Its starting already...

[tree MDS]

I just had a lady call to cancel after she talked to her neighbor who owns rental property. He has some "tree guys", that I'm sure also do roofing, drywall, and paint, that will do it for "a little bit cheaper" I tried to explain to her the risks of having someone that has no insurance or experiance try to handle a job that size, but all she saw were the dollar signs. I'm starting to wonder if being quick to respond to people and get estimates out is sometimes hurting your chances with the way the economy is. You have guys come in, look at your bid and knock off $75 or $100, and they go with them just to save a buck. Its hard to bid against some of these guys when you aren't comparing apples to apples.

I hate being the first guy on an estimate for just that reason. I always try to charge enough (out of respect for our profession), but sometimes I feel like I'm just setting the bar for the next dirtball to come in and underbid me. I guess thats just the way it is. You have to try and sell yourself as well as your services, make the customer WANT TO HIRE YOU. Sadly, this doesnt always matter when the competition is throwing 80's prices.

Some "treeguys" just dont get it! You take my example at the beginning of this thread - where do you think that $300 would come from if I lowered my price to meet that?? Right out of my end profit. Now if I did that all year think how it adds up! After a while I might as well be mowing lawns.

Oh well, at least I just got a call to return... I go see what this turns into. lol.

 

[tree md]

I usually like to be last to bid on a job but sometimes that works against you too. Sometimes the HO will decide to go with the first price and person that shows up. I try to give them a day before I show up (when I can) and not rush to put in my bid when I am slow and don't have a lot going on.

Most jobs are competitive bid in my area now and I am giving competitive prices no matter what order I bid in. When I am first to bid I try to explain to people what sets me apart from the other services and try to convince them to go with my service. I always try to schedule a date to do the work and if they tell me they are getting other bids I tell them that I am offering a good price and would appreciate an opportunity to match any would be underbidders. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't do that.

I also had a guy call me about a year ago to come out and look at a couple of removals for him. Before I could make it out there he called back and told me that another service had come by, the guy was there right then and he was going to let him go ahead and do the job. This was in February and I was hungry. I told the gentleman that I was already on my way out there and would appreciate an opportunity to give him a competitive bid. I told him it was customary to get more than one bid for this kind of work and it never hurts to get a second opinion or see what the competition has to say. He said "you're right" and told me to come on out. I could hear him tell the other guy in the background that he was sure he was going to go with him but wanted to give me a chance to look at the job. When I got out there I was able to get the other services bid out of the guy; $4500 for the two removals, not to include stumps. I told the guy I would do the trees for that price and include the stumps. While I was there he added another tree and I priced it at $950 with the stump. I did the add on cheap because he had decided to go with me. The job ended up being $5450 which came in very handy in February.

While I was doing the work the HO told me the other guy had called and said he would have done the job for $700 cheaper. The guy said he told him that if he was willing to do it for $700 less he should have told him that to start with.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I've taken the approach this year of either answering my phone ( my that's a god awful pain in the rear ) or calling the HO right back and scheduling my estimate at least 2-3 days out. If I can get to them on the phone before they're tempted to call someone else I figure it ups my chances. By scheduling out the estimate a few days it makes me look less hungry ( more professional ) and gives me the chance to hear any competitors bids if they happen to call others. If they already have a few prices they probably won't get sticker shock at mine and I can work them a bit on the benefits of hiring me. It seems to be working as long as I'm not double the price of my "competition", which did happen earlier this week.

 

[tree md]

On burning bridges:

Just had a lady call me this afternoon on a job I bid over a month ago. I priced this one when I had nothing on the line and was hungry. I was scheduled to go on a trip that I had planned for a year the week I priced this job. I figured since I had nothing going on I could do it when I got home at my leisure since it was just to put it on the ground . A lot of climbing on this job (4 Maples) but without having to haul anything I could do it with little operating cost. Well, by the time I got home I had other well paying jobs on the line. The people with the 4 Maples said they were in no hurry so I put it on the back burner. I finally called after a couple of weeks and apologized for not getting back to them sooner. They want to work out some trade on this on a work truck and some cash so I was just honest with them and told them that I needed to pay some bills and take care of my cash paying customers first. The woman told me that they had found someone else to do the job. I politely told them no problem, apologized again for not getting back to them more promptly and told them to give me a call if things didn't work out with the other tree service.

Well, things didn't work out and they want me to come out and give a revised bid with only removing two of the trees and "trimming" the other two how they would like for me to do it. I know this guy wants the trees severely topped, which I have already talked him out of once. I explained that I have some work to do ahead of them before I can get to them. She said not a problem. Not sure if we will come to terms or not but at least I am still in the running and I have the option of taking the work or not. I just might need the work in the coming weeks. I can't count the times I have got a call back from folks just because I was polite and left the door open to future business.

 

[lone wolf]

On burning bridges:

Just had a lady call me this afternoon on a job I bid over a month ago. I priced this one when I had nothing on the line and was hungry. I was scheduled to go on a trip that I had planned for a year the week I priced this job. I figured since I had nothing going on I could do it when I got home at my leisure since it was just to put it on the ground . A lot of climbing on this job (4 Maples) but without having to haul anything I could do it with little operating cost. Well, by the time I got home I had other well paying jobs on the line. The people with the 4 Maples said they were in no hurry so I put it on the back burner. I finally called after a couple of weeks and apologized for not getting back to them sooner. They want to work out some trade on this on a work truck and some cash so I was just honest with them and told them that I needed to pay some bills and take care of my cash paying customers first. The woman told me that they had found someone else to do the job. I politely told them no problem, apologized again for not getting back to them more promptly and told them to give me a call if things didn't work out with the other tree service.

Well, things didn't work out and they want me to come out and give a revised bid with only removing two of the trees and "trimming" the other two how they would like for me to do it. I know this guy wants the trees severely topped, which I have already talked him out of once. I explained that I have some work to do ahead of them before I can get to them. She said not a problem. Not sure if we will come to terms or not but at least I am still in the running and I have the option of taking the work or not. I just might need the work in the coming weeks. I can't count the times I have got a call back from folks just because I was polite and left the door open to future business.

been there done that lets hope after you wreck the hell out of the tops like they insist they want that they dont say you ruined the trees and dont pay you.had it happen.

 

[tree md]

been there done that lets hope after you wreck the hell out of the tops like they insist they want that they dont say you ruined the trees and dont pay you.had it happen.

LOL, these people are older farm people. This work is on their farm. The old guy is concerned with the trees being right over his house. He wanted me to completely top two of them just below roof level. Basically hat rack the Silver Maples. I gave him a price and told him "how 'bout I top them right down to here", and pointed right at the fence line leaving about a 5' stump. Trees are right in the fence. His face lit up and he said "yeah! that'd be great"! LOL, sometimes you just have to know how to talk to people. I'll top them right down to the stump any day.

These are elderly people. Honest as the day is long. I'll try to do the work for them if I can find the time in the next few weeks. A lot depends on my how bad my medical condition gets right now.

 

[lone wolf]

LOL, these people are older farm people. This work is on their farm. The old guy is concerned with the trees being right over his house. He wanted me to completely top two of them just below roof level. Basically hat rack the Silver Maples. I gave him a price and told him "how 'bout I top them right down to here", and pointed right at the fence line leaving about a 5' stump. Trees are right in the fence. His face lit up and he said "yeah! that'd be great"! LOL, sometimes you just have to know how to talk to people. I'll top them right down to the stump any day.

These are elderly people. Honest as the day is long. I'll try to do the work for them if I can find the time in the next few weeks. A lot depends on my how bad my medical condition gets right now.

forgot how the farm belt people are I am in new jersey and I have seen all kinds of b.s.

 

[beastmaster]

We use to have a guy out here we called,"hat rack Fred." He advertised,"Call me last, I'll beat any bid." I miss him compared to the lowballer we have going door to door butchering trees now. I don't ever remember it being this slow or cut throat. How do they make a profit? They must be dumping in fields and alleys.

 

[tree MDS]

I just got the classic "The grandson has a friend of his thats gonna cut the tree, thanks for everything.. so long" message.

Now, I was sure I would get this tree at the price I put on it - and I wasnt really looking forward to it either! but I guess everything is safe, as long as sonny boy says the friend is good to go.

Whatever, thankfully my overhead is still low enough where I dont have to work my ass off for chump change.

 

[tree md]

To be honest, I have to work for less than what I have in previous years now. Times are hard. People just aren't dropping money on trees like they used to. Used to be that if I got a hint that someone was a cheap bastard I would shoot them a higher price and hope they didn't call. That was back when I had the luxury of taking or leaving work. I am having to work for about a third less money now. Everyone is around here. I am in the yellow pages and pretty much compete against the same guys on most bids. I have pretty much learned how they bid after a couple of years of competing with them and vice versa I'm sure. I had to radically alter my pricing when they started doing it. It's times like these when I wish I would have done what my pop told me, went to school and became a gynecologist...

Also, there are a lot of people with chainsaws who are out of work right now. Everyone is a treeman these days it seems. Been that way since we had a large ice storm around here. That also plays a part in degrading the wage. However, a lot of them will price a job low and bite off more than they can chew. I have had three or four people go with an amateur over me, based on price, who have called me back when they could not do the job. I didn't lower my price because I am already bidding things tight. I just politely told them to call me if things don't work out. Most times it don't work out that way but sometimes it does. I know it's frustrating having to compete with day labor prices and having people cancel on you because side job Jim is trying to make a hundred bucks for beer money. I have had to keep my cool while talking to some of these folks with smoke coming out of my ears. I have blown my top when I am already rolling to the job and they want to cancel. Still, it pays to keep your cool sometimes.

 

[Toddppm]

Its starting already...



It never stops does it? Been happening here in the good times, slow times, bad times. Same old shht. Not alot but enough to get your goat. Last one was an old guy I've been taking care of his prop. for over 10 years. Got signed contract to remove tree and stump but we were backed up for a couple weeks.
Door knockers got to him and gave a do it now $500 cheaper price , so he says.
Oh well, I wonder how much more work they talked him into? Guy is kind of losing his memory etc., I hope they didn't take advantage of him.