Would you do the same?

[swyman]

Senario, became good friends with another tree co in town and he gets a bid a mile down from my house. The HO wants a second bid so he gave her my card. This cat was layed up for 4 weeks last summer and gave me 2 jobs. So I had him tell me what he bid it at and I am going to go $200 higher so he gets it. He also got me a $700 stump job last week when I had that vermeer rented. I figure its only the right thing to do but I hope I don't get a "he's high priced" tag attatched to my name. I wish I had enough work to give back to him but I don't. How many of you guys would do the same thing?

 

[Pelorus]

This sounds like arboricultural collusion! Same sort of thing that goes on with the Big Oil Companies, and defence contractors. Probably the iSA and TCIA are incubating rip-off schemes together as well. I've gotten so used to being poor that I probably wouldn't do the same thing.

 

[swyman]

This sounds like arboricultural collusion! Same sort of thing that goes on with the Big Oil Companies, and defence contractors. Probably the iSA and TCIA are incubating rip-off schemes together as well. I've gotten so used to being poor that I probably wouldn't do the same thing.

He bid it yesterday and she called me today. Maybe it would be better to not even call back. I guess no matter what I end up looking bad as a business huh. I just feel I owe it to him for throwing me.a couple bones. It's only a $400 trim job but I am worried about image. Still $400 is $400, that's a new ground saw but I am going to tell him not to give my card out unless he does not want to do the job.

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

He bid it yesterday and she called me today. Maybe it would be better to not even call back. I guess no matter what I end up looking bad as a business huh. I just feel I owe it to him for throwing me.a couple bones. It's only a $400 trim job but I am worried about image. Still $400 is $400, that's a new ground saw but I am going to tell him not to give my card out unless he does not want to do the job.

swyman, just call the HO back and say your to busy, dont go play the bid it higher game....and you do owe him,let him get it, all is fair he hooked you up.

 

[squad143]

Senario, became good friends with another tree co in town and he gets a bid a mile down from my house. The HO wants a second bid so he gave her my card. This cat was layed up for 4 weeks last summer and gave me 2 jobs. So I had him tell me what he bid it at and I am going to go $200 higher so he gets it. He also got me a $700 stump job last week when I had that vermeer rented. I figure its only the right thing to do but I hope I don't get a "he's high priced" tag attatched to my name. I wish I had enough work to give back to him but I don't. How many of you guys would do the same thing?

If he's a friend and I was going to bid on it, I would not have asked him his price. I would have bid on what I thought it was worth. The homeowner wanted a second bid and he respected you enough to give her your card. Maybe you could do the same for him.

Since you don't have enought work to give back some back, then don't. Time will come when you can shoot something his way.

Next time your having a beer, or just talking, explain to him your situation, appreciation for the work and that you'll remember him should you have extra and can throw something his way.

Depending on how small your market is, it could be hard "drinking from the same pond". But if your market is large enough, a friendship with another tree company can be an added bonus.

 

[Kottonwood]

You could just give the homeowner the real scoop and tell them that he is a respectable tree co with fair prices and your price and service wouldn't be much different. You could always give them the courtesy of checking it out and confirming the price is fair.

 

[Downer]

You could just give the homeowner the real scoop and tell them that he is a respectable tree co with fair prices and your price and service wouldn't be much different. You could always give them the courtesy of checking it out and confirming the price is fair.

That is the way I'd handle it.

 

[swyman]

If he's a friend and I was going to bid on it, I would not have asked him his price. I would have bid on what I thought it was worth. The homeowner wanted a second bid and he respected you enough to give her your card. Maybe you could do the same for him.

Since you don't have enought work to give back some back, then don't. Time will come when you can shoot something his way.

Next time your having a beer, or just talking, explain to him your situation, appreciation for the work and that you'll remember him should you have extra and can throw something his way.

Depending on how small your market is, it could be hard "drinking from the same pond". But if your market is large enough, a friendship with another tree company can be an added bonus.

We are both super busy but every once in a while we get a chance to get together and usually just ride around looking at trees shop talking. I really enjoy it, cool talking shop with someone else that enjoys this work. There are only a few that we have both bid but what's cool when we go riding around looking at jobs to do he will ask me what I would put on it and most of the time I am right on what he got it for! I don't think we take work from one another, I go a lot farther than he does but he has been in business 3 years longer, don't advertise and has more than he can do. I put much more effort into it so I hope to make it one day.

 

[swyman]

You could just give the homeowner the real scoop and tell them that he is a respectable tree co with fair prices and your price and service wouldn't be much different. You could always give them the courtesy of checking it out and confirming the price is fair.

Patco, thanks for the input, that is how I will handle this.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Maybe he wants you to become the silent partner.:tongue2:

 

[imagineero]

I service a pretty large area, and there are a lot of other companies specialising locally within it in limited zones. I've got a few friends working that way. When I'm too busy to quote, have too much work on or just plain dont want to drive that far for a job I pass it on to a buddy who is closer/has less work. It comes back too, every now and then someone passes me a job thats close to home. I wouldn't quote on a job and then ask a buddy to quote it too.

I have quoted jobs that friends have quoted. We don't talk price until after the job's won. It's interesting to compare prices, but it only happens by chance and not that often. I do work together with other companies sometimes, and it works out just fine. We climb/chip for each other as needed.

Shaun

 

[justme23005]

Senario, became good friends with another tree co in town and he gets a bid a mile down from my house. The HO wants a second bid so he gave her my card. This cat was layed up for 4 weeks last summer and gave me 2 jobs. So I had him tell me what he bid it at and I am going to go $200 higher so he gets it. He also got me a $700 stump job last week when I had that vermeer rented. I figure its only the right thing to do but I hope I don't get a "he's high priced" tag attatched to my name. I wish I had enough work to give back to him but I don't. How many of you guys would do the same thing?

I would talk to the guy that owns the other tree service, and see if he even wants the job... He might be busy, and not want to do it... Thats why he gave the HO your card.

 

[Blakesmaster]

This all just sounds real goofy. Giving out another tree service's card? I couldn't imagine. I've called and been called for help on the occasional job but we ( meaning me and the other tree services ) handle everything amongst ourselves. No need to involve the HO.

 

[Blakesmaster]

In addition, being that you're new to this, I would warn you to be aware that this dude might not be your friend, just buttering you up and digging info out of you to better place himself as your competition...or keep you in your place. Just thinking here. I try my best to play my cards fairly close to my chest when dealing with other local co's.

 

[swyman]

Thanks for all the responses and it was a very awkward situation for me. Just got off the phone with the HO who is an elderly woman on a fixed income and had a wonderful rather lengthy conversation. I was just totally honest and she is going to have him do the job but she said she will need more work later on and asked if I minded if she called me. I think that is fair and all is well! Just love a happy ending

 

[hunthawkdog]

I like to think were all in the same boat . Looking out for each other is what seperates us from the lawyers and pencile pushers . the Bible says seed sowen will be multipled 30, 60, and a 100,fold . Good job man

 

[pdqdl]

You agreed with your friend to participate in bid rigging when you asked him what price he bid it at. Now you are regretting the morality of participating in bid rigging. At this point, there is only one way to come out a winner:

Give the customer the honest best bid that you would normally offer. (This earns the trust your customer places in you, and doesn't participate in any fraud)

Then tell the customer you would rather not take any business from your friend. If the customer then chooses your bid (for whatever reason, most likely your honesty), then you need to pay your friend a commission for the referral. (This rewards him for giving you the referral, and lets him know in a very tangible way that you do not intend to take work from him.)

 

[superjunior]

I do a lot of work with another tree company who's a good friend of mine. We often bump into each other bidding on the same job. We don't tell each other our bids, just give the bid as usuall, our prices are always pretty darn close anyway. Funny, on some of the really big jobs where we both bid on and one of us gets it, we'll bring the other in to slam it out. A few weeks ago we knocked out a 6k job in a day and a half. Lots of advantages to working with another company