Need to vent

[treevet]

I've got it on paper from them to go ahead and do the job. This is not a bill for the estimate, it's a bill for the cancellation.
.

Am I right in guessing that what you have on paper is NOT a contract? Seems to me you are just harassing these people for declining a job which they have a right to do within a certain increment of time whether it be a verbal or written.

Stuff like you describe happens all the time. Seems like you are talking to the non decision maker in this family and maybe money is a little tight for the old man who pays the bills. Can happen to anyone. If it was me....I would just move on and let bygones be....

 

[treeman82]

maybe money is a little tight for the old man who pays the bills. Can happen to anyone. If it was me....I would just move on and let bygones be....

I can understand all of what you've just said and agree with it 99% of the time. However the guy was a complete jerk right off the bat. I never did anything to them to deserve that, however if that's the way they wish to treat me, then so be it... turn about it is fair play.

 

[treevet]

Yeah, I guess ya had to be there. I know what you mean.

 

[sgreanbeans]

I think ya are lucky it went the way it did. He showed his butt up front. Sometimes, if I can tell a person is going to be difficult, I just walk away. Let them deal with someone else, who, when it is all said and done, will wish they walked as well.

 

[treevet]

I think ya are lucky it went the way it did. He showed his butt up front. Sometimes, if I can tell a person is going to be difficult, I just walk away. Let them deal with someone else, who, when it is all said and done, will wish they walked as well.

May be true, but if you take all ####s outta your food chain, you are limiting your food source.

SOMEBODY is gonna do that job.

I trained early in NJ on New York Jews. No prejudice here but you learn quick they are gonna try to (talk) you down, intimidate you and condescend to you.

You have to grab em by the scruff of the neck (verbally) from the get go and quite often you got a good client for life. You just got to dot all the i's and cross all the t's. It's all about procedure and being totally on your game.

 

[justtools]

Am I right in guessing that what you have on paper is NOT a contract? Seems to me you are just harassing these people for declining a job which they have a right to do within a certain increment of time whether it be a verbal or written.

Stuff like you describe happens all the time. Seems like you are talking to the non decision maker in this family and maybe money is a little tight for the old man who pays the bills. Can happen to anyone. If it was me....I would just move on and let bygones be....

I agree. Where did he sign that says he would pay a 100 to cancel? Put yourself in their shoes. Most homeowners are TIRED of being told one thing and getting billed another. You will lose in small claims and get a bad rep from these people. Use this as a Learning experience. Either dont give a rough estimate. Or if you do. Stick to the estimate. Do not feel I am attacking you. Look at it from their shoes. You would have been Much better ballparking the bid at 6000 and giving them a bill for 5600. In their eyes you just saved them 400 instead of overcharged them 600 from your initial bid. You would have still got your price and a happy customer. The way you are going about this the customers will go out of there way to badmouth you. Why do you want that?

 

[jefflovstrom]

What did it cost you to cancel?
Jeff

 

[Rftreeman]

I sent the bill the other night for $100 for cancellation. If the people don't pay it I fully intend to take them to court. Had the guy been nice about it, or given me a sob story I would say to heck with it, things just didn't work out for some reason. However because the guy was a prick, I'm not gonna let it go. It's a matter of principle.

good luck with that, you're wasting your time, things didn't work out due to your poor business practices, had you not told the wife $5000.00 and instead later emailed them the quote for the $5600.00 you'd be doing that job this week and everyone would be happy...

I'm not trying to insult you at all, just trying to educate you a bit....

 

[arbor pro]

let it go

I have to agree with those that say 'let it go and move on'. Don't make a big deal over the $100. I get cancellations all the time for various reasons. If all I'm out is a little bit of my time, I let it go. Yeah, it sucks but, that's just how service business goes. I've cancelled on plumbers, electricians, etc before and I'd be darned if I would pay them a cancellation fee (assuming they did not pre-order special materials for the job and were just using stock inventory).

Now, when I did landscaping, that was a different story. Once the contract was signed, if there were materials involved, I would get a downpayment up front. If someone cancelled, they forfeited the downpayment. I couldn't afford to just sit on the materials I special-ordered for their job.

In the case of tree work, if I had to pre-pay the crane operator or something like that, I would then charge the customer up-front at the time of signing. If they didn't pay, the job wouldn't get scheduled. If they paid and then cancelled, I keep the payment. If materials are not involved and you had no previous disclosure on the cancellation fee, then you just need to suck it up and move on. If you had it disclosed at the time of signing that they would get charged for cancelling, then you have the right to bill them for it - but, it should have been disclosed on whatever paper they signed.

 

[tree md]

I had one cancel on me on a crane job onetime. Luckily it was before the crane left the shop and I stopped them. I did have a 30 yard container on the job and a bobcat that I had rented. Back in those days those items were a lot more affordable than they are today. The customer was an elderly gentleman who might have been a little senile. I was pissed but I understood who I was dealing with. Luckily I was in a neighborhood where I had a few regular clients. This was a case where I had to do a little door knocking to recoup the $500 I was out for the container and bobcat. I talked to my existing customers on that street and their neighbors, explained the situation and told them I was trying to do any bobcat work to just cover my expenses. LOL, I hustled that bobcat up and down that street and ended up making about a grand, hehehe.

The thought never crossed my mind to sue the old guy.

I've had others cancel as I'm rolling to the job. I just chalk it up to a bad deal and move on. It serves no purpose to try to sue. As has been mentioned, all it will do is cause bad blood and give you a bad rep. You do a good job for someone and they may tell one or two people. Do a bad job and they are likely to tell 10. Try to sue someone and they will tell everyone they know and it will become a matter of public record. Going around trying to sue people could be detrimental for a tree operation...

 

[Bigus Termitius]

I always shoot high when pressed for a price up front, and on a job like that, I'm getting a deposit, of which a certain amount is nonrefundable. No court required.

I like beans comment too, they showed their rear first thing, that's priceless. If I sense a dingbat, I'm very high and busy, and might drop my favorite lowballer's name. I don't know or guarantee his work or insurance, but I know he works cheap.

Why, he has his own antique crane. Isn't that special.

 

[jefflovstrom]

it's a bill for the cancellation.

As to the 5 vs 6 on here

My regulars just tell me to do things, and then I bring them the bill. When they want to know how much I tell them.

Dude. I have cancelled a crane the same day and not paid a extra out a dime!! Honestley, You are being a dope. You threw away 5k for a 600 dollar sale;s tax? Are you that ******!
Jeff
Go easy on me!
I had a beer! :msp_smile:

 

[treevet]

, I will just call off my subs and send you a bill for $50 for wasting my time.


I sent a polite return e-mail trying to semi smoothe things out and attaching a $100 invoice for cancellation.

Nobody even mentioned the cost of his little hoort feewings went up 50 bucks :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[sgreanbeans]

but if you take all ####s outta your food chain, you are limiting your food source.

SOMEBODY is gonna do that job.

True dat

I do give hard prices, never an estimate, upfront and on the spot.