Additional Work Orders

[brendonv]

How many of you have an addition work order form on your estimates? Multiple times while your at the property, the customer asks "while your hear", and most of the time they are thinking there is going to be no extra charge. Depending on the situation if it's one cut I'll do something "extra", but anything I feel is going to take a significant amount of time I'll let them know I have to write up an addition estimate for them.

This all comes to mind because my bro got burned a little today. We installed a gate for an exceptionally wealthy client. The gate involved welding to their existing rock pillars on the driveway. After the last bead was laid, the lady comes out and says "don't they open more than that", mind you the work was done to estimate specs. They won't open more than 90 degrees because of the style of pillars they built, and gate they picked. These gates took 3 of us almost a day to install, measuring, welding, lifting (heavy buggers), and so on.

So the lady decides she doesn't like them now. He told her we can install a 4x4 post next to the pillars and they will open more. So we go back and jackhammer for hours along the side of these 2 pillars so he can set the post. We mixed 1800lbs of concrete, and set the $300 structural steel posts. That was a day, another 6 hrs to remount the gates on the new posts, some touch up paint, and she's happy now.

Sends her the bill, no answer, sends another one, she responds with questions. Tried calling her back- no answer. Talked to her today I guess. She feels she shouldn't have to pay the $1400 to re-install the gates. They ended up settling on half, which barely covered his materials. He ate 1 day putting up the original plan, 1 day jackhammering/cementing, and another 6 hrs welding and mounting.

Moral of the story, WRITE ANOTHER ESTIMATE!

 

[TC3]

"I'll be glad to write that up for you."
Hard lesson. One I learned PDQ. Some people want stuff for free, most just don't realise what they're asking for is EXTRA.

 

[Mr. Sir]

It's all about having the gumption to speak up and expect to get paid for your time. Like you said, I'll do a quick freebie for someone as a favor, but you've got to know when to say when.

I'll bet Theresa isn't shy about speaking up when it comes to getting paid.

 

[NeTree]

I'm with TC.

Yup... I'll gladly write it up for ya.

 

[arborworks1]

I put in my estimate form that any additions will revert to time and materials, then it states our hourly rate.

The work contracts also state the same.

But writing up the seperate estimate is the best policy, and make sure to write them a seperate contract as well.

I had a 87 year old lady try to stiff me like that.

 

[Paul B]

If I am onsite and the client asks for additional work I just let them know sure, I can do it and the cost will be added to the final invoice.

Then I get to choose whatever figure I feel like when its done. So far I havent been burned on it but I also havent tried to charge any astronomical fees, just hourly plus disposal and materials as necessary.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I hate the "while your here's". If it's quick, I would try to accommodate them, if not, they would have to schedule for another day. I had one mowing client that thought the $60 per mowing included coming out to harass me for stupid stuff every week, not going to happen, I have a schedule to keep. One July 3rd, 6:30 pm, she wanted me to mow about a 1/4 acre around trees and a bunch of other junk. I said I could add it to next weeks mowing, for a price. She started whining, so loaded my mower mid-lawn and left. Haven't heard from them since.

 

[Paul B]

I dont do anything for free when I am working. I do exactly whats on the work order/estimate, nothing extra. I have been burned by the 'why'd you do that?!" after pruning a few branches off a small tree that needed it but apparently the client was 'saving' the branches for something so I was in the wrong. Since then, no freebies.

 

[Koa Man]

I told one person, "If you go to a restaurant and have a nice meal, then ask for a cup of coffee, do you expect the coffee for free? Tree work is what I sell to make a living. Please don't expect me to give it away."

Real small stuff for good customers I don't mind doing. If it is going to take me more than 10-15 minutes, I tell them what it is going to cost.

 

[MasterBlaster]

You can tell when they're trying to take advantage of you, or when it's a legitimate request. Each time requires individual, subjective reasoning.

KnowhuttImean?

 

[Banned by Squirrels]

"If you go to a restaurant and have a nice meal, then ask for a cup of coffee, do you expect the coffee for free? Tree work is what I sell to make a living. Please don't expect me to give it away."

 

[MasterBlaster]

'Round here, for the most part, coffee comes free with the meal.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I get free coffee with fuel But I charge to trim the trees there and weed eat the parking lot .. LMAO

 

[vharrison]

'Round here, for the most part, coffee comes free with the meal.

Wow, not here.

I got stiffed on extra chipping yesterday. The guys gave me the cost they thought was fair, I billed it and the client whined. I waived the fee as she is a customer we are trying to get back. Cheap wench.

 

[Al Smith]

I only get stiffed once ,that's their fault .Number two would be my fault,that will never happen .

I've got a little POS Skil saw I found outside my garage one afternoon a guy dropped off for me to fix .The SOB never paid for the last one . Needless to say that little saw may set till hell freezes over ,I won't touch the damned thing .:what:

 

[thattreeguy]

If its more than a few snips, its a change order, i got burned by an attorney a few years back, sob's care taker made a few minor changes to the work scope so we didnt balk at it we just did the work, so then comes along the owner and his wife, they change the scope from raise and deadwood the redwoods to raise deadwood and thin the entire canopy (we re talking 200 ft trees at least a dozen of em) and im up top of one of em, and my groundies well hell they cant write better than a 3rd grader, so i verbally explained it would be a change order , time would be billed at normal hourly rate
the sob agrees and leaves we do the work and low and behold, he sends a check for the original amount, after weeks of fighting with him he sent me ten percent over my bill, said that was all he had to pay over an estimate, without a signed change order, and he'd see me in court if i wanted any more $
oh i wanted to kick him in his teeth
i lost about $4500. by the time it was over
its so hard to not go accross the river and fall an old redwood into his 2nd growth and old growth forest it would fall like dominos right onto his little cabin, oh how i hope karma gets him back, now no changes without a signature, i dont care who it is, no sig, no work