60 minutes, $300.00

[2000ssm6]

I can throw out a line. I work on cars at a big car dealership. Our labor rate is at $85 an hour. For what little money I get out of that, it is high. I try to only do side jobs for friends. I don't know too many people that can pay that much to get their car repaired. I will tell them(side jobs) that even though I am good there is a possibilty that I may mis-diagnose or f something up. That is understood and doesn't keep them away. There are many reasons that that labor rate is so high. Some can pay that much some can't, that is where "we" type of people come in.

Fire away

 

[spike60]

You know who we are missing here don't you? Bwalker!

I'm serious. He'd have some good input here on competition and free market thinking and such.

 

[THALL10326]

You know who we are missing here don't you? Bwalker!

I'm serious. He'd have some good input here on competition and free market thinking and such.

Yeah, where is ole Ben lately, haven't seen him posting much lately..

 

[Lakeside53]

He'll respond if you use any word associated with lubrication, well.. almost any...

 

[spike60]

Your a tree surgeon, but you charge about the same as a heart surgeon

Best line of the thread. A genuine lung buster!

 

[04ultra]

Best line of the thread. A genuine lung buster!

+1







.

 

[Just Mow]

What did I miss. I guess I have some reading to do.:bang:

 

[wdchuck]

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: :sword:

 

[Just Mow]

Whoa! I stopped after five pages. Not a fight I want to get into because there are valid points on both sides.
I will keep reading though.

 

[manual]

Thall-

Did I unload on you unfairly? Yeah...I'll admit it. You crunched a nerve even though your actions have NO effect on me directly. I'll apologize for the way I handled it initially. (Budweiser has a way of doing that)

Look...it's simple.

You undermine tree services to get jobs and you do those jobs without insurance.

I don't agree with what you do. I feel that if you are going to do the volume of work that you are doing you should get on the level with the guys who make their living in this field instead of cutting their throats. I feel this way because I'm one of those guys that does it by the book and it gripes me to see guys come in make me look like I'm trying to rape homeowners.

I'm not changing your mind. You aren't changing mine.

That's it. Move on. I hold no grudge against you and you claim to have no grudge against me. We don't agree on this and that's it. No point arguing any farther with it because we both believe too strongly in our opinions.

Truce?

You know a guy like thall in your area might bag a couple tree jobs, But I don't think it would kill you.
If you think about it, Thalls customer had to clean up the mess and also has to look at that ugly stump. sure he save some money so far. but the job is not done.
Also Thall is smart enough to turn down jobs that our out of his "shall we say expertize".
glad to hear you help out lawn care guys, To me what goes around comes around. Your a good Man.

 

[joatmon]

This thread has a question, let us see,
"Who's really qualified to cut a tree?",

Some here say that it takes a pro,
'Cause they're the only ones that really know,

Now ole Tommie says its OK to free lance,
Even though he wears not an arborists pants,

Then we start takin' 'bout insurance and stuff,
When we brought in the IRS, that is enough,

Tommie takin' jobs from Ohio,
Tommies in Virginia, don't think so,

But the BOTTOM LINE on cuttin' a tree,
Thanks G_D we live in THE LAND of the FREE.

 

[PA Plumber]

 

[RiverRat2]

This thread has a question, let us see,
"Who's really qualified to cut a tree?",

Some here say that it takes a pro,
'Cause they're the only ones that really know,

Now ole Tommie says its OK to free lance,
Even though he wears not an arborists pants,

Then we start takin' 'bout insurance and stuff,
When we brought in the IRS, that is enough,

Tommie takin' jobs from Ohio,
Tommies in Virginia, don't think so,

But the BOTTOM LINE on cuttin' a tree,
Thanks G_D we live in THE LAND of the FREE.

 

[spacemule]

After reading these 9 pages I think I'll have to refer all the Tree Service guys (and a few Arborists) that want me to do side jobs on their saws straight back to the Stihl (and Husky) dealerships. After all I don't have any insurance...

Yeah, you run a real risk of knocking a roof off while repairing a chainsaw, don't ya.

 

[Lakeside53]

Only my own, or anothers leg, but as you well know this isn't point - it's the double standard where one side is upset because part of "their" pie is being "taken", but will gladly reach out and do the same to another. Side-jobs abound in all occupations... and price is what drives them.

If Thall gave his away for free, would anyone be upset?

 

[manual]

You can go to A Barber for a hair cut or you can get an attachment for your vacuum cleaner to do the same thing.

 

[spacemule]

Only my own, or anothers leg, but as you well know this isn't point - it's the double standard where one side is upset because part of "their" pie is being "taken", but will gladly reach out and do the same to another. Side-jobs abound in all occupations... and price is what drives them.

If Thall gave his away for free, would anyone be upset?

I don't see it as a double standard. Side jobs are not the issue, it's the lack of insurance that is the issue. Repairing saws does not require insurance, simply because most any repairman will be able to cover whatever negligible liabilty claims may result. Again, there is nothing wrong with doing sidejobs, so long as ethical business practices are followed. Say what you will, Thall is behaving in an unethical manner.

 

[spacemule]

You can go to A Barber for a hair cut or you can get an attachment for your vacuum cleaner to do the same thing.

And you will likely be covered by your own homeowner's insurance. I've never known anyone to cause much damage with hair clippers either.

 

[manual]

Lets looks at the hazards here,
First, no warning signs.
Second, the big "what if". What if thall damaged the sidewalk ?
Third , I don't know, but it looks like the tree also went onto the street.
Fourth, who is going to repair the damage to the lawn when the tree fell.

If you ask me, I think the Home owner took a great risk having Thall cut that tree down just to save a buck.
Now I'm not shaming Thall he was just a Hired Gun, Mercenary so to speak.

 

[Lakeside53]

I don't see it as a double standard. Side jobs are not the issue, it's the lack of insurance that is the issue. Repairing saws does not require insurance, simply because most any repairman will be able to cover whatever negligible liabilty claims may result. Again, there is nothing wrong with doing sidejobs, so long as ethical business practices are followed. Say what you will, Thall is behaving in an unethical manner.

Hmmm.. so we don't need $10M in liability insurance at the shop? I'll cancel it today! but to not trivialize what you are saying... it's not so much about "property" in the ope repair business. Personal injury from the use of an incorrectly repaired device, or "alleged bad repair" is not a trivial issue... nor is the legal defense you have to mount...

Ethics. BS. It MIGHT be a legal issue, not an ethics issue. Free county... and not everywhere demands insurance. And even where it is required, I bet half my so-called-pro customers have none. Here's an ethics dilemma for you - no assets. Why carry insurance?

So, is India unethical by being the largest IT outsource county in the world - taking about 270,000 USA jobs in the past 3 years?