What is your largest $ Tip received and how often?

[Ellistrees]

We get tips alot. I think 1 out of 3 customers is a lot and I'm not really sure why.

Maybe I make it look harder to the customer than it really is to me.
Maybe I under bid jobs but I think I make good money for my time.
Haven't raised rates in a really long time.
We usually get about $50 average tip on every 3rd job but not until this last year.
Have gotten $350 tip once and a $300 tip another time.

Sure wish I knew why so I could do it all the time.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Seems like the bucket truck makes tips less frequent. When I climbed alot we seemed to get more tips than now that I have the bucket. Nice cleanups help with tips too. Usually people give us $10-20 each. Now about 1 in 6 jobs....Mike

 

[arbor pro]

Please explain - what is this "tip" thing?



Must not apply to owners, only employees. Maybe if the bill is $299.83, the customer might wright me a check for an even $300. Whooohooo!

 

[oldirty]

best ive gotten was a hundo.

nothing like getting a quick 20 though. thanks for the lunch, lady!


my favorite thing to do is charm my way into the homeowners coffee stash though.

i am mic'd up to crane operator through a headset and usually our morning conversation while we are taking apart a tree is about coffee. to go along with a myriad of other topics.

anyway it seems the homeowners always find me during the job to find out about this or that and while i relay info while talking to the homeowner and the crane op/foreman i end up smiling my way into a pot of coffee for the crew.

the best is when they come out with the banana bread fresh out the oven.

cookies too. coffee break is key to crew moral. lol.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Well that would be a $.17 Tip! Score! Drinks on Arbor Pro!

 

[highpointtree]

Tips

this past year we took down 4 hemlocks (2 large and 2 medium). took all day cause of the location. the homeowner (lady) gave the climber and me(owner) each $150.00 and the two groundmen $100.00 each.. she asked if it was ok to tip...LOL.. SO $500.00 TIP FOR ONE JOB WAS THE BIGGEST.

does anyone know what TIPS stand for ?...without googling it !!!!

 

[treemandan]

best ive gotten was a hundo.

nothing like getting a quick 20 though. thanks for the lunch, lady!


my favorite thing to do is charm my way into the homeowners coffee stash though.

i am mic'd up to crane operator through a headset and usually our morning conversation while we are taking apart a tree is about coffee. to go along with a myriad of other topics.

anyway it seems the homeowners always find me during the job to find out about this or that and while i relay info while talking to the homeowner and the crane op/foreman i end up smiling my way into a pot of coffee for the crew.

the best is when they come out with the banana bread fresh out the oven.

cookies too. coffee break is key to crew moral. lol.

That sounds nice. Last time they brought me a pot of coffee it went up in flames. It was cold and I was trying to keep it warm, I guess I let the fire get to big.

 

[oldirty]

tips. to insure proper service.

i used to date a bartender. edit: bartendress? bartenderette? she was mint.

 

[Tree Pig]

I get tipped quite often, last one was $100 on a $900 job. But then again I would probably tip me too. If you see a guy my size and climbing a tree (meaning obviously nuts), its kinda like having a crazy silverback gorilla in your back yard. You would be more then happy tossing him a few extra bananas just to keep him happy and make him leave.

See the resemblance

 

[highpointtree]

tips. to insure proper service.

i used to date a bartender. edit: bartendress? bartenderette? she was mint.

you r correct. rep sent..

but that means the tip should come first. and when I would go out for the night I would always tip the bar tender big on the first drink. never had to wait after that.

 

[outonalimbts]

With online advertisments we often get calls from everywhere...

about 7 years ago this guy finds me through the BBB, he was in Africa somewhere, anyway he asked me to give him an estimate on his Rental properties 5 of them- I go out find the problems and make suggestions- Gave him a fair bid, Not high but also not too low in my book-

He hires me and pays me by Paypal-$500 more than I asked... I called him and told him of his mistake, he said he was happy and it was worth the extra.

Now every couple of years he sends me a Blank check, tells me what he wants me to do or asks for suggestions- The last time I said everything looks great, do nothing- He told me to "pay my self $700.00 for the time"

Yes Sir! Thank you.

But, normally I get a tip now and then $20 - $50, but my favorite all time tip was...

 

[Sunrise Guy]

$200 tip after taking down a Box Elder. Interestingly, we had walked away from another take-down on the same property, earlier, and felt very bad about it. I think the homeowner, a truly nice gal, felt bad for us and wanted to cheer us up. She did. She moved out of town and I miss her. Some clients are really good people.

 

[ozzy42]

I have had maybe 3 100$ tips and a few 50s as well.

Most of the time it is a 20 or a ten .

Usually get a tip about every 5th or 6th job.




Had one guy give me a 100$ tip before I even started the job.
It was the summer of 2005 I believe.
He had called 2 or 3 tree services ,plumbers ,and roofers all the same monday,and said I was the only one that didn't stand him up for an estimate.
I set the est. up for 3:30 and arrived there at 3:25
I was going to charge him 150$ to knock out a small travellers palm and grind the stump.
Figured we could do it in an hour and call it a day ,and head to the house.
He vented his frustration over the othe guys he called and insisted I charge him 250$.

 

[maloufstree]

I think whoever said a bucket truck might make tips less frequent is right. We hardly ever get tips, maybe one per quarter. That would probally average out to one tip every 75 jobs, and the tip usually won't buy the crew lunch!!

 

[treeslayer]

I get a lot of tips, mostly cause I bid so low right now........

 

[randyg]

We get tips alot. I think 1 out of 3 customers is a lot and I'm not really sure why.



Sure wish I knew why so I could do it all the time.

I used to climb a lot in the really cold weather in this old sweatshirt that had holes everywhere. I got tips nearly 50 percent of the time. Wife finally threw out the sweatshirt, and there went the tips. I still miss them both. (The shirt and the tips)

 

[JeffL]

$800.

That was for 18 days on site, for a complete removal of the planting around the house, addition and modifying of all bed areas, as well as completely replanting the yard, along with the planting of around 1500 perennials.

The other 5 guys who spent time on site got $200 a piece. All cash, it was a fat stack of envelopes.

 

[treeman82]

Back in 2000 before I went off to college I had a client give me a $1,000 tip "to use at school."

Other than that, biggest I ever get is $100, and that is RARE. 50's and 20's are more often the case.

 

[ronnyb]

Around here it seems that most people think that tipping is a city in China. Very rare.

 

[treeserv.jax]

i once had a customer demand to be a ground worker then paid with cash and a 200 tip.

one lady gave me one of her pups i planned on cutting a deal on the tree for the dog. instead she paid me the original price i quoted before i saw the dog and gave me the dog.

one customer had an older sawmill under this shed he paid me 500 to show him how it works. he didnt even no what it was used for so he sold it to my grandpa.

once i was using a new guy he showed me a very impressive resume. anyways i left to go get one of the trailers. come back and he dropped the tree on a privacy fence. i went to appologize for the accident and pay or fix it. and she said it was ok she was going to put a gate there any way.i fired him 20 minutes later.after he loaded the trailer. lol