Finishing what others have started - to do or not to do

[Ax-man]

This is kind of like the other thread only with a different twist. Just putting this up to see what you guys would do.

I put in a bid about a month ago to take down a large Elm. Not a hard job to, just big. I told the owner about a $1000.00 to put it on the ground. I could tell from his reaction, I wasn't going to get this job.

Last Saturday they rented one of these JGL's and took the tree down with the help of a bunch of beer drinking buddies.

Now they can't finish it, because they don't have a big enough saw to take down the spar.

We have to drive by this place every day. He flagged my son down yesterday, to see if he could cut up some wood they had on the ground with our 44. My son did it, but when he came back to the yard, he told me they want me to stop in and give them a price to finish cutting down the tree and haul off this big spar. Peronally, I don't want anything to do with it because I don't like the idea of finishing up their mess when we didn't get the job to start with. The idea of making room for this big spar and disposing of it doesn't thrill me either.

What would you guys do, leave them take care of what they started or be a nice guy and help them out for some money. I honestly don't think they will swallow what price I have in mind to do this.

Larry

 

[Nickrosis]

Just quote them a number that covers your cost and desired profit. I wouldn't worry about the history of it.

What's a JGL?

 

[SteveBullman]

wait till they're out one day and stop by and carve it into a big phallic shaped object

 

[SilverBlue]

How much would you charge now Larry? I would give them ...oh say about a $100.00 credit off the original estimate

 

[Guy Meilleur]

If they made it harder, charge them more. History has nothing to do with it.

 

[Ax-man]

I see were all on the same page when it comes to situations like this.

This isn't the first time I've been in situation like this. Some people have been so bold as to ask me if they can dump the wood off at our wood pile or burn site.

I have to use a lot of self control to keep from speaking what is going through my mind when they make such an outrageous request.

Nick,

A JGL is a four wheel drive telescoping aerial lift, it has to be trailored to a job site. Many rental companies have started renting them to homeowners over the past few years, unfortunately it has taken away many jobs from guys like me because it is basically cheaper to rent one and find some free labor to take down trees. It is a sore subject with me, but there is nothing I can do about it.

TreeCo,

Axe jr. didn't do it for free, the guy did pay him some cash. He knows better than to do work for free. I just neglected to type in that little detail, my mistake.

Larry

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Ax-man
it is basically cheaper to rent one and find some free labor to take down trees. It is a sore subject with me, but there is nothing I can do about it.

Is this technology just one more thing pushing you to sell more preservation and less removals?

 

[Ax-man]

Yes, it is Guy,

Right now I'm at a fork in the road right now, so to speak

Being here on the site reading and occasionally contributing what I can, has shown me there is another level of expertise to climb up to and hopefully an avenue to make money, other than doing removals and grinding stumps.

FYI, Guy I still haven't given up totally on the idea of installing trees as a way to earn some income.

Larry

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I would definately give this guy a hefty bid, the less you want to do it, the higher the bid.

Kenn

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Be firm on your price. Get the whole transaction in writing so you don't do more for less like RJS stated.

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I hate working for people like Rocky described. I show up to do a job and they realize that I wasnt the guy who was out to bid the job. They always add stuff on. "Oh and your supposed to trim our forsythias, and mow the lawn." Yeah Right. Take a flying leap.

Kenn

 

[lostone]

It's JLG instead of JGL, We use them in construction all the time. Here is a link to what they are.JLG look for the boom lift.

 

[NeTree]

I get those calls from time to time, either a job I quoted and they want me to do the rest or they hired a couple of beer-buddies to do a job and they couldn't finish it.

My response is almost always "You started it, you finish it." On those rare occasions I'll do it, I give them a price that'll either bankrupt them for being stupid, or send them packing anyways.

I have better things to do.

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

What's really sad is you boy's contempt for a home owner doing any tree work at all.
What is it, no one's good enough but you to hack a tree?

There's alot of good info here (this site) and I've learned alot, but I dont get involved much cause much of the attitude stinks.

a good many of the treads here end up with derogatory remarks about folks who dont live up to your standards or you dont want cutting trees.

 

[a_lopa]

price goes up if they want to help,down if they bring a drink out.

some times it may sound arogant but you try qouting/dealing with customers/doing the work and then fix others stuff ups no way.

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

Been doing it (tree work) for six years.

aint no where near that bad

Offer the man a fair price,
Do your best,
and then THANK HIM for giving you the opportunity to be of service

anything else and you're acting like an a-hole

treat them the way you would want to be treated
I dont know anyone who likes getting shafted

 

[Guy Meilleur]

"price goes up if they want to help,"

I hate to disagree with lopa, but I think that an involved client is the best kind of client. If they want to help grunt then I give a discount. If I had an army of groundies hungry for work I might be a little less eager for client help.

But my experience is that the more you let clients participate, the more they appreciate (and will pay for) the technical skill an arborist delivers. This of course goes more for work done to increase their assets by managing trees, rather than making them poorer by removing them.

Good points Mike B, especially about " contempt for a home owner ... the attitude stinks...derogatory remarks about folks who dont live up to your standards..."

I hate to hear about good arborists turned off by those who break posting rules. If any more negative threads get started, just report em quickly and ignore em. Let em die the death they deserve.

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by Mike Barcaskey
What's really sad is you boy's contempt for a home owner doing any tree work at all.
What is it, no one's good enough but you to hack a tree?

There's alot of good info here (this site) and I've learned alot, but I dont get involved much cause much of the attitude stinks.

a good many of the treads here end up with derogatory remarks about folks who dont live up to your standards or you dont want cutting trees.

What's really sad is that you can't see the truth in it. Just because someone owns three acres and a chainsaw, don't make them a lumberjack, bud.

Fact is, they've usually done the "easy" stuff; including removing any tree or lead that you would have liked/needed to work off of, making it ten times harder than it had to be.

Fact- about half the calls I get like that, start off with "My husband tried to remove our tree, now it's sitting on the house. Yes, the roof is damaged." Okay, so now I'm going to pull up in front with MY name on the truck? And have passers by think I f-ed it up? No thanks, buddy.

Fact- cutting trees IS dangerous; we just make it look easy. Perhaps that's why so many homeowners do get "into trouble", eh? You wouldn't believe how many screw-ups I've seen. People trying to pull over back-leaners with clothesline rope, waving 20 feet of pole pruner around while standing on the very top of an old wooden step ladder [saw this in Westfield just the other day, next to a property I did a quote for... yep, he fell.]

Fact- These are the people who won't pay you a fair price for your time to save their bacon... which is how they wound up in a bind to begin with. (And it's usually the people who have the most money, too.)

It's not rocket science, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. I'm sure there are plenty of people who can do it right- and that's fine.

Some things are fine for the do-it-yourselfer, some things are best left to the pros, whether you like it or not. The stats don't lie.

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by aussie_lopa
price goes up if they want to help

I don't allow them to help. While I'm there, it's MY insurance on the line.

Drinks get you the extra bush that wasn't in the work order.

Is it just me or what... it seems like the people who have the least $$ are the one's who will treat you the best?

 

[okietreedude1]

Originally posted by netree
Some things are fine for the do-it-yourselfer, some things are best left to the pros, whether you like it or not. The stats don't lie. [/B]

Thats no lie either! Im no mechanic, plumber, electrician, remodeler, welder, roofer, vinyl sider, glass master, gutter man........(i think you get the point). I do trees. Basically saying, if I need one of the above fixed and its not 'easy work', I call out the PRO. He/she has taken time to learn the trade, the tricks of doing it, and now paid out the $ for the insurance, ad, etc. Money spent is sometimes WELL PAID.

If I ever have anyone doing something for me, I sometimes ask if I can be of help. If not, I don't get in the way. there have been times an extra hand was appreciated.

As for customers helping out, if they can drag a limb or two, stack their own firewood, rake, sweep...i usually dont stop em. As long as they are not in harms way.