Have a cheaper price, but he won't come back

[Dadatwins]

Recieved a call few days ago, customer asked if I would actually show up for the estimate and do the work if I said I would. Thought she was joking, but I played along and told her that not only would I do the work, I would do it at the price that we agreed to. Potential tells me she had someone come out 4 days late for the estimate, and then never came back for 4 weeks to do the job. She was tired of waiting and not getting return calls, and wanted the tree down. Had a laugh on the phone and agreed to meet. Showed up for the estimate on time, nice neighborhood, all new construction, customer has dead white oak -18" dbh x 70' tall, located at end of 100' of aggregate driveway, 10' from underground propane tank, sprinkler system through out yard, meticulious landscaping around tree, golf course quality grass. Not a flop & drop tree, climbing, tarps on the grass, rigging all the wood down, and walking all debris to road, since I will not put any equipment on those aggregate driveways, they crack when you look at them the wrong way. Gave the lady price of $800.00,removal with stump, figure 3-4 hour job. Cheap price I thought but she had a bunch of other stump work that I was going to do also and make a day out of it. After I give the price she says "wow you are 2 times the price the other guy gave me". So I respond, " so you are comparing my price to a company that has never come back to do the work or return her call?" Her response was that she was going to call the other guy again and see if he could do the work, as I was "way high". I suggested calling some other contractors and get some more bids and thanked her for wasting my time. :censored: Landed 2 other easier jobs in the area just for the time parked there so not a total loss, but some people do make you want to scream.

 

[osb_mail]

Okay see if I can tell it right and not long . My grandma work for sears for long time even when they sold farm supplies . And guy can came in wanting baler twine they said $15 a unit (price is probably not right but this is a story ).The guy said well the place down the road is only $12 . They said ok go buy it there, well they are sold out . The people at sears told him when we are sold out it is only $10 a unit .

 

[reachtreeservi]

I feel your pain ! LOL

Recieved a call few days ago, customer asked if I would actually show up for the estimate and do the work if I said I would. Thought she was joking, but I played along and told her that not only would I do the work, I would do it at the price that we agreed to. Potential tells me she had someone come out 4 days late for the estimate, and then never came back for 4 weeks to do the job. She was tired of waiting and not getting return calls, and wanted the tree down. Had a laugh on the phone and agreed to meet. Showed up for the estimate on time, nice neighborhood, all new construction, customer has dead white oak -18" dbh x 70' tall, located at end of 100' of aggregate driveway, 10' from underground propane tank, sprinkler system through out yard, meticulious landscaping around tree, golf course quality grass. Not a flop & drop tree, climbing, tarps on the grass, rigging all the wood down, and walking all debris to road, since I will not put any equipment on those aggregate driveways, they crack when you look at them the wrong way. Gave the lady price of $800.00,removal with stump, figure 3-4 hour job. Cheap price I thought but she had a bunch of other stump work that I was going to do also and make a day out of it. After I give the price she says "wow you are 2 times the price the other guy gave me". So I respond, " so you are comparing my price to a company that has never come back to do the work or return her call?" Her response was that she was going to call the other guy again and see if he could do the work, as I was "way high". I suggested calling some other contractors and get some more bids and thanked her for wasting my time. :censored: Landed 2 other easier jobs in the area just for the time parked there so not a total loss, but some people do make you want to scream.

Dadatwins, I wouldn't touch a job you described for less than $1800.00
Sounds to me like you were way reasonable.
Climbing good sized tree, , tarps on the grass, rigging all the wood down, and walking all debris to road,zero damage to ground cover, aggregate driveway, 10' from underground propane tank, sprinkler system through out yard, meticulous landscaping around tree, golf course quality grass and stumping.

For 800.00 .

C'mon man, If I've got to go thru all that, they're gonna pay!
I know what you mean, though.
I quoted the last six jobs low also to get enough work ahead to buy a new MS 660 for a stumper. Quoted some prices so low , I was almost paying them to climb and cut.
Not one of them has called back so far.

I've started to quote a price good for 30 days only. After 30 days, without a good reason , If I do the work it cost them more. A GOOD BIT MORE... Usually 100.00 , I look at it as an aggravation tax.

It's hard to believe that people want you to bring thousands of dollars worth of specialized equipment, to do unbelievable hard and dangerous labor, with out of this world liability and constantly rising operating costs for 200.00 to 400.00 dollars. OR LESS !

I swear, it's like they're smokin crack !

 

[BC WetCoast]

Dadatwins, I wouldn't touch a job you described for less than $1800.00
Sounds to me like you were way reasonable.
Climbing good sized tree, , tarps on the grass, rigging all the wood down, and walking all debris to road,zero damage to ground cover, aggregate driveway, 10' from underground propane tank, sprinkler system through out yard, meticulous landscaping around tree, golf course quality grass and stumping.

For 800.00 .

C'mon man, If I've got to go thru all that, they're gonna pay!
I know what you mean, though.
I quoted the last six jobs low also to get enough work ahead to buy a new MS 660 for a stumper. Quoted some prices so low , I was almost paying them to climb and cut.
Not one of them has called back so far.

I've started to quote a price good for 30 days only. After 30 days, without a good reason , If I do the work it cost them more. A GOOD BIT MORE... Usually 100.00 , I look at it as an aggravation tax.

It's hard to believe that people want you to bring thousands of dollars worth of specialized equipment, to do unbelievable hard and dangerous labor, with out of this world liability and constantly rising operating costs for 200.00 to 400.00 dollars. OR LESS !

I swear, it's like they're smokin crack !

I agree, $800 sounds way cheap to me considering all the effort and aggravation. My crew doesn't show up at your door for under $200 and the stumper doesn't show up for under $150.

Fortunately our economy is rocking, so every time we raise the hourly rates the more work gets sold.

 

[windthrown]

I think that any of us that are or were in this trade for long enough have had lots of this type of customer insanity. I met a lot of whack jobs with my brother back when we had a landscaping/tree service business together. Few were this bad, but one... sigh. My brother and I got a lot of jobs just for showing up and giving bids. It was amazing how many times people called around and no one showed up to bid, or bid and never showed up to actually do the job. Anyway, the WORST ever bid I did was this one:

I was working in Pebble Beach (yah, nice place to work if you can afford to live there, Monterey was actually affordable in the 1980's when this happened) where I had some landscaping accounts. I got a call from a guy that was an airplane pilot and they wanted some trees limbed and brush cleared. So I go there after leaf blowing one afternoon and knock on the front door. So the lady answers and says to me, "Servants are to go to the back door," and closed the door. I scratched my head, took out my notebook and double checked the address. Yes, it was all correct. So I knoked again. She poked her head out the window and said servants were to go to the back enterance! I shook my head and told her to :censored: herself and walked away.

I mean really! I had just left a filthy rich doctor's house that was a Julia Morgan design (she designed Herst Castle). They treated me like a friend. My brother had an account the next block over for the guy owned the Houston Rockets basketball team for Christ's sake. The owner would invite us in for a beer after we were working there and shoot the :censored:. Anyway, I was not used to being treated like :censored:. So I walk to my car and the husband comes out from the garage and wants me to come back and look at the trees and shrubs, and I said he was nuts. No way was I gonna stoop to the BS as his wife was handing out. I was very happy at that point that I could turn down jobs, we had more than enough work by then.

Anyway... a lot of people are cheap and stupid out there. Yes, you are supposed to underbid some :censored: competitor for taking a tree down that does not even show up to do the work! Nice ploy, lady! What next? Should I bend over for you too? Fortunately the smarter clients realize that the lowest bids are usually the ones to avoid. Stick to your guns and do not buckle under to this type of crap. If you are good at what you do, you will get pleanty of business in the long run, and you can afford to avoid the crummy work out there.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Some people use the cheaper price as a bargaining tool. I've had them where they tell me that that had that price for both trees, not just the one. So I tell them to make sure the CoI comes from the insurance agent, not a folder in the chip truck.

Quite often I get the jobs, some times I require right away, or get a down payment, refundable with 24 hours notice of cancel. Rolling up on a job to find it done is terrible, but I hate going to the trouble of routing and scheduling only to have the last person say "oh, we hired someone cheaper, and it is done now".

 

[reachtreeservi]

Some people use the cheaper price as a bargaining tool. I've had them where they tell me that that had that price for both trees, not just the one. So I tell them to make sure the CoI comes from the insurance agent, not a folder in the chip truck.

Quite often I get the jobs, some times I require right away, or get a down payment, refundable with 24 hours notice of cancel. Rolling up on a job to find it done is terrible, but I hate going to the trouble of routing and scheduling only to have the last person say "oh, we hired someone cheaper, and it is done now".

Alot of my customers where I'm the second or third guy to come out ,try and use the cheaper price as a bargaining tool. I look at it like, I don't care what the other guy quoted. I give the lowest price that I can do the work for , be safe and make money. I never negoate , and I never drop a price once I quote.

When they say " The other guy said he do it for one half of your price. "
I tell'em " Sir (or Maim ) there are 3 yellow book pages of tree companies in our area. You might be able to get someone out here even cheaper than that guy. Although the cheapest guy is probably not going to be the best guy. Our quote is good for 30 days , If there is anything I can do for you in the future, please let me know. " And walk as quickly as possible to the truck and leave.
Some call back, some don't.

Everyone likes to save money , but If being the bottom line price guy on something as dangerous as tree work is the most important thing to them , chances are they will never see the value in my work anyway. I've learned the last few years , Sometimes the best customer you will ever have, is the one who doesn't call you back !

Happy Hunting this week !

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Agood friend of mine stopped by the other day, telling me he had just won a bid to remove 60 Pines along with stumps. Bragging up a storm , yep , I got $12,000 for the job Hauled w/ stumps ground. He told me the guy said " take your time ". He & his partner did them all in just 2 mo's. Oh, by the way, he decided to add 6 more pines. We finally got um done. He said $200 ea. for the 6 extras. I couldn't hold back anymore, started laughing & told him the truth! Our company had been called , along with a couple others to look at the same job. Two of the bids were $29,000 & $27,000 & ours was $24,500. He sat back to say that they made money on that job. Maybe so, but over 40 had to be climbed & topped before dropping . Most ranged from 14 in. to the larger 28 in. diameter & 75-100 ft tall. Also grind the stumps & clean-up.He got some co. to grind them at $ 10.00 ea. & the wood hauled by the pulp man {FREE}. He had to haul the brush & pay dump fees { 16ft. tandem trailer}. All said & done , he asked if we were busy & I told him just doing some trim work & a few removals , but fairly busy ! LOW BALLER!!! KEEP HIM BUZY ON THOSE BIG MONEY JOBS & LET US MAKE A PROFIT :

 

[mckeetree]

Low ballers are a pain. I throw a few big jobs one local low ballers way to keep him off the streets. And that $800.00 deal that started this thread is about a $1,900.00 job. I won't do much of anything for $800.00 and we work 300+ days a year.

 

[Adkpk]

Sounds unreal to do that job for that price.

Got the same deal myself Friday. $200 for a leaf clean up. I could tell by the guys facial expression he wasn't going to be calling for me to do the work. Toys in the yard. Unmowed grass. He come to the door in his pajamas. Good neighborhood but I think he was unemployed and looking for someone to do it for nothing. Somebody will.

 

[Dadatwins]

Glad some have had similiar stories, as for the price job is probably worth 1k in this area, but like I said, there was some stump work that would make up the day so I thought I would cut a break for the potential and gain some exposure in the neighborhood. Tree is not one these big sprawling white oaks that are on calenders. Typical dead tree that was on a cleared wooded lot, like a telephone pole with a sprig of brush up top. More of a pain to cart out the wood than piece it down, probably 8-10 trips with the ball cart of wood to the street. It is a funny thing that those that have the most, seem only willing to pay the least, but I guess that is how they have the most.

 

[reachtreeservi]

It is a funny thing that those that have the most, seem only willing to pay the least, but I guess that is how they have the most.

+10
Those that have the most, sure want to get paid well for their goods and services though !

 

[Adkpk]

The way I see it is, most people with lots of money have lots because that is their love. Love of money. What a drag.

 

[Magnum783]

I think the price of work depends on the location. Out here in NC the price of work is way cheaper than the prices my buddy gets in IN. He get almost twice what we get out here for the same job requiring the same equipment. The only solution I can give is that out here in NC we can work year round where as in IN you can only work about three quarters. I don't know if there is any truth in this theory but I can imagine there would be some. I can work year round to make a living where as he has to make enough in that part to live on the rest. Just theory you guys tell me what you think.
Jared

 

[reachtreeservi]

I think the price of work depends on the location. Out here in NC the price of work is way cheaper than the prices my buddy gets in IN. He get almost twice what we get out here for the same job requiring the same equipment. The only solution I can give is that out here in NC we can work year round where as in IN you can only work about three quarters. I don't know if there is any truth in this theory but I can imagine there would be some. I can work year round to make a living where as he has to make enough in that part to live on the rest. Just theory you guys tell me what you think.
Jared

I think you are definitely right. Location, location, Location. Even within the small area where I work, it makes a difference. If I go 25 miles north it's more rural, and prices drop. And It's much harder to sell the jobs. 25 miles south, and I'm getting into the Atlanta suburbs, prices are much better and I close a higher percentage of the jobs I quote. A thirty minute drive can often make the difference between good money and breaking even.

Even in the same neighborhood, every deal is different.
Sometimes you eat bear...
And sometimes the bear eats you !

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Amen to that Georgia. A little distance around here can mean the difference of $1000.00 for virtually the same job. Sticking to your bid / priceless!!! Being old as dirt & loving to play golf & fish, guess what happen when the price goes down. Let the low-ballers win all low bids. We are in it to make a profit . Gone golfin & fishin while still able . Git-r-done.

 

[CraneOp1]

Magnum783

I have to disagree with 3/4 year of work for IN, mostly the same weather as here in NW Ohio. Unless your buddy lives in South Bend or Gary, with lots of lake effect snow fall. We loose 2-3 days out of the year due to weather be it snow/ice or rain. We have some companies that lay their crews off in Dec. and start back up in Mar. and its not do to weather as much as its a little slower due to the amount of work in the area. Hope this sheds some light on this.

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Lake effect snow storms made me move South 25 yrs. ago. Lived outside of Buffalo, N.Y. & many private jobs were not possible due to heavy snow accumulations. You can't move brush & wood from backyards that have 2 ft. of snow piled up. You can't rake & clean-up properly & possible injury while operating a chainsaw ( ice underneath the snow- slippery ). My hats off to the guys who stay & work under those conditions.Back in the sixties I worked up in Rochester, N.Y. where the winter was more open. Cut a lot of big, diseased Elms. A lot of city contract work.Endless destuction of stately trees. Again, I give you guys a lot of credit for sticking it out & making a living. Good luck.