Argh!

[treeman82]

2 weeks ago I got a call at 9:30 PM from this old guy who was referred to me by a contractor I know. I simply let it ring, and was going to call him back the following morning. Well he beat me to the punch, callng at 7:30 AM the following day. Went over to look at this sugar maple he wanted to prune and cable. Gave a price, he wanted it done right away. I told him that I couldn't do it until after Thanksgiving. He was moaning about maybe I could get there before, but I told him I had other things going on. Said I'd call him the week of Thanksgiving to set up a date to come do the job. So last week the guy calls me twice, wants to know when I am going to call him. I had to actually make an appointment to call the guy to set up a day to do the job... and now he may want to take the tree down instead. Well I call him this morning, at the pre-determined time to tell him I'll be there next Wednesday. He now wants to hold off until the spring. What a waste of agrivation.

 

[Blakesmaster]

2 weeks ago I got a call at 9:30 PM from this old guy who was referred to me by a contractor I know. I simply let it ring, and was going to call him back the following morning. Well he beat me to the punch, callng at 7:30 AM the following day. Went over to look at this sugar maple he wanted to prune and cable. Gave a price, he wanted it done right away. I told him that I couldn't do it until after Thanksgiving. He was moaning about maybe I could get there before, but I told him I had other things going on. Said I'd call him the week of Thanksgiving to set up a date to come do the job. So last week the guy calls me twice, wants to know when I am going to call him. I had to actually make an appointment to call the guy to set up a day to do the job... and now he may want to take the tree down instead. Well I call him this morning, at the pre-determined time to tell him I'll be there next Wednesday. He now wants to hold off until the spring. What a waste of agrivation.

I can never figure out those types. I bend over backwards to try and please the HO's that seem hot to trot and more times than not something happens and they want to hold off for a bit. I usually get the impression they have an impulse purchase but before we can get there to work the missus puts the brakes on. Best I can guess at least.

 

[NCTREE]

Happens all the time and each time I become a little less frustrated at it. thats what happens when your a salesman. If you really wanted the job and needed it the best thing to do is jump on it right away cause you'll lose everytime if you don't.

 

[treeman82]

The only thing that is really irritating me about the whole situation is the fact that he called me after the estimate to make an appointment to call him to schedule the job. Other than that, stuff happens.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Happens all the time and each time I become a little less frustrated at it. thats what happens when your a salesman. If you really wanted the job and needed it the best thing to do is jump on it right away cause you'll lose everytime if you don't.

Yup, just an aspect of business. It is a lot better then showing up and the tree is gone

 

[fishercat]

more and more folks acting this way.

i just tell them the deal and leave.they have my number,any hint they are nutty,i ain't coming back.

 

[mckeetree]

2 weeks ago I got a call at 9:30 PM from this old guy who was referred to me by a contractor I know. I simply let it ring, and was going to call him back the following morning. Well he beat me to the punch, callng at 7:30 AM the following day. Went over to look at this sugar maple he wanted to prune and cable. Gave a price, he wanted it done right away. I told him that I couldn't do it until after Thanksgiving. He was moaning about maybe I could get there before, but I told him I had other things going on. Said I'd call him the week of Thanksgiving to set up a date to come do the job. So last week the guy calls me twice, wants to know when I am going to call him. I had to actually make an appointment to call the guy to set up a day to do the job... and now he may want to take the tree down instead. Well I call him this morning, at the pre-determined time to tell him I'll be there next Wednesday. He now wants to hold off until the spring. What a waste of agrivation.

I have been in the tree business 23 years and #### like that is the reason I intend to hang it up within the next five years. I am just sick to death of the nutty ass public. I am sick of competing with illegal aliens and putting up with employees problems. A young guy that has his sights set high at all would be crazy to even entertain getting into this business.

 

[Rftreeman]

I have been in the tree business 23 years and #### like that is the reason I intend to hang it up within the next five years. I am just sick to death of the nutty ass public. I am sick of competing with illegal aliens and putting up with employees problems. A young guy that has his sights set high at all would be crazy to even entertain getting into this business.

:agree2:

 

[treeseer]

thats what happens when your a salesman. If you really wanted the job and needed it the best thing to do is jump on it right away cause you'll lose everytime if you don't.

Absolutely if you can get there when they are ready to act then it gets done with less chance for complication.

A lot of these problems disappear if you charge for your time consulting with them about what to do.

 

[NCTREE]

Absolutely if you can get there when they are ready to act then it gets done with less chance for complication.

A lot of these problems disappear if you charge for your time consulting with them about what to do.

A free estimate can turn into a consultations, such a fine line when your trying to sell a job. If I charge for estimates I don't think I'd get many calls. Berks countians are always looking for good deals even when it comes to trying to save a tree.

I diagnosed an apple tree about a month ago. It was a HO prune job, topped it back to 4" stubs and he wanted to know what was wrong with it. It had apple scab and sunscold from being topped hard. He wanted to do the spraying and trimming himself, just wanted to me to diagnose it. I charged him $50 dollars. I still didn't get that check.

 

[ropensaddle]

A free estimate can turn into a consultations, such a fine line when your trying to sell a job. If I charge for estimates I don't think I'd get many calls. Berks countians are always looking for good deals even when it comes to trying to save a tree.

I diagnosed an apple tree about a month ago. It was a HO prune job, topped it back to 4" stubs and he wanted to know what was wrong with it. It had apple scab and sunscold from being topped hard. He wanted to do the spraying and trimming himself, just wanted to me to diagnose it. I charged him $50 dollars. I still didn't get that check.

Lmfao can't see why file a lien lol

 

[ropensaddle]

I have been in the tree business 23 years and #### like that is the reason I intend to hang it up within the next five years. I am just sick to death of the nutty ass public. I am sick of competing with illegal aliens and putting up with employees problems. A young guy that has his sights set high at all would be crazy to even entertain getting into this business.

I am right in that same boat too much bull#### imho.

 

[NCTREE]

Lmfao can't see why file a lien lol

yeah i know its rediculous when you have to ##### about 50 bucks, hell a doctor will charge you more than that to tell you you have a cold.

 

[ropensaddle]

yeah i know its rediculous when you have to ##### about 50 bucks, hell a doctor will charge you more than that to tell you you have a cold.

only two bounced checks one was 3 stumps 50.00 and it ticked me off more than the 400.00 on a tree removal.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Today I was on a "get it on the ground" job with a large dead elm in a buckthorn thicket. After we got the stuff piled up in a somewhat neat mess, the homeowner decides that he wants the crew to haul everything off

We did not tell him it would have been cheaper to do it "right" the first time. Such is life, the boss said to account for hours on any extra work, so I was picking apart a slash pile at $40/hr. Actually it took me past my minimum by half an hour; we had two of the trees down in less then 3 hours, including some extra brush clearing under the big tree to make room to work.

Such is life.

 

[ropensaddle]

Today I was on a "get it on the ground" job with a large dead elm in a buckthorn thicket. After we got the stuff piled up in a somewhat neat mess, the homeowner decides that he wants the crew to haul everything off

We did not tell him it would have been cheaper to do it "right" the first time. Such is life, the boss said to account for hours on any extra work, so I was picking apart a slash pile at $40/hr. Actually it took me past my minimum by half an hour; we had two of the trees down in less then 3 hours, including some extra brush clearing under the big tree to make room to work.

Such is life.

40ph come on jps at least 100ph on my job or I stay home.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

40ph come on jps at least 100ph on my job or I stay home.

$40/hr as a sub with just me, my gear and my 3/4 ton truck. $200 minimum with one hour base travel time for .75-1.25 hrs of travel. Less drive is negotiable and more is billable. For most of my clientele it averages out; I got tired of haggling with new companies and just started saying it is what it is.

Most of the time I am under my minimum time and go home at 3-4 hours in the tree. With my regular once a week clients I might get 6-7 and occasionally 9-10 when there are multiple trees.

I found myself doing difficult trees in 2-3 hours with the guy signing the check wanting to pay me 90-120 for the day. Which is where I settled on the $200 minimum.

4 days a week grosses $800 x 50 = 40k. With school it is more like 200 x 3 days a week, and it has been a rough year.

This is for my local clientele, if I'm sleeping away from my wife, or spending a lot of time driving I will adjust upwards. All in all it is a good supplement to my VA pension

 

[mckeetree]

I diagnosed an apple tree about a month ago. It was a HO prune job, topped it back to 4" stubs and he wanted to know what was wrong with it. It had apple scab and sunscold from being topped hard. He wanted to do the spraying and trimming himself, just wanted to me to diagnose it. I charged him $50 dollars. I still didn't get that check.

Yeah, crap like that. That's what I'm talking about. I have a guy right now that owes me $275.00 for consultation, soil analysis and some lab fees. That assclown isn't going ever to pay me. I got the news today my occupational hazard insurance is going up.

 

[ropensaddle]

$40/hr as a sub with just me, my gear and my 3/4 ton truck. $200 minimum with one hour base travel time for .75-1.25 hrs of travel. Less drive is negotiable and more is billable. For most of my clientele it averages out; I got tired of haggling with new companies and just started saying it is what it is.

Most of the time I am under my minimum time and go home at 3-4 hours in the tree. With my regular once a week clients I might get 6-7 and occasionally 9-10 when there are multiple trees.

I found myself doing difficult trees in 2-3 hours with the guy signing the check wanting to pay me 90-120 for the day. Which is where I settled on the $200 minimum.

4 days a week grosses $800 x 50 = 40k. With school it is more like 200 x 3 days a week, and it has been a rough year.

This is for my local clientele, if I'm sleeping away from my wife, or spending a lot of time driving I will adjust upwards. All in all it is a good supplement to my VA pension

Ok thats not bad then I thought you ran a biz did not know u were subbing!

 

[ropensaddle]

Yeah, crap like that. That's what I'm talking about. I have a guy right now that owes me $275.00 for consultation, soil analysis and some lab fees. That assclown isn't going ever to pay me. I got the news today my occupational hazard insurance is going up.

They do that #### every ####ing year them sobs put me in the poor house this year ####ers