Do you look?

[okietreedude1]

I recently went out to look at a job the customer had said we'd already bid and he wanted to add more. When i met him, he started handing me a sheet saying 'the other man' had given it to him earlier. Turns out 'the other man' was another company. I didnt take it from him but he had it open long enough to see the price. Sure i used the info to my advantage, but bid the job higher since there was more work involved. Got the job, made the bid. I reallly dont like knowing others prices first. It seems to make it unfair to the other guy and sometimes that other guy is me.

I dont like looking at jobs w/o the customer unless its a removal and both parties are in an understanding from the beginning whats going to be left.

If i look at something when the customer isnt there, I dont leave estimates and I wont leave a price on an answering machine or w/ a kid taking a message. I simply ask them to call me.

As for competing for work when the cust. tells me they are taking more bids, i remind them of our certs, liab ins., work comp, and finish off with asking them to not share bid prices.

 

[Stumper]

I've looked-a few times. Not looked other times. I seldom leave bids-I TRY to get to meet and look with the client. Sometimes a bidsheet in the door is what has to be.

 

[a_lopa]

Originally posted by TreeCo
I look at the other est. usually if it's in plain view.

If the customer is not interested in meeting with me and tells me to just look at the trees and stick the est. in the door I seldom go by.

If they tell me on the phone they are getting lots of bids they get put last on my est. list. I may call back a few days later and ask if they have decided what to do and see if they still need a bid. If they say they already have three bids or so I tell them I'm usually not the cheapest and respectually back out of giving a bid. I try to slip in the fact that most of my work if for steady, repete customers.

Dan

me to.if they say im bidding against other locals, ill wait till they call again or a few times to make them work for there qoute.i think its a fair asumption to say the smartest thing any customer can do is get a heap of bids. we can nearly smell that there only shopping

 

[NeTree]

Can't say I've ever run into other estimates stuck in a door, because I always talk to the customer in person. I think you have a much better chance of landing the job that way.

Experience has taught me how to root out most of the "fishers" from those who actually want work done.

Recognize the difference between a free estimate and a consultation.


Butch, I work with other companies all the time.

 

[glens]

Originally posted by netree
Recognize the difference between a free estimate and a consultation.

A pearl of great value.

 

[Nathan Wreyford]

You make an extra trip just to hand deliver an estimate

What a waste of time IMHO.

I always asked for email adresses and just shot them something online. Plus then you have their email for future communications

Austin was a very tech oriented city. Most everyone had and checked email. There is always the old lady, etc. then I would hand deliver.

 

[Stumper]

Nathan, Speaking for myself, I return phone calls and try to arrange a time to look at the trees with the customer. That isn't ALWAYS possible but it usually is. That does make some estimates start to crossover into a consultation but it means that the customer is imformed and we are both o the same page about what is going to be done.- An invaluable benefit.

 

[Nathan Wreyford]

Sorry, I missed the point. The only time I don't meet the customer is when it is a removal or something really straight forward.

I like to make sure we are on the same page in the same book and assure them that they won't be billed until we are.

Face time is invaluable when it comes to making a sale. It is a great link to make you more of a value added service product instead of just a commodity posted on a door.

Experience has taught me how to root out most of the "fishers" from those who actually want work done.

I am with netree here. Properly qualifying leads is step one in sales. That will do the most to save you time.

I always ask who else they are having bid on a job or if I am a reference from someone. Most of my work was references...thus pre-qualified.

 

[Toddppm]

Had me wondering, I checked the jobs we've done so far this year and 70% were from people I met in person. Looked like most of the jobs that I didn't meet them were much smaller.
I try to prequalify as much as possible over the phone too, I've turned away tons of people this spring for various reasons.

A speaker at a class I went to in the fall said " don't worry about sales, concentrate on getting proposals done and sales will follow"
I sorta believe this, the more people you meet the more your name will get out, but alot of time will be wasted chasing every little thing? If you have the time why not?

So I take it you guys make appointments after hours and on weekends?

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Toddppm
So I take it you guys make appointments after hours and on weekends?

Weekends and evenings ARE working hours(for proposals and consults, especially), why not get out there when people are there to be sold on what you have to give to their trees?

I left two proposals in doors last week; not even a callback on either. If I'd met them on site I know I'd have at least one, probably both of those jobs. They both were "hurricane season is here and I'm afraid of these trees" type calls, neither would fork out for a paid consult.

Trees were declining--early stages-- but eminently saveable. Now I can either let a butcher who "likes to eat" slobber up the removal work because they don't understand preservation work, aka arboriculture, or else I can follow up with an info mailer offering a free 10-minute consult.

These jobs are in my hood which I don't want needlessly deforested, so I'll do that and work a little for free and see if the tree owners are educable. Then if they go with the treecudders, I'll at least know that they were given a choice.

O and Butch the pic of the tearout was a necessary removal, no question, but wasn't it misleading? What % of your takedowns are done for stupid people reasons?

 

[Ax-man]

For the pruning and deadwooding prospects I meet in person. Usually between 5 to 7 pm. or first thing in morning if it is more conveniant for them. I like to meet these prospects in person because the details of the work can't really be discussed over the phone. This kind of work is also less competitive and more profitable than the removal of trees, which I feel requires more personal attention from me.

The removal side of the business is just a whole different ball game, full of wanna be price shoppers who don't have a clue as to what it costs to remove a tree, especially a big tree that is a high liability and could cost you money, if you were to do it. For some reason these people get a bug up their butt to remove a tree, for some reason or another it doesn't get done.

For these people I give phone quotes, min. to worst case scenario type prices. If they bite after that I'll look at the job, but usually just drop an estimate in the door if it is local, if it is out of town I charge $ 20 and schedule a time, not many takers on this though.

Settin up times and making appointments for removals just seems to be a big waste of time and gas.

Doing estimates on weekends, hardly ever, I try to get this estimating and proposal work done through the regular work week, but some times it is the only time it works out for both parties.

Larry

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur
What % of your takedowns are done for stupid people reasons?

I dunno, probably fifty/fifty. It's a very subjective answer. The guy having the tree removed to put in a pool doesn't think it's stupid. The guy having a couple huge leads removed so he can get his RV in his driveway probably doesn't think it's stupid, either.