# language: free consultation vs. free estimate



## ponderosatree (Aug 3, 2008)

Working on my website and wondering if it's better to say "free consultation" or "free estimate". I want to keep the language consistent. Consultation seems more inviting. Thoughts?


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## mckeetree (Aug 3, 2008)

I charge for consultations. A consultation usually involves among other things helping the client make decisions about PHC. If you use the word "consultation" many customers will have high expectations of your ability to talk about tree care in depth and somewhat scientifically. If you are not ready to do this I would stick with estimate.


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## ASD (Aug 3, 2008)

Go with "free estimate" !!!! if you use the "free consultation" you will end up writing free arb. reports


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## ponderosatree (Aug 3, 2008)

ASD said:


> Go with "free estimate" !!!! if you use the "free consultation" you will end up writing free arb. reports



I always tell people a consultation is free. In most cases it leads to work or at least a proposal but I'm always clear that their will be a fee for a written report.


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## ATH (Aug 3, 2008)

My opinion: A professional charges for consultations because this a professional service. Offer free estimates but charge for a professional service if you want to be viewed as a professional.


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## mckeetree (Aug 4, 2008)

And my opinion.


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## ponderosatree (Aug 4, 2008)

ATH said:


> My opinion: A professional charges for consultations because this a professional service. Offer free estimates but charge for a professional service if you want to be viewed as a professional.



Want to be viewed as a professional? A customer is going to determine how professional you are based on how you present yourself, how effectively you answer their questions, references/testimonials, how responsive you are to calls, etc. Whether or not you charge for consultations is irrelevant to being "viewed as a professional".


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## BC WetCoast (Aug 6, 2008)

ponderosatree said:


> Want to be viewed as a professional? A customer is going to determine how professional you are based on how you present yourself, how effectively you answer their questions, references/testimonials, how responsive you are to calls, etc. Whether or not you charge for consultations is irrelevant to being "viewed as a professional".



Being a professional is different that being viewed (perceived) as one. A consultation, where the consultant provides information and recommendations based on knowledge, experience and training, is a service and should be charged just as a removal or pruning job is. 

An estimate is just that, a definition of the job to be done and the cost to do that job. While an estimate will include elements of a consultation, I think you are better to say free estimates.


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## Justmosing (Aug 26, 2008)

As someone who worked a little bit in marketing, your primary goal is to have people call you. I think the word consultation sounds much nicer in general. As a consumer i would think it sounds more professional and that you know what you're doing. In fact, you have an edge over competitors who do charge for consultation. Ultimately you can't just give free consultation and not land any works, so it's somewhat of a tough choice. Purely from a marketing point, I would use consultation. I'm no arborist, know nothing about trees, but I did live in Berkeley many years and miss it a lot.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Aug 26, 2008)

ATH said:


> My opinion: A professional charges for consultations because this a professional service. Offer free estimates but charge for a professional service if you want to be viewed as a professional.




+1

The word "consultation" has a legal meaning, as does the word, "estimate".


If you want to risk unnecessary legal troubles, ignore legal distinctions.

And vice versa.


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## ponderosatree (Aug 26, 2008)

BlueRidgeMark said:


> +1
> 
> The word "consultation" has a legal meaning, as does the word, "estimate".
> 
> ...



Justmosing: you really hit the nail on the head. Getting calls is what is important.

BlueRidgeMark: Bear in mind that I'm not a lawyer so take what I say with a grain of salt. The risk of false advertising is limited. It's my understanding that someone could only sue you under the guise of false advertising if they paid you for consultation when your advertising stated it was free. So long as your upfront with your costs you should be fine. They can't simply sue because you told them you have to charge for consultation when your advertising says otherwise. Some small print can limit your consultation risks. "Free consultation limited to initial visit." Besides, in most cases people needing consultation probably need tree services anyway. I get a lot of calls from people who just want some advice on their trees and often advice turns into work. 

It really comes down to how much time you have to see consultation only people. If you're just doing sales you probably have the time. If you're a smaller company and you're dividing your time between sales and climbing then I could understand wanting to limit this.


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## rfwoodvt (Aug 28, 2008)

ponderosatree said:


> Justmosing: you really hit the nail on the head. Getting calls is what is important.
> 
> BlueRidgeMark: Bear in mind that I'm not a lawyer so take what I say with a grain of salt. The risk of false advertising is limited.




The legal risk has nothing to do with false advertising. 

It has everything to do with what the customer chooses to do with the information they gather from your "Consultation."

We have to remember, that anything and everything we say can come back to haunt us. Consultations by definition include giving the customer advise or information that they can use. You can, and will be held responsible for that information and even what they choose to do with it. Especially if they screw up and misunderstand you or misapply that information.

Like it or not, you can wind up defending yourself in court, whether it is your fault or not.

A free estimate is just that, an estimate. And the estimate should be limited to the work that the customer specifies. 

If the customer doesn't know what needs to be done then we might get away with offering suggestions or solutions to thier concerns, but never open ourelves up for liability unless we are properly compensated.

It is amazing how many people who get something for "free" will then try to get more or go on a gold digging expedition. They always seem to be looking to win "life's lottery" and are just waiting for a contractor (that means us) to give them a chance of a lifetime. 

Those that are willing to pay for information, while still capable of gold digging, seem to be less inclined to be gold diggers and take more responsibility for thier own actions. Unless we really screw up, these people tend to be reasonable.

Besides, do you really want to work with a client whose first question to you is "What will you give me for Free?"?

My best year of writing estimates was over $400k and we were advertising "free Estimates." That year I sold less than $60k in work.

The following season we stopped advertising "free" estimates and we only wrote $135k in estimates. But, we sold $80k. 

The numbers speak for themselves. I spent less time and sold more jobs.

Do you want to spend your time with tire kickers, or with buyers?

We don't advertise Freebies any more and if a customer asks, we tell them "If you know what work you want done we can write a proposal for that work free of charge. 

But, if you need help deterimining what should be done or to develop a plan, we can schedule a site visit and help you out. Site visits run about $$$"

In either case, if they agree to an estimate or a site visit we are dealing with buyers and not tire-kickers.

First rule of sales is pre-qualify your customers and only deal with buyers. Second rule of sales is that you don't want every customer.

Keep that in mind and you will find your sales to be more enjoyable and less of a nuisance.


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## Lumberjacked (Aug 28, 2008)

I use "assessment"...There is always some service that can be performed on a customers tree. I consider myself a pretty good salesmen so I know if I can get myself to a potential clients house my chances of signing work are really good. And EVERYONE (im talking about the billy bobs in the yellow pages here) uses "free estimate"


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## rfwoodvt (Aug 28, 2008)

Lumberjacked said:


> I use "assessment"...



Gotta be careful with this word too. 

If you look at a tree and give it an "assessment" and miss something that cause it to come down and do damage you can be held seriously liable.

At the same time, are you doing an assessment of their tree or trees?

When you do assessments you had better be carrying Errors and Omissions insurance.

In today's litigious society you need to be extremely careful what you say and how you say it because some slick lawyer will back you into a corner very quickly.

Since we are striving to be called professionals and since the legal system looks at people who do consulations and assessments as professionals then we are, and should be, held to the "General Duty" standards.

What that means is if you are a professional, you are "expected to know" and are duty bound to look for and see things that the average homeowner would not.

If you don't report or look for those "things" and they rear their ugly heads it is you who is responsible because you were there and "assessed" their trees.

There are ways around this but it requires executing some form of assumed or explicit agreement with the customer. You cannot do that if you are not charging them for your services.

You can also put together certain "disclaimers" to give your customers to limit your exposure, but damn...If you are going to stick your neck into the noose ya gotta be careful to protect your throat!

I have heard both Joe Samnick and Randall Staman share a lot about these problems at various conferences. It might be worth finding some of thier material


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## ponderosatree (Aug 28, 2008)

You know what. You've convinced me. I think I'll stick with "free estimates".


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