Doorknocking?

[Mark Bolam]

Having a beer last Sunday in a pub beer garden, I noticed a medium sized pine had a pronounced lean (and it wasn't the beer by then). Pretended to yack on mobile whilst investigating in a vain attempt to avoid the 'tree saddo' shouts from the gang.

 

Tree is heaving quite badly, lots of broken surface roots on tension side, cavitation on compression side of base.

 

The top would land in the middle of the main road.

 

IMO the tree is dangerous (it is in the beer garden), and fell and replant the only solution.

 

I feel that I should tell the pub landlord / owner, but don't want to appear like some desperate-for-work-doorknocker. Which I am at the moment, and it would be a cracking, high visibility local job!

 

Thoughts please. Cheers.

[DrewB]

A tree at the top of my road is dying (over the past year) and i want tell the owner and do the job but like you i dont want to seem like im harassing for work-just go and tell them and if you get the work, sweet as if not ah well. its what im going to do this weekend.

[Mac McLennan]

Thing is mate if it lands on a car with kids in, how would you feel then........I would knock on the door if I had a concern.

 

No harm done.

[detritus21]

I'd mention it in passing to the landlord just say you are concerned and don't think its that safe. They may care they may not. It just so happens you cut trees for a living if you get the job to take it down then bonus.

[Hollands]

I get a lot of work from writing letters. Chances are he knows it's on a lean and a letter along the lines of 'introducing your services to local businesses' gives quite a good impression (as long as it looks nice and proffesional). Might just jog him into getting a quote.

[Ross Smith]

i concur with mr holland.we are professional arborists and if we see something potentially dangerous i dont see anything wrong with pointing it out and in my opinion i would be grateful if someone pointed out a hazardous tree to me in my garden i.e kids and all.

[TREELINE]

I've never had a problem doorknocking if I see something dangerous or dying. Some people (as we all know) haven't got a clue and polite, friendly approaches with the attitude that winning the work is less important than alerting the owner is the arbs hippocratic oath!

I've never had even a response to dropping a polite friendly card through a door in the same situation. A letter or a meeting wins the clients confidence and you the work (probably). Just don't overdo the price or they will look elsewhere.

[alex_m]

If you are genuinely concerned then let the landlord know and just say that he should get it felled - and say he could call up any tree surgeon, not just you. That way you wont come across as a canvasser.

[Stephen Blair]

feeling like a door knocking cowboy is your anxiety mark, you have a duty of care, explain what you have noticed about the danger, give him a price at the same time and leave it with him. if the tree falls down and hurts someone then you will feel even worse if you dont dont say anything mate. i told someone about a leaning pine one day and advised it should be felled as it was beside a 5 aside, nothing got done about it, 2 weeks late it came down and wrecked a fence and landed on the pitch, lucky no one was hurt. but i am glad i said anyway

[Matt McAulay]

what about this i had a fella come up to me while doin some road side work asked me to look at a heavily leaning pine had a good look all round but couldnt find any problems, few months later im passin the place and see its leaning very heavily i stop take another look and the grounds cracking and can see roots at the back. I walked straight into the office an told him my findings his reply was hes got some other crew watching it for him, to which i said fine get them to have a look and its still standing, its in a auction site and overhangs several stalls and is also where the main path to the auction building is. Should i go back and hav another look or leave it, bearing in mind this site is very local and have close friends down there quite often.