How would you handle this?

[treeman82]

Difficult client calls a few weeks ago about removing some hickory trees behind his house. Gave him a price to take them out with a crane. Repeat client, asks me to write up a makeshift proposal and he will give me a deposit check. I write up the proposal, client asks me to re-write it including a date for the work to be performed before he will give me a check. Fine, no problem. Book the crane, all set.

Day of the job, crane company screws me. Didn't send the right equipment. Sent them packing.

Tell client I will re-schedule with crane company for the following week. Ok.

Client calls back saying that he'd rather that I just get rid of the trees the old fashioned way and get to it immedately. He's had to delay some other work, and personal business because of the crane company's F-up.

Gonna be more work like this, which I had given him a verbal estimate on, nothing on paper. I'm not one for writing contracts, and we've done business together in the past without any major difficulties.


How would you guys handle the situation from here?

 

[JRepairsK70e]

explane to him that your orig estimate/proposal was contingent on use of crane and a change of venue now would require more work and a new estimate before you start ,be firm and polite good luck jk

 

[treemandan]

I tell people there is no way I will committ to getting to a job of getting a job done on or by a certain date. I only take deposits on materials.

What is a makeshift proposal?

 

[fishercat]

I agree with Dan.

on both accounts. To many variables in this business.

 

[Rftreeman]

don't know, I've never needed a crane.........my work is priced accordingly......

 

[the Aerialist]

Suck it up and deliver ...

Yesterday I arrived to remove a major lead that was split so badly you could see through it. Not long after we arrived it started raining hard and we scrubbed the day. An hour after we left a storm blew in and took half the split lead and laid it on the neighbor's shed.

I don't think I need to point out here that lifting a limb off a structure is far harder than lowering one around it. Plus it was in the 90's and the three man ground crew had to take frequent breaks.

I fixed the gutter in the shed, (miraculously the only damage done to it) as if I had damaged it. Each man on the crew made more than i did today.

 

[treeman82]

We re-scheduled for the crane to come in tomorrow morning. Client has mixed reviews on the matter right now. This evening a few good storms blew through, causing lots of damage. Call the client to say I have to put him off for a half a day or so in order to pull trees off of roofs, and clean off roads, he got all kinds of mad... "we had a deal." VERY tempted to blow him off in the morning.

 

[treeclimber101]

In 15 years I have never been bit by a date , sounds like instead of rethinking the client you may want to rethink how you sell work , there are alot of things that can change a date weather being the most frequent , do yourself a favor and skip the deposit until you have completed at least one full day of work on the property , and as far a the crane, you dangle there money like a carrot in front of them , I guarantee you they won't send a little crane next time it will what you ordered . Taking money upfront for treework seems a bit silly since you not really buying material and your bills don't count ..

 

[imagineero]

I generally do ask for a modest deposit on jobs over $1000.

With money getting tighter lately, folks seem to be a bit keener to drive a harder bargain. It has happened a few times that when I didn't take a deposit I'd turn up on the day with truck and chipper, 4 or 5 guys, and the client would start asking for extra work. They've got you completely bent over a barrel at this point, if you refuse and they say "oh well, tree service X said they'd throw that in for free, I might call them, thanks for coming". You are pretty well screwed. I do have a basic paper contract, but I'm not interested in legal action.

Having a small deposit puts you in an excellent position to avoid this type of stuff. I've never had to actually say to a re-negotiating client "ok, you want to re-do the deal? I can't give you all that extra work. And if you want to cancel now I'm keeping that $300", but I think just the implied threat keeps them well in line. Maybe it just gives me more confidence to stand my ground in a polite way, and they pick up on that. Who knows?

I know that without a deposit, I have let myself get trodden on a bit in past, thrown in that extra bit of work, knocked a bit off the price on the day... because I felt worried that they'd cancel the job on the spot and I didnt have a backup job for that day. Since I started taking deposits, this hasnt happened.

Shaun

 

[treeclimber101]

I generally do ask for a modest deposit on jobs over $1000.

With money getting tighter lately, folks seem to be a bit keener to drive a harder bargain. It has happened a few times that when I didn't take a deposit I'd turn up on the day with truck and chipper, 4 or 5 guys, and the client would start asking for extra work. They've got you completely bent over a barrel at this point, if you refuse and they say "oh well, tree service X said they'd throw that in for free, I might call them, thanks for coming". You are pretty well screwed. I do have a basic paper contract, but I'm not interested in legal action.

Having a small deposit puts you in an excellent position to avoid this type of stuff. I've never had to actually say to a re-negotiating client "ok, you want to re-do the deal? I can't give you all that extra work. And if you want to cancel now I'm keeping that $300", but I think just the implied threat keeps them well in line. Maybe it just gives me more confidence to stand my ground in a polite way, and they pick up on that. Who knows?

I know that without a deposit, I have let myself get trodden on a bit in past, thrown in that extra bit of work, knocked a bit off the price on the day... because I felt worried that they'd cancel the job on the spot and I didnt have a backup job for that day. Since I started taking deposits, this hasnt happened.

Shaun

Times are hard here as well but stilll unless the HO is a complete tool there not gonna let ya pull up and try a fast one on ya , I think that I interview the customer as much as they do me , and there are some dopes that think there a bit smarter but honestly there easy to sniff out ... Deposits bind you as much as them to you and guess what I want the choice to walk away from a job plain and simple .. Maybe you should shop better customers ... Its just an idea ..

 

[fishercat]

Get it all on paper!

Explain verbally and on paper that things and dates can and do change! no promises on dates. Deposits are up to you but I don't ask for them unless there are materials involved or big equipment like cranes. In CT I didn't get crane deposits because I knew the crane guys well. Here I don't so I will get a deposit for the crane cost until I establish a relationship with a crane outlet. .

 

[tree MDS]

We re-scheduled for the crane to come in tomorrow morning. Client has mixed reviews on the matter right now. This evening a few good storms blew through, causing lots of damage. Call the client to say I have to put him off for a half a day or so in order to pull trees off of roofs, and clean off roads, he got all kinds of mad... "we had a deal." VERY tempted to blow him off in the morning.

You're reminding me why I gave up on getting more into the crane thing. It always seemed to be such a PITA scheduling everything.. rather just figure something else out most of the time. There are of course jobs where a crane is the only sensible way to go.

 

[limbwalker54]

Last week we had a three day job scheduled at a new client's home....well was supposed to be a new client. Had time to do the job the week after she booked it but she asked if we could wait a couple weeks....in that couple weeks we had a two week rain out...off and on T storms.....no work I had booked were we able to do....so

Finally three and a half weeks after her two week mark we were on our way to the job. She seemed uneasy that I had one of my other climbers on his way (a very capable and educated one) and when they were on the way, the driveshaft snapped a u joint and yoke on the chip truck.....boom down for the week......had to re machine stuff, etc etc.....

Climber called her first thing and explained. She said "ok" and i gave her a call as I was getting the shaft to the machinist. She said....."I feel very uncomfortable because you have changed things on me a few times now....and I am canceling our contract....." Even though my written contract has a "written cancellation" requirement....and that it be done 30 days notice.....


F*))(&)( is what I wanted to say to her but I remained calm and explained the truck was broken and it was not my fault. I also reminded her that we had time to do it right after she booked but she declined......

She hung up.....on me....mid sentence.....


Four letter word rhyming with bunt comes to mind.....

 

[treeclimber101]

Last week we had a three day job scheduled at a new client's home....well was supposed to be a new client. Had time to do the job the week after she booked it but she asked if we could wait a couple weeks....in that couple weeks we had a two week rain out...off and on T storms.....no work I had booked were we able to do....so

Finally three and a half weeks after her two week mark we were on our way to the job. She seemed uneasy that I had one of my other climbers on his way (a very capable and educated one) and when they were on the way, the driveshaft snapped a u joint and yoke on the chip truck.....boom down for the week......had to re machine stuff, etc etc.....

Climber called her first thing and explained. She said "ok" and i gave her a call as I was getting the shaft to the machinist. She said....."I feel very uncomfortable because you have changed things on me a few times now....and I am canceling our contract....." Even though my written contract has a "written cancellation" requirement....and that it be done 30 days notice.....


F*))(&)( is what I wanted to say to her but I remained calm and explained the truck was broken and it was not my fault. I also reminded her that we had time to do it right after she booked but she declined......

She hung up.....on me....mid sentence.....


Four letter word rhyming with bunt comes to mind.....

Sounds like ya kind of ####ed her 2x though , maybe its just me but I figure it out , even if I have to call in another truck and break even I don't call the customer and dump my excuse for lack of maintenance on them , they hire a professional , thats what our profession is supposed to be about , with that being said machines break and a good customer who feels well communicated and appreciated will understand .. I feel that" ONE MONKEY DON"T STOP THE SHOW " I don't care what breaks we work or we work hard to get back to work quick .... If a guy no shows there 3 more that can do his job at here anyway ...

 

[tree md]

In a situation like that I am going straight to the clients house to climb the tree, put it on the ground and at least tie the job down. I will make something happen on the rest but the main thing is to get the job tied down... That's my philosophy anyway.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Customers don't want excuses and sob stories. What did you do for a week, sit around waiting for your truck?
Jeff