Too many tree surgeons?!

[Mozza]

what gripes me the most, and thankfully it hasnt happened to me.....is the guys who go looking on the council websites for planning applications done by other tree surgeons then go contacting the clients undercutting the work

 

When i very first started the guy i worked for was very proud of doing that :thumbdown:

[Ian Leach]

There are lots of people about i see about 10 different companies in my area some good some not, there are also alot more people coming out of collage and the army are training soldiers who have finished there tours, so imo it's not going to get any easier. A few years ago everyone was told to get jobs in I.T now there's to many without jobs.

 

I'm all up for competition but it becomes hard when you have to compete against people with no insurance etc etc. As said you get them in all trades tho but getting slightly better as some are heavier regulated.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

TCD - I heard that recently when talking with a contractor, they can't get machine operators or saw men for oversized material.

 

Exactly as it is - here anyway. I was buttressing and felling big Sitka last winter but now the FC isn't blazing up the bigger stuff as they know the mills don't want it. Even then there are tons and tons of stacked bars and rails just sitting there in the woods - I thought there was a shortage for woodchip fuel? Point is that when I returned to the westcountry and phoned around for cutting work, the response was shock that a cutter existed! Only in 97/98 I worked for a guy who had 10 plus guys cutting larch thinnings... Pre harvester days - I miss them.

[Ian C]

Heres my gripe of the day. Priced a job which was excepted 3 weeks ago. Got a call today to cancel me as they have a cheaper quote.

 

What sort of tit goes out getting more quotes once they have instructed a contractor to do the job?

 

I priced a job 2 weeks ago for a old carribean guy, flash house in a nice place of town etc, 200 quid to reduce a beech hedge thats all, told me too much five times, called me 2 days later to say i had the job! booked it in for last week, was chucking it down on the day so called them and said i would be there in the morning "ok thats no problem" i was told, turned up on the day only to be told not to do it as they had got a cheaper quote the day before...............billed them for wasted time and journey, won't get it but worth a try.

[gingertreeninja]

lots of small outfits over here. most do great work. the bigger firms on the otherhand do some shockingly bad work and charge a fortune for the privalage. people dont seem to realise that five lorries and a load of staff does not make a good arborist.

[Mr Ed]

Few of my thoughts.

I'm like Jonny woodpicker, 2nd generation. When My father started up his own business, He was the Only tree surgeon in the whole of north and mid wales. Nowadays if I throw a stick up Bangor high street, it'll bounce off 5 tree surgeons.

 

My option is'nt up in the poll. Is there too many tree surgeons? yes. by far. Does it bother me? No. I've raised my bar to the level that I'm only quoting against other accredited firms, and I dont win my jobs by always being the cheapest.

 

Yes there are to many tree surgeons, but all other trades are equally competative. What we really have is too many people on to small an Island.

And I'm not talking about pikies. There are far to many highly profesional outfits, well equiped, trained, insured, and do quality work. Still to many of 'em.

 

Finally, new equipment means nothing. Most of my stuff is at least 10 years old. My grab truck is a '95 (although the crane is 2007 with full radio remote), my chip truck is a '95, my pickups are 2003, my excavator is '99 etc etc etc. The trick is to keep it smart, clean, working and above all else PAID FOR.

 

FIN.

[Stephen Blair]

what gripes me the most, and thankfully it hasnt happened to me.....is the guys who go looking on the council websites for planning applications done by other tree surgeons then go contacting the clients undercutting the work

 

that makes a lot of sense to me now, i lost loads of jobs one year. i spent ages having meetings and doing letters, then once i received my go ahead i would turn up and the customer would say i am using someone else:sneaky2:each time i was there with 3-4 guys, i could never find the words, thats the kind of stuff that puts good honest guys over the edge. and then i would pass and a light prune or crown lift would be a yahoo thumpity thump. i wouldnt even phone the council to complain coz i thought that would be sneaky:thumbdown:more full me

[Johny Walker]

just got to get on with , with bit of luck they will get bored & start a plastering co :laugh1:

[Littlearb]

I have been looking into becoming a tree surgeon for a while now and have done alot off research into courses ect

 

I have saved every spare penny i could so i can take my courses, and become a professional tree surgeon and even offered to work for free to gain more experience!!

 

Its hard out there to find work but if u put your heart and soul into it and go the right way around it (not picking up a saw without the knowledge and understanding)

Cant we all share the rewards??

[Johny Walker]

I have been looking into becoming a tree surgeon for a while now and have done alot off research into courses ect

 

I have saved every spare penny i could so i can take my courses, and become a professional tree surgeon and even offered to work for free to gain more experience!!

 

Its hard out there to find work but if u put your heart and soul into it and go the right way around it (not picking up a saw without the knowledge and understanding)

Cant we all share the rewards??

 

them rewards son are getting smaller & the cost of getting those rewards is getting bigger