Tree removal estimates

[Treecutr]

I dropped an e-mail to see where he sits. i even told him if by some chance I wasn't lowest bid, at least give me a shot to match it, but I want to see it before I'd agree to it. I may also do something like that, make something up to have a reason to come down a bit. I'm sure I can do it in a day, so even if I came down a little, It's still good moeny in the long run. I don't have big equipment, so my overhead is fairly low. we'll see if I hear from him in next day or two.

 

[Rftreeman]

I just tell them I'll beat any written estimate by 10% but I have to see it, then I just take the 10% off and have at it.......................or, I just figure how many peanuts it'll take to get the job done............























not really, I'm just kidding, I use the hours thing, I shot myself in the foot a few times when I first started but learned real fast and you will to.........

edit: my bids are not negotiable, if they want me they pay my written bid amount...

 

[treeseer]

I dropped an e-mail to see where he sits. i even told him if by some chance I wasn't lowest bid, at least give me a shot to match it,

Is this even ethical? at best that is a race to the bottom of profitability.

If want to stand out, learn and sell pruning and support to meet owner goals. Lots of requests for removal estimates are from people who would be happy to keep the tree, if they could find someone who knew how to manage it, not Basil Kutz.

 

[highpointtree]

Is this even ethical? at best that is a race to the bottom of profitability.

If want to stand out, learn and sell pruning and support to meet owner goals. Lots of requests for removal estimates are from people who would be happy to keep the tree, if they could find someone who knew how to manage it, not Basil Kutz.

sad but true, not everyone wants to live in a forest. the darkness is depressing. I won't judge what I havn't seen for myself

 

[treesquirrel]

Is this even ethical? at best that is a race to the bottom of profitability.

I don't know about you but here in the market I serve profitability is borderline right now. Unfortunately I cannot afford to sit on my azz and wait for somebody to bite on the higher pricetags that were common a year or two ago.

The reality here is trees are not a top priority in this economy. I have to serve up a bargain these days or get shut out. I'll accept cashflow that keeps the lights on until things swing back upwards.

 

[Treecutr]

Is this even ethical? at best that is a race to the bottom of profitability.

If want to stand out, learn and sell pruning and support to meet owner goals. Lots of requests for removal estimates are from people who would be happy to keep the tree, if they could find someone who knew how to manage it, not Basil Kutz.

What??? Ethical? I'm not commiting a crime or a moral dilema. If I make a bid, and someone they want to do a job matches it and they go with them, it's my loss. I don't argue with the potential customer and talk him out of removing a tree ( s ) he is set on removing. I'm really confused. I'm simply trying to keep some money coming in to support my family. this is the first time I have been irritated on here. Ethical???? I don't get it. am I not seeing something here.

Oh, he respnoded, I was the lowest bid with $1,750 for the job, and he wants it done, just doesn't have money yet. I'm working with him on doing it one tree at a time if it's easier for him. Race to the bottom of profitability??, more like survival, take what i can get until economy turns. I'd be pretty shocked if everyone here is still getting same prices as a year or two ago.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Sometimes it is who you know. What we sell is intangible.
Jeff

 

[tree MDS]

Treecutr....

I just give the price and leave it at that.

These people that try and pull all sorts of funky moves to weasel their way into the job are just making themselves look bad in my opinion.

This calling the customer back, lowering your price each time - "will beat any written estimate" sort of crap, makes us all look like a bunch of fool hacks. It also devalues our line of work.

Who cares if you wanna hear it or not! Its bad enough that its already become like the wild west out there. We are supposed to be setting the standard - not letting the customer set it for us!

 

[Treecutr]

I just give the price and leave it at that.

These people that try and pull all sorts of funky moves to weasel their way into the job are just making themselves look bad in my opinion.

This calling the customer back, lowering your price each time - "will beat any written estimate" sort of crap, makes us all look like a bunch of fool hacks. It also devalues our line of work.

Who cares if you wanna hear it or not! Its bad enough that its already become like the wild west out there. We are supposed to be setting the standard - not letting the customer set it for us!

I've only had 1 other person try this. It's normally a " here's my quote'. if I get good, if not, oh well. It's not my full time job. I'm workig towards a nice vacation for family before I go off to war, AGAIN. I'm not making us look bad, it's the guy on the 3 wheeled bike around here who carries saws and rope on it, and pedals around town doing tree work. Sad part is the guy is really good, just not right upstairs so to speak.

 

[treeseer]

These people that try and pull all sorts of funky moves to weasel their way into the job are just making themselves look bad in my opinion.

This calling the customer back, lowering your price each time - "will beat any written estimate" sort of crap, makes us all look like a bunch of fool hacks. It also devalues our line of work.

:agree2:

It should be a moral dilemma. Consider the golden rule; would you want another treecutter undercutting you like that? or a customer playing you like that?

Pruning pays.

 

[crater]

ok so it seems as the consences is bid it hourly.
BTY to anyone that is curious. I have been selling and estimateing construction(remodeling) for 20yrs. I have a firm sence of how to make a accurate estimate. I know the business end also; cash flow, overhead, markup and of course profit margin.

 

[beastmaster]

I often hear my boss telling a potential customer,"I can tell you right now, I'm not going to be the lowest bid". Then he goes on to selling the job. He is a master salesman. You have to convince the HO that he wants to use you and no one else, and then deliver the goods. With reputation comes recognition.
When I had my little tree service years ago. I advertised in the local paper and had to bid against the other 5 or 6 guys who advertise there also. It was very competitive. Our bids were often with in 10 or 20 dollars of one anther.
It's bad enough trying to beat a legitimate bid, but you get guys with no ins. and 3 illegals who'll do the job for nothing almost , it heartbreaking.
I made one major mistake on a 60 tree bid. I finished the job but it broke my company. I paid them to do these trees. Lesson learned, if your not sure how to bid a job(big job)don't guess, and as my wife use to always tell me,"you have to bid to turn a profit", not win the bid.

 

[crater]

amen.
chasing the low bid is always gonna end in disaster. I've been reading allot on here about guys dropping the price to get the job. Hmm how can you live on the left over gas and oil you bought to do the job? Because you dropped the profit right out from under YOURSELF. Price drops do have there place but ONLY on a one call close. They are used as a tool to get the job. although you will have already priced it high enough to use a drop of course. Some people get really pissed when you use the drop also, like (and this is what I say) "You must have been over-priced to begin with, if you can drop your price." or offer a "discount" These are all sales gimmicks. I just give them my best quote and hope for the best, if they tell me I'm higher than someone else, I ask about there qualifications, INS, longevity, BBS status, warranty etc. I can even offer a "Assurance of losest price" another sale gimmick but it gets them to sign. Assurance of lowest price (I know your curious) mine says that if HO can find someone else lower within 30day after signing I will refund the difference (but I already got the job remember), BUT the other contractor has to live up to my specs. The spec aren't hard to achieve I'm just keeping my competition honest. When they have INS and have been in business at least 5yrs and can offer written guarantees, there price is gonna be very competitive and if I have to give the HO a few buck back (which I haven't yet in 20yrs) so be it. I'm honest and maybe I am over priced a little. I'll catch allot more HO's with this tactic than saying "Go ahead and hire them, but I charge more to clean up someone else's mess"

Bty I agree "you have to bid to turn a profit"... AMEN
I have a friend that wanted to partner up with me. I discussed this with my wife and collectively agreed it would not work because he says too often "How can it be that much" when I'm say'n "I not only want to stay afloat, I want to retire someday"

 

[ctrees4$]

I am rareley the cheapest bid on the block and will not come off my price. When someone out bids me I know they are not going to profit much so I just laugh and let them cut.Eventually they will get tired of working for pennies to the dollar and have to replace some equipment that they cant afford due to cutting 10 perc. cheaper than lowest bid. I don't want the reputation of being the cheapest when I have the reputation of being the best. I just did a job last week and I was the highest of 3 bids...ho said he liked my personality and felt he could trust me more than the other 2. Winning a bid is more than a number..it is a relationship built in 30 min to gain trust.Stand by your word and you will have a repeat costomer for life plus his lifetime of good referall.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Back to the OP, if the HO is concerned because the prices are too high, then maybe you can convince him to accept some lawn damage (which he can fix himself as he does the cleanup). This way you can flop these trees rather than roping everything down.


$30 in topsoil and $10 in grass seed will go a long way in reducing the time it takes to remove these trees.

 

[crater]

yea BC, I always ask the HO exactly what there expectations are as my bid has to reflect the the amount of work we perform. Then clearly spell that out in the work order. Saves allot of frustration later if the HO can see that he did indeed agree that he was to do the clean up and repair of landscape (all because they wanted the lowest bid up front).

 

[Treecutr]

OK, OK, so I'm taking a beating here. I can admit when I made a mistake. I agree that the bid is the bid, and thats how I normally approach it, guess I had a momentary lapse of reason. I did get the job at my bid, and I did offer to just drop them, but he insist on not wanting the big dents from the trees, so lower away I will. Forgive me for my stupidity, LOL I said when I joined this site that I'm not afraid to admit I'm wrong. I lucked out on this one, but at least I learned a lesson. Still pretty new at this whole things, but thanks to site site, I have certainly learned a lot more.

Also, some mentioned not giving discounts. I give Veterans a discount( with some varification ) I'm actually planning on doing some free work for homesforourtroops.org. without etting into huge detail, they recently gave a home they builty to a disabled Veteran nearby, and we have helped with the building process, some trees were damaged along the driveway, and should have been removed early on, but they wer't, so I told them I'd do it.

 

[BC WetCoast]

OK, OK, so I'm taking a beating here. I can admit when I made a mistake. I agree that the bid is the bid, and thats how I normally approach it, guess I had a momentary lapse of reason. I did get the job at my bid, and I did offer to just drop them, but he insist on not wanting the big dents from the trees, so lower away I will. Forgive me for my stupidity, LOL I said when I joined this site that I'm not afraid to admit I'm wrong. I lucked out on this one, but at least I learned a lesson. Still pretty new at this whole things, but thanks to site site, I have certainly learned a lot more.

Also, some mentioned not giving discounts. I give Veterans a discount( with some varification ) I'm actually planning on doing some free work for homesforourtroops.org. without etting into huge detail, they recently gave a home they builty to a disabled Veteran nearby, and we have helped with the building process, some trees were damaged along the driveway, and should have been removed early on, but they wer't, so I told them I'd do it.

Congrats on getting the job.

I'm impressed with your volunteering to do that tree work. I'm hold those who will give up their time in higher esteem than those who just cut a cheque.

Just curious, why is this organization building houses for veterans, when there are vacant neighbourhoods in various parts of the country where they could just buy the houses and put people in them tomorrow. Given that the banks own many of them, and the banks could use a positive PR hit..... just sayin

 

[Treecutr]

Congrats on getting the job.

I'm impressed with your volunteering to do that tree work. I'm hold those who will give up their time in higher esteem than those who just cut a cheque.

Just curious, why is this organization building houses for veterans, when there are vacant neighbourhoods in various parts of the country where they could just buy the houses and put people in them tomorrow. Given that the banks own many of them, and the banks could use a positive PR hit..... just sayin

The houses are only given to Veterans who have lost at least 2 limbs. You lose an arm lets say, you don't qualify. They don't buy an old house and convert it, because it is a more costly to modify, and B they build each house for the specific need of each disabled Vet. A lot of the things for the house are donated, or they get a severe discount. All labor is volunteers, from the GC to plumbers, landscapers etc.... materials are donated, or purchsed cheaply. Homes are generally super insulated, and on the green side. veteran who receives the home has no mortgage, only pays his taxes and whatever utilities he has, but can't sell the house for at least 10 years. ( Habitat For Humanity learned the hard way when they started out, they'd give the home away, and within a month it was on the market. They were getting taken advantage of ) feel free to look at their website. They build homes all over, and it's an emotional experience to help someone. especiallyy if you're a Vet yourself. The house we recently were at to give away ( Saturday ) was for SGT Peter Rooney in Worthington, Ma. He lost both legs at the knee in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq. He's is unbelievablely upbeat, and the kind of guy you'd want your son to be. here's peter's link

http://www.homesforourtroops.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Peter_Rooney

 

[crater]

I was the one who said not to discount. I guess I should have said not to cut your own throat.

As a Desert Storm veteran I commend you for helping vets in whatever way you can, especially the disabled vets that have given the most they can and have come home to what may look like a very dreary life ahead of them.
Salute!!
and Thank You