Pricing risk vs time

[Thesnarlingbadger]

Why risk felling a tree in that situation if you've got time and money on a dismantle? At least do a bit of rigging to make it safer and look more professional. If a customer gets funny about a price with me (after they have agreed at the time of the quote) I just explain to them that the cost is in the £20,000 chipper, £1000 insurance, £2000 tools, a year or 2 at collage, the cost they would pay to get rid of the brash and logs themselves and that I have put the A team on their job. They usually say fair enough after that plus I don't feel like a right prick as everything I have told them is completely true. They wouldn't think twice about spending £20,000 for an extension that is up in 2 weeks. But as said before try and not tell them how long it will take, I know you can't always do this.

[Vespasian]

That would be like pricing for a Ford Edge, and being supplied a Fiesta, at the Ford Edge price, you have priced for one task, and executed another, therefore the price should be different, especially if a deal of sucking teeth and underbreath muttering were any part of your protracted price calculation, for such a complex task.

Which you then choose to do the easy way.

To me it is clear that one should keep the customer informed, & explain;

(i) Plan "A" is quick, cheap but risky, your household insurance or mine, for any damage arising.(And allowing for an insurance claim has to carry a price cost)

(ii)Plan "B" is slower and therefore more expensive, but much safer.

Regards

Marcus

 

Yea, thats how it aught be done...

[Mark Bolam]

It all depends if they're in or not.

[Vespasian]

Why risk felling a tree in that situation if you've got time and money on a dismantle? At least do a bit of rigging to make it safer and look more professional. If a customer gets funny about a price with me (after they have agreed at the time of the quote) I just explain to them that the cost is in the £20,000 chipper, £1000 insurance, £2000 tools, a year or 2 at collage, the cost they would pay to get rid of the brash and logs themselves and that I have put the A team on their job. They usually say fair enough after that plus I don't feel like a right prick as everything I have told them is completely true. They wouldn't think twice about spending £20,000 for an extension that is up in 2 weeks. But as said before try and not tell them how long it will take, I know you can't always do this.

 

I never like this argument, you buy a chipper to get the job done quicker so you can move onto the next one to get some more money... you buy the chipper/chainsaw for you, not the customer, why should they pay for it?...

 

Perhaps I might turn up an prune some privits and throw the clippings into the 50 grand bandit chipper an charge the customer two thousand for ten minutes work:thumbdown:

 

If any argument should be used, its this.. Look, I might end up breakin my neck or worse... thats got to be worth somethin...

[Thesnarlingbadger]

I never like this argument, you buy a chipper to get the job done quicker so you can move onto the next one to get some more money... you buy the chipper/chainsaw for you, not the customer, why should they pay for it?...

 

 

 

Perhaps I might turn up an prune some privits and throw the clippings into the 50 grand bandit chipper an charge the customer two thousand for ten minutes work:thumbdown:

 

 

 

If any argument should be used, its this.. Look, I might end up breakin my neck or worse... thats got to be worth somethin...

 

 

I agree with the point you make about the chipper not being brought for the customer specifically but the point I'm making is that to do our job we need a lot of expensive equipment where as another tradesman may only need a handful of tools. Of course I'm not going to charge someone 2 grand to do a 10 minute job and hedge trimming etc tends to get but in at a lower price as its more of a luxury for people rather than a necessity also if the price is too high they will just do it themselves and rightly so. Where as a take down isn't something your average member of public would like to risk doing themselves therefore you can look at charging a little extra.

[Mick Dempsey]

It all depends if they're in or not.

 

Best post by far on a slightly silly thread.

[ThatTreeGuy]

I am straight with my customers.. my price is my price. I don't mention anything about time and I rarely ever have to justify the price I ask

[Luckyeleven]

You are providing a service for a price,

 

e.g Tree gone for 500 quid.

 

If you turn up having agreed a price and suddenly its possible to fell it, bonus.

[Joe Newton]

There are the times when you turn up to a decent sized kill in a small garden and the customer goes "oh, so you're actually going up it!?"

 

Sod it, gob it and let it go then!

[Stubby]

Never tell the customer how long it will take.

Golden rule.

 

This .