A groundie quitting is much easier to replace than a climber.
In my experience I've found that climbers become the leader of the crew, once they work themselves into this position they get harder to manage, and if they are the only climber on the crew they become more demanding ... you could almost say holding the business to ransom.
I've always tried to have more than one climber on the crew simply to protect the business from quitters. Climbers do make good groundies but they tend to dislike the lugging and dragging. They're above that. They like to be the ropey.
As a boss I see they are always confronted with the comparison of what they earn vs what the job was worth. For instance if they get paid $250 to bring down a $2000 tree and it's done by lunch they start getting big ideas. That's probably why most climbers have their own business, but what if you own a tree business and don't climb? ... it's a very tough road. Slowly you pay them more and more and more to the point that they're better off than the boss without the headaches.
Some companies here have gone to bucket trucks for that reason, if they can't access it with a bucket truck they don't even quote it. I too am sick of training, once they get to know a fair bit off they go, grass is always greener, and round goes the cycle again. Some companies have a permanent ad for workers because of the turnover.
That's my 2 bobs worth.
