shady tree company

[Blakesmaster]

I walk up to customers and expect to get paid all the time. You just have to be tactful about the whole thing... I like to knock on the door, inform them that I think we're finished and ask them if they'd like to take a walk around to look over the work. Eventually they realize it's time to pay up.. well most.

It's either that, or more paperwork for me, plus waiting Lord knows how long to actually get the check in the mail.. things happen, expenses come up.. treeguy seems less important after job is finished, etc.

I mean, it's really not that complicated. They hired me to cut tree, tree is done being cut, now is time for them to pay!

Same thing I do. Generally when Eric fires up the blower I grab my clipboard and any customer worth having knows that means it's time to quit watching the show and grab his/her checkbook. I don't make a big deal of it or anything, per my contract they have 15 days to make payment and I'm perfectly happy to give them that time, but most pick up on the cues and come out ready to pay up. Asking for the payment isn't something I exactly enjoy doing but it makes life easier if I can just give them a receipt on the job as opposed to dealing with mail.

 

[Blakesmaster]

As far as wood scrounges on my jobsite, I take it a step further then Dano even. I don't let them near me or my operation. Unless the HO specifically asks me to leave the wood ( not a neighbor, a friend, or anyone else ) it gets loaded on my truck. I use craigslist to find locals that may want cheap wood and I'll deliver to them but they don't come on my site. If a neighbor or someone walks up and asks if I can leave them some wood I tell them no, but I will dump it in your driveway for X amount of dollars. If they are close to the HO though and the HO asks me to leave it for them, no problem, but I make sure the HO understands that once my trucks roll away I'm no longer responsible for the mess and hassle of the operation.

 

[tree MDS]

Same thing I do. Generally when Eric fires up the blower I grab my clipboard and any customer worth having knows that means it's time to quit watching the show and grab his/her checkbook. I don't make a big deal of it or anything, per my contract they have 15 days to make payment and I'm perfectly happy to give them that time, but most pick up on the cues and come out ready to pay up. Asking for the payment isn't something I exactly enjoy doing but it makes life easier if I can just give them a receipt on the job as opposed to dealing with mail.

Besides, if they got something they wanna whine about, this gives them the opportunity... and us a chance to fix whatever it is. Not that there ever is a problem with the MDS experience, of course! lol.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Besides, if they got something they wanna whine about, this gives them the opportunity... and us a chance to fix whatever it is. Not that there ever is a problem with the MDS experience, of course! lol.

Exactly, I also like to take that walk around to discuss other possible projects on their property. Nothing even remotely pushing, basically hinting and feeling them out a little bit. Just to plant a few small seeds in their head of other work that could be done in the future and make sure they are well aware of the best man for the job.

 

[outdoorsman0490]

when I contacted these guys the first time, that was exactly what I said, whey you guys are taking this wood out, call the # I just gave them, and bring it up the street, dump it in my yard. They called back and asked if I would pick it up. I said sure, get me some exercise when I get out of the office. Who would have thought they would tell the job 1 h.o. they would be back after job 2(,3,or4, whichever they said), and then high tail it w/o answering their phone (this was no communication problem, they took off b/c they got paid and don't want to put anymore time in at that job=shady). Had I known they were going to operate like this, I probably wouldn't have thought that the convenient wood down the street would have been this inconvenient.

As I said earlier, benefiting from the whole situation enough firewood for next year, and the saw log, I will cut the wood for job 1 h.o. I believe in karma, I did well in the last few weeks, so I will help out the h.o., he learned his lesson about paying up front. Likewise, karma may catch up with the tree company and their reputation, and maybe more of their potential jobs will be going to you guys, real professionals with a stronger work ethic pride in the job you do.

 

[treemandan]

The MDS Experiance? How much for a Z of that? I dunno if I can afford the whole thing at once, do you have financing?

I guess if you can afford the time during the day when the trucks and crew are out waiting for you to properly collect a check then do it. I'd rather not.
Hey, Blakes, remember that big poplar you and Eric slew for me and how the HO was dragging me around the property looking at other stuff when we all were involved with the poplar? I just don't like to mix client time with the work time and I think its rude that people don't respect that there is a time for talking and a time for walking.
Now think about what happens in a hockey game when a player on team goes to the penalty box. Its kinda the same thing when a member of the crew is pulled away from what others are counting on him to be doing. I can't tell you the stupid dangerous #### I have seen happen due to seemingly small distractions. Not just with me either.
Surely i have no problem coming back when the limbs stop falling and the saw aren't running and I have had time to focus on talking with a client. The rules for playing tree work is that if a client is hovering around ALL equipment is off... usually... hopefully. I felt very uncomfortable with that guy distracting the game we were playing. He was very resistant to my words when I told him my concerns about him entering the playing field. The first job I did for him he kept my rake boy busy chatting away and leaning on the rake.
I gotta say the job I just landed today, about an hour ago, the lady said she was concerned that she wouldn't be there when I did the job and was wondering how to pay me. You should have seen the look on her face when I said I would just send a bill. You should have heard the sigh of relief I made when she told me she wasn't going to be there when I did the job. Jezz, going through the "end of job payment speil" can eat up serious work time.
That's just how I do it. I don't know if you worked with me long enough to ever hear me say " Ok, we're done, lets get the Hell outta here before they come out and start asking questions, I'm starvin".

 

[tree MDS]

That's why you go for the check while the guys are finishing the cleanup dano! lol.

 

[treemandan]

That's why you go for the check while the guys are finishing the cleanup dano! lol.

yeah well maybe if I could find a few guys who were capable of finishing the ####ing clean up with out me I just might give that a try.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I give them the same schpeil when bidding too, Dano, to much the same reaction. Just tell them I'll leave an invoice in the door. And I'm 100% with you on the dumb mother ####ers walking around the job asking questions when it's game time. Most know to stay out the way but two types that generally can't figure it out are old ladies and fags. Don't know what it is 'bout them but they seem to want to be in the middle of everything. I still think a walk around after the job is key though. Yeah it sucks to break out the equipment again for that one little branch in the tree that has their panties in a bunch, but I'd rather do it then, then have to bring the equipment back another day. Usually it's not an issue but you occasionally get the customer that just needs to feel like they got one over on you...part of the game I guess.

 

[ozzy42]

I agree with the others on wanting to hear the other 2 sides of the story.
I'm not insinuating the OP is lying ,but he may be misinformed by the HO.

Maybe the HO told the owner to go ahead and leave the wood,then changed his mind later?
Maybe the owner did return the HO's calls ,but the HO did not like the outcome?
Maybe ,that's why they say three is a crowd.
Maybe the Co owner is a sleazeball hack.

Hard to say without actually beeing there for the whole bowl of wax?


As far as collecting after the job is done.Nothing wrong with knocking on the door when you're finished and telling Mr/Mrs. so and so "we are just about got you wrapped up.It is safe for you to come inspect if you'd like".
That's how I do 99% of my jobs.
I do have a few select customers that pay me through the mail,or at a certain time of the month,but that is established before comencing work.
All others ayment apon completion of job.
People can get very forgetfull about mailing stuff.

 

[Blakesmaster]

when I contacted these guys the first time, that was exactly what I said, whey you guys are taking this wood out, call the # I just gave them, and bring it up the street, dump it in my yard. They called back and asked if I would pick it up. I said sure, get me some exercise when I get out of the office. Who would have thought they would tell the job 1 h.o. they would be back after job 2(,3,or4, whichever they said), and then high tail it w/o answering their phone (this was no communication problem, they took off b/c they got paid and don't want to put anymore time in at that job=shady). Had I known they were going to operate like this, I probably wouldn't have thought that the convenient wood down the street would have been this inconvenient.

As I said earlier, benefiting from the whole situation enough firewood for next year, and the saw log, I will cut the wood for job 1 h.o. I believe in karma, I did well in the last few weeks, so I will help out the h.o., he learned his lesson about paying up front. Likewise, karma may catch up with the tree company and their reputation, and maybe more of their potential jobs will be going to you guys, real professionals with a stronger work ethic pride in the job you do.

I hear you, and I don't think anyone here thinks you're in the wrong and the operation you describe is unfortunately all to common in this industry. The main reason my policy of no wood guys on the site is what it is, is because, as described in the plethora of communication circumstances above, #### gets messed up and confusing if you got multiple deals going on. I'm contracted to do the job, not find someone else to do it. I do the job, get paid and then the wood and debris is my problem. A much more professional image and it results in not having any chance of running into a f'ed up situation like you described.

 

[treemandan]

I agree with the others on wanting to hear the other 2 sides of the story.
I'm not insinuating the OP is lying ,but he may be misinformed by the HO.

Maybe the HO told the owner to go ahead and leave the wood,then changed his mind later?
Maybe the owner did return the HO's calls ,but the HO did not like the outcome?
Maybe ,that's why they say three is a crowd.
Maybe the Co owner is a sleazeball hack.

Hard to say without actually beeing there for the whole bowl of wax?


As far as collecting after the job is done.Nothing wrong with knocking on the door when you're finished and telling Mr/Mrs. so and so "we are just about got you wrapped up.It is safe for you to come inspect if you'd like".
That's how I do 99% of my jobs.
I do have a few select customers that pay me through the mail,or at a certain time of the month,but that is established before comencing work.
All others ayment apon completion of job.
People can get very forgetfull about mailing stuff.

I agree that sometimes waiting for a check can suck but I know enough to know when I have fullfilled my part of the bargin so I run like Hell before they can come out and ask for free add ons.
I see it like that deal is done, anything else is a new deal and we are going start from scratch.
Yes, I believe that splitting the scene like I do helps to avoid a lot of nitpicking. It helps me stay in control of that sort of thing. In essence I would rather wait for a check than to deal with the nitpicking cause if you are there they will pic that nit but if you aren't they realize the nit is a little tougher to pic. Oh the picking of the nit wears me out faster than anything and once it starts there could be no end.
But sure, if they come out check in hand...

 

[ozzy42]

Yeah,I hear ya on the nit pickin.
I just love it when they give you the thums up from the ground while watching you finish up,watch you descend the tree,pull your climbline down,,,,,,,,,,,then want just one more little limb.:bang:

 

[Rftreeman]

OK......I think I know what happened here, you asked for wood and told them "I'll get that over there too so don't worry about it, I got it" so they assumed that you would buck it also.......

 

[Rftreeman]

That's why you go for the check while the guys are finishing the cleanup dano! lol.

what if they aren't home............