How to approach potential customers

[Ddan]

What kind of vehicle is a contractor supposed to drive?

If a Caddy is his work truck, he's charging too much.

[Stella]

Play on the sympathy, not slimey card:  Show up in a north american made mini van with a bunch of kid/car seats in the back.  Make sure you park where your prospective client can see this.



Seriously though, I second Ducatiz's suggestions. 

[ducatiz]

I had a contractor show for a site visit in an Escalade.  Don't do that.

I have tree guys showing up all the time at my door.

Some of them are driving pristine looking F350 trucks with their logo painted on the truck.  It is funny to see them slowly driving thru the neighborhood -- stop in front of a house with trees needing cutting and just sit there idling.  Buy gas much?

Some of them show up in a piece of shit F150 or even a box truck that has UHAUL painted over.

Funny that the former party always want something ridiculous to cut down a tree, but the latter usually are pretty reasonable.

What is ridiculous?  I had 6 trees removed.  Smallest was 10", largest was about 40" at the ground.

Superfly F350 guy wanted $12000 for all six trees dropped, cut and removed.

Guy in a piece of shit F150 wanted $3000 for all six trees dropped, cut and removed (and he would sell the wood).  He only asked that I give him 10 days to finish the job.

You guess which one we chose..

[ducpainter]

If a Caddy is his work truck, he's charging too much.

Maybe his work truck is a Dodge...

and was in the shop.

[Ddan]

Maybe his work truck is a Dodge...

and was in the shop.

Funny guy.  Actually, the kid had just been handed the business from the father.  He's now out of business.

[rgramjet]

I have tree guys showing up all the time at my door.

Some of them are driving pristine looking F350 trucks with their logo painted on the truck.  It is funny to see them slowly driving thru the neighborhood -- stop in front of a house with trees needing cutting and just sit there idling.  Buy gas much?

Some of them show up in a piece of shit F150 or even a box truck that has UHAUL painted over.

Funny that the former party always want something ridiculous to cut down a tree, but the latter usually are pretty reasonable.

What is ridiculous?  I had 6 trees removed.  Smallest was 10", largest was about 40" at the ground.

Superfly F350 guy wanted $12000 for all six trees dropped, cut and removed.

Guy in a piece of shit F150 wanted $3000 for all six trees dropped, cut and removed (and he would sell the wood).  He only asked that I give him 10 days to finish the job.

You guess which one we chose..

A lot of those roving tree guys can be a bit.........Shady.

I get a certificate of insurance that I verify with the insurer on the day the work is done. 

So many tree guys, contractors, painters, etc. will put down a deposit for Liability and Workmans Comp just to get the certificate.  Then they cancel or let it lapse.  That certificate is gold in that it makes people feel secure in hiring an "insured" company when in reality, they are not.

Good Luck!

[ducatiz]

A lot of those roving tree guys can be a bit.........Shady.

I get a certificate of insurance that I verify with the insurer on the day the work is done. 

So many tree guys, contractors, painters, etc. will put down a deposit for Liability and Workmans Comp just to get the certificate.  Then they cancel or let it lapse.  That certificate is gold in that it makes people feel secure in hiring an "insured" company when in reality, they are not.

Good Luck!

Good to know.  For the trees that could fall near the house, I made sure to get someone 100% on the up and up, but for the ones further (we dropped them into the neighbor's back 40) I didn't make such a big deal of it. 

It just cracked me up to see one guy sitting in an F350 idling, while another one walked to my house to ask about a single tree.  Priorities???  Buy a bicycle for canvassing, dudes!

[rgramjet]

It's amazing how obstacles (risk) exponentially increases the price. 

I had a client with a landlocked tree behind their rowhouse in Georgetown.  Zero ground access.  $35k later, it was down and out of there.  Big crane involved.