Quote to Prune

[treelooker]

Just got this email:
"I took pictures of these trees in my backyard today to send to tree companies for quotes on trimming them back from power lines and over home. They have damaged the roof, siding and many more places over the past three years as strong winds have thrown branches. As I looked up at this amazing speciman, the experience was almost tear jerking to think it was have to be cut back tremendously. It is so beautiful how it spans out and reaches so high.

Just wanted to share its beauty with you. I really wish the house wasn't built so close to it. I'm not getting much feedback from tree companies. How much would you charge to prune this beauty for the safety of the home and evaluate its condition. I am concerned that their may be some damage to the tree.

Thank you for your time and what you do as a profession. The world needs more people like you."

How would you respond?

 

[Mick!]

She sounds like a nut job, don't respond.

 

[MasterBlaster]

No way I can give a quote from looking at those pics, but one thing's for sure! It won't be cheap!!!

 

[NickfromWI]

A nut job? Sounds like she loves her tree. I'd be allover this. My response would be along the lines of.

Great tree. Good for you. I think we can achieve the goal without jacking this tree up. It's too big for me to estimate over email. Can I come out next week to meet you and see the tree and surrounding area. Thanks for contacting an ISA cert arb about this. Your tree benefit from not letting a hack do this work.


love
nick

 

[Bermy]

Yup, got to let her know up front it's not going to be cheap, and outline the differences between a pro and a hack so low prices won't sway her decision.

 

[FJR]

She sounds like a great client. She really appreciates what she has and she also appreciates a professional approach to take care of it.

 

[Joezilla11]

I agree and since no one else seems to be responding to her sounds like it may be all yours if u do

 

[Tucker943]

A nut job? Sounds like she loves her tree. I'd be allover this. My response would be along the lines of.

Great tree. Good for you. I think we can achieve the goal without jacking this tree up. It's too big for me to estimate over email. Can I come out next week to meet you and see the tree and surrounding area. Thanks for contacting an ISA cert arb about this. Your tree benefit from not letting a hack do this work.


love
nick

Food for thought. Sell your certs and credentials to customers. But maybe think about not putting others down. There are some great men in this business that do great work, that didn't go take a 200 question test with the option of retaking every failed domain until they got it right. I think its more professional not to knock another tree company and categorize them as a hack.

 

[treelooker]

Food for thought. Sell your certs and credentials to customers. But maybe think about not putting others down. There are some great men in this business that do great work, that didn't go take a 200 question test with the option of retaking every failed domain until they got it right. I think its more professional not to knock another tree company and categorize them as a hack.

Good point; that last bit oughta go. actually it's ~40 minutes away so no free onsite estimate. I bid an evaluation alone (slim chance she wants that), and also a range for pruning, 3.5-6 hours for 2 climbers. flat rate for potential cable; see the crown gap?

mb, you'd use a pole for this one, perhaps? not a huge willow oak for NC, or LA I spose.

 

[MasterBlaster]

No polesaw.

 

[Mick!]

A nut job? Sounds like she loves her tree. I'd be allover this. My response would be along the lines of.

Great tree. Good for you. I think we can achieve the goal without jacking this tree up. It's too big for me to estimate over email. Can I come out next week to meet you and see the tree and surrounding area. Thanks for contacting an ISA cert arb about this. Your tree benefit from not letting a hack do this work.


love
nick

Thing is this has all the signs of a time waster, firstly why are no other companies quoting? Possibly because they all have already been there, quoted and heard nothing.
Just reading the email my prediction would be you would go there, have a nice long chat, you would both agree what a great tree it is, how wonderfully you would prune it, the horror of hacks, she would coo over your certs and she would definitely think about your quote (which she would assure you seems fair)
Then you'd hear nothing.
I've been quoting jobs a long time and this one has all the alarm bells ringing.
Just my thoughts mind.

 

[NickfromWI]

You just described every one of my clients and on site consults....except they all write checks to us every day.


love
nick

 

[Mick!]

Sure!

 

[flushcut]

Thing is this has all the signs of a time waster, firstly why are no other companies quoting? Possibly because they all have already been there, quoted and heard nothing.
Just reading the email my prediction would be you would go there, have a nice long chat, you would both agree what a great tree it is, how wonderfully you would prune it, the horror of hacks, she would coo over your certs and she would definitely think about your quote (which she would assure you seems fair)
Then you'd hear nothing.
I've been quoting jobs a long time and this one has all the alarm bells ringing.
Just my thoughts mind.

Nut job or not they all get an esti. Dealing with tree lovers is part of this game and IMO they tend to be very loyal and repeat customers.

 

[Altissimus]

...suggest she put main service drop, phone, and cable underground...popular excavating job around here and is not very expensive

 

[treelooker]

...suggest she put main service drop, phone, and cable underground...popular excavating job around here and is not very expensive

The expense might come later, when the trenching damage to the tree roots starts becoming evident.

 

[Altissimus]

If you speak for the roots first as consult....all trenching outside drip edge (conduit and wire make an entirely new route possible)...with no root disruption was the job I was pitching.

 

[woodworkingboy]

It seems like her concern is that although seen as a necessity, she doesn't know what she will getting as a result of her pruning job. Perhaps supplying a drawing of what you think the finish job will closely resemble, can alleviate her fears to some extent...maybe a large extent. It might help you as well to formulate a plan, so to speak. I know it is a bit unconventional to do that. I think I would ask for some payment to supply that, and then if you get hired, reduce that from the overall costs. That isn't uncommon with work where people are unclear about what the design will be. Some jobs are worth the extra effort to get them, and it can walk the talk for the lady, to show just how serious she is about preserving her beautiful tree and paying well for a good job. If maybe a hundred bucks or so isn't worth it to her to get clear on the approach and to help settle her worry, I think it kind of shows where she is really at about the project as a whole. I guess some better pictures would be needed in order to create a working plan. I'd ask her for them.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Go out there and get paid for your time and travel or forget it, possibly with a little email correspondence about why you will charge, what you will charge, and what she will get.

 

[stig]

Food for thought. Sell your certs and credentials to customers. But maybe think about not putting others down. There are some great men in this business that do great work, that didn't go take a 200 question test with the option of retaking every failed domain until they got it right. I think its more professional not to knock another tree company and categorize them as a hack.

Chris, sometimes your posts really make me love you.

In a purely platonic way, of course

 

[Mick!]

Nut job or not they all get an esti. Dealing with tree lovers is part of this game and IMO they tend to be very loyal and repeat customers.

Sure she'll get a quote if she's local, if there's a long way to travel then you have to "qualify" them to see if there's a chance of getting the job, for me, she falls into the category of likely time waster, give her a quote by email.

 

[Altissimus]

...yes they all should get estimates (in a perfect world)...most times my gut said I would be spinning my wheels putting in price for job I never get it has been correct. Nut Jobs or House Sellers that want price and information are big no jobs in my experience...

 

[woodworkingboy]

I think the ones to be particularly wary of are people that immediately start talking price before anything else. It appears that she didn't do that, and even still it may not be anything to draw clear inferences from, but it seems at least a good sign.

 

[Altissimus]

...true Jay ...and the difference between a nut job wasting your time or an eccentric customer helping your business ....is a bank account... gotta find out I guess

 

[BOTS]

Go out there and get paid for your time and travel or forget it, possibly with a little email correspondence about why you will charge, what you will charge, and what she will get.

YES!

Send an email back and give an houly price for the 2 of you and truck/chipper ect..$150-$200 an hour...dont waste your time driving there..just my 2cents