Who’s Right? October 21, 2020

If somebody said to you when your car was being serviced – ‘the cost is £75.00 ….but…your brakes could fail, you need to replace the pads and discs at a cost of £640.00 plus Vat …’ would you rather they told you …or would you rather they gave you the keys and said …’£75.00 please’ …

If somebody said to you, when your site needs clearing of Japanese knotweed – ‘the cost is £7500.00 – but the site next door is rammed with Knotweed and you need a root barrier at a cost of £15,000.00’ ….would you rather they told you, or just charged you £7500.00 and waited for the shit to hit the fan.

We are constantly battling against competitors who are cheap, half assed amateurs buying projects on the back of a total lack of understanding of how invasive species grow and spread.

We’ve just lost a project because we advised a client that there was a real risk of the canalside collapsing if the Japanese knotweed was excavated to the full depth required. They have an alternate price from a ‘competitor’ who has said they will take ‘full responsibility’ if the canal is breached …

1 – They will not be excavating to the full depth required.

2 – They would not have a hope in hell of covering the costs of a breach on their insurance policy.

3 – They have no intention of removing all of the Knotweed – but will simply remove surface growth, then stand there and look pleased with themselves.

4 – By the time the plant shows regrowth, they will no longer be trading and will have moved on to plastic facias on buildings or opened a sun tanning salon.

We’ve lost another project recently, to somebody who recommended incineration of Knotweed on the site. They have advised the client that the arisings from the process can be re-used as topsoil on site.

1 – One detail they forgot to mention, is that the arisings will be inert and incapable of growing any plants or grasses.

2 – The site will remain a barren wasteland for many years.

3 – They also haven’t mentioned D7 exceptions or local bi-laws prohibiting burning ….

We recently won a project where we accurately advised a client that 16 loads of waste would be required for removal. A competitor had advised that 220 (yes two hundred and twenty) wagons of waste would need to go off site.

Who the hell is right here folks – am I missing something?

I know, I know – in the end, giving the correct advice will always be the right way to run a business …

However, I can’t help thinking maybe my retirement plans would be in place a little quicker if I told a few ‘pork pies’ ….

 

????????

 

Honest Mike C