CONSUMERS:- Arborists are a profession, see what others charge!

juniorgilman

Several factors go into why a customer will price shop tree work:

1. Most often they don't know good tree work from bad tree work. When a plumber comes to fix a pipe or a leak, if it no longer leaks = good work. If it still leaks = bad work.

2. When a tree is still standing (dead or alive) they don't see the immediate problem, therefore they have time to get several quotes. If they have water all over the place, or sparks shooting from the wall, they just want someone to fix it.

3. Alot of homeowners have chainsaws, and feel they don't need professional service. ie this quote from Treemachine on another thread:

"I watched the new guy next door destroy a perfectly good tree a tried to stop him but he could not here me. He ripped a strip right down a nice maple. i just introduced myself told him i cut trees had my dump truck and chipper in driveway. 5 minutes later he is standing on a ladder taking off big branches"

and back to the first point, as long as they finished the work without incident, (excluding harming the tree, b/c they don't know) it was good work. People try to fix their own electrical and plumbing issues all the time too, and that doesn't always end well either.

It's an uphill battle, and I really like the apostle tree customer idea!!

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Pro Nemus

I think that it is very important to look at what you are offering the customer, and price accordingly. Each market is different, and the competition in each market is offering the customer different things.

The trick is to find an under-represented market niche and fill it. Our company that has been in business since 1995 offers an excellent middle-market service. As we looked into expanding into a different market, we realized that middle-market competition is very stiff in this area. To succeed, we started a whole new company with a service offering more focused on premium service, and a business model which will allow us to compete successfully in the premium niche segment.

Now, just because we have a "new" company, does this mean that we should discount the value of our services? Of course not. In fact, our services will be priced equal to or higher than our competition. We can do this because our service offerings are superior, and our target clientele are willing to pay more to receive a solution which more effectively fulfills their need.

The point is that, in any given market, different customers are looking for different things. If you find a significant group of customers whose needs are not being addressed, and create an offering which uniquely satisfies this need, you have a solid foundation upon which to build success.

treesailor

I took my car to the shop to find out what was wrong with the power windows cost $ 124 just to tell me what is wrong. Many car repair shops charge to take a look the days. i feel its fair not 124 but some charge. I think that tree workers should get paid to look at a tree. Many people look at you strange when you give them a price. However they don't realize all the time it took just for you to to that job. Looking at the job , repairing equitment, billing all of which you don't get paid for. I think with totals fuel prices we all should charge to go out and explain tree problems.

TreeHumper

There are plenty of consumers out there that feel the same about having electrical, plumbing, heating, and all the other typical home or auto repairs done. They don't like the cost of it and feel they are being somehow cheated.

There are hacks in every business and a segment of the market thats willing to deal with them. There are do-it-yourselfers as well. More people have a screwdriver, hammer, pipe wrenches, etc.... than have chainsaws. They are the ones that will attempt to fix that burst pipe, clogged drain, shorted circuit or damaged ceiling.

That is not your market! What is needed is the ability to clarify to a prospective client the value of your service over the alternatives. When someone is trying to pry open your wallet you resist it till they prove the value.

Start selling more and do less quoting.

Arizona Kenn

Two Trades: First one, HVAC guy comes to fix a broken furnace at a church. Service is in one hour and the place is cold as an ice box. HVAC guy opens door to furnace, looks over panel, flips a switch and the furnace comes to life. He then submits a bill for $125.00 for five minutes work including the walk from his truck. Pastor says "$125.00 for flipping a switch?" HVAC guy says "no, $125.00 for knowing what switch to flip."
Second Trade: Dentist, pulls a tooth, it's an easy job and he gets it done in five minutes, submits a bill for $125.00. Customer says "$125.00 for five minutes work?" Dentist says "Well, I'll take as long as you want."
I guess it's all how you look at the labor rates people charge. I know in my field I am the best, there are no better, and I charge accordingly. I work from referral only, it's taken a long time to get here but I never slacked on what I charged my clients. Once you give away a job at a lower price you are committed in keeping the same wages to their friends and relatives. I might add, my high level of confidence is due to the professionals I have learned from on this forum. Thank you all for your participation here.

Ekka

A guy on this forum does trees as well as anything else he can around peoples yards to make a quid (fair enough too) goes out to a quote.

Lady gets talking and asks what his hourly rate is for general gardening ... although he loathes to do hourly rate and prefers to fix price a job he tells her $30

She responds, "Oh, that's expensive."

He left.

$30/hour in Australia for a self employed man with own equipment and running costs is darned cheap. He also has good saws, tools, tipper truck and can whip through a job but if all the customer looks at is hourly rate then the most likely to make money could be the slowest most useless person.

There's little incentive to have great gear and be fast/educated and safe if you earn less. Hourly rate stump grind, quick, hide the Rg50 and get the 13hp shove along out.

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jacko

why is it that some people will pay $300 per hr and other won't even give you carton beer. because you have to talk up your equiment and the job

Oldtimer

So, I finally got the invoice for the amount quoted (sixty five plus tax) and I was surprised that I could pay it on-line by credit card. Now, I see that is why it took that long to get the invoice. I came from their HQ up North in the US and I am way South in Texas. ( It is like another country!)
I was happy with the results and the service provided was fair priced, fast and quick!

playfordtree

My beer fridge shit itself easter saturday

Had a refrig. mechanic come out today to have a look.

He was here approx 8 mins (6 mins. of that, was him listening to me telling him how tragic it was not having cold beer)
He used his screw driver to reset the defrost controller (little switch at the back of the fridge)
The fridge starts working again just fine
Then he says "you better replace that controller as it's liable to give you trouble again"

I said "OK how much will that be mate?"
"It will be $253 dollars, parts & labour" he replies

Now bear in mind the controller is held in with one screw and has 3 wires clipped to it!
It would take him 2 minutes to change it over.(if that long)

I said "I'll have a think about it mate and get back to ya"
(Now that i know whats wrong i will replace it myself if it packs up again.)

Total cost of the 8 minute callout and 2 minutes with the screwdriver
=$88

I'm in the wrong game

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Therefore I am.

Ekka

Exactly.

I went to the fridge parts place and bought plus fitted my own thermostat. Piss easy.

I also wire up my own extension cords and power points when they need replacing, they're universal and idiot proof! Cant get electrocuted if you tried coz BY LAW our house HAD TO BE FITTED with a dead man switch.

Shove that in ya pipe you nutcases with ya stinking rules!

I also told the plumber I do my own tap washers and reseat them where required too. I fixed the bathroom too.

Yet any ole wanker can buy a saw and off they go, experts! That's OK according to the law.

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