Head Green keeper= hasn't got a clue

[ROLLACOSTA]

Just recently i have been called in to do some stump grinding at 2 different locations one was a hospital the second a college.For each job i was contacted and contracted by the head groundsman. At each location the groundsman and grounds staff have carried out there own tree surgery ,at both places the work was appalling ,flush cuts ,huge cuts/wounds all kinds of bad practice,wanting to get repeat business and not wanting to put the head groundsman's nose out ,i haven't told them there work isn't very good.Being a tree care [arborist] professional i'm finding it very hard to keep my mouth shut.How would you guys point out his work isn't very good to say the least,without offending the head honcho? or would you keep your mouth shut as i have so far??

At the college the grounds team have ruined at least 100 tree's with there flush cuts [young immature sweet chestnut and oaks].

At the hospital ,the head groundsman told me he was getting a tree survey carried [large avenue of limes/lindens in car park area] out,he told me he had a firm doing the survey and told me the company name as it goes i know the company ,to put it mildly there nothing more than a couple of hacks masquerading as professionals,I politely informed the head groundsman that i also carry out surveys and that i'm fully qualified to do so and i have professional indemnity insurance ,well his lack of responce indicated to me he has no idea about tree's or hiring contractors.

This scenario is often replicated during the year and really pi$$es me off.

RANT OVER !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dadatwins]

If I am there working with my signs on the truck, I would be worried some passer by would take notice of my name and phone number and associate me and my company with the bad work, even if I was just there grinding stumps and not doing tree work. If you are not going to remark on the bad quality of work and risk losing the client, I would not do any advertising while on site. Could be a situation where some pruning pamplets might find the way to the main office. Could be the groundkeepers just simply think they are doing it right, but are not capable of or don't understand the proper pruning technique. Hard position to be in not saying anything, but saying something might get you the job of doing the work. Good luck.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Offer to show him a few professional tips on pruning. Give him a half hour or so of free instruction. Make sure to include a 5 minute spiel on how to select a qualified contractor.

Even if you don't get the work, you may save a tree or two, and perhaps get the hacks run off.

Don't bad mouth them directly, of course.

 

[pantheraba]

Could be the groundkeepers just simply think they are doing it right, but are not capable of or don't understand the proper pruning technique.

I agree with Dada and BlueRidgeMark...education may be the key...just pretend you are talking to me. I was taught years ago that flush cut was THE way to do it...I was with a tree company then (manila ropes and all). Somewhere along the line, THE way to prune changed (and y'all quit putting tar all over the wounds, too...boy, am I glad!!)

They may just need education and explanation about how proper pruning works.

My too sense wirth.

 

[treeseer]

Education in person can be hard to take. I use brochures with things like branch collars clearly highlighted. It's faster and puts them less on the spot.

If you have done surveys before, give them your cv and a list of references and proof of insurance, and recommend they look for same from the others.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

I will be doing some more work for the Hospital.I will give the head green keeper some ISA litrature and i'll be very diplomatic about the subject of hiring contractors and carrying out Arb work .I think i'll offer the green keeper/head groundsman and his crew an hour or so free training,the only trouble is they have damaged every tree within the grounds !!!.

Hey Dan it's great to know your stump guy like me has many talents !! are you as versatile ??

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Hey Dan it's great to know your stump guy like me has many talents !! are you as versatile ??

Dan is has many talents I'm sure. Good manners is not one of them though. However, he is very good at being a pillock

 

[Ekka]

Rolla

You know my style, I'd take a video camera in and go straight above the ******s head with the vid ... there's the question of jobs for mates, kickbacks and the fact that the idiot is in charge of treework but doesn't know what he is doing is bad, but also so is his supervisor for not taking interest and caring, so you come in a few ranks higher to the point where these idiots are told/delegated the new regime.

Stuff them.

Yes, you can become the good samaritan and eductae them but the information is already out there and freely available to anyone who cares ... obviously this goose doesn't.

Incompetance runs rife, just finish off your vid with the training/consultant position ... you willing to help but not for free. And have these idiots investigated.

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Rolla do they know that you know they did the tree work ?? I've often just come right out and pointed stuff out to people to which the reply is often positive and then gone on to discuss correct pruning cuts and methods. They maybe carrying out the works due to pressure from above. i.e. tree surgeons are to expensive get the grounds guys to do it...etc. It happens.

I put a price on a job a couple of doors up from me which they didn't except, i've now had to endure watching the man of the house using a chainsaw with no PPE etc doing stupid bloody things for the last few weekends...

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Buzz they told me they carried out the work ,they even told me so with an air of pride LOLor so it seemed....

EKKA...humm good idea I might go straight to the Head head man..I thinks he's known as a Burser

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Make sure you take off that silly hat before you go to see him....

 

[treeseer]

"I put a price on a job a couple of doors up from me which they didn't except, i've now had to endure watching the man of the house using a chainsaw with no PPE etc doing stupid bloody things for the last few weekends... "

I have a friends & neighbors rate; basically an offer they cna't refuse. I just contracted to care for 4 pear trees down the road in exchange for half the crop, way cheap but I can't stand driving by butchered trees every day if I can avoid it.

Rolla before you go to the Burser, do a little research on him. Priorities, A genda, who he has to please, who makes his budget etc. You'll need an inside view of his motivation to get thru. If the trees are already butchered you can't sell pruning, so look to total tree care. Invigorated trees will scar over flushcuts better than stressed trees.

 

[treeseer]

same topic came up on th asca listserv; "how grounds managers can more effectively work with or utilize arborists on their campuses, grounds, etc…"

Hi Eric, you are not the first person to ask this question or one similar on the list server and the constant is, that years later you got the same answer.
It all boils down to Time and Material costs for the area and that an Arborist can perform Arboricultural services safer and more efficiently, which saves in cost over the long haul. What I have seen that is the same over much of the world is that a lot of people think that they can do "Tree Work" Which in turn provides work for consultants (which is sad in most cases).
Maybe one day painters will paint, Carpenters will build, lawn maintenance guys will mow, and Arborists will trim trees and provide all other tree care services.
I can guarantee that an ASCA member or RCA will not recommend to a grounds manager to "Have your electrician, or janitor prune the trees".

 

[Buzzlightyear]

Rolla, yeah ask to speak to the Bursar or even better the headmaster, i've been in the same postion myself....it works....

 

[rebelman]

Tell the bosses to their face. Pull no punches. ISA used to have an item in their code of ethics about this, but that was the only item I ignored. They won't care about your free instruction. Ask them to join the National Arbor Day Foundation for a nominal fee. Something has got to change this rampant bs work, often performed by smirking "professionals". ANSI standard is our best shot.