Council work..residents..how much do you say?

[cerneARB]

This is for folk out there who do Local authority or housing asscociation work.When a resident asks you why your working on a tree, do you be vague with the awnswer or brief or in depth?

 

The reason i ask is that the more they know, the more they ring the council TO and moan about why such as such is not being done about other trees.

 

My team leader always says be vague with the awnswer.

 

cerne.

Edited September 9, 2010 by cerneARB
spelling

[Stephen Blair]

I only discuss the job with the person who pays me, no one else

[Xaltu]

I would suggest that you do neither but refer the person the local authority / housing association as they instructed you to carry out the work.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Listen to your team leader Cerne, he's obviously come across this kind of thing a thousand or more times and he aint a team leader for no reason.

[VEG]

I work for the council and the less the residents know the better, just watch what you do say as they have a nasty habit of quoting what you say if they call to complain.

[tommer9]

A simple answer is that you are doing only what you have been told, and that your employer (the council) can supply them with the sort of info they are after.

[janey]

I'm really going to regret saying this, but if the resident has any queries then they need to be directed to the person that specified the work. Give 'em a brief overview if you want, but explaining Council Poilcy etc. isn't what you are there for. You do a hard enough and generally badly paid job as it is. If you want to spend a bit of time talking through what you're doing, then fine. But you shouldn't feel as though you have to.

 

Part of a TOs role is liaise with the general public and answer any of their tree related questions they may have, however tedious it may feel at the time.

 

Of course, if the resident going to supply vast amounts of tea and bacon rolls, you may feel like you want to talk to them a bit longer .

Edited September 9, 2010 by janey

[wokka1976]

We often get folk approach us, with the classic "why are you felling that tree" when we are just doing a crown lift, thin etc so we always try and explain the reasons why we are doing the work. I suppose our responses are quite vague, but usually our answers to there questions are good enough....

[cerneARB]

Of course, if the resident going to supply vast amounts of tea and bacon rolls, you may feel like you want to talk to them a bit longer .

 

We like residents like that...mmmmm tea...in a mug.

[janey]

It's a shame that they seem to be so rare