Previously topped tree!

[Dr.Green]

+1.

 

The danger is, other people seeing this crappy work with your truck parked beside it, and maybe thinking it was your spec.

 

looks like we both thought that at the same time

[testcricket01]

+1.

 

Some people won't be telt!

 

The danger is, other people seeing this crappy work with your truck parked beside it, and maybe thinking it was your spec.

 

or the customer is some hot shot with loads of contacts and you refusing to do it looses you a lot more work, you cant win you never know who people know.

[treequip]

The only people who pick it to bits are other arbs, joe public just wants his trees cut.

Edited January 17, 2012 by Steve Bullman

[pault]

Yeah to honest im not really in a position to refuse work. Iv explained all the pros and cons so ill just have to make the best of a s**t situation. The thing i was most worried about was someone else seeing the state of the tree and presuming it was my handy work, therefor losing me other potential clients.

Cheers for the advice lads, ill try stick some pics up of before and after.

[David Goss]

Having explained the pro’s and con’s to allow the client to make an informed choice, do what the client wants and take the money

 

Normally i wouldnt agree to this but on this occasion it sounds about the right thing to do. As you say the tree has been butchered already so trying to maintain it as a pollard may be the best option. Explain everything to the client beginning with explaining the industry standards and why its not a good thing to do in the first place BUT, as its already too late then maintaining as a pollard is probably for the best and you will be back every few years to do it again, seeing as the client was a fool and caused a low maintenance tree to become a high maintenance tree. Then take the money with a smile.

 

What should have happened is when you explained that you are a professional and you suggest to do something, then the client turns round and says well your the expert, do what you think is best. That is how it should work but unfortunately most clients think they are tree experts and have the national average of common sense which it seems is diminishing rapidly.

[Le Sanglier]

The only people who pick it to bits are other arbs, joe public just wants his trees cut.

 

couldn't agree more, for most clients the clear up is more important.

just do the job, take the money, give advice sure but in the end do as they ask, I learnt that after a while.

[treequip]

Normally i wouldnt agree to this but on this occasion it sounds about the right thing to do. As you say the tree has been butchered already so trying to maintain it as a pollard may be the best option. Explain everything to the client beginning with explaining the industry standards and why its not a good thing to do in the first place BUT, as its already too late then maintaining as a pollard is probably for the best and you will be back every few years to do it again, seeing as the client was a fool and caused a low maintenance tree to become a high maintenance tree. Then take the money with a smile.

 

What should have happened is when you explained that you are a professional and you suggest to do something, then the client turns round and says well your the expert, do what you think is best. That is how it should work but unfortunately most clients think they are tree experts and have the national average of common sense which it seems is diminishing rapidly.

 

Well what would you have done then?

 

The fact is that people don’t think they are tree experts, they just want what they want, if that doesn’t square with best practice then that’s just how it is.

 

As far as professionals goes, the people that pruned the tree in the first place probably call themselves professionals, how is the client to decide who is and isn’t a pro and which advice to follow

[Mesterh]

The customer is always right.

 

Tbh I also think that once pollarded it's best to carry on repollarding rather than thinning or reducing.

 

I wouldn't worry about not getting future work due to other potential customers seeing you do the job. Chances are someone is more likely to see what you've done and ask to do the same to their tree.

 

Anyway at least you took the time to give them more options and your expert advice.

[David Goss]

Well what would you have done then?

 

The fact is that people don’t think they are tree experts, they just want what they want, if that doesn’t square with best practice then that’s just how it is.

 

As far as professionals goes, the people that pruned the tree in the first place probably call themselves professionals, how is the client to decide who is and isn’t a pro and which advice to follow

 

When i had my own company in Italy i would explain whats best for the tree and what would be best for the client in the long run. If they still wanted me to be a butcher then i declined the job being as nice as possible about it. I did this many times and i gained respect from many clients who phoned me the next day and said they had a think about it and would rather i did the job properly than have some of the other companies that also quoted the jobs and would do whatever they were told. Some jobs i lost but i would say i gained much more from sticking to my guns and getting a good reputation.

 

Going against what you know is right just gets you in a hole that you will find difficult to get back out of again. The fact that so many people are willing to just do it because its what the (uninformed) client wants is what is making it difficult for those that are trying to be professional about it. I know most people are scared to turn down a job but from what i can see from the bigger picture it is actually better in the long run. Try it and see...

[treequip]

When i had my own company in Italy i would explain whats best for the tree and what would be best for the client in the long run. If they still wanted me to be a butcher then i declined the job being as nice as possible about it. I did this many times and i gained respect from many clients who phoned me the next day and said they had a think about it and would rather i did the job properly than have some of the other companies that also quoted the jobs and would do whatever they were told. Some jobs i lost but i would say i gained much more from sticking to my guns and getting a good reputation.

 

Going against what you know is right just gets you in a hole that you will find difficult to get back out of again. The fact that so many people are willing to just do it because its what the (uninformed) client wants is what is making it difficult for those that are trying to be professional about it. I know most people are scared to turn down a job but from what i can see from the bigger picture it is actually better in the long run. Try it and see...

 

Oh I have been there and done that. Faced with a client that wanted a mutilation I used to persuade the client to let me do a sustainable prune with the offer to do what they wanted if they can’t live with the “proper” option. Got bored with topping a tree I had just pruned.