council competing against us! disgusting!

[Salix Tree & Countryside]

Only this week I had a call from a long standing customer, The council sent them a letter !!! asking if they wanted there garden maintaining.............2hrs a week for £25 !!!!!!!, I used to do 1 hour a fortnight for £20.......thats 3 lawns mowed, borders weeded, edged, weed treated, and i saved her cherry from death by pruning !!!!!!!!!!!

 

I used to work for LA, and yes, if they are offering out services to the private sector, then all that tax free fuel, subsidised equipment and insurances will definately cost me out.......My hourly rate is based on my overheads, taxes, insurance and a wage element........the LA's to some degree dont have to orry about this as its allready covered........its a bad sign, it can only drive down rates even lower than they are as we all try to compete with a system that can outcompete us all at will !

 

Mark

[samthescam]

Only this week I had a call from a long standing customer, The council sent them a letter !!! asking if they wanted there garden maintaining.............2hrs a week for £25 !!!!!!!, I used to do 1 hour a fortnight for £20.......thats 3 lawns mowed, borders weeded, edged, weed treated, and i saved her cherry from death by pruning !!!!!!!!!!!

 

I used to work for LA, and yes, if they are offering out services to the private sector, then all that tax free fuel, subsidised equipment and insurances will definately cost me out.......My hourly rate is based on my overheads, taxes, insurance and a wage element........the LA's to some degree dont have to orry about this as its allready covered........its a bad sign, it can only drive down rates even lower than they are as we all try to compete with a system that can outcompete us all at will !

 

Mark

 

If you can't compete with some guys who are stopping every 5 minutes for a coffee/fag/phone break you have a problem. At the end of the day they will probably do a terrible job, and you will end up getting the customer back. Stop getting stressed by this, and live with it.

[Salix Tree & Countryside]

If you can't compete with some guys who are stopping every 5 minutes for a coffee/fag/phone break you have a problem. At the end of the day they will probably do a terrible job, and you will end up getting the customer back. Stop getting stressed by this, and live with it.

 

I dont think its a case of me having a problem, its more down to the economics, I can run rings around the LA guys, because I have too !, and yes I may get the job back after they have ruined it.

 

My point is we cant compete on costs............and in todays climate its that what counts.

[born2trot]

If you can't compete with some guys who are stopping every 5 minutes for a coffee/fag/phone break you have a problem. At the end of the day they will probably do a terrible job, and you will end up getting the customer back. Stop getting stressed by this, and live with it.

 

Sam , the concern is that they are not stopping every 5 mins for coffee breaks etc . We could be talking about motivated , well equiped , highly trained teams with the backing to wipe the floor with private firms in an unbalanced playing field. I dont go along with the idea they are all lazy and they'll mess up .

[samthescam]

I dont think its a case of me having a problem, its more down to the economics, I can run rings around the LA guys, because I have too !, and yes I may get the job back after they have ruined it.

 

My point is we cant compete on costs............and in todays climate its that what counts.

 

You know what, all the local shops and butchers said they couldnt compete with tesco's and other supermarkets... And they were right, on price they couldnt.

 

So what they did, was other a better service. They chose to allow customers to come in and see the meat was fresh and ask the butcher to cut it in certain ways... And they were willing to pay more for this.

 

What I'm saying is, that plenty of people will pay a premium price for a premium service. So just up your game.

[samthescam]

Sam , the concern is that they are not stopping every 5 mins for coffee breaks etc . We could be talking about motivated , well equiped , highly trained teams with the backing to wipe the floor with private firms in an unbalanced playing field. I dont go along with the idea they are all lazy and they'll mess up .

 

If they were that good, they wouldnt be working for the council. Sorry - but the best dont chose to work for big companies where they are only ever going to earn a set reasonably low amount.

 

Either way, unless the local councils are rapidly expanding then I cant see them having the manpower to take all the work.

[WorcsWuss]

It works both ways. Councils have been held to ransom by inflated costs from private sector contractors. That is partly due to poor negociation from the councils, but councils have been seen as a soft touch by anyone who can get their claws in them, since forever. .

 

Not true, council tendered contracts are tragically low margin, because the councils specify them so heavily and then put them out to 6 contractors so that it comes down to who will work closest to cost price.

You can only make a comfortable living working for a local authority of you actually work FOR the local authority...

[Graham]

If you can't compete with some guys who are stopping every 5 minutes for a coffee/fag/phone break you have a problem. At the end of the day they will probably do a terrible job, and you will end up getting the customer back. Stop getting stressed by this, and live with it.

 

They may or may not do a terrible job. If it's a fell then the tree's gone; job done. Whether they take some time to do it or not the customer gets what they paid for and if the LA do it at a subsidised rate then it's not really fair on a small business.

[Pete Mctree]

If they were that good, they wouldnt be working for the council. Sorry - but the best dont chose to work for big companies where they are only ever going to earn a set reasonably low amount.

 

Either way, unless the local councils are rapidly expanding then I cant see them having the manpower to take all the work.

 

Haha your a fool if you think council teams are all lazy & unproductive, employing poor staff. The wages are usually compativley good, conditions excellent, kit first class thus attracting the better climbers & tree workers.

[Yorkshireman]

pete ,, now really are you trying to convince us or you ...? Lol

 

 

Yep the conditions have been favourable for all involved,

 

 

however, times they are a changing

 

as to the if you cant compete comment above I reserve comment on that as it is quite naughty having a stab at other Arbs , just because of their employer

 

A very generalised & very misguided comment ,,

 

In my experience in many aspects of life, there's good & theres crap wherever you go.