When are you going to get over to cut my trees?

[treemandan]

Yeah you know. Some really obsess, they start calling a day after to gave the estimate and they proudly tell you that you got the job. Now every day they call...
Sometimes I do get held up but usually everything is right on time... my time that is.
My answer to the qusetion above? Same thing for years, "The day after you call me and ask where the heck I have been". No joke.
Why lie? Be honest. I show my gratiitude when I do show up but I won't be anyone's wind up toy and I like to let them know I am very busy. I am. Aren't you? It takes a lot to get there, huh?
But then if they call after they have paid me with a concern of some sort, well, that gets handled next day, sometimes sooner.

 

[tree MDS]

When are you going to pay me??

The last lady that was a little like that hasnt finished paying me yet. She is a school teacher so I should be good but still..I took the job at 1600, agreed to take half after completion, and half in another month. I got payed the half with a nice letter thanking me for installing a new clothesline and saying "I will send the other half in a month". That was the 8th of last month. Point is WTF? Why have work done if you're not gonna be paying up?? I still got 7500 to collect and am getting more and more pi$$ed off by the minute dan. With this cold weather setting in and work drying up it sure would be nice to get payed up, grrrr.... So yeah, I'd ask when are they gonna pay. The other thing I love is when you finish a job and the customer is right there and they ask "....so will you send me a bill or do you want a check now" - Duh! Just pay me you dumb #@#$#@! WTF is so complicated about it?? They just want you to bill them so they can drag thier feet! The bastards. Bill me, yeah, I know what that means.

 

[treeslayer]

I never heard of pro bono tree work.
Now the lonely housewife discount..............:biggrinbounce2:

 

[ropensaddle]

I never heard of pro bono tree work.
Now the lonely housewife discount..............:biggrinbounce2:

Might ought to watch out the husband gets a reloading discount
loading his own shells!

 

[treeslayer]

I am definitely allergic to lead.

 

[arbor pro]

3 months ago, I responded to an emergency call by a divorcee. A 15" limb had split off of her tree and was now laying across her fence and on top of her neighbor's garage. Very little rigging was available - it was a light crane job all the way but, I don't have a crane and told her that. She begged me to do my best to get the limb off anyways. I informed her (verbally - my mistake for not getting it in writing) that I would try to be careful but could not be responsible for any damage that might result.

I rigged what I could and everything went fine except for one small spring-loaded branch which swung back hard enough to knock my helmet off and put a small ding in her vinyl fence which you could only see from the neighbor's side. She told me not to worry about it and I left the job feeling bad about the fence but expecting to get a check in the mail in a couple of days. 3 months later, she is delaying payment because of the ding in her fence and insists that I give her a break in the price of the job as well as wave any late fees and interest on her unpaid account.

The nerve of some people. They beg you to do a job you'd rather not do and expect you to bump your other customers to do their work first and then they have the gall to withhold payment without discussing it with you at the time the work was completed.

So, I gave her a discount just so I could get paid something and won't be doing any work for her again. Write that one off to 'Bad Accounts' come tax time. Some people and jobs you just have a bad feeling about. I should have trusted my gut instinct when I looked at the job and just walked away. 24 years in the business and I'm still learning valuable lessons every day...

 

[pdqdl]

I might be wrong, but I think I get more referral work from my customers because I will send them a bill. Part of any sales contract is convincing the customer that you are a real business, not some hillbilly living from check to check.

A completely different image is created in the customers mind when they are told that they will be billed, and that a check is expected in xx days. "Of course we encourage you to pay the bill when we are done".

When you agree to do the job without getting paid first, you are indicating to that person that you trust them to pay when the job is done. Whether or not you sign any sort of contract with them, there is still an element of trust involved. Why ruin the customers image of you from "I trust you to pay me when I am done" to "I NEED MY MONEY NOW!!!" ? That doesn't lead to positive rememberances later.

If you need to be paid at the end of the job, let them know up front that you expect payment before you leave the job, and then they will know what to expect. Leaving the payment options unresolved until the end of the job, and then expecting the customer to cough up the money before you leave will sometimes leave a very negative impression.

 

[tree MDS]

Must be a sign of the times - it seems harder and harder to get payed lately, I never had that problem before really. Must be the its time to fill the oil tank so screw the treeguy mindset.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

"Payment due on completion" is on all my bids and agreements.

I'll ask for "a check now, or do you want to mail it to me", most often I get it before I leave.

 

[tree MDS]

I might be wrong, but I think I get more referral work from my customers because I will send them a bill. Part of any sales contract is convincing the customer that you are a real business, not some hillbilly living from check to check.

A completely different image is created in the customers mind when they are told that they will be billed, and that a check is expected in xx days. "Of course we encourage you to pay the bill when we are done".

When you agree to do the job without getting paid first, you are indicating to that person that you trust them to pay when the job is done. Whether or not you sign any sort of contract with them, there is still an element of trust involved. Why ruin the customers image of you from "I trust you to pay me when I am done" to "I NEED MY MONEY NOW!!!" ? That doesn't lead to positive rememberances later.

If you need to be paid at the end of the job, let them know up front that you expect payment before you leave the job, and then they will know what to expect. Leaving the payment options unresolved until the end of the job, and then expecting the customer to cough up the money before you leave will sometimes leave a very negative impression.

I hear what you're saying, but come on man! the jobs done, they should expect to pay! - they asked you to do it!! Somebody should learn these people to become more professional customers. Yes I will send a bill to be professional sometimes, but for john Q that just hired us out of the book - ?? after shoping around?? That $#@# should know its time to pony up. Oh yeah, the other thing I love is when they've been bothering you all day, but when its time to knock on the door they got that stupid look on thier face like your from friggin Mars or something!

 

[treemandan]

Jeez, went from a compalint about nagging clients to a full bore wailin over niggas not gettin pay-ed.
On either account I wanted to impress my opinion that's since its really not fun to pucker up to deliver a 4 course butt kissin just cause someone feels they want to go for the upper hand and squeeze me for their own enjoyment. I see it coming.
I loved old Nancy, I think she should have smoked some dope BUT she was right, " Just say NO."
The guys who keep an butt kisser on staff really have got it made though. Wouldn't you agree?
I can't really go into detail any un-paid invoice policies... anymore but I think alot of the reason alot of this #### happens is that they think they can get anyway with because of those butt kissers. Don't say nothing about that kind of work on my business card.
I think a lot of guys might even promise or say things beforehand to get the job, things that never happen. Sometimes clients try to get me to say what they want to hear and committ to it. Ever been in one of those vicious circles? I know you have, it keeps going around and around. " So you say thurs?" " No you schumck, I did not, you said thurs, I said hopefully before the end of time cause that is how long it is going to take you to stop wasting my time and decide if you want this little dead tree cut down... or not!"
All part of the game, and its a game, yup , sure is, sorry Treeco, its true. you just got picked over for a guy gasing his wild thang. Purple and green? See even the guys who made them saws have a sense of humour.
A client of mine just called to see about some firewood. Ya'll know the price right? So with her allready haveing giving me about 3 grand and its close I got to 180 for primo stuff. I am not handing out govermant cheese you know.
To high she says and want to know where else to try.
Now this lady ( perdone' the expression, man hating rug muncher fits way better. Really SHE'S A MAN BABY! The grilfriend might have been nice way back in the day before she got manhandled by her husband, but really enough of that.
So I tell her to go to Chris and get some of that punky silver maple I dropped off cause he is the real guy to see. He 's got the processor and all. Almost makes me wish i took advantage of her when she couldn't get that big mower going. I could had for a few hundred and all it needed was a cotter pin. I guess I just figured if I did that she would have more reason to want to keep hating men.
Now Chris is a wood dealer so he sets the price but when my own real arboricultural competition is so ready and eager to under- bid on some hand split cord wood? Kiss my ass and call me Mary, you can keep it. Now let me say that I had to tell these guys how to "do- it" a time or two ( my arboricultural competition that is). They are stubborn though, they went and bought a bucket, still didn't help much. 45 years combined experiance and they got me out there in my sandals picking their clients trash and saying " Oh, I thought that was an ash." I said " I don't know you level of experiance but for 300 I will tell you how to do it." I told them all about how I work and said i would call to let them know when I had time and we would go from there. I did what I said and called them, but they never called me back cause I have a feeling those two did do what I said about taking it down. I just whish I could have watched them doing it. I almost told them I would work the ground for free on that one.
Even went 2 cords for 300, we really did a lot of work for them two upstanding lesbian ladies living over there on Frog Hollow ( the same frog hollow the hot air balloon went afire, same frog hollow I touched down in weeks prior in the same ballono). We share a lot of memories together them two ladies. Well, i can't really say 'share' cause we don't share anything and the memories are actually perverted fantasy but its still there man and I just do the best I can with what I got cause what I got is whatever they keep giving me. Lesbians are like puppies and kittens, they are cute when they are young.

 

[silk]

Home sick with a nasty chest cold so hey everyone!

Res work can be a challenge when dealing with the above type of customers.

For the customer who calls all the time to see when we will do the job I simply ask them to grab the paperwork we did together to see what is the date stated. If it is early I let them know we will be there on the date we agreed. If we are late then I offer discount for the delay or extra work that was not talked about if it is reasonable. Like maybe doing some light pruning to the hedges out front or whatever. They love that stuff and I have never had problems.

For the customer who plays dumb with payment, which does not happen to often because we tend to make sure payments arrangements are made and understood before the job starts. But when it does happen I look over at the truck full of chips and say the following.

"Do you see that truck full of your chips, this costs us about X dollars to get rid of. Now take the work we did and divide it by X and that is how many loads WILL be dumped on your property." I give them 1 chance to pay at that point before walking over to the truck, with full intentions on doing just that.

The trick I found is to have no emotion and state the above as a matter of fact.

I have never had to dump the chips so far

For the customer who wants to oversee everything and it is usually an elderly person who cares deeply for there property and its almost never a removal I rather take the sweet approach because I have been taught that it always works. Get them a nice safe area to oversee the job, explain the dangers of coming out of said area and do everything within my power to leave them happy. So far it has worked well and the only consequence of these actions are many happy referrals from said customer.

I love my job, and it takes a real prick to put me in a bad mood. So far it has not happened.


Cheers!

 

[treemandan]

Home sick with a nasty chest cold so hey everyone!

Res work can be a challenge when dealing with the above type of customers.

For the customer who calls all the time to see when we will do the job I simply ask them to grab the paperwork we did together to see what is the date stated. If it is early I let them know we will be there on the date we agreed. If we are late then I offer discount for the delay or extra work that was not talked about if it is reasonable. Like maybe doing some light pruning to the hedges out front or whatever. They love that stuff and I have never had problems.

For the customer who plays dumb with payment, which does not happen to often because we tend to make sure payments arrangements are made and understood before the job starts. But when it does happen I look over at the truck full of chips and say the following.

"Do you see that truck full of your chips, this costs us about X dollars to get rid of. Now take the work we did and divide it by X and that is how many loads WILL be dumped on your property." I give them 1 chance to pay at that point before walking over to the truck, with full intentions on doing just that.

The trick I found is to have no emotion and state the above as a matter of fact.

I have never had to dump the chips so far

For the customer who wants to oversee everything and it is usually an elderly person who cares deeply for there property and its almost never a removal I rather take the sweet approach because I have been taught that it always works. Get them a nice safe area to oversee the job, explain the dangers of coming out of said area and do everything within my power to leave them happy. So far it has worked well and the only consequence of these actions are many happy referrals from said customer.

I love my job, and it takes a real prick to put me in a bad mood. So far it has not happened.


Cheers!

Yoo would be in a paddy wagon before your hand got to the pto.

 

[silk]

Yoo would be in a paddy wagon before your hand got to the pto.

No I don't think so.

The first load would be there material from the job we just did. And since we had not left the property we were simply giving them back what was already under there ownership.

We are simply giving back what was under a contract to remove for said $$. No $$ then no removal.

I have made the statement twice now and they never called me on it and if they did I doubt it would go past the 1st load "which was and still is there property"

 

[arbor pro]

Jeez, went from a compalint about nagging clients to a full bore wailin over niggas not gettin pay-ed.
On either account I wanted to impress my opinion that's since its really not fun to pucker up to deliver a 4 course butt kissin just cause someone feels they want to go for the upper hand and squeeze me for their own enjoyment. I see it coming.
I loved old Nancy, I think she should have smoked some dope BUT she was right, " Just say NO."
The guys who keep an butt kisser on staff really have got it made though. Wouldn't you agree?
I can't really go into detail any un-paid invoice policies... anymore but I think alot of the reason alot of this #### happens is that they think they can get anyway with because of those butt kissers. Don't say nothing about that kind of work on my business card.
I think a lot of guys might even promise or say things beforehand to get the job, things that never happen. Sometimes clients try to get me to say what they want to hear and committ to it. Ever been in one of those vicious circles? I know you have, it keeps going around and around. " So you say thurs?" " No you schumck, I did not, you said thurs, I said hopefully before the end of time cause that is how long it is going to take you to stop wasting my time and decide if you want this little dead tree cut down... or not!"
All part of the game, and its a game, yup , sure is, sorry Treeco, its true. you just got picked over for a guy gasing his wild thang. Purple and green? See even the guys who made them saws have a sense of humour.
A client of mine just called to see about some firewood. Ya'll know the price right? So with her allready haveing giving me about 3 grand and its close I got to 180 for primo stuff. I am not handing out govermant cheese you know.
To high she says and want to know where else to try.
Now this lady ( perdone' the expression, man hating rug muncher fits way better. Really SHE'S A MAN BABY! The grilfriend might have been nice way back in the day before she got manhandled by her husband, but really enough of that.
So I tell her to go to Chris and get some of that punky silver maple I dropped off cause he is the real guy to see. He 's got the processor and all. Almost makes me wish i took advantage of her when she couldn't get that big mower going. I could had for a few hundred and all it needed was a cotter pin. I guess I just figured if I did that she would have more reason to want to keep hating men.
Now Chris is a wood dealer so he sets the price but when my own real arboricultural competition is so ready and eager to under- bid on some hand split cord wood? Kiss my ass and call me Mary, you can keep it. Now let me say that I had to tell these guys how to "do- it" a time or two ( my arboricultural competition that is). They are stubborn though, they went and bought a bucket, still didn't help much. 45 years combined experiance and they got me out there in my sandals picking their clients trash and saying " Oh, I thought that was an ash." I said " I don't know you level of experiance but for 300 I will tell you how to do it." I told them all about how I work and said i would call to let them know when I had time and we would go from there. I did what I said and called them, but they never called me back cause I have a feeling those two did do what I said about taking it down. I just whish I could have watched them doing it. I almost told them I would work the ground for free on that one.
Even went 2 cords for 300, we really did a lot of work for them two upstanding lesbian ladies living over there on Frog Hollow ( the same frog hollow the hot air balloon went afire, same frog hollow I touched down in weeks prior in the same ballono). We share a lot of memories together them two ladies. Well, i can't really say 'share' cause we don't share anything and the memories are actually perverted fantasy but its still there man and I just do the best I can with what I got cause what I got is whatever they keep giving me. Lesbians are like puppies and kittens, they are cute when they are young.

Dude, I don't want to know what you're smokin' when you write some of your posts. Do you have terrets or something?

 

[gr8scott72]

Dude, I don't want to know what you're smokin' when you write some of your posts. Do you have terrets or something?

Yeah, I quit reading that one about half way into it.

 

[treemandan]

Dude, I don't want to know what you're smokin' when you write some of your posts. Do you have terrets or something?

I could smoke sixteen and one half acres of the finest columbia offers and it will still not change the fact that's its all true, funny as hell, but true.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Cash or check upon completion

is on all of my contracts. Notice cash is the first option. I've yet to encounter a problem with the HO payin' up. I'm a pretty good judge of character and if i get the slightest hint that they'll be tryin' to cheat yours truly at the time of the bid I give them the same "pain in my ass" rate hike I give to all the old buzzards that I know will be flittin' around my shoulders while I'm workin' askin' me to trim this and move that and yadda yadda yadda. Some ask when they can pay if they won't be there when I'm working, I always say that I'll call and stop by after they get a chance to look the work over.

 

[mckeetree]

I might be wrong, but I think I get more referral work from my customers because I will send them a bill. Part of any sales contract is convincing the customer that you are a real business, not some hillbilly living from check to check.

A completely different image is created in the customers mind when they are told that they will be billed, and that a check is expected in xx days. "Of course we encourage you to pay the bill when we are done".

When you agree to do the job without getting paid first, you are indicating to that person that you trust them to pay when the job is done. Whether or not you sign any sort of contract with them, there is still an element of trust involved. Why ruin the customers image of you from "I trust you to pay me when I am done" to "I NEED MY MONEY NOW!!!" ? That doesn't lead to positive rememberances later.

If you need to be paid at the end of the job, let them know up front that you expect payment before you leave the job, and then they will know what to expect. Leaving the payment options unresolved until the end of the job, and then expecting the customer to cough up the money before you leave will sometimes leave a very negative impression.

After 22 years in this business I am about ready to look like some hillbilly living check to check. I plan on three more years and that is going to be enough of this crap. Here lately I have been in the mood to get paid when we finish the job and not wait six weeks on some retard to pay up. I need my money now! is starting to sound good. And over the next three years I intend to leave a few negative impressions on some of these bozos I have been putting up with for 15 or 20 years.

 

[Blakesmaster]

After 22 years in this business I am about ready to look like some hillbilly living check to check. I plan on three more years and that is going to be enough of this crap. Here lately I have been in the mood to get paid when we finish the job and not wait six weeks on some retard to pay up. I need my money now! is starting to sound good. And over the next three years I intend to leave a few negative impressions on some of these bozos I have been putting up with for 15 or 20 years.

Your just a big ol ball o cheer, ain't ya?