treeman82
Addicted to ArboristSite
This past winter I had asked for references from a few of my customers, because I was bidding on a large removal job and the lady wanted a few letters of reference.
1 came from a friend, and he said all good stuff; good work, safety, ethical, etc.
The other 3 all said the same thing, except they added the term cheap in some way or another.
I don't understand why they'd say that. Granted I've messed up a few times bidding jobs... but nothing for them really.
The one that stands out in my mind... at the time I'd done 3 or 4 jobs for him.
The first was a bunch of locust trees... me and 2 guys had them done in 10 hrs... chips stayed, wood went, clean-up stuff stayed in the woods. $1,500 for that.
I went back and ground a bunch of stumps for him... 3? hrs with a 252 Vermeer for $500
Another job was split between his house and one of his neighbors. 2 guys for 1 week, $7,000. No more than 10 man days. Wood went, chips went, stumps ground.
Cut down another locust tree for him, 3 guys for 1/2 a day... chips stayed, wood went, stump stayed. $750... right before Christmas too.
We did some clearing this spring over there... again split between him and a neighbor. Maybe 3 man days? everything went... $1,050.
One of the other referal customers... same thing.
Last year I did a bunch of pruning at her house... just put it on the ground, her husband did the rest. I think there was a removal in there too. Really though it was all of 2 man days for $700. Unfortunately the time was split between a few days due to poor weather conditions and what not. Took down 1 branch for a neighbor of hers... took me an hour - an hour and a half? for $100... the branch stayed in the woods.
The final referral customer.. I did a bunch of junk over there. pruning, dropping trees in the woods, just a bunch of crap work. I was getting $700 per day with minimal equipment, 1 other guy, and everything stayed. Did a bunch of gravel over there too... $150 per yard.
Am I really coming in THAT low???
1 came from a friend, and he said all good stuff; good work, safety, ethical, etc.
The other 3 all said the same thing, except they added the term cheap in some way or another.
I don't understand why they'd say that. Granted I've messed up a few times bidding jobs... but nothing for them really.
The one that stands out in my mind... at the time I'd done 3 or 4 jobs for him.
The first was a bunch of locust trees... me and 2 guys had them done in 10 hrs... chips stayed, wood went, clean-up stuff stayed in the woods. $1,500 for that.
I went back and ground a bunch of stumps for him... 3? hrs with a 252 Vermeer for $500
Another job was split between his house and one of his neighbors. 2 guys for 1 week, $7,000. No more than 10 man days. Wood went, chips went, stumps ground.
Cut down another locust tree for him, 3 guys for 1/2 a day... chips stayed, wood went, stump stayed. $750... right before Christmas too.
We did some clearing this spring over there... again split between him and a neighbor. Maybe 3 man days? everything went... $1,050.
One of the other referal customers... same thing.
Last year I did a bunch of pruning at her house... just put it on the ground, her husband did the rest. I think there was a removal in there too. Really though it was all of 2 man days for $700. Unfortunately the time was split between a few days due to poor weather conditions and what not. Took down 1 branch for a neighbor of hers... took me an hour - an hour and a half? for $100... the branch stayed in the woods.
The final referral customer.. I did a bunch of junk over there. pruning, dropping trees in the woods, just a bunch of crap work. I was getting $700 per day with minimal equipment, 1 other guy, and everything stayed. Did a bunch of gravel over there too... $150 per yard.
Am I really coming in THAT low???