Clients that make you go hmmmmm.

[roys]

It was indeed a good rendition 

[Mick Dempsey]

Didn’t take a picture but here’s the scenario.

5/10 year dead oak stem about 40 ft tall has fallen into a house, gutter bent, bit of flashing and a few tiles damaged, not too bad at the moment.

Customer (not a previous client) has phoned and asked me to come urgently, when I phoned him back he asked “which company are you?” so I’m not the only one who seen it.

It is too risky to climb, it’s just sitting on the rootball, he’s tried to secure it with ropes, but it could still just tip with me on it.

I could winch it off but the top could snap and drop onto the roof.

Long story short I just turn it down

His tone is slightly accusatory towards me.

But I tell him, he’s had over 5 years to remove this clearly dead tree, 3 metres from his house, now because he didn’t want to spend the money he wants me to risk my life, and my insurance because of his mistake.

Anyway, drove off running it through my mind, I made the right choice, and if you can’t tell them a home truth when you’re in your 60s when can you?

[Mark Bolam]

Sometimes the most important jobs are the ones you turn down Mick.

You’re well out of it.

 

He sounds like the sort of tight-fisted prick who would come after you for every single further ounce of damage that may occur during the takedown.

[rapalaman]

I turned one down today too - was doing a standard Connie hedge top and trim, not been done for three years, very patchy and poor condition. First time we’ve done it and the customer is delighted with what we managed to achieve.

the next door neighbour has exactly the same continuation of the line and we did them 6 years ago - not touched them since. Was a nightmare to climb through, no footholds, 15ft wide.

He knocked me down on price (my mistake accepting that), quibbled over price for fencing we supplied and was generally a pain.

He asked me to do his as well straight after today, in the pouring rain - err no!

What not today? No not at all - not interested and I recommended he calls someone else.

Found out that the kitchen fitter, and a bathroom fitter have both refused to quote him for further work so reckon I dodged a bullet there 👍

[kram]

Customer called the other day, first chance he has had to view the completed job in daylight and he is not happy.

 

The quote was to leave the logs and brush, brush to be chipped onto woodland at a later date and logs to be left for firewood. He did not want them taken and I said there would be a lot - but he has the space.. nearly all of the brush has been neatly stacked ready for chipping, theres a small amount I will drag next time..

 

We do not offer a splitting service. I did make it clear that they will need to be split for burning and he will need an axe.

I also made it clear we were not grinding the stump, that would be extra if he later wanted it. Cut at near ground level. Thats more relevant for the neighbours two small trees he has us doing next week.

 

We also did not say we would cut into firewood lengths, though I did a lot, most of the bigger rounds were noodled into liftable lumps, it made half a day of peicing down the stem into a full day.

 

Now the surrounding grass and garden is boggy, a wheel barrow would soon destroy it.  Ground needs to dry out first if he did want stuff taken, or have his grass destroyed.

 

Some pics here:

 

Now I think theres some understanding that the job is done, he has paid.

I can go back and cut into firewood lengths, theres a few big slices that need to be noodled too, and a lot to shift if he wants it stacked neater, but it would be an extra days pay.

 

He has us booked in, to do the boundry hedge and two small trees, it was quoted as 3 of us for a day. However he thinks it will take us a lot longer.. unsure if I want to do it - I dont want to be in the middle!

 

 

 

 

[kram]

Anyway I have tried to explain to him that 40" diameter lumps of stem will not go through a 6" chipper. Yes they can be cut smaller to be liftable and movable, but thats not what a 6" chipper is for.

 

Grass muddy slope up to driveway, muddy trail down into woodland/swamp.