Previously topped tree!

[NI Tree]

you could just keep a banger of a van with no signs on it just for these jobs so no one knows it you

[David Goss]

think you misunder stood me ,i agree with you ,if you explain the best course of action and they decline then i would just do as they say ,work is work

 

I understood you perfectly, i was just trying to explain how i see it. I can understand when you and many others say you are not in a position to turn down work. The point is that in the long run you probably would be better off if you did. I know its hard when you have mortgage, kids, cars, trucks etc all to be paid for but i could almost guarantee you that when you get a good name (not that you dont already) and the respect that i am talking about then your worries would be a lot less as the jobs would come to you more because of this. It aint easy but nothing worthwhile ever is. Wouldnt it be great if we could all do our jobs without being told how to do it by people that dont know. I think our profession is one of the only ones where the clients still tell us how to do it. Why do you think that is?

Damn you sucked me back in! i was out there:lol:. Ok no more from me on the subject but think about it and do what you feel is right.

[Ian C]

+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.

 

Not me mate, i would park me truck on another street and walk to the job:sneaky2:

[Jesse]

Forgot to say that the guys who did it before were local cowboys known in the area. They have ruined lots of tree in the area but are cheap so people keep using them over qualified and competent arborists.

 

Forget the money, i would leave WELL alone, ask your self this, How well do you value your reputation ? and if you do it people will assume or presume its your own handy work, stay well away. you would do better to offer to take it down and replant.

[Taupotreeman]

I think this argument has done the rounds before and I said then that in many places people want what they want. Some arborists can afford to be picky but here at least you sure can't. Added to that you can't talk people out of having their trees topped except to have them out completely on the odd occasion. Some of the local outfits have found out the hard way that you lose work pretty fast if you don't do as the customer wants. There's always someone else that will do it and there's not enough other work to sustain a bigger outfit. Maybe different in the UK but here in Taupo that's the reality of it. I see it as a private contractor and I have a never ending battle as council arborist with people who insist we top trees for views. 75% of these people refuse to listen to reason. I've topped trees and I'm not proud of it but needs must. I get frustrated with people who tell me I should refuse these jobs when they're not in my shoes. I can afford to refuse them now but if I need to put food on the table and pay the mortgage then I'll do whatever I need to (within reason) to do just that. I can live with myself, if others can't then that's their issue.

[combined tree services]

personally after trying to convince the custimer the lopping the tree back to previous topping points is not a good idea i would probably the approach felling it ! that the customer pays a higher bill this time but never has to spend a penny on whats possibly going to turn into a potentail hazard .

 

I have found in these cases that when you point out that in the long run it will be far cheeper to fell the tree and re plant with a more suitable species such as something small and relatively slow growing quite a few customer will go ahead with that as opposed to leaving a rather fugly stick that will need the same treatment in 7-10 years

 

just my oppinion though

[likeitorlumpit]

Increasingly I am getting customers who criticise bad tree work practice.

Like 'look at that mess the neighbours had done'. I believe people want trees to look like trees if you know what I mean- and yes I know this is just a generalisation as some people want whats cheapest/tidiest etc.

If you get the option to quote on fresh work then quote for best practice but listen to the customer- I'll say that again. Listen to the customer. They may have other ideas /artistic or otherwise.

At the end of the day can we really afford to be arb. bullies

[Le Sanglier]

Increasingly I am getting customers who criticise bad tree work practice.

Like 'look at that mess the neighbours had done'. I believe people want trees to look like trees if you know what I mean- and yes I know this is just a generalisation as some people want whats cheapest/tidiest etc.

If you get the option to quote on fresh work then quote for best practice but listen to the customer- I'll say that again. Listen to the customer. They may have other ideas /artistic or otherwise.

At the end of the day can we really afford to be arb. bullies

 

Good post, I hate all this treating the client like an idiot or "educating them"

[eddthesawman]

AVE it my son the customer is always right.

[Mark Bolam]

I think we should try and educate people, explain the repercussions of what they want and if they won't listen crack on and take the money (with the truck hidden).

I have talked plenty of customers out of having mature trees topped, and they have often come back to me later for other work because they realised that I knew what I was doing to some degree, a point I think David Goss was putting forward pretty well.

 

Matty, those Sequoias will come back lovely mate, where did you learn felling techniques at 2m?