being 33, I grew up with technology so it isn't a struggle for me. I owned a commodore 64, and one of the first IBM's ever made; the XT. As an early adopter I've owned most types of technology including the first hard drive among my friends, first color monitor etc etc. Had the first CD burner in my area, first cell phone. One of my first paid jobs as a teenager was rewiring video games brought in from hong kong so they would work in australia.
I've got 4 computers at home, good wireless network and plenty of software keeping them all working together. Wireless printers in the workshop and in the house, ipad, and both me and the gf have iphones. My work phone is a $20 job, because I break 4 or 5 of them a year on average. You'd think I'd be a big advocate of technology on the job. I've got all the equipment and skills to use it. But I do all my quotes on paper. I have a standard quote sheet that I fill in with a pen. The pen is awesome. It never crashes and has the ability to write on anything including photos. It does full text, diagrams, and recognises all of my inputs. When it becomes obsolete I replace it for $0.80c. I carry a backup just in case the battery goes flat. I find I get about 4-6 months without recharging.
Less time fiddling with technology on the job equals more time talking with the customer, making eye contact, enjoying the quote. If they need a written quote I put it on the back of a business card. They cost me $80 for 3,000 and I usually give each customer a few because they tend to hand them round after I've done the job. I sign my deals with a handshake, best contract there is. I never ask for a deposit, and I've never failed to receive payment.
I find that quoting while the customer is absent means that they will generally go with the lowest quote. It's hard to build up a relationship in cases like that. Most people will only use a tree service once, or at best twice in their life, and the dollar value of the service is a lot more than, say, having your gutters cleaned. So in the absence of a good recommendation people are either going to go for the guy they have the best feeling about, or the lowest price. Did I mention I get most of my work through referrals?
I have plenty of technology in my life already, and I enjoy it. But I also have enough things to worry about at work without adding anything extra. I've got chains, saws, stump grinders, chippers, trucks, ropes and rigging gear, and they all need cleaning, servicing and repairs on a regular basis. That adds to my cost, which reduces my profit. Keeping technology out of my workplace is more $ in my pocket.
Shaun
