What the hell?

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Thanks 1calllandscpe, Guess I was just looking for some input and a shoulder to on. I do the best I can and I try and never underbid myself...
...So for the most part I am happy, its just crap like that, which gets me pissed off.

If it makes you feel any better, there's probably somebody else out there that bid the job out for $1200 (or something like that), and saying the same things about you.:bang:

 

[Log hog]

i think the opposite is true. if you have a nice shiny contract with yellow carbon less copy to give to them, they view you as a legit..lic+ins company. it's the yahoos running around in the pick-ups with no credentials that they worry about.

Hey innovator where did you have your contract made up at, or did you do it yourself. I was just going through my records and found out that I get 70% of my jobs, not 80% like I thought, blame my wife I asked her quick and she said about 80%. There are about 4-8 other services around my area. If you count the four that live in town and the other 4 out of town I see once in a while doing work in town. Our town is only 23,000 people. Most of my work is done in town about 70-80% of it, other work in surrounding communities.

 

[Tio]

And by the way.

I don't know how much this might affect percentages one way or the other.

My best friend, partner, groundie, eyes when I am doing a prune, or what have you. . .

also happens to be a female.

She looks real good in a tank-top.

Her husband (also my good friend) thinks so as well.

 

[beowulf343]

I don't know how much this might affect percentages one way or the other.

My best friend, partner, groundie, eyes when I am doing a prune, or what have you. . .

also happens to be a female.

She looks real good in a tank-top.

Her husband (also my good friend) thinks so as well.

Do you actually expect us to take your word for this without seeing some pictures??!!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Treeinnovator]

Hey innovator where did you have your contract made up at, or did you do it yourself. I was just going through my records and found out that I get 70% of my jobs, not 80% like I thought, blame my wife I asked her quick and she said about 80%. There are about 4-8 other services around my area. If you count the four that live in town and the other 4 out of town I see once in a while doing work in town. Our town is only 23,000 people. Most of my work is done in town about 70-80% of it, other work in surrounding communities.

i got a hold of 2 local tree companies bids. then mixed and matched their details to make mine. printing the carbonless copies are done at Office Depot.

 

[1CallLandscape]

i got a hold of 2 local tree companies bids. then mixed and matched their details to make mine. printing the carbonless copies are done at Office Depot.

Ha ha ha , thats funny , i did the same thing to make sure that my rates were in reason. i hid all of my equipment , trucks etc. and called some local companys to take a look at a nasty tree in my yard. i got their prices and their contract forms... of course i did the tree myself. it really suprised me as the rates were of a real broad range.

-mike

 

[rebelman]

Attractive female groundies up the percentage quite a bit.

 

[Treeinnovator]

Ha ha ha , thats funny , i did the same thing to make sure that my rates were in reason. i hid all of my equipment , trucks etc. and called some local companys to take a look at a nasty tree in my yard. i got their prices and their contract forms... of course i did the tree myself. it really suprised me as the rates were of a real broad range.

-mike

2 years back i had a large tree in my backyard. prices ranged from $1500 to $4000. it's amazing how much of a swing in price our industry has.

 

[Treeman67]

Attractive female groundies up the percentage quite a bit.

yea , ( @ ) ( @ ).....

Treeman67

 

[1CallLandscape]

Attractive female groundies up the percentage quite a bit.

females on the ground is certainly a perk to the industry. i catch girls in outside showers constantly they hear the saw and assume that your on the ground meanwhile they are buck naked 2 feet away LOL. ( 0 ) ( 0 )

-mike

 

[Treeman67]

females on the ground is certainly a perk to the industry. i catch girls in outside showers constantly they hear the saw and assume that your on the ground meanwhile they are buck naked 2 feet away LOL. ( 0 ) ( 0 )

-mike

now that funny.. did you wave your hand say "Hi Sweetie"...lol

 

[buff]

LOG HOG......I agree that taking a deposit is a good way of protecting yourself. Sometimes a customer will let you show up with a crew and equipment before he tells you that he found someone $100 cheaper. You do need a signed contract. In time you will find someone who will not pay you or will say that you agreed to do more work than you talked about at the time of the bid. That is when a contract will protect you. On the contract, you should state in simple wording what work you are agreeing to do and for how much. If the customer does not pay you can go to the police or sheriff's office and file a felony complaint for theft of service. They will have to pay or be arrested. Arrange to meet them at the police station to make payment. Do not go to the customer's house to be verbally or physically assaulted. If the customer holds any state license of any kind that is work related, a felony will not allow this person to work again. Here is something that you can do to lock your contract in. If you can not do the job right away, tell the customer that you will be sending a couple of guys over to start the job but you may not get back for a day or two. Send one or two of your crew to get started on the job. This can be laying a tree over or grinding a stump or whatever. Once the job has started the customer can not cancel the contract. If you get a guy that just insist that you are not going to do the job then you tag him with a hefty fee for the work you have already completed to get rid of you. That way you get some money and let some air out of the bid you got undercut with. Bottom line, you need a contract.

 

[Treeman67]

LOG HOG......I agree that taking a deposit is a good way of protecting yourself. Sometimes a customer will let you show up with a crew and equipment before he tells you that he found someone $100 cheaper. You do need a signed contract. In time you will find someone who will not pay you or will say that you agreed to do more work than you talked about at the time of the bid. That is when a contract will protect you. On the contract, you should state in simple wording what work you are agreeing to do and for how much. If the customer does not pay you can go to the police or sheriff's office and file a felony complaint for theft of service. They will have to pay or be arrested. Arrange to meet them at the police station to make payment. Do not go to the customer's house to be verbally or physically assaulted. If the customer holds any state license of any kind that is work related, a felony will not allow this person to work again. Here is something that you can do to lock your contract in. If you can not do the job right away, tell the customer that you will be sending a couple of guys over to start the job but you may not get back for a day or two. Send one or two of your crew to get started on the job. This can be laying a tree over or grinding a stump or whatever. Once the job has started the customer can not cancel the contract. If you get a guy that just insist that you are not going to do the job then you tag him with a hefty fee for the work you have already completed to get rid of you. That way you get some money and let some air out of the bid you got undercut with. Bottom line, you need a contract.

buff,
thank for your info, i'll keep that noted if case, if i ran into that plms..
Treeman67

 

[1CallLandscape]

now that funny.. did you wave your hand say "Hi Sweetie"...lol

nope, i just stared a good long while until she looked up and then i said politely...Thank you for making this a great day!!! she was a hottie! LOL i love this business...
-mike