Consultancy/Tree surgery companies?

[emcgee]

Does anyone know if companies exist that both consult and perform the tree works..? Just doing some primary research for an assignment.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Yep, lots. Which begs the potential 'conflict of interest' scenario and how impartiality is achieved. Some business offer consultancy under a different company to give at least some separation.

 

Some business 'advise' clients to get 3 quotes based on their consultancy recommendations but hope to include their contracting arm within that.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[ScottF]

Bit of an interesting tone to your post there, Paul. Most contractors, including a great many AA-approved offer tree surveying or other consultancy services on their websites. Is there anything inherently suspicious about this?

 

Well, the conflict of interest scenario can be dealt with quite easily by being honest, transparent and maintaining long and fruitful relationships with your clients.

 

Not sure why 'advise' is in quotation marks here.

 

We've recently started getting back into contracting on minor works for the simple reason that our clients have asked us to after having to wait too long to have smaller contracts dealt with by third-party contractors. Our clients trust us and know there's no question of any exploitation of interests, weighty pricing or any other 'parenthetical goings-on'.

 

I'd like to think that contractors or consultant who somehow exploit their positions in this respect or 'advise' clients would get found out in due course.

[Yorkshireman]

YEP WE Do ,, no conflict ,clients either trust you or they don't

 

some companies may push there luck and make recommendations to fill there contract basket ,but they'll get found out clients aren't stupid,

clients might fall for it once but the word quickly gets around and a short term punt is along term recipe for disaster as the credibility of advise & service is shot to pieces ,

 

TPO and conservation applications are subject to external inspection and if you make a tit of your self, its soon known & the word spreads again

 

anyone who disguises their actions could be seen as being deceitful ,

so be honest and play it as it is ,

the client can make their own mind up , some ask for example documents , but most don't, if companies. consultants try to blag their way through they can easily trip over

[Paul Barton]

Quite a few offer both, including some of the bigger companies such as Midland Forestry, Gristwood and Toms, AEMG....I used to work for one of them.

 

We lost out on the opportunity to work for some clients, because they preferred to separate the services. I can understand why to be honest - there is a potential conflict of interests. I sometimes had to persuade our clients of our integrity. Trust is key - if the client suspects that the consultancy is feeding unnecessary work to the contracting side of the business then the relationship is broken.

 

However, some clients love the 'one-stop-shop' of a company that can provide both elements of the arboricultural service. It can make things quick and efficient, and lead to good work as the tree surgeons have easy access to the surveyor that specs the work in order to ask questions if needed.

 

Specsavers offer eye tests and sell glasses. Financial advisers get commission on arranging investments....

 

It's pretty common for companies to offer a range of services and in my opinion it isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does require all parties to work with integrity and build trusting working relationships. I would say the onus is on companies that offer both services to demonstrate their impartiality to give the client confidence.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Bit of an interesting tone to your post there, Paul. Most contractors, including a great many AA-approved offer tree surveying or other consultancy services on their websites. Is there anything inherently suspicious about this?

 

Well, the conflict of interest scenario can be dealt with quite easily by being honest, transparent and maintaining long and fruitful relationships with your clients.

 

Not sure why 'advise' is in quotation marks here.

 

We've recently started getting back into contracting on minor works for the simple reason that our clients have asked us to after having to wait too long to have smaller contracts dealt with by third-party contractors. Our clients trust us and know there's no question of any exploitation of interests, weighty pricing or any other 'parenthetical goings-on'.

 

I'd like to think that contractors or consultant who somehow exploit their positions in this respect or 'advise' clients would get found out in due course.

 

Perhaps I was pre-empting what Eugene might ask next in terms of possible conflicts of interest. To be honest it was a little "off the cuff" with no underlying concern nor intention, As you say, and many others have since, many do both roles and are completely open, honest and professional.

 

Cheers..

Paul

[ScottF]

Perhaps I was pre-empting what Eugene might ask next in terms of possible conflicts of interest. To be honest it was a little "off the cuff" with no underlying concern nor intention, As you say, and many others have since, many do both roles and are completely open, honest and professional.

 

Cheers..

Paul

 

Fair enough, Paul. I know we've all seen examples of the consultant contractor relationship being blurred, but as Paul B points out above, many other trades /professions have to address this potential issue and can and do deal with it.

 

Out of interest, does the AA have a specific policy on these sort of conflicts of interests within either the regesitered contracor or consultant schemes?

[Logrod]

I'd have thought that there were a few potential conflicts of interest in the AAs work as well - accreditation, standards, courses, advice etc?

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Fair enough, Paul. I know we've all seen examples of the consultant contractor relationship being blurred, but as Paul B points out above, many other trades /professions have to address this potential issue and can and do deal with it.

 

Out of interest, does the AA have a specific policy on these sort of conflicts of interests within either the regesitered contracor or consultant schemes?

 

Hi there, sorry for the delay in responding. Glad you posted back again as this has been playing on my mind a bit.

 

Firstly, and my comments were a little "off the cuff" as I mentioned, but I guess there's no harm in posing the "conflict of interest" question to your own businesses practice where you both consult and contract. Obviously thereafter there is a range of possible solutions ranging from undertaking them both and being bound by your own, and/or reinforced by ICF/ISA/AA, code of professional conduct / ethics to not doing them and directing clients elsewhere. In many respects "each to their own" but being clear on what your "own" is, is important (does that make sense? ) I feel.

 

Secondly, obviously the schemes themselves address differing aspects of tree management and hence there is natural separation between the two activities which, in part, avoids the issue. I say that as many 'ARB Approved Contractors' do consult, to a greater or lesser extent, but not many, if any (that I am aware of) AA Registered Consultants actually contract...at least not directly.

 

In both instances they are bound by the Association's Code of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct, and the respective "rules / Ts & Cs of the schemes. Hence there is no specific 'policy' as such.

 

Hoping this helps to clarify things, and qualified my "off the cuff-ness"

 

Cheers..

Paul

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

I'd have thought that there were a few potential conflicts of interest in the AAs work as well - accreditation, standards, courses, advice etc?

 

Interesting observation and my initial reaction was 'no', because they're typical activities covered by an industry body. However, on reflection, you're quite right particularly with the accreditation schemes in assessing competence.

 

My response here would be that it's the organisation itself, i.e. the Arb Assoc, who deliver the standards / information / training and then it's specific assessors, most of whom are external to the organisation, who 'check' the standards.

 

(In practice it's often myself involved in both roles and yes I do offer advice and guidance alongside assessing businesses for ARB Approved, at least in the first instance, and I'm sure this happens with AA Registered Consultants scheme, but professional integrity and the AA codes, as I too am a member, come into play. Additionally the schemes assessors have a separate 'code of conduct' which they must abide by.)

 

At the end of the day I'm satisfied that we do award ARB Approved Contractor status only to those business who demonstrate the required standards and levels of competence required. Thankfully not many these days as they're often much better prepared, but some businesses do still fail the assessment process.

 

Thanks for the post and "food for thought", it's good to be challenged...just not too often please.

 

Cheers..

Paul