Stumps: to treat or not to treat

[wjotner]

So here's a question for all you business owners and sole traders etc:

 

When you've taken down a tree for a customer. Do you automatically treat the stump to prevent regrowth (non-coniferous trees obviously) whether the customer requested it or not?

 

Or do you only provide this service if they've asked you to do it?

 

I ask this, because recently a customer is complaining to me that I didn't treat her 2 poplar stumps after I'd felled them. This was never discussed when quoting, if it were, I'd have stated on my quote sheet about stump treatment. But she says she'd assumed it would just be done automatically. 

So what do you guys consider to be standard procedure?

 

[Mick Dempsey]

On trees like pops and willows where there is the possibility of regrowth I’ll advise it.

 

Automatically? No.

[Gary Prentice]

Talk to the client at the time of quoting. 

 

Offer up the options, does the stump want treating, grinding or will the client deal with the expected regeneration?

[wjotner]

26 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

On trees like pops and willows where there is the possibility of regrowth I’ll advise it.

 

Automatically? No.

 

23 minutes ago, Gary Prentice said:

Talk to the client at the time of quoting. 

 

Offer up the options, does the stump want treating, grinding or will the client deal with the expected regeneration?

You're quite right, and I normally do discuss this with them at the time of quoting the job. I must have forgotten this time.

 

I almost packed my drill and ecoplugs in the van on way to the job just in case, but didn't - now regretting it.

 

Not making that mistake again. I've decided to state on my website that treating stumps is automatically done on appropriate trees, unless otherwise requested by a customer. Just to make things simpler and clearer for customers.

[Mick Dempsey]

I would say the reverse, chemically treating stumps unasked could cause issues.

[Gary Prentice]

I wouldn’t automatically treat, having damaged nearby vegetation of the same species due to rootgrafts. I would normally refuse to herbicide in this situation, extolling the virtues (environmentally) of just cutting off the re-gen.

[Ian Clarke]

I would not treat automatically. It depends what they want to do with the land and also their views. I worked for a couple that doesn't use chemicals where possible. So we came up with different ideas. 

 

The customer could of asked. what will happen to the tree stump?

 

If it was not discussed at time of quoting verbally  and not stated on an letter with it all typed up. Then how can they ask for it to be done. 

 

It would be no different for any other trade. 

[Gary Prentice]

Ian, 

from experience I would say that most people know very little about the ‘norm’ in tree works. Some think that removing a tree is all of the tree, that is there will be no stump, no anything. Most don’t even know that most deciduous species will coppice and regrow.

 

So, I think it is something that should be discussed at the time of quoting, educating the client if necessary about the probability of regrowth, the options and any additional costs. 

 

I dont think that the opening posters’s client is unreasonable, complaining that the stump is regrowing. Obviously they didn’t know it could or expect it to. The error was not considering it at the time. We do this job day in, day out, and forget sometimes just how ignorant our customers actually are about things that we take for granted.

 

Personally, if the site was local I’d call in and treat it, after explaining that we don’t treat unless instructed too, just as a good will gesture.

[Will C]

Like stump grinding treating the stump is a chance to up sell and add value to the quote, sometimes it’s a free service to get the job but never automatically they may want the regeneration!

[Ian Clarke]

5 hours ago, Gary Prentice said:

Ian, 

from experience I would say that most people know very little about the ‘norm’ in tree works. Some think that removing a tree is all of the tree, that is there will be no stump, no anything. Most don’t even know that most deciduous species will coppice and regrow.

 

So, I think it is something that should be discussed at the time of quoting, educating the client if necessary about the probability of regrowth, the options and any additional costs. 

 

I dont think that the opening posters’s client is unreasonable, complaining that the stump is regrowing. Obviously they didn’t know it could or expect it to. The error was not considering it at the time. We do this job day in, day out, and forget sometimes just how ignorant our customers actually are about things that we take for granted.

 

Personally, if the site was local I’d call in and treat it, after explaining that we don’t treat unless instructed too, just as a good will gesture.

Fair point