Windblown trees

[humpo48]

Bad week! Removed a windblown Sycamore this week that had uprooted and removed the rest of the tree that was remaining as it was rotten. All went well but hard work. Until the root plate! It's my fault I know but I did not quote to remove the root plate to my own cost! When I informed the client the quote was just to remove the tree and not the root plate he got quite aggressive in his manner and it felt like I was trying to rip him off, and I was not! Been doing this work a long time now and never have been spoken to like that before in my working life. So to save my reputation I did it with the help from a fellow arb talker and tractor. But the situation made me feel very sick inside. Quoting I find is the hardest part of this job and I have always said to get it right but messed up this time. Be warned!

[Mortimer Firewood]

Should say on your quotes about what's happening with the stump i know sometimes when its a windblown the client just wants you to crack on.

One caught like this you will not let it happen again that's how i learned

[Tom D]

Lesson learned, its always worth asking if they want the stump out, especially if its up in the air and looking ugly.

[humpo48]

Totally agree with you guys, with all the trees being blown over it's well worth remembering when quoting.

[JimM]

Best practice is to get the plate to sit back down and be "safe".

 

I guess it would be best to specify on the quote that you would do that as a minimum, and then state that you could subsequently grind it or JCB it out.

 

Horrible position to be in though.

[dexta]

Wether or not you had or hadn't allowed to remove stump there's no need for the client to speak to you like that

[humpo48]

Wether or not you had or hadn't allowed to remove stump there's no need for the client to speak to you like that

 

Agree and he said he would not pay me if I did not remove the stump

[Suffolk-Matt]

Made the same mistake ONCE... Now i type and post all my quotes detailing every last aspect of the job, better for me and the client, everyones happy.

[Hobbsurf]

Made the same mistake ONCE... Now i type and post all my quotes detailing every last aspect of the job, better for me and the client, everyones happy.

 

What he said, carbon copy letterhead / company logo quote books are cheap enough to get done, and whilst arguably a bit old fashioned, if they are serial numbered provide a professional image that can't be disputed (providing you get the key bits in......)

 

Russ

[Paul Jenks]

Everyone gets caught out from time to time. It's no good kicking yourself. Definitely don't dwell on the clients behaviour. They have their own internal reasons for acting in the way they do. Having a tree fail and the unforeseen costs is stressful enough. You don't know if a relation had just died or his wife was having an affair. It may sound absurd but sometimes quite small things can tip someone over the edge.

 

Back to topic. I priced to get rid of a root ball a few years back. I thought a chap I know could lift it over the hedge and get rid of it. Turned out it weighed about 15 tonnes so the £300 I had on it didn't go very far. That, coupled with the 5tonnes of topsoil required to level the site. Hey-ho.