Working for great people

[Raven27]

I had a repeat customer today who is genuinely one of the nicest people I have ever met. Very successful plenty of money nice property. I usually spend some time talking with them half an hour to an hour, and I have that have business friends and ask me why do I spend so much time talking to them or explaining to them what I'm going to do or how it's going to go or what my plan is. But I have gotten several jobs with the people have told me part of the reason why they hired me was because I actually talk to them and didn't just seem to care about getting the money. The guy today absolutely loves the work I do he's always telling people about me he wants us to come back another time. I hate the customers I get that seem to think they know everything and want to give you pointers or ask why you didn't do it a certain way or how come it's taking so long, or why does it cost what it does. But I have several customers that I go back to and they generally understand the work involved the time the skill. I was kind of curious how many people have those a hole customers that are just a pain to deal with.

 

[treehumper]

Yes, I just take it as an opportunity to educate them on proper tree care and work performance. Often they get it and are no longer that painful customer. If they don't they'll go somewhere else. We can't expect our clients to know the ins and outs of our job any more than we would be expected to know their work.

 

[JD3000]

Folks like that are great. The best advice I ever got about customers from a dear teacher and mentor of mine is "many to most of your customers are intelligent educated folks who are excellent in their own field. However, they know nothing about trees and it is your job to teach them. They will appreciate you knowing the ins and outs of many different species and can become loyal and long lasting customers."

I try to remember this every day. Remember what it was like to not know.

 

[Raven27]

I recently did another job, no cleanup, but we have a guy who grinds our stumps. The Stump guy and the HOUSE were talking while I made the last cut. Stump guy tells me later that the HOUSE told him he hired me because I was nice enough to walk him through the process and answer his questions on how I was going to climb the class tree, and rigging it down. He has told him that everyone else that came just came, gave a price and left, no personality.