ever get every job they quote for. I just accept it and move on.

[Mortimer Firewood]

I would not let it worry you as you said you worked hard for it and if your successful in business why should you not show that for all they new it could be leased or it could be the banks. People like that are not worth having as clients might of been a lucky escape.

[ecodao]

Hi there,

 

i wouldn't worry about it , as you say.... you have worked hard for it.

 

here in Portugal we have turned up at an expats to do a quote only to be told it was too expensive, even thought it was a low price , there response was to get a local lad from their village to free climb it and hack away at it.

 

steve

[nick channer]

i used to get that when i bought a new range rover few yrs back..... when they said ooh there must be good money in tree work i just said yeah there is... especially when you do it 7 days week 364 days a year.... that soon shut em up.....