Pricing Jobs Site Unseen

[ArborView]

Finally starting to get a lot more phone calls for work coming in. The other day some guy called and this is how the conversation went:
Him: Do you trim trees?
Me: Yes sir I prune trees.
Him: How much?
Me: Well, what are we talking about here?
Him: Apple trees, how much?
Me: Well, it's kind of hard to give you a price without seeing them. If you'd like I'll come take a look at them and give you a free estimate.
Him: 4 trees. How much for that?

Argghhhh. So I gave him a ballpark figure. Then he wanted to know how long it was going to take. So, I gave him a ballpark time. OK, he said. Click. He hung up.

Another call today from a lady. 5 apples trees to prune. She wanted to know what I charge. I told her I'd look at them and give her a free estimate. She was fine with that.
It just came to me that maybe these are the same trees but the guy's wife called this time. Probably not, but possible. I just think it's really hard to give a price without looking at the job. I've seen apple trees that were huge and were an absolute mess and others that needed very little pruning at all.
It's kind of like calling the mechanic and wanting to know how much to fix your car because it's making a noise.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

" there are too many variables sir, I canot give a fair price without looking. it could be 500 it could be 100."

"I need to see the trees and would prefer to talk to you when i do."

 

[Kevin]

Could it be ....BEE BOO, the competition?

 

[DDM]

My reply to the How much over the phone is 100.00 - 25000.00 They are usually more responsive after that sentence.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I trye (very hard) to not eve sound sarcastic. If the badger I'll say time and materials is $xx/manhour.

 

[DDM]

Well actually thats not Badgering its really the truth! I'd sure like a 15000.00
Removal someday LOL.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If they badger me. I'm just saying some people think your being flippent if you throw out a huge figure been there, I was).

 

[Treebeard]

I never give blind estimates. Whats a "big tree"? What is "a little pruning"? If pressed I'll give my maximum hourly rate for labor so they can do some math if the want, but I tell them no estimate is being given, I only do that after a site inspection. I also find that if I'm there, on site, and talk with the owner I get the work, if I try to talk it out on the phone they just don't commit, probably call 3 others guys right after me.

 

[coydog]

how many times on the phone someone says " this really BIG branch is cracked" or "we've got a really BIG tree... " and you get there and its something you can take care of with a polesaw and haul off in the back of a small pickup truck.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Bidding blind.

It may be OK to tell your minimum job price, to eliminate the cheapskates, but if you can get on the property and talk to the customer, you have a much better chance to get the job and more work.
Unless, you're not much of a salesman.