Cool customers

1st post ever. Seems like a good one to jump on. Starting out as a part-time ground guy for my uncle's biz i learned fast that the smallest things are what the customers see. CLEAN UP! They can relate to running a rake. long story longer worked my way up the food chain to crew lead. then left his biz for a career move. still do as much tree work as i can handle. To the point already!!! The coolest thing a customer i have had once offered me the keys to his cabin for the weekend for my whole family.
 
[ QUOTE ]
The coolest thing a customer i have had once offered me the keys to his cabin for the weekend for my whole family.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is very cool. I am always leery of accepting offers to use personal property though. Mostly because I know with my luck, after leaving the cabin, the homeowner would probably call me to tell me there are cigarette burns in the sofa, a broken window, stains in the new carpet, or something like that. Thats me being cynical, but i worry about that.

My neighbors have a riding mower and insisted I could use it whenever i want. They even forced me to take a set of keys to it despite me telling them I will never use it. I won't use it because I am worried they will tell me I tore the clutch up or I must have drove over something big because things are bent. It prolly wouldn't happen, but I like to avoid any potential for neighborly conflicts, especially the ones that could cost me several thousands dollars.

welcome to the buzz by the way!
 
I know what you mean Phil. I had a boss that used to offer me the truck and chipper along with all the other tools for only 175.00 a day to use on the side. NO WAY I ever took him up on that.
 
We've worked on a major project over the last 2 years for a client. Usually it was a week at a time each spring and fall. Every day they would greet all of us by name, coffee and donuts (or muffins) in the morning, lunch of our choice, coffee or cold drinks and snacks in the afternoon. One night after we finished one of the phases of the project They invited us in gave us dinner, beer, and a fine single malt scotch! Always pleasant and genuinely interested in us as individuals and enthusiastic about the work we're doing.

Dream clients!
 
One really sticks out in my mind. full fridge of soda and water, pizza for lunch and at the end of a long august humid day, full access to his two brand new waverunners!!Plus the guy was cool too.
 
We are blessed with numerous excellent customers.

We do frequently get tips, usually around $25 to each person.

We have one client with a large estate that we have been doing large, $30,000 worth of tree work every year for the past 3 years.

He has gone through numerous tree services until he found us.

He appreciates us so much.

I do really like working on the estate and do plenty of extra stuff for no charge because it feels like they are OUR trees, but just the other day, he told me in an e-mail, “When you see things that need to be fixed, such as the Golden Chain tree, PLEASE bill me for the work. You put too much effort into such things to do them gratis, and I appreciate your close attention to all you see. Hard for me to do, not being there enough or having your knowledge….. Any repairs or bolting, such as you describe on the failing arborvitae – again, PLEASE bill me for same. Same applies if jobs take much longer than you anticipated. I have no problem paying fairly for work the quality of yours. Same applies to the twisted little sassafras, a favorite of all who see it.”

Just the other week we completed a huge job for him again; we dug and moved 8 four inch caliper crab apples to new locations, 3 large ginkgos that were around 16 to 17 feet tall and root balls 4000-6500lbs each and one large 7 inch caliper horsechestnut.

278932-IMG_5002.JPG


The job was extremely successful and we put so much attention into doing it right.

He was so happy that when I told how much I liked his Red Ferrari 458 Italia, he said, “ hop in and take it for a spin. Hey, better yet take it home for the night!”
5605670751_75530bc632.jpg




Holy crap! I couldn’t pass it up, I had to take it, I’ve been wanting to drive a nice Ferrari for a very long time.

Unbelievable, so much fun.
fruit.gif
I then felt like selling everything I had just to buy one.

Then the next day we were working there again.

He was so happy to hear how much I liked the car and after that day of hard work he said to the three of us.

“hey guys, I’m going away for the weekend the place is yours for the weekend, just don’t break anything. By the way, my daughters have been eyeing up you guys all week. ( He has a 20 year old daughter and two 18 year old twin daughters with absolutely perfect bodies. The 20 year old has been in a few Abercrombie advertisements.) He said, “ you can get into or do whatever they want to do, I just don’t want to hear about it, have a good time”.

I was in a dilemma, because I am married. I freaked out and called me wife, she said you deserve it, you work so hard, don’t worry about it, have a great weekend and just don’t get any STD or something.

So………, we had a killer weekend (I got the 20yr old) but my stomach muscles and thighs were so sore by the end of the weekend I had to take Monday off because I could hardly walk.

Can anyone top that great customer story?
-------------------------------------------



Yes, this is all made up. For the most part anyway.
 

Attachments

  • 278932-IMG_5002.webp
    278932-IMG_5002.webp
    122.4 KB · Views: 26
At first I was like
smile.gif
, then I was like
smirk.gif


I have a very similar experience. Only difference is that I got the 20 yr old pregnant and the child is known today as Chuck Norris.
 

Attachments

  • 278935-pinocchio.webp
    278935-pinocchio.webp
    38.9 KB · Views: 39
Pretty much the only part of that story that was true was,
"we dug and moved 8 four inch caliper crab apples to new locations, 3 large ginkgos that were around 16 to 17 feet tall and root balls 4000-6500lbs each and one large 7 inch caliper horsechestnut."

Darn.... sure would like to drive a new ferrari. No, the customer doesn't even own one, that I know of anyway.

But I hope you liked the fiction fantasy.
icon10.gif
 
That's hilarious X...
If only all wives could be so understanding..

Good story from last night. Grinding stumps til dark, customer insisted (ordered me) in the house for dinner. They had already eaten, put a plate of all organic pasta and red sauce with broccolli, and a tomato and goat cheese salad with rasberry vinigarette, while we watched the end of the Phillies game, where Cole Hamels pitched a complete game in a 2-1 victory.. Sent me home with apples in hand.

Then the husband tells a story about dropping a side leaning tree with his brother in law, and how he thought up the use of a guy or 90º retainer line to keep it from failing. I said I've got a video showing that exact move and he put it up on his brand new widescreen HD TV..

I was there to grind out a huge area of old overgrown forcythia.. Grind and go.. I still have to go back to grind an uprooted oak stump in the backyard, so I'll probably bring the loader when I go back and grade and rake out the whole area.. Pretty good trade for a little kindness and plate of home cooked food. That is the kind of customer that sticks in my heart.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom