Customers keep cancelling on me

[mikewhite85]

I have had 3 in the last month... about 7k in work.

Seems like customers really like me at the estimate and want to go ahead with it, we book for 2-3 weeks later, and I get a call or email a week before saying they found someone else. Assuming they found a lower price.

I had even mentioned to one guy at the estimate that I have a firewood guy come and pick up the logs. After cancelling the job, he had the nerve to call me a few days later and ask for the firewood guy's number.

Lots of hacks and illegals around here that really drive the prices down... It's one thing to have someone never call you after an estimate but it's another to have them book and cancel later. It can be pretty disconcerting. I paid around 10 grand in worker's comp last month which is a lot for a smaller company like me. I just can't compete with companies who underpay their workers and cheat on worker's comp.

Anyways, thanks for letting me vent :cool2: Feels better now

 

[mikewhite85]

I am, however, very thankful for the work I do have! Sorry to sound like a complainer. I have several pretty good jobs coming up.

 

[treemandan]

That's why a lot of guys are so empahtic to get a signed contract. Everybody has been burned like that. Worse thing have been known to happen. Funny about them wanting your wood guy,hysterical even. At least they called before you showed up with the chipper running.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I have had 3 in the last month... about 7k in work.

Seems like customers really like me at the estimate and want to go ahead with it, we book for 2-3 weeks later, and I get a call or email a week before saying they found someone else. Assuming they found a lower price.

I had even mentioned to one guy at the estimate that I have a firewood guy come and pick up the logs. After cancelling the job, he had the nerve to call me a few days later and ask for the firewood guy's number.

Lots of hacks and illegals around here that really drive the prices down... It's one thing to have someone never call you after an estimate but it's another to have them book and cancel later. It can be pretty disconcerting. I paid around 10 grand in worker's comp last month which is a lot for a smaller company like me. I just can't compete with companies who underpay their workers and cheat on worker's comp.

Anyways, thanks for letting me vent :cool2: Feels better now

Sorry to hear that man! My rule of thumb is if it's a job I really want, ( aka a VERY profitable one ) , I clear the ####ing schedule and get it done. I'm not pruning crabapples or some #### for a grand or so a day while I have a nice 3 g removal sitting on my books. That way if a ####ty job cancels 'cause I took too long, #### it, no big deal. You get contracts on these? How about adding a 10 percent cancellation fee? That'll help them change their tune should they decide to cancel!

 

[mattfr12]

Sorry to hear that man! My rule of thumb is if it's a job I really want, ( aka a VERY profitable one ) , I clear the ####ing schedule and get it done. I'm not pruning crabapples or some #### for a grand or so a day while I have a nice 3 g removal sitting on my books. That way if a ####ty job cancels 'cause I took too long, #### it, no big deal. You get contracts on these? How about adding a 10 percent cancellation fee? That'll help them change their tune should they decide to cancel!

You have to do this its sad to say but any good tree man is gonna be heavily backlogged. We had people that wouldn't wait a week and some we did almost a year later. Where one is lost two more fall in tho.

 

[Toddppm]

That sucks to have 3 in 1 month! It will make you think when you have that many but I wouldn't go too far with trying to charge them, at least they let you know ahead of time. I do have a $150.00 fee if we don't find out until we get there.
Sounds like you're getting plenty of jobs to make up for it, not much you can do but try to get more work! Who knows, sometimes they feel bad about it or realize they didn't get the same service you were going to provide and they'll call again later.

 

[treeclimber101]

Sometimes people cancel on me cause I am just to good looking , so it's all good:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[arborealbuffoon]

I have had 3 in the last month... about 7k in work.

Seems like customers really like me at the estimate and want to go ahead with it, we book for 2-3 weeks later, and I get a call or email a week before saying they found someone else. Assuming they found a lower price.

I had even mentioned to one guy at the estimate that I have a firewood guy come and pick up the logs. After cancelling the job, he had the nerve to call me a few days later and ask for the firewood guy's number.

Lots of hacks and illegals around here that really drive the prices down... It's one thing to have someone never call you after an estimate but it's another to have them book and cancel later. It can be pretty disconcerting. I paid around 10 grand in worker's comp last month which is a lot for a smaller company like me. I just can't compete with companies who underpay their workers and cheat on worker's comp.

Anyways, thanks for letting me vent :cool2: Feels better now

Welcome to the tree business, buddy. Every person's own agenda is their highest priority, no matter what. How's it feel to be a wood wh#re?????

 

[mckeetree]

Lots of times I get a gut feeling (and I have a big gut so it's a strong feeling) that some jackass is going to cancel before we get to the job. What they usually pull is they give you the job and just keep on calling getting more estimates. Hacks and illegals are bad here too. If they are worse where you are it would be unimaginable. Plus around here every hobo looking piece of wino crap moron that professes to be in the tree business claims they have GL and comp. Now then, some SOB pulls up in a hulled out 1975 1/2 ton dodge pickup with bed about rusted off of it and he is carrying comp....I mean really. Anyway, if it is a good job I get a 10% nonrefundable deposit and like many others schedule it in quick. I sold a $6,500.00 job one Fri. and had the "feeling" so I set it up for the following Mon. and Tues. I got a signed contract with the $650.00 nonrefundable deposit. You need to have your contract worded right. They can stop payment but most won't. Back to the story...the guy calls Sat. morn about 8:15 and comes with the old cancel me deal. I ask why he wants to cancel and he gets puffed up as most of them will if you try to pry into that. I think they don't want to tell you who they hired in your place because you are going to inform them that outfit doesn't have a lick of insurance and they don't want to hear that. He asked about the deposit and I tell him "That's gone Brother. forget about that." So at least I came out with $650.00 on the deal even though I lost a small Mon. job because I had moved them.

 

[tree MDS]

You have to do this its sad to say but any good tree man is gonna be heavily backlogged. We had people that wouldn't wait a week and some we did almost a year later. Where one is lost two more fall in tho.

Sounds like you had better pull AA off the Steiner, and get him back up and running the crew then!! Just saying..

 

[treeclimber101]

Or cousin Leroy or whoever that cat was who played bumper cars with the new snowmobile trailer !

 

[TreeAce]

What I have ran into lately is people giving me the go ahead knowing i am 4+weeks out and then just keep looking for bids. If nothing "better " comes along then they still have me "on ice". Whatever. Of course it pisses me off but hey I figure a lot if not all of those people are poor customers anyway. Poor as in Ahole not as in broke. I dont mess with deposits although maybe i should.

 

[mattfr12]

Sounds like you had better pull AA off the Steiner, and get him back up and running the crew then!! Just saying..

Go blow in your truck add some minutes to your pay per go phone and get some work, you'll be alright. This life isn't for everyone.

 

[mckeetree]

I dont mess with deposits although maybe i should.

Believe me, deposits go a long way to holding the job.

 

[arborealbuffoon]

Go blow in your truck add some minutes to your pay per go phone and get some work, you'll be alright. This life isn't for everyone.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I can't believe I am still playing these games myself. And I even went to college ...

 

[RAG66]

I get these people all the time. The infamous "cold call" or "tire kicker", usually just a waste of time. I answer as many calls as possible when it rings, make as many estimates as possible immediately. If the clown wants to get other estimates go ahead. I try to give them about 10-15 minutes for an estimate and get out of there. I should drop the price a bit but that would be a race for the bottom. I could work more if I would do it for $.75 on the $1.00... I think the customer that cancels is most likely one I do not want to work for. It still hurts though when you don't have much work.

 

[CUCV]

Try reaching out to your customers between the time they give you the go ahead and three weeks later when you are going to do the work. Phone calls can take a ton of time but if I feel the customer will be into it I shoot them a text or email to let them know that I am still thinking about the job and that I am on schedule to do the work.

 

[mikewhite85]

Concerning deposits, do they often scare people away? Can they do more harm than good? I have never taken one in the past. People can be a little skeptical of them. Maybe I should give them a shot though.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Put my signature on the bottom of your written estimate.

 

[imagineero]

I get very few cancellations, and win a fair percentage of my quotes. I do about a dozen a week, all on a saturday, and try to spend a bit of time at each one demonstrating my knowledge if I feel I'm in with a chance. I win 2 or 3 on the spot, and maybe another 3 or 4 over the following 3 months. Some folks have to wait for permits etc. I let them see my public liability, workers comp and arborist cert. I tell them they ought to ask to see them from every person they get a quote from. I feel taking that step helps me cut out a lot of hacks. There are some folks just plain don't have the money for quality tree work, my prices aren't crazy high, but they're in line with other reputable companies which is to say not cheap.

Only hacks ask for cash up front in aus. They take the money, give you no paperwork, and you never see them again. A lot of unscrupulous guys are going doorknocking, preying on the elderly. They con them into thinking their trees are dangerous, get a deposit and run. I've never asked a customer for a deposit except a couple times on big $$$ jobs where I had a lot of up front costs for traffic control, cranes, and covering of electrical lines by the power company. You have to get a deposit on jobs like those, or you're screwed if they cancel.

If it weren't for cancelled jobs, I'd have no days off. They put a smile on my face.

Shaun