good customers

[ArborView]

Has this happened to anyone else? When I first started doing tree work, I had my hourly rate set and based my estimates on that multilplied by how long I figured the job would take. After I placed my first newspaper ad, I got a call from a retired professor who needed some work done. I did quite a few different big jobs for him-he probably owns 20 acres or so. The next winter he wanted some brush and small trees removed on a fairly large section of wooded land. He told me had kept track of my previous hours and bills and had figured out my hourly rate. Well, he was only a few dollars/hr. off. So I cleared this brush in the winter when everything else was slow, and he said he'd pay me the hourly rate he'd figured out. It was ok with me because he was a good customer and it was slow at the time. However, he still gives me work now and then, but I don't have the heart to tell him my hourly rate is double what it was when I first started. He still calls me now and again but I only charge him the old rate. I'm not making much on him, but he's happy and he's a real good reference.

 

[Toddppm]

Yup, I used to get a ton of referral work when I was PT charging too little, now that I know how much to charge I don't get near as many. I'm sure I offended alot of my old customers when I got wise and started giving them real rates, still have a few that understand and I work for but most moved on to the next cheap guy that came along.

 

[DDM]

ummmmmm it gets even more interesting when someone youve done (Cost conservative){ <-- Word of the day,}to Refers you and tells them youve done X amount of work for X amount of money and they reply to you after you give them a price "That doesnt seem appropriate considering you did
X amount for Z customer"

Later,
David

 

[ArborView]

Yeah I've had more than a few jobs turned down because of the same thing-got referred by a prior customer but then the price had gone up for similar work. I remember one of the first jobs I did was a lady who wanted a bunch of shrubs pruned, couple small trees pruned, and the whole area around the swimming pool mulched. No problem. Gave her a price. Started the job. After a couple of hours, I said Oh "Crap", I'm going to eat this one, it's going to take me forever! My inexperience failed to recoginze how many shrubs were there, how much mulch it would take, and the fact that I had to carry everything in and out through one small gate by the fenced in pool. Plus everything was on a banking around the pool which made it even worse. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[sgreanbeans]

i have i guy who owns the large local lincoln dealership. i dont give him a price anymore! he just pays me. no matter what i do he pays me 1500.00 a day! he wont take no for a answer and i have never felt like i did too much or too little, he makes sure i earn it though! he dosnt have a son so i think he likes it when im around. plus he aways has a new toy to show me!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I have a few aquaintances that do work almost souly on T&M. they've been in the biz long enough to ahev these accounts and the trust of their clientel.

I've been in the situationwhere the refferal states the the refferee got the work cheaper. My answer is that "She's been with us a long time and out of loyalty I have never raised here price." Doesn't always make the sale, but honesty is always best.

 

[treeman82]

I have, or had a client with several properties. He just told me what he wanted done and we would go do it. Never asked what it would cost and always paid the bill, which was basically whatever I wanted for the job. I have / had another guy who owns a lawn mower shop, lots of work to do but is such a pain in the rear end now I don't think I want to do anything else for him. Great reference though. :alien:

 

[DDM]

I have some repeat customers that Pay in advance
and at first i thought i Liked it But theres something about it that makes me obsessed with come hell or high water that im going to do that job on the original Day scheduled Rain,snow or sleet >Shoulder Shrugg< I gues im afraid if i reschedule that they will think im going to Take off on them. I had a fellow i was working on a yard on his street >Rental Hood< Paid me cash in advance to remove a pine tree i had never seen him
before or since and i was there until 10:30 PM Finishing it.He had paid me and drove off it was one of his rentals.

Later,
David

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

They got you doin zactly what they want, gettin it doen right away. "i'll pay him now, I'll be first on his list. He is such a nice young man!"

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Arborview, what's worse than doing cheap work for an old customer, is when he tells everyone else how cheap you are!