Looking for help on a job. Need 2nd climber and groundie. County Durham.

[Mick Dempsey]

The question is who do you worry about looking like a clueless twat to?

Other tree guys (the sort who post pics on Arbtalk Facebook) or clients who have been told the likely outcome and still want the work done?

 

 

[Joe Newton]

3 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

The question is who do you worry about looking like a clueless twat to?

Other tree guys (the sort who post pics on Arbtalk Facebook) or clients who have been told the likely outcome and still want the work done?

 

 

Exactly. I'm capable of doing a nice pruning job, but I'll save it for the customers who appreciate it.

 

I'll generally try and advise people what will look best/ be kinder to the tree, but if they want it walloping I'm not wasting my time with a silky.

 

As a freelancer if i turned down every spec i disagreed with my kid would go hungry. 

[Mark Bolam]

15 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

The question is who do you worry about looking like a clueless twat to?

Other tree guys (the sort who post pics on Arbtalk Facebook) or clients who have been told the likely outcome and still want the work done?

 

 

Decent future and existing clients.

 

No one else matters.

[Mick Dempsey]

Exactly. 

[Mike Hill]

I tried the " Arb-evangelist" route when I first started out.

 

It wouldn't have paid the bills or let me buy the tastey kit I have to day.

 

" give the punters what they want" 

 

I explain the potential result of what they want,suggest alternatives and if the want the tree topped and painted gold the only question thereafter is

 

" Mat or gloss?"

[Mick Dempsey]

A classic was the ‘thin and lift instead of a reduction’ mantra they drummed into us at college.

’Educate the clients that this is better practice…’

So off I went, ‘educating’ my clients with religious fervour, a fair few fell for it.

Their disappointment and feeling that they’d been done was obvious and going past at a later date I’d see the tree had been reduced to their original request or removed.

I wouldn’t get anymore work from them, they didn’t trust me.

 

[Mark Bolam]

You’ve got a good point, as long as you are honest about what the implications of a stupid spec would be you can’t do a lot more.

 

There are limits, though.

 

I won’t work on trees that will immediately die, or leave them in a dangerous state.

[John Shutler]

I generally tell people these days to do nothing till they can't stand the thing anymore then fell it.

[Mike Hill]

1 hour ago, John Shutler said:

I generally tell people these days to do nothing till they can't stand the thing anymore then fell it.

I tell them that Trees cause cancer among children, or blindness. Which ever I think they will most believe.

[Mark Bolam]

They actually do both if they’re covered in gold paint.