They Cancelled on me at 3.15pm

[Matthew Storrs]

I have no interest with being friends with my competitors, it's my reputation with clients I care about, not other tree firms.

I'll have a quick chat at the petrol station, admire (or laugh at) their gear.

I have a few that I sub for/they sub for me. We rub along ok.

We often quote the same jobs, I've even hired guys to help me on jobs they've quoted themselves (and vice versa)

 

 

Sounds like you get on all right with them to me, do they know of your tactics with the TPO applications?

[hamdogg]

Sounds like you get on all right with them to me, do they know of your tactics with the TPO applications?

 

 

A lot if tree lads do this "tactics" my ex employer did it and I do it

[Matthew Storrs]

A lot if tree lads do this "tactics" my ex employer did it and I do it

 

Fair enough, each to their own:001_smile:

[Couldyajust]

If I take work under the nose of the competition, so much the better.

 

That doesn't go down well round here, it's a rural area where you need to get on with the competition as everyone knows each other & reputations can be trashed very quickly.

I do more than just arb work I also do piecework in the woods handcutting, agricultural work & groundworks to ensure I have a good income all year round. If I get asked to quote for a job but don't have time to fit it in then I put it someone elses way the competition does the same for me. Everyone knows who has the skills to complete specific types of work & 9 times out of 10 the customer ends up with the most appropriate company completing the job even if they originally approached someone else. This leaves the customer happy which is all that counts at the end of the day.

 

There was a job recently which I quoted on..... half acre garden full of well manicured shrubs in need of a light trim but the customer went for the cheaper option of allowing the bloke who cuts her grass to deal with them. She went to make him a cuppa & stopped him in his tracks the second she got back as he had lopped 3 foot off the top of 2 of those shrubs which were originally gently rounded conifers. I now have to give a revised quote to finish the job & sort out the mess he made of those two. He has already lost several contracts as a result & the customer has apologised numerous times for not going with my quote in the first place. I have had to recommend a new gardener for her too.

Issues like this are very rare though purely because the majority of local contractors have good working relationships, they don't steal work from each other.

[Matthew Storrs]

That doesn't go down well round here, it's a rural area where you need to get on with the competition as everyone knows each other & reputations can be trashed very quickly.

I do more than just arb work I also do piecework in the woods handcutting, agricultural work & groundworks to ensure I have a good income all year round. If I get asked to quote for a job but don't have time to fit it in then I put it someone elses way the competition does the same for me. Everyone knows who has the skills to complete specific types of work & 9 times out of 10 the customer ends up with the most appropriate company completing the job even if they originally approached someone else. This leaves the customer happy which is all that counts at the end of the day.

 

There was a job recently which I quoted on..... half acre garden full of well manicured shrubs in need of a light trim but the customer went for the cheaper option of allowing the bloke who cuts her grass to deal with them. She went to make him a cuppa & stopped him in his tracks the second she got back as he had lopped 3 foot off the top of 2 of those shrubs which were originally gently rounded conifers. I now have to give a revised quote to finish the job & sort out the mess he made of those two. He has already lost several contracts as a result & the customer has apologised numerous times for not going with my quote in the first place. I have had to recommend a new gardener for her too.

Issues like this are very rare though purely because the majority of local contractors have good working relationships, they don't steal work from each other.

 

This sums it up for me, im exactly the same and quite happy to work with the competition as and when. Perhaps those in a more urban environment can get away with being a bit more 'ruthless'?

[Shane]

If, they have made the application themselves (with no input from a tree professional) and are subsequently getting quotes - fair enough.

 

If not, I'll console myself with the fact that I can happily do without the sort of customer who is persuaded by undercutting after they have agreed a price.

 

I am surprised at how many 'opportunists' there are on here though.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

This sums it up for me, im exactly the same and quite happy to work with the competition as and when. Perhaps those in a more urban environment can get away with being a bit more 'ruthless'?

 

 

X2 same here'

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

 

If not, I'll console myself with the fact that I can happily do without the sort of customer who is persuaded by undercutting after they have agreed a price. .

 

 

X2 same here'

[Ian C]

If, they have made the application themselves (with no input from a tree professional) and are subsequently getting quotes - fair enough.

 

If not, I'll console myself with the fact that I can happily do without the sort of customer who is persuaded by undercutting after they have agreed a price.

 

I am surprised at how many 'opportunists' there are on here though.

 

X3

 

I wouldn't have time to traul papers or planning apps on the off chance I find something . Smacks of desperation to me, and will do to most customers .

[Paul Cleaver]

it was always that way, it will always be that way

 

mmmmmm l was fuming with my episode as you know:sneaky2: