Our industry

[Rupe]

Ah, how other trades see us. Well, yes almost certainly we are seen as having a sense of self importance!

 

I'm working a lot on a large building project, and there are many there who won't talk to me, and I've had a few run ins. I'm sure we seem annoying but I find many builders annoying too. But they need tree contractors to live up certain standards and so they need to hire proffesional.

 

I guess we as proffessionals need to realise that everyone else is jumping through hoops too, its not just us that are tryign to comply with regulations, and that compliance does not make us any better than anyone else.

[Rupe]

 

and the problem comes i feel that customers dont realise our costs to stay bona fide

training, insurance, machinery, wages, membership of said associatons!

 

 

the problem is that they don't care, not that they don't realise. Once you make them realise, they still don't care. Theres not much reason why they should either, so that makes it our problem again.

[Amelanchier]

We do ecology, land surveying & landscape architecture as well as arb consultancy. People listen intentely to what we have to say on all fronts apart from trees, they arent important to them, just a thorn in their palm.

 

When we just did arb consultancy i thought it was an important aspect, but know see it as a minor item that ticks a box. We as tree men know trees are important for many reasons but commercially they are either a fortune to manage or in the way of a new development.

 

That's been my impression too. I wonder if I've specialised myself into a corner with Arb!

 

Ecology is an interesting parallel though, there are even more rules and regs but from my perspective Ecologists are treated as useful professionals - would you agree? What's different?

[Joy Yeomans]

how others percieve us -

 

not really had a problem with that, we get on with alot of builders who we do site clearance for and work well with them as we do with digger drivers, etc adn other trades - no sorry not had that problem

[Amelanchier]

I'm sure we seem annoying but I find many builders annoying too.

 

Well thats becasue they are.

[Dave Martin]

The answers seem consistanlty to suggest the most clients expect some halfwit inbred with fingers missing or a beardy weardy to turn up three days late, if at all, and do some grunting before leaving them with a quote written in crayon on the back of a rizzla packet.

 

 

 

:biggrin:

 

Reminds me of when I was having an extension built on the house and we were using fancy reclaimed bricks and me and my X were cleaning them up and I said `we should get a grunt to do this` and her reaction was Oh yes and how much will one of those cost, thinking that it was a `boys toy`. I have met a few arb workers this year after being totally oblivious to the profession and have been seriously impressed by the professionalism of the whole team.

[Rupe]

 

Ecology is an interesting parallel though, there are even more rules and regs but from my perspective Ecologists are treated as useful professionals - would you agree? What's different?

 

 

Thats interesting Tony. The site that I was refering too has a full time employed ecologist and they (builders) can't do anything to trees or wildlife without going through him first. He's a legal requirement of the planning consent for the whole multi million pound project.

 

I effectively work for him and him only. If I get asked to cut something down to let a digger in I refer back to him first, and get accused of beign preciouse but thats just how it is.

 

And I get on with him just fine, and he had major problems with the first company they got in, and threw them off site after a week never to be seen again!

 

If he wasn't there with his level of proffessionalism then I doubt I would have lasted as long as I have on that site.

[john dawson]

iv had a lifetime in this game one way or another, and i find there are quite a few peeps who genuinly care about what they do, and care about making the effort to improve things. i also find thers far too many w*****s who are only bothered in making a quick buck. i also find its them who get the contracts because they can offer a lower price, regardless of their standards. (ie we dont need chainsaw trousers cuz we're exempt!!!) i kid you not!!.

[Rupe]

how others percieve us -

 

not really had a problem with that, we get on with alot of builders who we do site clearance for and work well with them as we do with digger drivers, etc adn other trades - no sorry not had that problem

 

Thinking about it, I get on ok with most of the digger drivers etc. as one worker to another, but I also have to be a manager at the same time as a worker. I find most problems come from mangers on the site who like to think they are self important, so when I get self important too and suggest alternatives to thier requests it causes friction.

[Amelanchier]

Thats interesting Tony. The site that I was refering too has a full time employed ecologist and they (builders) can't do anything to trees or wildlife without going through him first. He's a legal requirement of the planning consent for the whole multi million pound project.

 

Weird is'nt it? He'll have a degree just like many Arbos but he's the man and they ain't. Is it because ecology is a broader discipline?

 

Perhaps developers compartmentalise the roles of the job?

 

drawing guy - makes pretty plans

engineering guy - checks it won't fall down

money guy - is it worth it?

planning guy - get consent

construction guys - build it / drink tea

namby pamby green and fluffy stuff guy - deals with stuff thats in the way.

 

Ideally you don't want a specialist if you can get away with it.