This is a good one...

[Hanau]

Just got this in my email:

Hello Bob,

I have a tree I need removed from my house. The tree is 43 inches in diameter at head height and over 100 feet tall. The reason I need this tree removed is because it is hanging over my house. My guess is the tree is leaning 30 degrees or more. The tree is dying and some of the larger limbs have already broken off and damaged the roof and gutters. Unfortunately I do not have very much money but I will allow you to keep the wood so you can sell it for firewood. I would also be willing to give you a $25 gift card to my coffee shop. I will also need the stump ground out and the yard vacuumed and the hole filled in.

Please contact me at 509-XXX-XXX so you can tell me when you can start.

Thank you,

Justin Grace

Without even looking at this I can already tell this will be a $5K+ removal w/ a crane and a bucket. A tree like that is going to be too friggin risky to climb. My fat ass will ride the tree down clear into his kitchen if I throw spurs to it.

Somebody help me think of a good reply to Mr. Grace :drinkup: :cool2: :laugh:

[MS_SURVEYOR]

:dizzy::dizzy:

:cry::cry:

:nono::nono:

See Ya Later! :waving:

:laugh::laugh:

:drinkup:

:walking:

[WGLandscapeMaintenance]

:dizzy::dizzy:

:cry::cry:

:nono::nono:

See Ya Later! :waving:

:laugh::laugh:

:drinkup:

:walking:

^HAHAAH :laugh: I vote that one!! It's too bad his email probably can't read those smileys. :cry:

I'd be professional with it, don't wanna jeopardize your business, but explain to him that it would be over $5000 and if he want's it done cheap to hire a low baller or do it himself, but judging he owns a coffee shop, he probly has never operated a chainsaw before.

[Hanau]

Chances are he called an arborist, I'm going to ask around at the diner tomrrow and find out what's up. Seeing as how he has a WA area code it's likely he called the boys in Clarkston first. Have to give them a shout too.

[WGLandscapeMaintenance]

I was kind of confused at that, because the Quad Cities are in IL/IA, not WA? Do all the LCO's in your area meet at the diner in the morning? lol

[Hanau]

Quad cities of Pullman WA, Moscow ID, Lewiston ID, and Clarkston WA.

There's a diner down the grade a lot of contractors in the area eat breakfast at. Kind of an unofficial meeting hall. Good place to network, find out who's doing what, pick up some extra help (or get picked up) for a big job, etc.

You got landscape contractors, GC's, plumbers, electricians, HVAC guys, drywallers, etc. Nearly every construction trade.

Picked up a job from a plumber. Wants me to take the ROPS off my 17D and break up the concrete in a basement. Machine will just barely fit. Start that soon as I get a breaker attachment.

[WGLandscapeMaintenance]

That's pretty cool. Never heard of an unofficial meeting place like that before with contractors before.

[Hanau]

Maybe you should go to your local diner at 6am, chances are there are contractors there.

If you see trucks with lader racks and trailers in front of a diner that's a good sign.

[Richard Martin]

Call him back and ask him if you can look the job over before you give an answer. Then go look at it and make your mind up. It's always better to actually look at a job before giving a price. Homeowners are never accurate about anything.

[demhustler]

tell him - it'll be much cheaper 4 him to sell the woods by himself and find somebody cheaper...
: )))))))))))

[Nosmo]

It might cost less for him just to move the house . hah Some people want you to work your tail off for nothing.

Nosmo

[jvanvliet]

Keep the wood and a $25 gift certicate to his coffee shop? Sounds too good to be true! I want that job, I'll even write HIM a check when it's done.

[Lawn Shark prop mgmt LLC]

Tell him you will do it for 51 % interest in the coffee shop.

[Tvov]

If he actually owns the shop (or is it just the place he goes to all the time?), wouldn't it be, at the absolute minimum, free coffee for life?? Seriously, what does a cup of coffee actually cost a coffee shop?

Lots of customers like that... they think the wood is worth so much, that tree companies will take them down for free. Be nice to the guy.

[ALC-GregH]

someone put it in his head that guys will cut trees down for free for the wood. Just tell him your price and move on. If he wants you to do it fine, if not, let him get the scrub to do it that has no insurance. Once it falls on the house, the other dude will be out of business. It's called thinning the herd. :)

[WGLandscapeMaintenance]

Maybe you should go to your local diner at 6am, chances are there are contractors there.

If you see trucks with lader racks and trailers in front of a diner that's a good sign.

There aren't too many diners here but I'll keep my eyes open.

[beegreenlandcare]

I dunno, the "attitude" of the quote request is all wrong to me...
...he'll let u keep the firewood...how friggin' generous!
I love it when people tthink your goping to make amint off of the wood. In our area, for awhile people where thinkin' we should cut dowwn trees for free b/c the firewood os sooo valuable:dizzy::dizzy:
Look at it (out of courtesy) and send him a number...thats all u can do.
Remember, when people look long enough and hard enough, they WILL find someone cheaper, not necessarily the same bid but cheaper.

[Jpeg lawn maintenance]

honestly alot of homeowners miss judge how tall or big a tree is if he says its a 100ft tree alot of people dont really know how big a100ft tree is i had a guy tell me he had a 80ft pine in his yard wanted me to take down i get there to look at it the tree was barley 40ft just go take a look at it see what the real deal is hey u might even want the job.

[jvanvliet]

These frigging pogues think we don't have to make a living.... Take down my tree and I'll let you keep to wood so you can haul it or chip it AND I'll give you a $25.00 gift certificate. I'm sick of these people who expect us to work for nothing. I get it down here all the time... $12.50 a cut, 1/3 acre and they expect me to hand prune their ornamentals... pull weeds by hand and refurbish their sprinkler system that some amatuer installed and has all the heads above grade so every time I cut I find another spray head to replace. Oh yes and by the way, aren't you going to trim my trees and fertilize too... don't forget the BUGS!!!!!:mad:

Forget the job and tell him to perform an anatomically impossible feat that if men were able to perform we'd never get out of bed.

I have dropped all my high maintenace accounts, cheapskates and trouble makers. life is easier and I'm getting more to my bottom line.

[freddyc]

tell him you'll drop the tree on his house and he can keep the wood.


Dear Justin,

First off, thank you for the kind offer. A tree that size has a lot of wood in it and I respectfully have to decline the project. I just wouldn't feel right taking advantage of you like that (being able to keep the wood and all). I teared up when I read the part about you throwing in the $25 gift cert to your coffee house. I don't usually get treated this good from my other customers.


Respectfully,

John J. Outofwork

[Hanau]

Ran into an arborist from Clarkston. This is a job he won't touch. Tree is over 120', roots are dead, and all it needs is a flock of birds landing in it to take out the house. It's leaned over so far the lower branches are actually resting on the roof. Soil is highly unstable, HO removed some dirt which killed the tree when expanding his driveway.

Hollowed out oak with no structure, impossible to safely climb. Would require minimum 2 50 ton cranes to stabilize the tree, another 40 ton crane for the removal, and 2 bucket trucks. Figure 2 1/2 days to rig the tree, a day and a half to take it down in tiny pieces, and another day to stump and cean up.

According to his best estimates this is a 90th percentile tree, meaning that once removal is underway there is a better than 90% chance of the tree collapsing.

Sounds more like a $20K+ job.

Not even going to waste the diesel to look at this thing.

He should contact his homeowners insurance, removing the tree is a lot cheaper than rebuilding the house. Maybe they'll spring for it.

[Two Seasons]

tell him you'll drop the tree on his house and he can keep the wood.


Dear Justin,

First off, thank you for the kind offer. A tree that size has a lot of wood in it and I respectfully have to decline the project. I just wouldn't feel right taking advantage of you like that (being able to keep the wood and all). I teared up when I read the part about you throwing in the $25 gift cert to your coffee house. I don't usually get treated this good from my other customers.


Respectfully,

John J. Outofwork

Had a good laugh out of this one.

Customer probably will get a college kid from either side of the line over your way to do it and loose his house in the process, then sue whoever got involved. People like this will definately take advantage of any fool that contracts with him.

Stay healthy.

[rflawnman]

do I know you from another forum, I saw the exact post there.......

I'd tell him you need your pockets lined pretty good and you'll let him keep the wood for free because if he let's you "have" it he's going to need to pay you to haul it away

[topsites]

Those answers might make you feel good but from a customer's point of view?

I have learned over the years, those kind of answers are not very good,
neither for business nor image, although I realize it is frustrating to have
a tough job coming from someone who apparently can't afford it...

The best answers I have found is either give the estimate and see what happens,
and this may not be the best either but one can always not return such calls.

That having been said...
Either you can do it for less than most, or you can't.

[demhustler]

Those answers might make you feel good but from a customer's point of view?

I have learned over the years, those kind of answers are not very good,
neither for business nor image, although I realize it is frustrating to have
a tough job coming from someone who apparently can't afford it...

....

No, you just pulled that off...

it's not what he sad and not what poor person would say (in such situations)

[QUOTE:
some of the larger limbs have already broken off and damaged the roof and gutters. Unfortunately I do not have very much money but I will allow you to keep the wood so you can sell it for firewood. I would also be willing to give you a $25 gift card to my coffee shop. I will also need the stump ground out and the yard vacuumed and the hole filled in.

Please contact me at 509-XXX-XXX so you can tell me when you can start.

------- /QUOTE

proper answer : thank you sir 4 generous offer...unfortunately, have to refuse it - just can't afford it, (too much expenses would be involved)
i'm sure it would be easy 4 you to find many who would like to do it for free (or just symbolical pay)
but thank you 4 allowing me to come & get some of that firewood
and please tell me when i can pick-up that gift-card

[Junior M]

Maybe you should go to your local diner at 6am, chances are there are contractors there.

If you see trucks with lader racks and trailers in front of a diner that's a good sign.


Sounds like here.. :cool2: Except we got 2 different places, depends on what you do on where you go.. Or if your a rebel that likes to piss people off you go to the other one.. :laugh:

But anyways, that sounds like one hell of a tree! When you started describing it I thought of a pine we dropped this past summer that was atleast 140ft tall, also leaning over the house not 30 degrees, but still, was leaning over the house. sounds like somewhat of a simple job right? Hell no!

the tree was right in the middle of this 40x20 fenced in area that was half covered with this pergola thing. The butt of the tree was right up against the porch thing. in the open area there were bushes and an A/C unit up against the house and a gas tank against the fence. And the trailer was a good 40ft away up a slight hill. But we had to lower every limb down onto the roof then chunk them into the yard towards the trailer. Then blocked down firewood length pieces over the fence, thats how high up it was. Took us right at 5 hours and had to send up the 20in bar saw half way through the tree..

[rob7233]

Here's a thought.. If it's not too much travel for you. You can give him a estimate with enough padding to maybe cover the unexpected etc and have him submit it to his homeowner's insurance adjuster. Be willing to answer any questions the adjuster might have. Tell the HO to have a large coffee ready when you get there.

[71ragtopgoat]

Tell him your booked solid on $25 tree jobs. But ask if you and 10 of your friends can stop by the diner for the .99 all you can eat buffet.

[whoopassonthebluegrass]

Tell him to get good insurance, you'll attach a lightning rod to the tree, and you each walk away with 50%.

[anotherturfgeek]

Dear Mr. Grace,

I appreciate your interest in choosing us to help you with your tree removal project. Unfortunately, at this time I am not taking on new customers, OR we are booked solid for the next 8 months, OR recommend another tree outfit for the larger project...

[CrewKut]

I would politely decline and move on as stated earlier.

He will probably find someone that he can come to terms with. Someone that doesn't know any better. I would ask him to notify me when he does find someone to take it down. That would be something to see. You could probably make more money selling tickets to such a spectacle. How about video sales? Just kidding.

On second thought, I probably wouldn't even respond to such an offer. Serious customers deserve serious consideration. I wouldn't consider this a serious proposal.

Dan

[topsites]

I would politely decline and move on as stated earlier.

That's all anyone's gotta do, easiest way out.

Granted, upstairs things get up to a running speed, all these thoughts come to mind, such as...

He will probably find someone that he can come to terms with. Someone that doesn't know any better. I would ask him to notify me when he does find someone to take it down. That would be something to see. You could probably make more money selling tickets to such a spectacle. How about video sales? Just kidding.

On second thought, I probably wouldn't even respond to such an offer. Serious customers deserve serious consideration. I wouldn't consider this a serious proposal.

Dan

But then once things calm down a bit and our senses come back, the bold part, that's what I'm talking about.

I don't care what or how you think about this customer, that's fine,
I didn't think but so highly of the offer either, but then we are free to think of it as we like.

But the one thing I have learned, is do NOT let the customer "have" it, even if we think and agree that they rightfully deserve it.

Instead just let it go, nobody said anyone had to return the call, and that may not be
the best answer either but it beats getting smart with the guy.

And yes I know I can't always help myself either.

[PROCUT1]

I see these ads on craigslist all the time.

Someone posts a pic of a $5000 tree job and is "offering the wood"

Some even are "taking bids" on how much a contractor will PAY THEM to take the tree.

I used to laugh at these people for being stupid but come to find out, it gets done.

They will get some dummy to come over, cut the thing down for free and take the wood.

It started with one or two ads a month to laugh at, now there are 10 a day.

The tree guys here are complaining bigtime. They never thought it would have an impact on their legit work, but now it is.

Customers are calling them for estimates, and when the contractor shows up, its the customer looking for the contractor to have his checkbook instead of the other way around.