Homeowners

[skyhightree1]

I have a funny email from a estimate someone requested of me. See our emails back and forth below tell me if I was wrong in my response to her. Start at bottom and read up to the top. This is why I stopped doing residential work.:censored:



Well I am sorry you feel that way. But when you say its an area for a pool it needs to be graded properly. What home owners do not realize is we have Insurance to pay for incase we damage something while being there.We have to pay for fuel to haul our equipment and operate our equipment. Wear and tear on vehicle and equipment. Then you have to pay your business and help and yourself. Well have fun with the backhoe be sure to call ms utility.




Never mind....that is ridiculous high. It will take all of an hour. I could rent a backhoe for $250.00. Thanks anyways.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 10:31 PM
To: Cassy
Subject: Re: Land Clearing any size I will match and discount 10% or more (Entire Rich...


I thought about it I could dig that area out for you for around $1,000.00

Sky High Tree Service & Landscaping
Owner/Operator Jules A. Walker
804-920-3152
24 Hour Emergency Service
I do have another quote. I don't really need you to discount it. I just want another quote. It could be dug in about an hour. All the ground work has been done. The circle is already measured and everything. It's already dug about 2 inches already. Do you have to rent this equipment or do you own it? I know that will make a difference in the quote also. I live in Mechanicsville.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:01 AM
To: Cassy
Subject: Re: Land Clearing any size I will match and discount 10% or more (Entire Rich...


Where are you located I would like to take a look at what im up against I don't want to quote you something without seeing it. I wouldn't be able to get out there till this weekend I am working out of town.Have you got a quote that you would like to see if I could match and discount?

This is for a pool. I have access to have my gate open. It has a two door gate. It should not take long. Let me know a round about number. Thanks



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 11:12 PM
To: Lee, Cassy
Subject: Re: Land Clearing any size I will match and discount 10% or more (Entire Rich...


Hello,
Do you need this to be dug by hand or is there access where i could dig this out with a machine? Is this for a pool?
Thanks

Sky High Tree Service & Landscaping
Owner/Operator Jules A. Walker
804-920-3152
24 Hour Emergency Service


How much would you charge to dig out a 27 ft round circle in my back yard? We hand dug it already about 2 inches. I need to drop the circle another 8 inches. It's flat land so just a matter of digging it out. Let me know........ Thanks. I have another quote but I want to see where yours comes in. I live in Mechanicsville.

 

[epicklein22]

Sounds like they started the project and found it too tough and then want to find someone else to do it. When they hear that it is not gonna be practically free, they become frustrated and sent back to reality. I think you did nothing wrong at all. The lady doesn't read well enough to give you an address to give the quote. "I live in Mechanicsville", like you are supposed to know the rest.

 

[Adkpk]

Well got out of that nightmare. :bang:

It' obvious they just want something to haggle the guy who is already doing it with. Probably an inlaw.

 

[skyhightree1]

Thanks for the input guys I thought maybe it was me being rude and unreasonable. just wanted some opinions on whether it was me or not.

 

[treemandan]

I think you handled that well buddy. But that is why I stay only in residential
NOW THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!
But 1000 bucks for " an hour" is high. An hour? 1 hour? That's all? Heck I would do it for free then maam!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

My most recent one was an exec for a big real estate partnership wanted a big willow out of a lake, and moved up a hill to be chipped and hauled.

I put 2600 on it, 2500 for the day, and 100 because the knives would need changing after.

"That sounds like a lot of money!" sez he.

"That looks like a lot of work." sez me, in a calm and reasonable voice.

4 men, chipper/dump, skid/trailer/truck, cut a path to forward the brush and logs up, after wading out in the muck to get the tree...

 

[TreeBot]

How about: "I have some branches over my house. They are dead and pretty good sized. Oh and the electric wires and phone lines are under there too. I was quoted $500 just to remove and haul the branches. Can you drive 30 miles one way to give me a free estimate?"

 

[Eagle1]

You don't even need to explain yourself so well to them. You need what you need to get and that is all.

Whenever a customer tells me how long they "think" it should take...a red flag appears.

 

[skyhightree1]

You don't even need to explain yourself so well to them. You need what you need to get and that is all.

Whenever a customer tells me how long they "think" it should take...a red flag appears.

Also when a customer says I have got 9 estimates and would like another yea... I tell them no thank you I am sure my estimate is right along the lines of the others... Then another thing is I tell them no matter what my minimum fee is $250.00. A guy called me right after that and wanted me to spread 12 tandem axle dumptruck loads of dirt with my tractor harley rake it plant seed and straw i told him hes looking at $2,000.00 and said no way man thanks for coming by it shouldnt be over 500.00.

 

[Brush Hog]

This is to ironic. My mother had someone quote her to remove garage floor and pour a new one for $4k. My step father then calls concrete co and finds out that it'll be $1k for concrete. She then tells me that the guy is going to make $3k profit. I said "well he's marking up the concrete, needs to pay help, get rid of old concrete, has insurance, workers comp. ect. Her response" oh I doubt he has insurance. Your ex B-I-L always worked for guys who never had any ins. ect". I then asked her when was the last time you ran a biz in CT. Coversation ended. You did right by me. She's just a cheap a..

 

[treemandan]

My most recent one was an exec for a big real estate partnership wanted a big willow out of a lake, and moved up a hill to be chipped and hauled.

I put 2600 on it, 2500 for the day, and 100 because the knives would need changing after.

"That sounds like a lot of money!" sez he.

"That looks like a lot of work." sez me, in a calm and reasonable voice.

4 men, chipper/dump, skid/trailer/truck, cut a path to forward the brush and logs up, after wading out in the muck to get the tree...

I would like to put that guy on a barge with me and sail out to chop it down together.

 

[treemandan]

So you can rent a back-hoe for 250, then what? Ahahahah! That hole will be the same size next year.

 

[treemandan]

This kind of stuff doesn't really bog The Dan down. He rarely gets nasty unless he is acuused of something but in reality some of these are people who have NO idea and are trying to get one... without getiing robbed, confused, swindled, disappointed, etc.
The other are just looking for a desparado who needs the money bad enough. Some of the jobs I have seen some smaller guys take on... death.
These guys know what to look for. The Dan does not do much commercial work ( on his own) cause when them exec's get a whiff of The Dan's cologne they go looking for someone else. Some people don't like the smell of honesty I guess.
All in all don't be offended by the way some people have to go about getting any kind of estimate for any kind of work done. Go look around you sock drawer and tell me who made those.

 

[Joe379]

$1000 to excavate 14 cubic yards?

If you didn't have to haul away the dirt, I would charge $300 -it would take about a hour. I'm not saying you should have bid and done the job, just thought you might like to know what an actual bid would have been for that job.

 

[teamtree]

This is why I say nothing over the phone....

My response is this.....

"Two things can happen if I quote a job over the phone without seeing it.....one..I will say a number so high that you won't even let me come look at the job therefore shooting myself in the foot or two...I tell you a low number and when I come out and it is actually more...then I look like a crook."

I have found that once you put a number out there, the customer remembers that no matter what happens...especially if circumstances change.

I try to explain it is in the best interest for them to let someone come look at the job to be fair to themselves and to the prospective contractor.

 

[Dadatwins]

My response is this.....

"Two things can happen if I quote a job over the phone without seeing it.....one..I will say a number so high that you won't even let me come look at the job therefore shooting myself in the foot or two...I tell you a low number and when I come out and it is actually more...then I look like a crook."

I have found that once you put a number out there, the customer remembers that no matter what happens...especially if circumstances change.

I try to explain it is in the best interest for them to let someone come look at the job to be fair to themselves and to the prospective contractor.

I agree, I try to never quote over the phone, no telling what the situation will be when you get there. Had some one call about a 10" stump once that wanted an estimate, sounds easy so I told him $75.00 and I would get it on my way home. Arrived at the job and spent the next 2 hours moving the 4" of river rock from the area around the stump so I could avoid destroying my machine and all the glass windows in the neighborhood. Last over the phone quote from me. I will give a general idea of the job price if I can to save a trip especially if the person is just shopping prices, but always best to get on site in my opinion also.

 

[randyg]

I thought about it I could dig that area out for you for around $1,000.00
.

You thought about it? Run into rock or couple old tree stumps and then what? Hauling away 30 miles or just moving to a pile 30 feet away? Only digging I do is scratching around the base of an occasional walnut to get the best part of the log, but bidding anything over the phone or e-mail or without having seen it I think is very risky. Oh yea, bidding on trees at night is not real wise either. Even with great big light you lose perspective and tend to err.

I think you were more than polite enough with your response. I may have responded with the question --- "crew wants to know your address so they can go skinny dippin in your new pool, how soon before its ready?"

 

[treemandan]

There is a guy out there who thinks I am responsible for replacing the forsythia that this tree fell on. He is going to persue it

Yeah, that forsythia right there, what are you blind?

 

[skyhightree1]

$1000 to excavate 14 cubic yards?

If you didn't have to haul away the dirt, I would charge $300 -it would take about a hour. I'm not saying you should have bid and done the job, just thought you might like to know what an actual bid would have been for that job.

$300.00 no way around here in Richmond,Va thats about the right amount normally would be $800.00 but since they wouldn't let me come see it I said $1,000.00 The cost of a job depends on the location and economy youre in. $300.00 to me is like someone that drives around in a f150 with no insurance and a terramite looking for work im not being disrespectful but I mean come on you gotta make a living stuff cost these days. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[skyhightree1]

You thought about it? Run into rock or couple old tree stumps and then what? Hauling away 30 miles or just moving to a pile 30 feet away? Only digging I do is scratching around the base of an occasional walnut to get the best part of the log, but bidding anything over the phone or e-mail or without having seen it I think is very risky. Oh yea, bidding on trees at night is not real wise either. Even with great big light you lose perspective and tend to err.

I think you were more than polite enough with your response. I may have responded with the question --- "crew wants to know your address so they can go skinny dippin in your new pool, how soon before its ready?"

Thanks I try to not be nasty about things so I wanted to check with you all and see if yall thought that was rude..