How much would you charge?

[Dean Lofthouse]

Why didn't his brother climb the trees and do the work

[Hodge]

Why didn't his brother climb the trees and do the work

 

He was probably fencing!! joke!!

[George Nicholls]

I must start taking on landscaping jobs, just price the job, cream off all the profit then get some labourers in to do all the work.

 

I can't understand why someone advertises tree work that then get others in to do the work

 

completely ditto!

[Pedroski]

Why didn't his brother climb the trees and do the work

 

I said in an earlier post..... on this one last tree he went chicken. Been doing the tree work for 20+ years and something didn't feel right.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I said in an earlier post..... on this one last tree he went chicken. Been doing the tree work for 20+ years and something didn't feel right.

 

Sorry, I understood it as a subby was doing the work

 

Just can't do with plastic tree surgeons

[Hodge]

I said in an earlier post..... on this one last tree he went chicken. Been doing the tree work for 20+ years and something didn't feel right.

 

I had a climber do that to me on a job, he came down out of the tree and said he was off home, told me to keep the days money and he was sorry to let me down and went. He sold all his kit the following week and that was that. Shame as he was a nice fella but he just couldn't do it anymore.

[Pedroski]

completely ditto!

 

George, read my earlier post.

 

I really don't understand what the problem is. Think about it for a minute. If you do regular tree work for one customer, and he asks you to do some hedge cutting or mowing, would you:

 

a) turn round and say you can't do that sort of work and suggest he call a landscape firm, running the risk of then losing that client completely to the firm he calls in,

 

or

 

b) price the work up, with a price that will cover all contingencies, and arrange the landscaping by getting in a firm known to you and who you trust 100%?

 

Another alternative, if you have the capabilities, qualifications and skills required, is to actually do it yourself. It makes absolutely no business sense to say to a regular client to call someone else in. It also makes no business sense to recommend another firm either. We did this once, and lost someone we had as a client for over a decade, because the recommended firm decided they liked the look of the whole thing.

 

Someone said last week that to succeed, if someone asks you to do something, you should never say "I can't because.......", but instead you should say "I can if......". In this case, "I can if I get someone in to do it".

 

There is absolutely no moral obligation to say you can't do something and suggest he get another firm in himself. I'm not morally obliged to hand work completely over to someone else. What I am morally obliged to do is to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. So by treating client fairly and sorting stuff out for him, by getting in a bona-fide sub-contractor or firm to do the work on my behalf, and by paying that firm whatever rate they quote, then all is good. I've not done anyone out of any work, and I've protected my work.

 

So what if I cream a bit of profit of it - I've sorted everything out for my client, I've kept my client which means I can still support my family, and in turn can support the local butcher, greengrocer etc, by spending money in there, I keep the bank from knocking on my door. It's what business is all about.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Pedroski

[Dean Lofthouse]

I personally have a diary of good landscapers, fencers and gardeners and have won extra work for putting my clients in touch with people who know their trade and do a very good job.

 

I have never ever got someone in to do the job then stuck a bit on for myself. Its an uneccessary cost to the customer. I,ve found that this way works for me because the other trades always recommend me in return..

[Hodge]

I personally have a diary of good landscapers, fencers and gardeners and have won extra work for putting my clients in touch with people who know their trade and do a very good job.

 

I have never ever got someone in to do the job then stuck a bit on for myself. Its an uneccessary cost to the customer. I,ve found that this way works for me because the other trades always recommend me in return..

 

I do the same, a local gardener gives me all his tree work and I give him garden work, I also see him right at Christmas:)

[skyhuck]

I personally have a diary of good landscapers, fencers and gardeners and have won extra work for putting my clients in touch with people who know their trade and do a very good job.

 

I have never ever got someone in to do the job then stuck a bit on for myself. Its an uneccessary cost to the customer. I,ve found that this way works for me because the other trades always recommend me in return..