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 👍