Does Appearances Matter In This Industry?

[Jumper]

Most places I worked it was chain saw pants, T shirt(usually a company one), steel toe boots and a hard hat. Hot summer days I always took along a couple of extra t shirts as I sweat hard usually ended up soaking wet.

One more rule, no smoking or chew on the customers' property.

 

[ChiHD]

Most places I worked it was chain saw pants, T shirt(usually a company one), steel toe boots and a hard hat. Hot summer days I always took along a couple of extra t shirts as I sweat hard usually ended up soaking wet.

One more rule, no smoking or chew on the customers' property.

what about droppin deuces in the back of the chip truck?

 

[BarkBuster20]

There is no difference between a sales appointment with a potential customer and a job interview with a potential employer. In either case, you're trying to make a good impression so they'll give you a chance to prove your worth and earn an income.

A suit and tie can indeed be overkill; however, more times than not, overkill will garner you more respect than underkill when it comes to making a good first impression.

Sorry, nothing about a baggy flannel says, "wow, he's a real tree guy" to me. Anybody can show up with a saw and baggy flannel and call themselves a tree guy. What's going to set you apart from the rest of the guys who are all vying for the same job?

Again, I'll ask the question, "who are you marketing your services to?" Is it a 30-year old guy in a t-shirt and flannel who can proabably do the job himself or a 60-year-old banker who'd prefer to spend his day in Khakis and a polo shirt out on the golf course?

excuse me but what part of my post gave you the impression that i would wear a flannel that was baggy? you show up in a suit and tie and tell the guy your gonna remove his tree? bidding on a job is completely different than an interview, your offering your services not trying to beg for a job. for god sake man. my point is im talking about whats fit to wear, you just tried to make me sound like an idiot cause i wear 501s with steel toed boots and a flannel and tried to make yourself somehow sound smart by saying you show up to try and get jobs removing trees in a suit and tie?

 

[tree md]

I see nothing wrong with clean jeans and flannel. I think as long as your wearing clean work clothes that is acceptable. It also depends on the area of the country your in. I went to bid a job for a State Representative at his ranch here in Oklahoma and wore clean jeans, clean blue jean shirt and cowboy boots. Guess what, the State Representative was wearing the exact same thing. That is considered acceptable work attire or even business casual for outside work here. What I try to do is line up all of my bids for one day during the week, do them all in one day and wear either clean khakis or clean blue jeans and a polo or some kind of collared shirt with a belt and a decent pair of shoes or boots. However, it does seem that I get a lot of jobs when I show up in the evening time with dirty clothes and saw chips in my hair though. People like for a working man to look like he works. Wish I could run around all the time in clean khakis and a polo shirt but I am a working climber as well as the owner of my service.

 

[LTREES]

However, it does seem that I get a lot of jobs when I show up in the evening time with dirty clothes and saw chips in my hair though. People like for a working man to look like he works. Wish I could run around all the time in clean khakis and a polo shirt but I am a working climber as well as the owner of my service.

That would be the "Hey buddy, when you get done there I'm 2 doors down. Give me a price to take down that oak tree. I would do it myself but ...."
:jawdrop:

LT...

Ps. Nothing wrong with bidding after they see ya bustin out a days work.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I just roll up in my work gear. steelcaps, chainsaw pants, fluro t shirt and whatever motorcycle gear Im wearing. Often I have sawdust stuck all over me, I have a resin stain at gut level from carrying logs out and sawdust falls out every time I get anything out of my pockets. (always have some puppy chow for my dog which is a hit with other dog owners when there dog thinks your christmas)

Its a stupid little thing but we live in a steep city, alot of stairs, I make a point to run up the stairs approaching the house (well I do it normally anyhow). I know it sounds stupid but people comment often that Im the only tradesman they have seen do that, that I must be fit. Had more than a few clients hire me because of that over PRICE after the other guys stumble up the stairs to do the quote.

Often have clients comment either on the size of the other guys vehicle or how he looked like he didnt do any of the work (to clean, to tidily dressed, to fat, to old etc.)
Always translates into "congrats you got the job"

 

[Rftreeman]

What's going to set you apart from the rest of the guys who are all vying for the same job?

My low ball quote........lol

I have some lawn clients (yeah I know) that have million dollar homes and when i showed up to quote the lawn services guess what i was wearing, blue jeans, boots, t-shirt with my name and a ball cap with the same, I picked up several accounts paying me big $$$$$$ each month, I reckon if I'd wore my suit and tie maybe I would have gotten the whole damn community........

Oh yeah, I also have a skinned head and facial hair like Tim Silva if you know who he is.

 

[Tree Pig]

Which roofer would you be more comfortable with, the one who shows up to estimate looking like a successful contractor, or the one who looks like a guy who dies it because it is the only thing he can do? All else being equal.

thanks that's the point I was trying to get too.

 

[Rftreeman]

I had a fence put up and had several folk come out and one of them was all nice and tidy button up shirt and all in a high dollar truck with all this fancy writing on it gave me a brochure with all this nice work they have done didn't give me a quote then, told me he'd call tomorrow (needed to figure it all up) the guy didn't even ****-chat with me so then this guy a friend recommended showed up in an old truck that looked very good but it was just old (old ford f150) and he got out in his bib overalls and his white t-shirt with a beard about half way down his chest and a pony tale (all grey) and I talked to him for a few minutes showing him what I wanted and we just talked for a few minutes about other things then the guy told me price for the fence, I mentioned the clean cut guy and he told me "well, when you do good work like we and been it as long as I have you don't need them fancy things" to which I replied "when ever you get ready just come on and put up my fence" Why did I chose they guy you might ask, well he treated me like a person and not just someone that wants to spend money on a fence like the rest and the fence looks damn good too.............

moral of the story, I think personality has a lot to do with it also.

 

[Rftreeman]

My two cents... When you are driving in a company truck with the company name on it, or any interaction with a customer where you can be associated with the company appearance counts. Example: If you are driving down the road in a beat up filthy truck with stuff just piled in it haphazardly and the name of the company on it, people notice, and the impression is not positive. I for one don't do business with companies that appear to not care unless somehow they overcome that bad initial impression. Same is true if you cut me off or behave in a way I consider improper on the highway. Some may not like that but I still have some choice how and where I spend my money (for now)..

you're not the only one with green money.

 

[fishercat]

i prefer the guy with dirt under his nails.

Which roofer would you be more comfortable with, the one who shows up to estimate looking like a successful contractor, or the one who looks like a guy who dies it because it is the only thing he can do? All else being equal.

a guy that gets stuff done and isn't afraid of work.i like to see the boss on the job site.

if you send a pencil pusher to do an estimate and/or close the deal,communication is lost after that.that is when the he said/she said garbage starts.if the guy that originally met with the customer is one the job,usually the stuff discussed in the original conversation gets completed.

 

[BarkBuster20]

im still gonna say that jeans and a flannel are pretty decent work attire.

 

[TheLumberJack]

Oh yeah, I also have a skinned head and facial hair like Tim Silva if you know who he is.

You mean this guy???

(picture of me and Tim Sylvia attached)

 

[Rftreeman]

You mean this guy???

(picture of me and Tim Sylvia attached)

yeah, mines a little thicker though.

 

[ChiHD]

You mean this guy???

(picture of me and Tim Sylvia attached)

O no he ditint

 

[AOD]

There should be nothing wrong with work jeans and a T shirt on a tree job site, Polo shirts and khakis are a bit excessive, tree guys are doing hard, dirty work and getting pretty filthy in the process. I agree about using tobacco and excessively filthy language on customers property.

People (customers) who don't like long hair and tats need to get over it, it's not 1955 anymore.

 

[familytreeman]

Does appearances matter???

Do appearances matter... would be the way to phrase that.

Just listening to the way the thread question sounds, I imagine it in the voice of thick hillbilly accent, does appearances matter?, and imagining the confused look on the face of said hillbilly, I wonder how many people realize your grammar is a huge part of your appearance!

Does grammar matter in this industry?

I guess not amongst those toothless bubba's out there doing 'tree cuttin' 'tree toppin' 'stump grindin' etc...

 

[gr8scott72]

Do appearances matter... would be the way to phrase that.

Just listening to the way the thread question sounds, I imagine it in the voice of thick hillbilly accent, does appearances matter?, and imagining the confused look on the face of said hillbilly, I wonder how many people realize your grammar is a huge part of your appearance!

Does grammar matter in this industry?

I guess not amongst those toothless bubba's out there doing 'tree cuttin' 'tree toppin' 'stump grindin' etc...

Or "Does appearance matter."

 

[AOD]

There is a balance between looking like some slack jawed yokel who looks like they just came down from the hills in a beat up truck and hasn't had a shower in 4 years and looking like an office executive who has never gotten dirty a day in his life. There should be nothing wrong with jeans and a T shirt on any tree job. Tucked in shirts don't work in the real world, every one will be untucked within an hour. I'd let guys work shirtless if it was really, really hot out.

 

[Raymond]

I wish I could wear flannel shirts. I gave them up years ago because I would get them hung up and pop buttons all the time. Now days it's a clean good quality sweat shirts and blue jeans. I say good quality because an oversize cheap sweat shirt looks bad.

Be easy on me but In the warm months I wear clean jean shorts and a clean tee shirt. Yep even on bids.

My name and logo for shirts are coming this summer.
I've been wanting a simple but clear cartoon type leprecon (I'm Irish) in climbing gear with a chainsaw for a small (4 inches or so) logo for the front. If we have a good artist in the group, I would be more than happy to pay for such a picture that I could use. PM me if you are so we can talk about it more.