Ask the right questions before you drive out to quote

A site visit that turns out to be a tenant with no say, a budget of £50 or a tree three gardens away wastes an hour you can't bill. A short set of questions sent when the enquiry arrives sorts the real jobs from the rest before you start the van.

A free AI chat tool, then your text, email or enquiry form

Steps

1. Write down what you need to know before a visit is worth it: who owns the tree and who decides, what they want done and why, roughly where they are on budget, whether the tree is protected as far as they know, and when they want it done.
2. Decide your own cut-off: the smallest job you'll visit for, and any area you won't travel to.
3. Run the prompt below to get a short, friendly reply that asks these questions and asks for two or three photos.
4. Save it as a message shortcut and send it to every new enquiry before you book a visit.
5. Read the answers yourself. Book the visits that are worth it and decline the rest politely.

The exact prompt

I'm a UK tree surgeon. Write a short, friendly reply to a new enquiry, under 120 words. Thank them and say I'd like to ask a few things before I come out: who owns the tree and who makes the decision, what work they have in mind and why, whether they know if the tree is protected (a preservation order or conservation area), roughly what budget they have in mind, and when they'd like it done. Ask for two or three photos of the tree and where it stands.
Say I'll come to quote if it looks like something I can help with. Don't give any price, don't comment on whether the tree needs work and don't say whether it's protected.