Customers strange demands.

[David Cropper]

I had a call yesterday from a potential customer who wanted a chestnut ground out after my mate took it down. He wanted my promise that after the tree surgeon had finished that there wouldn't be any mark on his turf at all. I waffled away saying what an expert he was, very diligent blah blah. He then requested that my mate bring some old mattresses to place around the tree to soften the impact of the dropped branches! After me explaining the method that would be used, lowering etc to the groundy he managed to get his head around this. I had suspected it was a wind up from Darren Shepherd from VTS, same Nottinghamshire accent, thought it was one of his greasy pals ringing up. I'm ready to start effing and jeffing when this bloke throws a couple of French words into the conversation. Obviously nothing to do with Shepherd and his gang, English is difficult enough for them, so it must be a real client. He then needs wants my promise that my grinder won't leave a mark on the grass , to which I say that I'll do my best using planks. He's now suggesting that I roll up all the turf around the stump to 3 metres and also on the route from the drive to the job which is 30 metres. All this for a 2 foot wide stump.

[Goaty]

Tell him you will hire ground mats and scaffold boards and a big amount it will cost him.

[roseyweb]

At least he's pre warning you rather than complaining once you've bent his Daisy's

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Walk, rather run away asap!

 

It'll never be good enough for people like that. You can't make an omelette without cracking an egg...

[skyhuck]

Walk, rather run away asap!

 

It'll never be good enough for people like that. You can't make an omelette without cracking an egg...

 

[David Cropper]

Tell him you will hire ground mats and scaffold boards and a big amount it will cost him.

 

To put him off and save all the aggro I quoted him a half day's work, in reality it's going to be an hours work with all the buggering about taken into consideration, he jumped straight in and agreed. I ain't the most patient bloke in the world but I may have to bite my tongue on this one for this price.

[Gary Prentice]

The customer is always right. If he wants it done this way, write out a quote and specification to meet his requirements and charge accordingly. Give him a second quote, corresponding to the way you'd normally do it, then he can put his money where his mouth is!

 

 

If no marks are the highest criteria he has- he'll pay. You might find this suddenly becomes less important when the implications of cost are visible.

[David Cropper]

The customer is always right. If he wants it done this way, write out a quote and specification to meet his requirements and charge accordingly. Give him a second quote, corresponding to the way you'd normally do it, then he can put his money where his mouth is!

 

 

If no marks are the highest criteria he has- he'll pay. You might find this suddenly becomes less important when the implications of cost are visible.

 

I agree with that the customer is always (sometimes) right, mostly they are very pleasant and accept that you know what you are doing and let you crack on. I'm beginning to wonder if he may have mental health problems, he insists on referring to people by using their full name and title in the conversation, all the time. It's usual that they address you as David or Mr Cropper, not Mr David Cropper at every turn. My mate told me to deal with his wife if it's possible. Bit late to back out now as we have agreed the price.

[David Cropper]

The customer is always right. If he wants it done this way, write out a quote and specification to meet his requirements and charge accordingly. Give him a second quote, corresponding to the way you'd normally do it, then he can put his money where his mouth is!

 

 

If no marks are the highest criteria he has- he'll pay. You might find this suddenly becomes less important when the implications of cost are visible.

 

Sorry Gary, I forgot to say that I asked him to get his gardener to have the ground prepared before I arrive. I pity that poor sod.

[luftwaffe]

Or you could leave it untill the ground firms up a bit, in the past i have put boards down etc to save make a mess, but it only half works as the boards squash into the lawn and the mud comes to the top due to working on top of the boards, wait until May when the moisture has gone.