Selling Pruning Lessons

[Wilson_tree]

A customer has asked me to provide her with some basic pruning lessons for her shrubs and hedges. She has been a good customer and provided lots of referrals. I am wondering how to price this and if anyone else has given lessons before. Any downsides? How much info do you share? How much time do you plan to spend? Do you give them any printed material or recommend any books or websites? Thanks for the input.

 

[SilverBlue]

IMO if this customer has provided referrals, and has allowed you to earn a decent living she should deserve an hour or so of free time to show her the proper method of pruning hands on.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by SilverBlue
IMO if this customer hasallowed you to earn a decent living she should deserve an hour or so of free time

I don't think so.
YOu deserve to get paid for your time. Sell her an hour at the rate you base your estimates on, and let her work alongside you. Yes furnish extension handouts and bring books on pruning so you can both refer to them while you work. I learn from my customers this way sometimes.
Professionals by definition don't give away their time. She values your work, so you should too and charge fairly for it. If you want to express your gratitude for referrals, etc., send her a christmas card with a certificate good for a winter landscape consultation or something planted in her yard for her or a tree planted in a local park in her honor, or whatever you want to give away.

 

[Climber2]

I've had police officers give knowledge about the law freely and lawyers who have charged for it. I view both as professionals but I respect the officers far more than the lawyers.

Mike

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Only if I have had someone sign a large contract will i give gratis lessons, and that is a rush thing.

I've given a few at my normal hourly rate, sold and billed as pruning work. This way there is no record of you doing any "instruction" that you may be sued for if they fall off a laddder or something.

"I can let you watch me and point things out, but I'm not insured to give formal instructions"

 

[SilverBlue]

Guy Meilleur,
Why have you misquoted me?
And how much should said customer charge you for their time in referrals?

 

[Rob Murphy]

Giving

I have to agree with SilverBlue on this one, given the good customer status mentioned.
I think a hour used in this way could only increase your value to this customers and have longer term good effects.
" Give and it shall be given back to you, pressed down ,shaken together and running over."
Ever wondered why that other guy seems to get work when yours has dried up??
Could be that he has been "planting seeds" like the free lessons mentioned.
Sometimes I also do it so friends will be able to prune their own trees( mostly fruit) but also have done it for customers.
Then sometimes customers become friends!!

 

[monkeypuzzle]

YES, lawyers are true scum feeders. I give away plants all the time,only to folks who will love them. I guess that I would be giving away my time,I had to pot it,water,etc. I do it for the act of giving NOT to impress someone and make them think I am Mr. important. Hey,this is the south.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by SilverBlue
Guy Meilleur,
Why have you misquoted me?
And how much should said customer charge you for their time in referrals?

I cut words out of your quote; should have put ..., sorry.
Customer gives referrals to friends as favor to friends, sharing a good worker at a fair price. If my customers charged me for referring me I'd have to declare bankruptcy.

Any other kind of gift given to maintain goodwill is great; I suggested 3 examples. But a policy of giving away your work demeans it and the profession.

PS you are paying police for hteir legal advice; it's called taxes. So that analogy didn't fit, did it?

 

[Wilson_tree]

Thanks all for the well thought out responses. My inclination is to just do it for free because that's my nature and it does provide good will. But the perception of my time being free isn't one I want to create. I will leave my family for a few hours to drive and conduct this lesson, so I think I'll put some of this good advice to use. One of her Hydrangeas would make a good classroom and I will prune it for my normal rates. At the same time, I will talk to her about proper pruning cuts, timing of pruning, and provide her some copies of written material. I'll walk through her yard with her at the end of the pruning work and briefly talk about the rest of the shrubs she has. Thanks again for the advice and sharing your experience and philosophies.

 

[TREETX]

I say don't do it for free. Instead do it for "free".

I mean build the cost in elsewhere.

I have customers that rave about me because I swing by and pick up one or 2 limbs for "free". They think it is free but last time I was there, I charged them for 4 hours extra.

This keeps me on the property, they are happy and use me/refer me in the future because I do things for "free". They don't mind paying more for this higher level of service.

All consumers rave about how this is a great store because they give X for free or Y for free.........there is no such thing as a free lunch. In the end, everyone pays.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Another way to do thesse things is to ensure that all your administrative hours are built into your cost for billable manhours.

Track all your bidding, collection, phone time and whatnot. This is all part of your operating cost anyways....just enter the educational time in the whatnot column of the spreadsheet