Where to draw the line......

[carlos]

Lets face it, the right thing for the tree is to leave it well alone!

 

thats what i mean

i guess reductions etc to stop total failure of the tree would count

[felixthelogchopper]

Always worth remembering; If you don't do it, somebody else will and the money is better off in your pocket than theirs.

[Haironyourchest]

Always worth remembering; If you don't do it, somebody else will and the money is better off in your pocket than theirs.

 

I just tell myself that whenever I wake up sweating with their pitiful pleas for mercy echoing in my dreams.....

 

 

 

 

 

(thats the trees....I'm talking about)

[easy-lift guy]

This mite have been brought up before but i couldnt find anything.

 

Something that i was thinking about the other day while climbing for a local company. Where do you as a subbie draw the line between making money and doing the right thing for the tree? I studied as an arborist and work for many high standard arborists but i still need to make a living and fill in my open days.

 

If you have formal training and a degree as an arborist or working towards that goal, ask yourself how much a clear conscience is worth as opposed to just making the customer happy or really doing the wrong thing in order to earn a living?. In my past working life in the hortultural industry I was asked on several occasions to design and install landscapes based on what the customer requested, not what I knew as a professional would be the best design and choice of planting material. On every occasion I choose to be honest with the customer and do my best to explain options available in order to persuade the customer not to make expensive mistakes that were completly avoidable.

Even if the customer was to stubborn to listen to reason I never took on a job that would end in disaster or ruin my business reputation. Some customers still wanted the work to be performed, however I was not willing to sell out and do the wrong thing for money. To this day and even with my own products , if anyone wants to buy my product and I feel that said product would not work for the customer for any reason I will not knowingly or willingly sell to this person.

My reputation and conscience requires nothing less.

easy-lift guy

[Taupotreeman]

Being a subbie can be frustrating whatever trade you are in, but at the end of the day, you are hired in labour, hence you do the job to the main contractors spec, full stop.

 

what Eggs said. I gave up the fight of doing what was right for the tree (when I was full time self employed) because keeping a roof above my head won out. I can advise the best course of action but if the customer, principle etc isn't interested i do as I'm told. Applies somewhat in my council role also as we have a fine line between doing whats right and keeping the rate payer happy. the argument can be draining.

[Luckyeleven]

I would say, make an effort to offer the correct solution and why what the customer is demanding could harm the tree. If they decide they are still right, go ahead with their plan and take the money.

[Kveldssanger]

A platitude: when people within the industry don't care enough to initiate widespread change because good practice doesn't take first place, how can we expect for the desired change the industry seeks to bring about to improve overall standards to ever be meaningful or appropriate?

[Paul Barton]

If you're a subby then you need to do what you're asked to do by the main contractor. Simple as.

 

If you run your own business then you have the opportunity to persuade your clients to do the best thing and if they don't want to, you can politely decline the job.

[Mick Dempsey]

I get asked to halve, top and generally hammer all sorts of trees all the time here.

If it's some kind of specimen I'll talk about a lighter reduction, not too long though, the minute they say they're sure they want it cut in half I never mention it again. It's their tree.

[Gary Prentice]

A platitude: when people within the industry don't care enough to initiate widespread change because good practice doesn't take first place, how can we expect for the desired change the industry seeks to bring about to improve overall standards to ever be meaningful or appropriate?

 

:banghead: