Covering my back when customers don't pay/cancel work....

[Big Bolt]

I have had a 6,000 k job stopped this winter as in the summer a turtle dove had nested in a part of the take down , so to allow it to have a chance to lay again in the same place this year the job was postponed , till next winter !! I hope , as turtle doves are on the special dont mess with list, many beer tokens if you do

[HCR]

No, understood.

However imagine a scenario, one that happened In the uk from time to time.

A leylandii hedge removal followed by grinding of the stumps. Then the next day the fence goes up. All timed because the two neighbours don't want to see eachother. Now if I stopped halfway packed up tools and said "got to wait 6 weeks guv, turtle doves in there sitting on eggs" both the two clients and the fencing contractor would have something to say about it.

Not forgetting those doves nest practically year round.

I recently (well, in the summer) refused to fell an alder 'cos of greater spotted woodpecker chicks.

It was part of a larger job so no money lost, also with the approval of the client (English) so I am not all bad.

 

Fair one, we all live in the real world and make our own judgements. There are plenty of times when I have bent/broken the rules to make practical sense for the job in hand, so I'm not going to get all preachy.

[Pete Hart]

It's a difficult situation for sure!!

 

£200 cheaper sounds a lot! Can't blame her fur taking the cheaper job, maybe yours was within what she expected and the other one was an evening unexpected surprise???

 

Don't know the situation but I don't think you should discuss the price on site? Even if they ask you should shy away from giving a price, but if you do and they accept it there and then (even with a hand shake) they still might have other tree guys due to visit and quote and so its bound to happen that some change their minds and cancel on you.

 

Your not doing anything wrong but that's how it is these days. A written quote either posted or emailed will give them time to get ALL other quotes in and then they can decide.

 

Even with complex things like bank loans, mobile phone contracts etc. the customer ways has a cooling off period during which they can change their minds, and I suppose you need to allow for little old ladies to do the same.

 

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Yeah fair shout i'd probably want the lowest price too.... that said, job and price was discussed and agreed on site, it was all a rush job, she wanted it doing asap, i agreed to do the stumpgrinding for free as a sweetener. She said she was delighted we shook hands all seemed fine.

The job was priced at £450 to clear her front garden (2 medium/large conifers, 2 willows all fell and stump grind, remove hedge at front of garden and other shrubs) i dont have pictures to give an idea but i had allowed for myself and two others for the day to include approx 2 loads of chip tipped off, logs away and stump grind all stumps. Best of luck to whoever did it for £250! They obviously have their overheads and i have mine but that would have been a lot of work for the money.

 

This is simply a small example of how people can let you down, in the grand scheme of things its all water under the bridge and ive excepted it and have to move on.

 

Im glad people have taken the time to respond and give advice as i am interested to know what can be done to prevent it in the future. And its clear that the answer is not a lot due to the 'cooling off period'.

[likeitorlumpit]

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Yeah fair shout i'd probably want the lowest price too.... that said, job and price was discussed and agreed on site, it was all a rush job, she wanted it doing asap, i agreed to do the stumpgrinding for free as a sweetener. She said she was delighted we shook hands all seemed fine.

The job was priced at £450 to clear her front garden (2 medium/large conifers, 2 willows all fell and stump grind, remove hedge at front of garden and other shrubs) i dont have pictures to give an idea but i had allowed for myself and two others for the day to include approx 2 loads of chip tipped off, logs away and stump grind all stumps. Best of luck to whoever did it for £250! They obviously have their overheads and i have mine but that would have been a lot of work for the money.

 

This is simply a small example of how people can let you down, in the grand scheme of things its all water under the bridge and ive excepted it and have to move on.

 

Im glad people have taken the time to respond and give advice as i am interested to know what can be done to prevent it in the future. And its clear that the answer is not a lot due to the 'cooling off period'.

 

You know you're going to go back and check out what they did for the money. It sounds too cheap. Maybe she is going to get stung with xtras:biggrin:

[Rupe]

One thing that has happenned to me is the customer says they have a cheaper quote, and months later you pass by and the work is not done, they simply changed their mind but didnt know how to say so.

 

Tree work would be great if it wasnt for the customers!

[Pete Hart]

I have had customers phone up to say they have changed there mind about a job before, or that they can't afford it at that moment in time.... all fair enough and all you can do is be understanding.

[markiesla]

Make sure your T&C's clearly state re charging interest on late payment e.g. 2.5% above Bank of England Base rate or similar - or whatever rate you wish to use. Also consider whether your interest charge is compound or just on the principal sum. Either way you need to state clearly in your T&C's.

 

If all your T&C's are clear and upfront and delivered as part of the of the quotation, it makes it easier should the need arise to go down the legal avenue.

 

Another consideration could be to include a "work initiation" sheet which the client has to sign before work commences. Of course this should refer to your T&Cs and that they have been read and agreed to.

 

You may also wish to include a comment about cancellation notice and charges if not cancelled with at least xxhrs notice. This is probably better business to business rather than business to client as it may scare some of them off.

[Rupe]

Exactly, it will scare off the decent ones, and the dodgy ones will go for someone without t&c's so its a no win situation.

 

Tree work in the domestic market is about people to people relationships, forms and signatures, interest rates, cancellation charges etc etc is all too much, its only cutting some trees, its not a mobile phone contract!!

 

Just be prepared to have some cancellations here and there and go a do something else. If you try and wrap it all up with paperwork you will have no work at all!

[Le Sanglier]

Exactly, it will scare off the decent ones, and the dodgy ones will go for someone without t&c's so its a no win situation.

 

Tree work in the domestic market is about people to people relationships, forms and signatures, interest rates, cancellation charges etc etc is all too much, its only cutting some trees, its not a mobile phone contract!!

 

Just be prepared to have some cancellations here and there and go a do something else. If you try and wrap it all up with paperwork you will have no work at all!

 

Trying to think of something clever to add but no, all totally correct Rupe.