When do you block a customer's number?

[Al_trees]

So a little background; two years ago I treated a guy's trees for a pest. I gave him a task to keep up on by pruning out infected areas because he didn't want to pay us to do it.

I was supposed to manage this again the next year but never heard from the guy. Then late fall he calls me up to say he thinks I got it wrong and that he is still having the trees die out here and there. He treated them himself he tells me. I asked what he used and did this past year. Then I informed him that his off of amazon product would do absolutely nothing despite what the internet said. It wasn't going to be effective on thr life stage of the pest he needed to control.

I suggested he pay the $250 for an application which may be necessary or not with how late it was but I recommended doing it based upon how unseasonably warm it was at the time. He refused because cold weather was a coming.

Now I get another call from him 2 months later asking me if I can come look at the issue or point him to someone who can help him with it. I am one of the people that can help him with it. I happen to be a licensed arborist and make a living running a tree care company that helps people to maintain their trees.

He had just proven to not listen to a word I say and then try and do stuff himself to save money.

Maybe it is therapeutic but I wanted to come on here and ask for some input dealing with people like this.

Therapeutic to get my thoughts out versus calling the guy up and scolding him.

I can probably just charge him to come out and assess the trees but he is going to try and go round and round trying to get more free information on thr phone not wanting to pay me if he thinks it won't help him even though he won't listen to the help. He likely will be shocked at the sticker price for a year of remedy along with the pruning this time.

I could just block the guys number.

Anyway, thoughts on customers or not really a customer like this?

 

[Stumpsprouts]

So a little background; two years ago I treated a guy's trees for a pest. I gave him a task to keep up on by pruning out infected areas because he didn't want to pay us to do it.

I was supposed to manage this again the next year but never heard from the guy. Then late fall he calls me up to say he thinks I got it wrong and that he is still having the trees die out here and there. He treated them himself he tells me. I asked what he used and did this past year. Then I informed him that his off of amazon product would do absolutely nothing despite what the internet said. It wasn't going to be effective on thr life stage of the pest he needed to control.

I suggested he pay the $250 for an application which may be necessary or not with how late it was but I recommended doing it based upon how unseasonably warm it was at the time. He refused because cold weather was a coming.

Now I get another call from him 2 months later asking me if I can come look at the issue or point him to someone who can help him with it. I am one of the people that can help him with it. I happen to be a licensed arborist and make a living running a tree care company that helps people to maintain their trees.

He had just proven to not listen to a word I say and then try and do stuff himself to save money.

Maybe it is therapeutic but I wanted to come on here and ask for some input dealing with people like this.

Therapeutic to get my thoughts out versus calling the guy up and scolding him.

I can probably just charge him to come out and assess the trees but he is going to try and go round and round trying to get more free information on thr phone not wanting to pay me if he thinks it won't help him even though he won't listen to the help. He likely will be shocked at the sticker price for a year of remedy along with the pruning this time.

I could just block the guys number.

Anyway, thoughts on customers or not really a customer like this?

Give yourself a price tag for consulting that either makes you happy, or makes him not have you out. Your knowledge and advice has monetary value!

 

[Al_trees]

Kind of what I was thinking. I just have trouble sometimes catching myself from giving free advice over the phone. A guy like him wants to try and pull it out of ya. Im going to have to role play with my wife a bit.

 

[VenasNursery]

I would just tell the truth!
Like mentioned above name your price or express that you would not like to do business with this customer any further.
I wouldn’t block his number or not answer their calls it’s just not professional.

 

[Stumpsprouts]

I would just tell the truth!
Like mentioned above name your price or express that you would not like to do business with this customer any further.
I wouldn’t block his number or not answer their calls it’s just not professional.

I agree!

Kind of what I was thinking. I just have trouble sometimes catching myself from giving free advice over the phone. A guy like him wants to try and pull it out of ya. Im going to have to role play with my wife a bit.

‘Sounds like something I’d need to assess in person. I’d be able to come out for a minimum charge of $, more if I need to do xyz.’

 

[ATH]

"I'm not sure we can figure this out any further via phone. An onsite consultation would be $xyz. If you are finding information on the interest, at least find it through university extension services. But it makes it difficult for me to help with a treatment plan of we aren't managing it all the way through."

 

[evo]

I’ve had a similar type person call me at least once a year for a ‘free consultation’ or ‘free estimate’.
I finally told him, “you call me at least once a year, never hire me, and obviously he cannot afford my services.Please stop wasting both of our time.”
He did call me once more but that was a paid consultation after the tree I warned him about smacked his house.
I gave him some recommendations which he has ignored, but lighting never strikes twice?

Send him an engagement contract billing for each phone call in 15 min increments. Or just write up a bill for your time and tell him that to proceed he must pay up, if he stops calling you will just shred it.

 

[Brando CalPankian]

I would either charge for your consult and charge what you think it's worth for the headache, or tell the customer you are no longer interested. I fired a customer this spring. It happens. Honesty is the best policy.

 

[Mick Dempsey!]

I had a first yesterday, pricing for a new client, guy was really argumentative, telling me how to do it, saying I was charging too much etc.
I just said “I think you better find someone else” got in the truck and drove off.

 

[RyanCafferky]

I had a first yesterday, pricing for a new client, guy was really argumentative, telling me how to do it, saying I was charging too much etc.
I just said “I think you better find someone else” got in the truck and drove off.

I had this happen a few months ago. This lady wanted her neighbor’s oak tree cut back to the property line so she wouldn’t get leaves on her patio. There was no lift access, the tree was on a super steep slope, and the neighbor would not allow the tree to be climbed. I went back and forth with her for like 15 minutes about why what she was wanting done didn’t make sense and would not actually get her the result she wanted. I also pointed out how ugly the tree would look if I did what she wanted but she insisted that I do it. Finally at one point I said what came to mind which was “I think you contacted the wrong tree service because I won’t do that.” She thanked me for my time and I left. Keeping it professional when things get heated and someone is asking you to do something that you feel is wrong or goading you about your pricing is hard but important. People remember professionalism and sometimes even those difficult clients reach out and become good clients. You just have to train them on where the boundaries are of what you will do, how much it costs, and make sure your actions match your words.

 

[Merle Nelson]

AND, in my opinion, even more importantly is training ones self. Not only do I fire the occasional client in situations like this but I also screen potential clients before going out and looking at jobs. If cheapest price solely or inappropriate corner cutting etc. are in evidence on the phone I'm not the best person for the job and frequently respectfully direct them to where that might be found.

Result is that my level of clientele consistently moves up, I rarely feel my time is wasted, and I'm compensated appropriately.

 

[ATH]

AND, in my opinion, even more importantly is training ones self. Not only do I fire the occasional client in situations like this but I also screen potential clients before going out and looking at jobs. If cheapest price solely or inappropriate corner cutting etc. are in evidence on the phone I'm not the best person for the job and frequently respectfully direct them to where that might be found.

Result is that my level of clientele consistently moves up, I rarely feel my time is wasted, and I'm compensated appropriately.

I'll also add to that, a couple of things I have observed when you are spending time with the "right" clients:
*More repeat work (treat them right with a fair price and good work - they don't shop around for future needs).
*Higher percentage of bids are accepted - fewer visits to the "tire kickers" just wanting to see what they can get for as little as possible.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Exactly! And you come across great people that are recommendation machines or hubs.

 

[Al_trees]

I had this happen a few months ago. This lady wanted her neighbor’s oak tree cut back to the property line so she wouldn’t get leaves on her patio. There was no lift access, the tree was on a super steep slope, and the neighbor would not allow the tree to be climbed. I went back and forth with her for like 15 minutes about why what she was wanting done didn’t make sense and would not actually get her the result she wanted. I also pointed out how ugly the tree would look if I did what she wanted but she insisted that I do it. Finally at one point I said what came to mind which was “I think you contacted the wrong tree service because I won’t do that.” She thanked me for my time and I left. Keeping it professional when things get heated and someone is asking you to do something that you feel is wrong or goading you about your pricing is hard but important. People remember professionalism and sometimes even those difficult clients reach out and become good clients. You just have to train them on where the boundaries are of what you will do, how much it costs, and make sure your actions match your words.

Thanks for the insight. I had a guy write me a one star review one time because I argued with him how ridiculous what he asked me to do was. Basically take a tree down over an intersection that had 7 lanes going through it without wanting to pay for a cop. He said he was an osha trainer and that you just put your hands up with a yellow shirt on and people stop their cars for you to work.

I ripped him a new one so bad with my response to his review he took it down.

In hindsight I could have avoided so much b.s. by simply telling him he needed to find a different tree service.

 

[Al_trees]

Well I told him it would be x to come out and evaluate the issue with the trees. I needed to see it in person to determine the issue or issues. I thought that would be it.

His response via text was that he has no problem paying if "I can work with him on the price" because it was less last time (2years ago) and if I "can identify the problem".

If the guy had just paid me last year instead of d.i.y. the problem would have already been fixed.

I messaged him back this was already a reduced rate for an existing client (because it is) and the price for an on site diagnostic inspection has increased.

Already seems too much back and forth and not worth the aggravation. He is bitching over a $25 increase.

Next time this happens I am just going to give them the price and say literally nothing to any type of bitching, moaning or negotiating.

Either he pays me to come out or he doesn't.

 

[ATH]

Maybe quote high...then come down. I had a client who always had other contractors/builders working the house. Always. For years. Every time I'd quote him, he'd say "money is tight right now...can you do any better." We worked with him for several years and knew it was coming, so I'd just quote high and then negotiate down to what it would have been for anybody else.

Option B: remind him that chemical costs have gone up XYZ% since you first started working. Do you have any employees you have given raises? Remind him it is more expensive for you to get there than it was before. Insurance costs more than it used to. It is more costly to feed the family. (When people would balk at paid consults, I'd try to lighten the mood: "I love talking about trees. However, the kids cry a lot if I don't feed them, so I cannot afford to drive around town all day talking about trees for free."). So while you would like to keep prices flat, nobody is keeping prices flat for you.

 

[27RMT0N]

Honestly, there is little if any benefit to try and explain to a cheapskate how your business works and what everything costs you. Either they are ok with the price and you do the work, or not. They are rarely looking for a true explanation, they just care about a lower price. There will be no 'ah-ha!' moment that makes them happy with a price they were originally unhappy with.

I've never actually been outwardly rude about it, but when customers have questioned my pricing I've always just been tempted to email the links to Wikipedia for 'supply and demand' and 'capitalism.'

 

[Allyourtreeneeds]

We have had a few incidents where people were posing as owners of a home and asking for a removal of a tree in the front yard of a home they "were selling". I noticed that this person would never take my call but would only respond with texts. The possible client kept saying he was out of town but we could do the work. Eventually we found this to be too much of a risk and stopped communicating. They never responded further. As for your question I think at a point it is okay to be upfront and let someone know that you just can't do more over the phone and need to come out to the property and see what needs to be done. I think it is also okay to just say "I can't help you anymore and maybe you should get a second opinion or a new contractor altogether. Sometimes it is easier to cut ties than to deal with a headache.

 

[ATH]

There's a difference be blocking a scammer and a difficult client...

 

[Allyourtreeneeds]

Totally.