Jeez - what a day!

[Shane]

After the planting fiasco this morning I thought the day couldn't get any worse = wrong:sneaky2:

 

While I was finishing typing the other thread a 'customer' phoned me.

 

We've done loads of work for him over the years always a happy bunny.

Over the last year I've spent many hours writing reports and TPO apps for him so he could finally get permission to remove a couple of protected trees ans tidy up some others. With site visits, phone calls and writing up I'd say 6-8 hours - all for no charge because we were going to do the work.

 

Some months ago he got approval - subject to a bat survey.

 

He has finally found someone to do the bat survey but they have mysteriously offered to do the bat survey AND all the work for the same price as I had quoted.

 

So he phoned me to see if I would knock £500 off my price top pay for the bat survey by them and then I do the work.

 

I'm speechless (most unusual) maybe willing to knock a bit off but it looks like he's shown them my quote and done some haggling.

 

Thinking maybe I should not budge on price and remind him of what I've already done - but it is 6 days work with a long established customer.

 

I know if I was replying to a message like this I'd say the guy is a .....

and not the sort of customer I need anymore - and maybe he's bluffing anyway???

 

Aaaargh:thumbdown:

[geoff]

I would try not to take it to heart, If you can see a profit in being competitive, & want the work, then state your terms, reminding him that you have done the ground work already.

Loads of this type of thing going on, just today had to deal with a not too dissimilar situation that has been ongoing for months, at the end of the day you want his money, earnt in a profitable way, frustrating though it is.

[Stephen Blair]

Let the bat guy do it, and go and find a better customer.

[felixthelogchopper]

Let the bat guy do it, and go and find a better customer.

 

Ditto, but charge for the admin that you have already done.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Or agree to do it for £500 less then send him an invoice for all your preliminary work. 8hrs @ £60 per hour.

 

Perfect.

😂

Only joking, sort of.

 

 

Sent with my iPhone from me, to you!

[Essex arborist]

I'd say the lesson to learn is charge for your time, I do.

 

If a client wants TPO applications etc then charge a fee, payable immediately and knock it off tree work bill if they go with you - simples.

 

That way you don't lose out on your time.

 

 

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

[Marc Lewis]

Another problem is, if you knock £500 off, is he going to think that you are over charging him and have perhaps in the past if you can afford to reduce amount by this much? Personally I would explain all the leg work you have put in and that your business model is different to his and there is not that much profit in it to reduce cost by that much. Also, will the other chaps quality of work be up to that of yours (it may well be). Offer to reduce price by £150-200 (if you can afford to) so he feels he is getting something out of it. Just my opinion.

[hedgesparrow]

I'd say the lesson to learn is charge for your time, I do.

 

If a client wants TPO applications etc then charge a fee, payable immediately and knock it off tree work bill if they go with you - simples.

 

That way you don't lose out on your time.

 

 

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

 

i know customers who have had reports done on there trees. one being a council had to pay for the survey work then same chap did the work he recomended for a price so cost them a 5 figure sum for survey and similar for doing the work. afraid thats the way you sometimes have to go charge them for your report and then a quote to do work. i quoted to do a hedge. two bits 200mtrs and 20mtrs based price on whole job only got the 20mtrs. so dropped a CLANGER as 20mtr hedge is worse than 200mtrs

and should have been double what i charged them to do job. learn lessons from it will not get bitten again

[steve@black]

We had something similar recently with ecologists , we had flagged some trees on a site to come down the ecologists did a survey and offered to price to get them down , biggish customer with quite an impressive property portfolio so needless to say we were there within a couple of days and got the trees down before they even had time to price them , lucky in that respect. But it does seem there is no respect for other people who have agreements or such like with clients, And if people say "well business is business" that the biggest cop out going we could all shaft the local competition if we wanted to .

[Shane]

I don't like Mondays (cue for a song there).

They say crud happens in threes.

Last night my mum turned up at the door in loads of pain. I took her to the local hospital (shes been in worsening pain for a few days since she fell off her bike).

Got there at 8:00 last night and at 5:15 this morning (still in A and E) they concluded she probably has a cracked hip.

They are keeping her in for further checks.

 

Hopefully thats my three dodgy things over with - maybe cancel the rest of today.

 

Mind you, my mum's problem puts the planting and haggling customer issues into perspective.

 

At least Monday is over now. Let's see what Tuesday brings.