Charge for estimates?

[Abbershay]

I recently started to charge for estimates over 20miles out.. they get the money off if i get the work. Had some bad reactions ... but really they want me to drive 25 miles there and 25 back to give them an estimate for free.. they did this to about 5 guys and they never even had the work done.

I charge $20 but i dont think i will continue .. Shoppers really get on my nerves...

 

[treeman82]

I would never think about charging for an estimate around here unless I knew the person was a real creep. If I had to go down to the city though, or way down county, or out to Jersey... then yeah, I would probably ask for some $

 

[NickfromWI]

I would keep charing that, especially for far away clients. If they are so cheap that they don't want to invest 20.00, than you don't want to work for them anyway. They want to hire a lowballer that will give them a super cheap price. Your time is valuable. 20 minutes there, 20 back, plus 20 minutes (or more!) to check out their trees. An hour for 20.00??? And that's if you can get in and out in 20 minutes.

That's the reason you charged the 20 dollars. Keep things worth your while and let the other guys get the cheapskates as customers.

love
nick

 

[Abbershay]

This happens all the time to me.... They ask every little branch and how much it is going to cost? Then i after i start working they really like the results and tack on a branch here and there.

what do you usally do when this happens?

do you tell them ok this branch is this much more and that one is this much more .. or do you just do the work and tack on whatever? .. or do you just thow it in?

TO much of the time i throw it in .. have to stop that.

Case in point i added some branches that i thought would be good for him.... they ended up taking me way longer ... did he give me a break and pay even a little extra. nada..

 

[MasterBlaster]

YOU have to decide when its free or if you charge. Some people have a whole agenda planned out about how they can get something for nothing from you.

If it adds more then 5, 10 minutes to the job, CHARGE THEM ACCORDINGLY!!

 

[Scars2prove-it]

I've been thinking of charging for estimates on insurance jobs where it looks like the homeowner can do it themselves. I think a lot of people just want estimates to get the insurance money.

 

[MasterBlaster]

DEFINITELY CHARGE FOR INS ESTIMATES!!!

No ifs, ands, or buts.

 

[Abbershay]

how much do you charge for an insurance estimate?

 

[Stumper]

Abby, I don't let my customers dictate this limb and that limb. I may ask them there preference on a limb that could stay or go (either being correct) in my opinion. If a custiomer comes out and asks about a specific limb I may accomodate them or -if it really should stay, I explain what I've done and why. I'm the expert. I don't mind acting like it. I don't mean arrogance and a "you can't tell me what to do" attitude. I KNOW what I'm doing. If the customer questions I can explain intelligently.

As far as those customers that just want one limb on this tree and one on that one and two over here etc. in the bid-well......First I charge top price since they don't want to let me do a thorough job and then later, when they start asking -"What about doing this or that while your here?"-They get a couple of small freebies and then I start saying," Sure. That will be an additional...."

 

[wiley_p]

I used to stick to the free estimate gig, still do for the most part with residential customers. But on large commercial bids I charge 75.00 per when a potential client has 75 trees that they want worked on my feeling is they need a proper asessment done. The guy that I sub for was leery about this at first but since I started this our commercial bids are coming in now. Before I would go out and look at the proposed work often putting in a couple of hours, then the tight a.. property manager would go with one of the many HACKS in this area.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Abbershay
how much do you charge for an insurance estimate?

I don't, but the guys I work with do. One guy charges $25, and the other guy doesn't even run out his 'insurance' calls.

I'm not a Tree Service.

I'm MasterBlaster.

 

[Ax-man]

Any mention of the word insurance is fifty bucks, I don't care if it's wind,lightning or car damage it's fifty bucks up front and no discounts or knock offs if we get any work out of it. I've been on too many wild goose chases over the years, and litterally been cheated out of work, can't make a living on broken promises that you will get the job and then nothing comes of it.

Value loss type ins. work $100.00 because a more detailed report is required for this type of work.

Keep charging for those estimates fuel and stationary cost money and your time is worth something. The very mention of charging for estimates seperates the shoppers from the buyers right off the bat.

Next year I might start charging for local estimates because our area is getting transplants that have the attitude that all the people in the phone book are a commodity type tree services. I downsized our phone book ad last to discourge shoppers, next year I might just have a listing only. Referral work is the best way to go, let the other guy work for nothing, there is no rule that says you have to.

 

[NeTree]

I don't mind giving estimates for free, and usually can fit them in with the routine so I'm not going out of my way.

I do however charge for a consultation- there is a difference.

I'm not going to ID and diagnose every plant on someone's property under the premise of my "free estimate".

 

[Guy Meilleur]

If I'm in the area and in the mood and the work looks interesting I'll give a free estimate. As a general policy new callers are told it's a paid consultation. Since I got certified and built up the resume' I can afford to sluff the shoppers that way. A nice effect of that is getting treated with respect.
Re driving time, yes charge for it!
Re insurance, yes charge for quotes! How much depends on what your time's worth. Last ins quoter I did was$60, but a 20 min drive. I highballed it cuz it looked nasty and didn't get the job. But I know I'm still first on the ins co's call list for next time, so who cares

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Say you charge $20 for an estamate, how do you get paid? Do you send a bill for a lousy 20 bucks? Hold your hand out before you start talking?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Payment due when service is rendered.

 

[Abbershay]

if i held out my hand before i started talking they would tell me to leave.... i have no dought about that.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
Say you charge $20 for an estamate, how do you get paid? Do you send a bill for a lousy 20 bucks?

A proposal/invoice form, triplicate costs me $.20. It is very much worth the trouble to bill for your time. If an estimate is not free then the service to assess the needs and recommend a plan is a consultation, and gets billed as such. If you need to get paid 20 bucks for spending 20 minutes on the road, then you're billing for drive time.
I don't send a bill, I put it in their hand and usually get paid before I leave. Giving away free estimates routinely devalues your service and the profession, imvho.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur

I don't send a bill, I put it in their hand and usually get paid before I leave. Giving away free estimates routinely devalues your service and the profession, imvho.

Guy's first sentence is just as important as his 2nd one, Abbershay.

 

[Higherup]

I just cant imagine charging for an estimate, I thought about it because some others I know do charge, and I figured If I can make a six digit income with just 3 men and all at bills are paid and needs are met then whats the point???? if i feel like im not making enough then I need to up the daily income and estimate higher and I figure I can stay within a 5 mile radius from the shop and not chase those ones to far out then I dont need to charge.