How do you work emergency call outs?

[chris23a]

Ive been considering offering an emergency call out service but need a bit of advice first. Lets say you get a phone call at 11pm and a large tree has just blown over blocking a customers driveway, do you phone up your staff and go out there and then or do just tell the customer you'll be there first thing in the morning? Ive spoken to the boys about it and they aren't too keen at working out of hours.

 

Another aspect is pricing, do you charge time and a half, double time, etc. and do you have a set call out charge? What happens if you all go out to an emergency call out and tell the customer its going to cost £500 to clear the tree just for them to say "sorry that's too expensive"?

 

Any advice would be welcome guys.

[northcountryboy]

This is a difficult one as each callout will be different, id suggest a set price for each job, ie:

[northcountryboy]

This is a difficult one as each callout will be different, id suggest a set price for each job, ie: removing fallen tree blocking access, making safe broken limbs which involve climbing etc etc. That way you will not be wasting your time going out to jobs at short notice and possibly not getting the job. Or you could price it on a callout fee which includes the first hour then an out of hours hourly rate, as an example £100 for the first hour then £60 an hour thereafter. As for your staff, id suggest a weekly/fortnightly rotation for callouts and pay them a callout fee on top of an out of hours hourly rate. Difficult to say when no one knows what margins you work to.

[eggsarascal]

And pay the lads a stand-by/retention fee.

[Ds Tree services]

I had this problem the other day a good customers of my called and said a tree had come down in the wind blocking his access to his stables.... I have gotta nip over first thing in the morning to take a look.

[Gray git]

Not really a call out if you can leave it till Monday morning to even have a look at it, not even had a chance to sit down and work out Thursday mayhem yet, 15 trees down on public highways called in by both highway agency and local authoritie.

I tend to give domestic customers a choice when they call out of hrs ie 5pm till 8am, can it wate till daylight and I'll. Call in 1st thing and give price fir whole job or a set fee to come asap and asses, make safe if possible but with the understanding that if addition equipment to do so is needed that will be extra and give a price for tidying up and finishing any outher work at the soonest convince.

Most suddenly realise it can wate and isn't the end of their world.

Highways are different it's a set fee whether it's a 5min hoy a branch over a hedge or a 3hrs carving a full tree up but again anything outher than 2men saws and basic gear is extra but negotiable, some you win some you loos. Again my lads know this and I'll call round and c who is willing to come for a set fee with no obligation to say yes but most like the money so come.

[steve@black]

Call out is really based for highways and utilities. If a punter insists you come out , go out do the work then hit em with the costs. A mate of mine had 24 hr call out on his web site and got a call at 5 in the morning to prune a apple tree for a marquee for a kids party he said yeah that will be five hundred quid for us to do it first job and the customer said fine go ahead.