Intresting business experiance. Needing an Arborist

[Averageman]

So the wind last night blew a small tree in to the roof of my shop.
Call the insurance $3,600 deductable. Nope we aint doing that.
So I make four calls to four different Tree Services.
Immeadiatly I get in touch with the Pro's they come out with a truck and three roughnecks and are ready to throw it in the chipper they brought with. $1700.00. Kinda pricey.
One guy just said I'm too busy. Thanks for that, least hes honest.
The third guy didn't speak much english but he seemed to want to take my fence down to do the job. $1300.

Now the Winner in this event took notes, came out without interuppting me, gave me a $1200 estimate and is sending me the estimate tonight.
I told him just cut the tree down tomorrow, we're good.

It seems to me the hard part is as you're wading through the BS is actually getting someone on the phone. If they were easier to make an appointment with they would gain 50% more business. The winner took the initative.

[ryr8828]

Quickest service I ever got on anything was the morning of the tornado that hit us at 4:30 am. I was out surveying the damage and a roofing truck pulled in the driveway.
He says "Y'all alright?" Yes, thanks. Then "You want me to get a few of my guys over to tarp this roof before it rains? I live right over there and we've already got my stuff covered up. " He pointed off to the east.
I said how much?
He said "less than $500, I'll need to get 4 guys over here. If the insurance won't pay that I'll take whatever they agree to, just give them my card and tell them to pay me".

He got on his phone and people showed up and got right after it. I have a very high pitched roof, hard to walk or stand on.

[Averageman]

Nobody wants to have to call three times for anything. To me that just means you'll be late and leave a mess.

[1_click_off]

Ask for:
a copy of their insurance
A copy of their workers comp
A business license number
An arborist license number

If they have all of that, they are pretty legit and you will pay more because they are legit.

Protect yourself. This is a one hit and done type thing, if they don’t have workers comp and a grunt gets hurt you will be on the hook.

[Gabriel556]

Have to second what 1 Click said. You need to make sure this cheap guy is protected. Friend had work done on his shop roof and one of the employees fell through a skylight and onto one of his machines. Drunk, but uninsured too. My friend ended up having to involve his insurance which didn’t want to pay because the guy was drunk and such. He had to write a big check. Make sure you clearly define the whole job. Do you want the whole tree cut down and all parts removed? Stump ground or left? Just want the stuff on the ground for you to cut up and haul? There’s a huge variation here and I’ll be honest (having arborist friends), their insurance and bonding is insanely expensive. That isn’t a $20/hr job.

[SteyrAUG]

I've been very lucky.

We had a bad storm a few years back. I'm in my yard looking at the tree on top of my garage wondering how the hell I'm gonna take care of that and the neighbor comes out of his garage with a chainsaw, looks at me and says "yours is worse, let's start there."

We break out the ladders, he's running the chain saw and I'm tossing crap off my roof. Hours later when we are chopping up the tree that came down on his deck I hear engines in my front yard and I take a look and the neighbor across the street is using a lawn tractor to drag everything we were chopping up that couldn't be lifted out to the edge of the yard so it can be picked up.

The whole street was like a colony of ants with people I didn't even know clearing streets and whatnot. I bought a lot of gift certificates to the best BBQ place in town that week.

[1168]

If this is in SC, shoot me a PM. I can’t get arborists to return phone calls here. For any price.

[Averageman]

If this is in SC, shoot me a PM. I can’t get arborists to return phone calls here. For any price.

Texas.
The Boss is smart and does the technical work. Everyone else drags and carries. Good Team. Looks like they'll finish up tomorrow.

[17K]

Real arborists are hard to find.

If one is needed it’s not a time I worry much about getting it done cheap because they can make a BIG mess in very little time.

I do a fair amount of tree work and I know my limitations.

[jsbhike]

Just call James.


https://youtu.be/WLjbO1tyElE

Dude must have a grip like a vise.

[SteyrAUG]

Just call James.


https://youtu.be/WLjbO1tyElE

Dude must have a grip like a vise.

Given the age of that car, I hope all of that was staged.

[Averageman]

Well they finished up today, came in and took the second half out.
They did an excellant job and cleaned up after the job was over.