Emergency Service Fee

[DDM]

Considering the Fact that because i Advertise Emergency Service available Im sure sooner or later someone will call me at 2:00 AM one Rainy Nite Needing a tree or Limb removed from there Roof Ect. And i was curious what the Rest of you Add to the Charge for Emergency Service? Im sure there would be a set Charge before you ever left your Warm Bed Am I correct?

 

[Nickrosis]

Allow me to quote, if I may, our Residential Living Handbook,

"Damages that occur through normal wear and tear are paid for by the University; you are charged for any other damages. Financial assessments for replacement or repair of items damaged are based on repair and replacement costs plus associated labor fees.

Residential Living cannot always control all of the costs associated with repairs; much is dependent upon labor costs. For example, our department is charged different rates for a plumber based upon when he or she is called in. When emergency repairs arise during "off" hours (such as at night or on the weekends), we are charged a minimum of four hours of overtime regardless of how long the repair takes (even if it's only 15 minutes!)."

Nickrosis

 

[DDM]

Ummmmm Okay Nick But what does your Dad charge if Mr Smith 7 miles across town calls him at 2am on a Nite when its 20 degrees and its sleeting with a tree looking and him thru whats left of his roof
and he needs it Gone Now?

 

[Nickrosis]

Is Mr. Smith on the line? Hmm... I don't know that we've been through that. Watering, on the other hand.....I've been tooling through the wealthiest part of town to start and shut off their sprinklers while they sleep. That's *free* because they spend so much already.

I'd bring a tarp to Mr. Smith and tell him I'd be back in the morning. Btw, I just posted that earlier for information's sake.

Nickrosis

 

[FBerkel]

I charge half-again my normal rate for "emergency" calls: "please put all your other clients on hold and get out here tomorrow." Sometimes actual emergencies, sometimes only so in the minds of the callers.

As for the 2 AM calls: the office phone is all the way across the house, so (other than on insomniac nights like this one), I don't get the message til the next day.

Did get hauled out at 10:30 p.m. once by a former boss to tie up the remaining leaders of a smallish (gasp!) SIBERIAN ELM in a 131 mph wind storm. Some "emergencies" need to be put in their places!

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[kf_tree]

i took that 24 hour emergency service line out of my ad. after dark on a rainy windy night i felt climbing was not safe. in poor light are you able to properly estimate the tree? did you see all the hangers? even in the day light when it was raining and i was chasing storm damage i would just set ropes and make the tree safe to lock the job up. then finish it on a nicer day. when working in the dark in crumby weather is it worth rushing and getting hurt? i would rather get a good nights sleep and go out first thing in the morning.

 

[TREETX]

Amen to what rborist said. Lots of it is due to neglect in the 1st place.

I will take calls or messages until about 10pm. I have never gone out in the dark. I have showed up at the crack of dawn several times to cut limbs/trees off cars.

There I just tell them I have a 3 hour minimum. It is good because they just want to see their car. I spend 15 minutes to a half hour freeing the car, and I am gone. Clean up is ontop of that 3hrs if they want it.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I charge ONE MILLION DOLLARS, and that's just to look at it.
Then if I do any work at all, of course no clean up or other menial labor, it costs 10 MILLION DOLLARS.
I love to kick people when they are down.

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[Treeman14]

I too stopped advertising storm cleanup. I will however take care of regular customers or referrals. Although we do not have a firm policy, I typically charge 1.5 times regular rate with a 2 or 3 hour minimum.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

My point is to charge a fair price.
If it takes two or three hours to set up and go out, then that's fair.
If there is a storm, it is my opinion that it's best to be fair with your customers, not just overcharge because you can. By taking a quick profit, you hurt yourself in the long run. Be sure they will remember a long time how they got burned by "so and so" during the storm. Beleive me, they'll tell their friends.
If you treat them right, you have a life long customer.

 

[TREETX]

I am cost prohibitive on storm work because they are not my target clientele and not where I want my business going.

Having said that, I will add that I am busy after every storm doing storm damage at regular rates and sometimes free. That is only for my REGULAR customers.

Stopping by for 20 minutes is a great way to keep current customers happy and keep those references coming.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It depends on the storm.

If you have a huge one where your crew is putting in 70-80 hours a day for 2 weeks, every call is for NOW!!!. Then you tell the caller that you can come out on your normal rates later or double/ trebble time for ASAP.

This is not gouging; your OT is way up there, which raise your W/C insurance, weary crews are more likely to generate W/C claims

Not to mention that you may need to hire temps for hauling brush and raking....

Now those scattered happenings that my disrupt your schedule a little, a small increase to have someone head over there directly may be in order, and don't forget to include travel time and the time it takes to get the crew called in early. Guess it depends on what the cutomer wants. "I have to be on the road at 5:30!"

Case by case.

 

[treeman82]

Double time if it has to be done right away, if it can wait for a bit then regular time. I keep my phone by the side of my bed at night so people; friends, employees, customers can reach me. Of course I don't always answer the phone... but I know if they called.

 

[murphy4trees]

I plow smow for free.... May 1 -Oct 1....
You gotta make it while you can..
I once charged an insurance company $300 for a Saturday afternoon "mobilization". That was 10 minutes from my house... I worked alone.. and charged healthy hourly and dumping fees on top of that...
I sleep at night just fine.
And I've done more than my share of "charity" work as well.
God Bless,
Daniel

 

[DDM]

Mike? You take a Check?

 

[Jock]

Emergency work here is normally left till daylight,climbers crawling around on trees in the middle of the night can usually lead to two emergencies......used to get involved in railway line clearance working 12.30am till 7 am working with lights, lots of shadows and very nervous groundsmen, not worth it, need to have clear vision in this job..Jock

 

[murphy4trees]

Emergency after dark cleanup to me is always ground work...Just get the driveway or road clear 'til daylight.... don't even bring the chipper..
Daniel