po'd at my competition since they have no workmans comp and dont with hold

[M.D. Vaden]

You folks gotta be carrying a digital camera at all times now - don't you?

Mine's always in the truck with me. They come as cheap as $200.

You can take work photos, email pictures, etc..

But what I do, I photograph illegal ads and business cards right on the bulletin boards and email the image to the license boards here along with a note about the address of the bulletin board, the name of the location, the date and my contact info.

And I photograph illegals working and make sure to get the vehicle license number. Preferrably with the house address and another photo showing the operation.

 

[Kate Butler]

Rick, I'm working out of state at the moment and will have to look this all up when I return. I hope you won't end up as screwed I did.

 

[Redbull]

You folks gotta be carrying a digital camera at all times now - don't you?

Mine's always in the truck with me. They come as cheap as $200.

You can take work photos, email pictures, etc..

But what I do, I photograph illegal ads and business cards right on the bulletin boards and email the image to the license boards here along with a note about the address of the bulletin board, the name of the location, the date and my contact info.

And I photograph illegals working and make sure to get the vehicle license number. Preferrably with the house address and another photo showing the operation.

It's illegal to advertise on public bulletin boards? I've gotten a good amount of work from that avenue of advertising.

 

[sotc]

here in oregon its illegle to advertise with out a valid contractors liscense. or do any work over 600 bucks a year

 

[Redbull]

Hmmm. Didn't know that. I don't know if this is the law in Missouri or not.

 

[BIG JAKE]

If you can't sell yourself, don't fall under the illusion that more legislation will make you more money. Too many people like yourself with no experience working in cities with idiotic and expensive 'arbor laws' think that more legislation is the answer. When was the last time you saw the government do anythnig fairly and efficiently??? The areas around here with the strictest arbor laws are also the areas with the most hack work taking place. Legitimate businesses won't deal with the headaches and idiotic hoops necessary to work there, so they don't bid jobs in those areas. Hacks don't care because they aren't legitimate anyway.

I'm not in the business-but have you folks thought of carrying a photo album showing butcher jobs with a comparison photo of your work in comparable situation? Most homeowners don't actually know that there's a right/wrong way to do it. They just assume they'll get the same result in the end. If you show them, they'll pay the extra-I would. Especially if you point out that the tree condition on their property effects the value of it also. I want to save a buck and I will take the lowest bid, but not at the expense of quality or the health of my trees in this case. I have to live with the butcher job across the street because of lack of knowledge on the homeowners part. Explain it to them. Talk is cheap so show the pictures. I guess that some might research the web and tell the butcher how they want it done, but maybe not. Sell the job on your skill.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I like that idea. One picture is worth a thousand words...

 

[kf_tree]

I'm not in the business-but have you folks thought of carrying a photo album showing butcher jobs with a comparison photo of your work in comparable situation? Most homeowners don't actually know that there's a right/wrong way to do it. They just assume they'll get the same result in the end. If you show them, they'll pay the extra-I would. Especially if you point out that the tree condition on their property effects the value of it also. I want to save a buck and I will take the lowest bid, but not at the expense of quality or the health of my trees in this case. I have to live with the butcher job across the street because of lack of knowledge on the homeowners part. Explain it to them. Talk is cheap so show the pictures. I guess that some might research the web and tell the butcher how they want it done, but maybe not. Sell the job on your skill.

thats also a good way to get your trucks burned in the middle of the night.

your work should speak for itself, if you need to put down other companies to make yourself like good, then your no better.

 

[kf_tree]

You folks gotta be carrying a digital camera at all times now - don't you?

Mine's always in the truck with me. They come as cheap as $200.

You can take work photos, email pictures, etc..

But what I do, I photograph illegal ads and business cards right on the bulletin boards and email the image to the license boards here along with a note about the address of the bulletin board, the name of the location, the date and my contact info.

And I photograph illegals working and make sure to get the vehicle license number. Preferrably with the house address and another photo showing the operation.

what goes around comes around.

 

[Redbull]

KF, what if the other companies names were not mentioned in the portfolio, but just put pictures of sub-standard work with pictures of yours. Would that be okay?

 

[kf_tree]

KF, what if the other companies names were not mentioned in the portfolio, but just put pictures of sub-standard work with pictures of yours. Would that be okay?

in that case i guess your just selling "your" business. but i would use generic pic's from tci , arbor age etc, so no one can cry foul. if you drive around taking pics of local tree's the competition has pruned, it will come back to haunt you.

 

[Redbull]

I definately see your point and I would personally have no intention of bad mouthing another company in front of a customer. It's tough sometimes when a customer calls you to fix something that someone else screwed up. I am constantly walking on eggshells in front of customers when the subject of my competitiors come up.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Back in the early days of cellular phones I used to install the beasts. (That's back when they were INSTALLED.) I freelanced for a couple of years, working for various dealers. I did their 'remote' installations, where I'd go to their customers location to install the phone. To show them why I was worth more than some of my competitors, I kept a Board of Shame to show them. It had antenna connectors mounted on it, which I had taken from bad installations. (Where I'd been sent out to clean it up.) It was pretty easy to see the butchery, and it drove home the point.

If you are not using pictures that can be identified with a particular company, I can't see a problem.

 

[BIG JAKE]

thats also a good way to get your trucks burned in the middle of the night.

your work should speak for itself, if you need to put down other companies to make yourself like good, then your no better.

I see your point-you don't want that kind of rep in the community you live in. The idea is to educate the customer that there is a difference in quality work and knowledge-not to say such and such a business screwed this up. Not suggesting that at all. Prospective customers don't know what the right way is most of the time. Get photos from somewhere else when you are traveling or shoot at an upward angle just showing the tree or the cut even(untraceable). If you don't leave copies how would the guy who did the work know? Wouldn't mention names either. I'd have the mindset of trying to do the right thing for the customer-period. Most of them will appreciate that. Doesn't have to be pictures though-drawings would work but I'd rather see pictures if I was a customer. Maybe just showing your work in pictures and describing the wrong way would get the point across. Pictures would be better though. Think of it this way-how many folks would you have to question these days before you found one who knew the right way to prune a tree. Just ideas from my perspective-hope some are useful.

 

[kf_tree]

I see your point-you don't want that kind of rep in the community you live in. The idea is to educate the customer that there is a difference in quality work and knowledge-not to say such and such a business screwed this up. Not suggesting that at all. Prospective customers don't know what the right way is most of the time. Get photos from somewhere else when you are traveling or shoot at an upward angle just showing the tree or the cut even(untraceable). If you don't leave copies how would the guy who did the work know? Wouldn't mention names either. I'd have the mindset of trying to do the right thing for the customer-period. Most of them will appreciate that. Doesn't have to be pictures though-drawings would work but I'd rather see pictures if I was a customer. Maybe just showing your work in pictures and describing the wrong way would get the point across. Pictures would be better though. Think of it this way-how many folks would you have to question these days before you found one who knew the right way to prune a tree. Just ideas from my perspective-hope some are useful.

i feel some customers will use any tactic at their disposal to get a lower price. the will even say well "big jake's" tree svc said blah blah blah. things always have a way of biteing you in the @SS. the older i get the more i realize what a small world it is.

educate the customer all you want, about how topping wrong. but if that is what they want they will find someone to do it. we all know drinking, smoking, speeding, red meat etc is bad for us , but look how many people do it on a regular basis. how many billion dollars a year do the tobacco and alcohol companies make from american's each year?

i'm not saying give up the fight to educate the customers you were invited to bid, but don't be surprised when you don't get the job and you drive by a week later and the tree is topped.

 

[skwerl]

I had just finished a tree today and had stowed the outrigger pads and was pulling out to my next setup when I was told to go back up and take 3 more limbs. The tree was only elevated to 30' over the yard and 45' over the house, he wanted it 45' all the way around. I started to say that those leaves were what fed the tree and how high it already was, the customer said "It doesn't need that many leaves". So I shut up and set the truck back up and went back up and chopped off the 3 limbs. When he told me how it looked so good, I said "no it doesn't, but I can't see it from my house".

I'm really trying, but people make me so sick. After almost 20 years and I still have to whack on trees to stay solvent. I tried being noble and it only made me hungry and broke.

 

[kf_tree]

but I can't see it from my house".

I'm really trying, but people make me so sick. After almost 20 years and I still have to whack on trees to stay solvent. I tried being noble and it only made me hungry and broke.

thats why i commute 70 miles to cut, i certainly can't see it from my house.

i don't know why you let it bother you, your **** career might take off any day now. you already have a short flick in the off topic forum