lower pricing due to the economy

I agree with most of what you had to say. I think you nailed it on the head about how tree work is an expense that is more of a "luxury" expense. Of course, there are the few exceptions, like failures, etc. This is EXACTLY what I am experiencing right now.. people not spending on their trees because it is an expense that is not justified when there are other, more important bills to pay.

As for cutting prices, yeah, I am doing that.. And so are most of my competitors. The big outfits that are way underbidding are most likely only doing it just to get work to keep the guys busy.

On the jobs I have dropped my rates down for, I have told the clients that I have lowered my rates a bit because of the state of the economy, and not to expect these rates when things are back to normal.

I would rather drop my rates 15-20% and get the job/client rather then lose out on it because I am being ignorant to the climate change of the economy.

Do what you have to do to support your family right now. I know it hurts to drop your rates, but it is going to hurt more when your sitting at home hoping for the phone to ring.

I think after all this blows over, work is going to get crazy busy. All the people who have been putting off their trees are going to flood all of us with work. Better yet, this slowdown right now is going to weed out some of the hacks leaving more business for us legit guys to get.
 
Here's a good one...

I showed up yesterday at a job that I quoted last year (the client kept putting me off until now), and I arrived with myself, another climber, groundman, chipper, and cabling tools and equipment only to find that the guy 'did some of the work on his own' after my FREE consultation where I spent an hour on his property. I was prepared to do $12-1300 worth of work, and only about a quarter of the trees in the original consult were left untouched. He did a piss poor job, and really only did what he could get at from the ground and with a ladder, but he said that these trees were 'all set,' and didn't even want the cabling done now. I was able to squeeze $475 out of the remaining tree work, and was also fortunate to have another job lined up that I could do at my leisure, so the day wasn't a total loss. I wanted so bad to just walk away, but I couldn't, because my truck and chipper got stuck in the mud in his backyard, where he had said he wanted the chips blown to cover a weed-ridden poison ivy area. He changed his mind afterwards, and said that he didn't want the chips after all. Took about an hour to get the truck unstuck, and rake the area flat again (It was a former small, invasive specie forest that he cut down last year, not exactly Augusta National.)

It was all I could do to smile, do the job, and get the hell out of there without mentioning the fact that this guy (first time client) had taken major advantage, and f-ed up my otherwise profitable day. To add insult to injury, this job was about 20 miles outside of my normal work area. Ugh.

I felt like I got suckered, and it makes me a little jaded in these tough times. I will give repeat customers a discount based on volume of work, but I am going to start instituting a fee system for consultations, where the fee will be discounted from the final price upon completion of work. Bah humbug!

-Tom
 
Let's all take a lesson from the trees that we happily murder each day.

Let's bend as much as we need to when the winds of adversity blow all around us. Then we the storm is over we can right ourselves and go on with the important business of standing boldy, stright up, for the sunlight that comes our way each day.
 
"Let's all take a lesson from the trees that we happily murder each day."

Although I agree with the second part of your post, I say 'speak for yourself' with this quote. My days are spent preserving and planting, and I never happily murder a tree or anything else for that matter.

-Tom
 
It is not meant to be a hate statment against trees so keep your sleeves rolled down--duh. You may spend your "days are spent preserving and planting" but some very few of us spend a good part of ours destroying, lest we or our clients be destroyed or damaged by these noble life forms.



I enjoy taking these monsters down each day. Butching (or whatever the politically correct word is these days)vegtables is a work of joy unlike the butchering of animals... but I do that too whenever it becomes nessary, which is to say at about every meal.
 
Say what you want now, you said it. Of course we all remove trees for the safety our clients... Duh! 'Happily murder?' I don't agree. No need to be defensive.

-Tom
 
Who are these people.I would like to happily murder some of the PC language!!! Lets grow some thicker skin is what I say!! Are we all so friggin soft? And for God sake do not call a black man a black man!!! Is that offensive!! Im a white dude so what! Im not a deutsch-American or some other hyphenated thing! I believe American will suffice!! Those Hyphenated names actually divide and label!!! I have several black friends who HATE the term African-American.......Why you may ask?! Because they are Jamaican!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Who are these people.I would like to happily murder some of the PC language!!! Lets grow some thicker skin is what I say!! Are we all so friggin soft? And for God sake do not call a black man a black man!!! Is that offensive!! Im a white dude so what! Im not a deutsch-American or some other hyphenated thing! I believe American will suffice!! Those Hyphenated names actually divide and label!!! I have several black friends who HATE the term African-American.......Why you may ask?! Because they are Jamaican!

[/ QUOTE ]

¿¿¿What??? Am I mistaken in thinking that you view my distaste for the term 'happily murdering' trees as PC? Please tell me I'm wrong. The poster I was speaking to said 'WE,' and I said speak for yourself. I did not attempt to censor or otherwise change what anyone said, I just am not part of that group. I reserve the right not to be described by people who don't know me. If you happily murder trees then, well, that makes two of you. Take the PC stuff over to the TFZ, along with the black/white talk. Sheesh.

-Tom
 
Tom you did get used and abused. You should have walked away from the job when you discovered that he had done most of the work himself. That is the type of guy that will never use you again or ever tell anyone about you. A complete and waste of time and energy. Those are the type that I, as a buisiness owner, have no problem telling those kind of jackoffs just the way I feel.

D.W.H
beer.gif
 
I know, Derrick. It's just that I was already THERE with two workers and my truck stuck in the yard. So I played nice and took some of his money to keep the day from being a total loss. Definitely one of my most forgettable days in 18 years of tree work.

-Tom
 
Some jobs are regretable, what can you say?

Just as my week was going smooth as a wax-job, I get a black locust to remove. This morning, if all hacks confederated on a massive nation-wide topping campaign won by cheap bids to butcher every black locust in existance? I'd cheer them on. Monday I might feel different.

Not just swollen paralyzing wounds, but three flat tires.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Some jobs are regretable, what can you say?

Just as my week was going smooth as a wax-job, I get a black locust to remove. This morning, if all hacks confederated on a massive nation-wide topping campaign won by cheap bids to butcher every black locust in existance? I'd cheer them on. Monday I might feel different.

Not just swollen paralyzing wounds, but three flat tires.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ouch.
 
[ QUOTE ]

¿¿¿What??? Am I mistaken in thinking that you view my distaste for the term 'happily murdering' trees as PC? Please tell me I'm wrong. The poster I was speaking to said 'WE,' and I said speak for yourself. I did not attempt to censor or otherwise change what anyone said, I just am not part of that group. I reserve the right not to be described by people who don't know me. If you happily murder trees then, well, that makes two of you. Take the PC stuff over to the TFZ, along with the black/white talk. Sheesh.

-Tom

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah! Now I believe we are on common ground! I now can see how right you are to have us, er I mean me, speak for myself. Trouble is there are going to need to be a lot of posts corrected now that we, er I mean I, have started this
mess by saying...we.

Hear ye hear ye...the word -we- is not PC anymore. Please make a note of it. You will be sent to treebuzz hell for three weeks if you use this word on this site from this day foward.

May I ask, when you are called upon to (helmets off all around please) to kill, murder, terminate, takeout, remove, cutdown, pullover, drag out, chip to tiny bits, a noble tree what is the right word you call this somber deed? And also, while this difficult business is going on, how is the mood? sorrow? Helmets to breasts with tears throughout? Tell us....
I see that Rangerdanger is so happy with the ones he even sees done he wants his picture taken on the stump -with the murder weapon- so he can show us all, even if it was not he who kilt it. He should be made to apologize to all of us for his joy, and Beranek's books will be banned because of the pictures.

So do tell, How it is for you?

We, er I mean I, get out of the truck giggling. They have a difficults time getting me to come down at days end. HAHAHAHAHA. Hey, It's just a dam* tree; there are billions of them and they act like they own this world; just growing up where ever they please. Thank God for 090's and happy work days.
 
that is funny stuff! You know I actually tell customers that I am Not a tree hugger, I am a certified arborist and I will cut them down just as much as maintain them. There are some guys in our area that have the big bushy eye brows and eat granola all day and refuse to remove perfectly healthy trees. I will not turn away biz to do what I was trained to do. just really funny stuff...you guys kill me!....this is a whole other thread!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

¿¿¿What??? Am I mistaken in thinking that you view my distaste for the term 'happily murdering' trees as PC? Please tell me I'm wrong. The poster I was speaking to said 'WE,' and I said speak for yourself. I did not attempt to censor or otherwise change what anyone said, I just am not part of that group. I reserve the right not to be described by people who don't know me. If you happily murder trees then, well, that makes two of you. Take the PC stuff over to the TFZ, along with the black/white talk. Sheesh.

-Tom

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah! Now I believe we are on common ground! I now can see how right you are to have us, er I mean me, speak for myself. Trouble is there are going to need to be a lot of posts corrected now that we, er I mean I, have started this
mess by saying...we.

Hear ye hear ye...the word -we- is not PC anymore. Please make a note of it. You will be sent to treebuzz hell for three weeks if you use this word on this site from this day foward.

May I ask, when you are called upon to (helmets off all around please) to kill, murder, terminate, takeout, remove, cutdown, pullover, drag out, chip to tiny bits, a noble tree what is the right word you call this somber deed? And also, while this difficult business is going on, how is the mood? sorrow? Helmets to breasts with tears throughout? Tell us....
I see that Rangerdanger is so happy with the ones he even sees done he wants his picture taken on the stump -with the murder weapon- so he can show us all, even if it was not he who kilt it. He should be made to apologize to all of us for his joy, and Beranek's books will be banned because of the pictures.

So do tell, How it is for you?

We, er I mean I, get out of the truck giggling. They have a difficults time getting me to come down at days end. HAHAHAHAHA. Hey, It's just a dam* tree; there are billions of them and they act like they own this world; just growing up where ever they please. Thank God for 090's and happy work days.

[/ QUOTE ]

You and I will never see eye to eye on this. You somehow think that I am being righteous by asking not to be included in your grouping, when actually I am just asking that you not include ME or any other unsuspecting arborist in your description of what we do as arborists. I asked that you speak for yourself, and you were offended, cuz that expression fires people up. Sorry for that. Taitree used the term PC, which is a dangerous little phrase. I am personally anti-PC. That being said, I SAVE TREES WHENEVER POSSIBLE, GET IT? IS IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THAT I DON'T HAPPILY MURDER TREES? I HOPE I HAVE BEEN CLEAR. I wanted to say 'drop it' at the beginning of this post, but obviously I haven't dropped it just yet. I hope we can agree to disagree at some point. Tree CARE is my passion, not tree REMOVAL. Different strokes, but given a choice, you would never work on any of my clients' property. Sorry if that offends you hahaha.

-Tom
 
You might have to tailor you bids to your own area.

Here, home prices dipped only slightly, and many new unemployed are not really the type of folks who would hire tree related work.

I'm bidding nearly the same, except to allow for the price of fuel having gone down months ago.

We just finished our busiest winter in 20 years of doing business, even though we just returned to the north part of Oregon in June.

When taking one college class for CEUs last November to December, the instructor said that many landscape contractors were reporting a booming business - working in overdrive.

My calls have been for everyting from pruning to landscape improvements. Very little storm damage calls. Mostly improvement and investment.
 
I guess I happily cut trees down too as I walking to the bank.I wish I could prune giant BurOaks all day everyday,but thats not the case.I sometimes cut down healthy trees and I honestly try to talk the client out of it.But they usually dont change there mind and then I do my job.I like to recommend planting new trees if its practical in their place.Today I recommended removing what I believe is the tallest Pecan in the state(trust me no where near new jerseys tallest or marylands or do they have pecans)Its 110'and probably that wide from limb to limb and in between 2 homes over a million a piece.Im sure some would say just let it fall and they can rebulid.But the landing zone happens to be over the neighbors childrens bedroom,Imagine a 70' leader falling on a house-with some really big wood.It has a cavity that with my hard hat on i can stand straight up in(maybe about 6.6') and 3' wide.It has alot of decay and maybe less than 45% sound wood.Cant be cabled or guyed.Ive asked a repected arbotist I know with 30 plus years exp to come and give me a second opinion.But Im sure we will both agree,it must go.It makes me a little sad but it must be done.Im sure after we complete it and I deposit my check my sadness will be no more.But most importantly those kids will be safer and in my book peoples lives are always more important than trees.
 
mdvaden, that is excellent news, and thanks for keeping the thread on-topic, unlike me!

Jimmy, I would take that tree down also, with absolutely no regrets. Clients' safety comes first, of course. I would likely get a second opinion also for a few good reasons, including protecting my credibility after the fact, if someone questioned the removal, and to remove any doubt the client may have of the tree's stability/instability.

-Tom
 
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