Undercut by a pro today

[18 stoner]

I see this has turned into the usual "we are undervalued, clients are stupid for wanting the cheapest price" thread, yawn.

My favourites line so far "apologise to the client on behalf of the industry":lol::lol:

 

Mine is dynorod doing gynaecology on the side!:lol:

[Wolfie]

In my area i'm probably one of the cheaper professionals. I still get undercut quite regularly by the non-professionals. I occasionally get them over the cheaper quotes because the tree owner can tell I know what i'm talking about.

 

Looked at a job for a local contractor that I sometimes work with. He was told they were Chestnuts and didn't know any different.

They were actually Lime trees!

 

 

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[18 stoner]

Similar here. I've been running my own set up for enough years now to know how to price accurately.

 

For those moaning about being undercut, just sit back and figure it out. There are ways of quoting a reasonably cheap price to win the job yet still earn more than your competitors.

 

It's not price per job you need to look at its amount of profit from that job. Start looking at the bigger picture by thinking outside the box a little.

[Stubby]

But not every cheap job is done by the guys in the tranny tippers. I posted on another thread that was along the lines of the following;

Imagine Joe Bloggs is just starting out. He does a job for Mrs Smith at a cut price rate. Does a good job etc. Mrs Smith tells her knitting circle friends what a good job Joe did and how he was good value. Joe gets a several more jobs out of it and at the end of the first year he's made enough money to pay overheads and a little bit of cash to keep the wolf from the door. The following year, he ups his prices a little. Still gets the work, keeps his customers happy, doesn't have too much big gear so can afford to charge a little less and just take a bit longer. Stacks the rubbish on a truck rather than chipping it so doesn't have to worry about a chipper, fuel etc. I know I started out like this in order to get a foot in the door and it worked pretty well. My first customers still come back to me because they know I do a good job. The price increases they have taken in their stride. Fair enough, I lose a few but not that many in the grand scheme. People seem to forget that we all started out on the bottom rung of the ladder and cheap doesn't always mean a crap job.

 

 

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Well said .

[Gardenmac]

Well said .

Here Here. Thats exactly what I've been doing for the last two years. Its been hard graft but my customer base is all sourced now by word of mouth.

[d-raittuk]

But not every cheap job is done by the guys in the tranny tippers. I posted on another thread that was along the lines of the following;

Imagine Joe Bloggs is just starting out. He does a job for Mrs Smith at a cut price rate. Does a good job etc. Mrs Smith tells her knitting circle friends what a good job Joe did and how he was good value. Joe gets a several more jobs out of it and at the end of the first year he's made enough money to pay overheads and a little bit of cash to keep the wolf from the door. The following year, he ups his prices a little. Still gets the work, keeps his customers happy, doesn't have too much big gear so can afford to charge a little less and just take a bit longer. Stacks the rubbish on a truck rather than chipping it so doesn't have to worry about a chipper, fuel etc. I know I started out like this in order to get a foot in the door and it worked pretty well. My first customers still come back to me because they know I do a good job. The price increases they have taken in their stride. Fair enough, I lose a few but not that many in the grand scheme. People seem to forget that we all started out on the bottom rung of the ladder and cheap doesn't always mean a crap job.

 

 

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no totally agree just had a rant think it went abit off topic to be honest i think there is a fine line between it all and its a case by case argument dont think it can be generalized

[d-raittuk]

There's a guy who's knocked down a load of conifers from about 35-40' down to fence height 5'. He's driving a corsa with a trailer smaller than the car. Been doing the job for two days now and barely taken much away. If I had done the same I'd reckon a day and a bit moving logs.

 

What really surprised me was that he was using one of those cheap Chinese fake stihls. Spotted it a mile off. Bashing stuff down in the trailer. He's parked on an outside kerb on a roundabout and there's lots of people walking past that point he nearly took a cyclists head off. No signs or cones or beacons. You come round a corner and find him in the way. Quite dangerous IMO.

 

he will get away with that day in day out. you dont put enough cones out and your going to jail lol

[ging]

Tesco BASICS range of garden services...

Honestly, I 'could' send a man out for a mere 15euros per hour but for that he wouldn't work very hard nor climb or possess anything more than a spade and a pair of secateurs.

Everything else is an added extra, chipper+truck, climbers, taller hedges, stumps...etc.

In France, we call guys with saloon cars and wee trailers who garden work Ten Euro's Dave's.

Ty

 

lol in Vienna they just call them auslanders

[Warners]

We see the amateurs all the time... strimming with no safety wear and no hi-vis on the road edge... guys on mowers with no ear defenders. Agreed they are probably cheaper and do the same quality job. But what happens when there is a problem. going through a utility line or worse causing an injury to a member of the public. Once the insurance company finds out the chap on the tools has no training (fair to assume as no PPE) the insurance will be void. Also not sure we can compare ourselves to the US as the regs are different.

[Le Sanglier]

We see the amateurs all the time... strimming with no safety wear and no hi-vis on the road edge... guys on mowers with no ear defenders. Agreed they are probably cheaper and do the same quality job. But what happens when there is a problem. going through a utility line or worse causing an injury to a member of the public. Once the insurance company finds out the chap on the tools has no training (fair to assume as no PPE) the insurance will be void. Also not sure we can compare ourselves to the US as the regs are different.

 

Yes they are cheaper and do they same quality job, and for small tree works and grass cutting etc I would probably go for the bloke in the saloon car and trailer if I was Joe Public. (VAT would be a factor as well)

I've been there and am not going to sneer at others in the same boat.