Neighbors

[haneman]

Started a large Maple removal today (which was quickly ended by the rain!) Tree is close to the property line and neighbor's house and surrounded by various smaller trees in both yards. I climbed the tree and started doing what I do when the first time I shut the saw off, the neighbor came out yelling and screaming up at me.....you better not hit my trees, and you better watch my house, and you better this, and you better that.............
After lecturing me like I was a 3 year old for what seemed like an hour, in her last breath she said "Oh and I want a quote for a trimming on my Red Maple and my sister needs some work done too"
I just held back my laugh and said "ok I'll leave you a couple of cards"

Just thought it was kinda humorous, but her quote wont be!!!!!

 

[treeman82]

In situations like that, I tell the client to speak with the neighbor BEFORE we do any work. Often times I want to speak with the neighbor with the client there. That way everybody is on the same page about what is being done.

 

[tree md]

Always pays to be courteous. I always try to diffuse the situation with a yes mam/sir no mam/sir and be polite (even when it's killing me and I have to bite my tongue) I don't want anyone claiming that I tore up their rhododendrons or scratched their car or something. Also might have to enter their yard to retrieve a limb or rake and whatnot. You never know, might get some work out of it like you did. I surely don't want to yell and argue with an idiot in the yard for everyone to see. Would make us look unprofessional at best.

 

[canopyboy]

It seems to me that some people's method of dealing with life is always to be on the offensive. They enter a situation on the attack, but if you can handle it with a little patience you can usually (not always) get them to ease off and even be a bit friendly by the end.

 

[haneman]

Always pays to be courteous. I always try to diffuse the situation with a yes mam/sir no mam/sir and be polite (even when it's killing me and I have to bite my tongue) I don't want anyone claiming that I tore up their rhododendrons or scratched their car or something. Also might have to enter their yard to retrieve a limb or rake and whatnot. You never know, might get some work out of it like you did. I surely don't want to yell and argue with an idiot in the yard for everyone to see. Would make us look unprofessional at best.

I agree. I was very polite and courteous and tried to explain that I have been doing this for a long time and I'm fully insured and I'll be extremely careful not to do any damage to her property, but it was very hard to get a word in! I hope she comes out when I return tomorrow so I can talk to her face to face and not be yelling down the tree.
I can't say I blame her, I'd probably be the same way, but not quite as rude!

 

[Rftreeman]

fire up the saw and start asking "what, I can't hear you"

 

[PurdueJoe]

Couple things I keep in mind when dealing with clients.
1) Always be polite. Most people will come down once explain stuff to them polity.
2) If being polite doesn't work some people live miserable lives with no control over anything. No matter what we say or do to calm them down they are looking for a fight. I just walk away from those jerks. If they want a bid I'll give it to them but I will have to add a 20% jerk surcharge because if are being that big of a pain while you're next door just imagine when it's their trees.

 

[canopyboy]

but I will have to add a 20% jerk surcharge because if are being that big of a pain while you're next door just imagine when it's their trees.

I learned that one from my dad. He called it the PIA charge. (Pain In the ...)

 

[BRCCArborist]

Neighbors can be a nightmare for sure. I've done trees on fence lines and had the neighbor offer me more money to "poison" the tree in some way because he considered it a nuisance. I've had them come over to complain about the noise, activity, etc. I feel that it is up to the sales rep or whoever is bidding on the work to try and ascertain tension between neighbors and at the very least inform the crew doing the work. Some conflicts are unavoidable, but it can save a lot of man hours in the long run to mitigate them.

 

[John464]

Wait till you cut branches off of someone else's tree and you'll see how pissed someone can get. I have had neighbors threaten to kick my ass, pull me out of the tree and the best one find out where I live and start cutting on my trees. you gotta be polite. However sometimes people are not willing to listen sometimes you gotta tell them "call the cops then" then proceed to start your screaming MS200t. The cop shows up and you tell the cop that their tree was invading your customer's property and it's within your right to cut anything beyond the property.

After explaining that you ask the officer to have her mouth shut and away from the tree so you can work safely.

We run into this scenerio a few times a year. Dont enjoy it, but its all part of job.

I always ask the customer to inform the neighbor, but when you have neighbors that dont get along or talk not much you can do except inflate the bid a bit for the potential neighbor trouble.

 

[outofmytree]

Wait till you cut branches off of someone else's tree and you'll see how pissed someone can get. I have had neighbors threaten to kick my ass, pull me out of the tree and the best one find out where I live and start cutting on my trees. you gotta be polite. However sometimes people are not willing to listen sometimes you gotta tell them "call the cops then" then proceed to start your screaming MS200t. The cop shows up and you tell the cop that their tree was invading your customer's property and it's within your right to cut anything beyond the property.

After explaining that you ask the officer to have her mouth shut and away from the tree so you can work safely.

We run into this scenerio a few times a year. Dont enjoy it, but its all part of job.

I always ask the customer to inform the neighbor, but when you have neighbors that dont get along or talk not much you can do except inflate the bid a bit for the potential neighbor trouble.

I hear you on the possible neighbour issues but we do things a little differently and this may be of some help. I always get as much information from the original client and then go and see the neighbour personally. Often I discover that my original client was the ####### and the neighbour turns out to be a normal human. With a few simple sentences and some photo's in a file I show the neighbour why pruning to collar rather than to fence line is in their and the trees best interest.

I used this technique recently for a teeny little prune where client 1 paid me $100 for the job. Client 2, the neighbour, after having a nice chat about her beautiful trees, (it doesnt hurt to lay on the honey) paid me $900 to remove a weed species, a poorly placed native and to thin the canopy on a nice euc. All in all, I find the extra time it takes to personally chat to the neighbour is well worth it.

 

[boltonranger]

Years ago my Mother lived down South in a retirement community (bungalow condos.)
Once she slipped on a pine cones from an adjacent pine tree. Nuisance of a tree.

Former SFIL came over with his Mac 110 and trimmed the offending overhead branches.
But he couldn't leave well enough alone and despite my objections trimmed the biggest limb which was nearer to the neighbor's unit.

Yeah; limb came down, swung and crashed through the neighbor lady's bedroom window.
Thank God she wasn't home. By the time she arrived the glass service had finished their work and we had vacuumed up her place. She was good about it - I think because she was a sublet renter; but the neighbor on the other side had a COW when she got home.

The condo board had a service take the whole tree down fearing another senior might fall (like my Mom.)

I never let SFIL live it down.
-br

 

[John464]

I always get as much information from the original client and then go and see the neighbour personally.

nice when it works out that way but not always possible when you have 10-15 estimates scheduled in a day. Hard to have the client home when you go look at the job let alone the neighbor. Not enough time in the day.

 

[chip's-tree]

I always try to talk to the neighbor so nothing comes up during the job. sometimes I get more work from the neighbor and everybody is happy.

 

[capetrees]

I've been in the same situation a few times, the neighbor starts off complaining and then we're buddies by the end of the job and I'm working in his yard a couple days later. Nobody like change and when the trees come down, everyone has an opinion. In the end, sanity usually surfaces and alls well.

 

[tree md]

I was working at this one guys house onetime and had my chainsaw in hand standing next to a tree I was about to drop talking to the customer. The guy from next door walks out and tells me to cut the guy's leg off and they get into a huge cussing match with each other. Not over the trees but just because they hated each other in general. It was all I could do to keep a straight face. They were like the movie Grumpy Old Men. I had to find a spot to hide and then died laughing.

 

[TreeClimber57]

It seems to me that some people's method of dealing with life is always to be on the offensive. They enter a situation on the attack, but if you can handle it with a little patience you can usually (not always) get them to ease off and even be a bit friendly by the end.

Agreed. Never did figue out why, but I suspect that in the past this approach has produced positive results for them and therefore they continue what they think works best.

 

[TreeClimber57]

I feel that it is up to the sales rep or whoever is bidding on the work to try and ascertain tension between neighbors and at the very least inform the crew doing the work. Some conflicts are unavoidable, but it can save a lot of man hours in the long run to mitigate them.

That is true. However, in all fairness when the quote was given the neighbour may not have been home, may not of fully understood what was happening, whatever.. can't always blame the person doing quote. On other hand, if it happens a lot with same person doing quote.. maybe so..

 

[prentice110]

And everyone keeps wondering why I never take out my earplugs..... P. S. Ive had the police called out to job sites for the way Ive reacted in those kinds of situations. I always win that one. Im a little more rational then the nieghbor when they get there.

 

[fishercat]

smart thinking

In situations like that, I tell the client to speak with the neighbor BEFORE we do any work. Often times I want to speak with the neighbor with the client there. That way everybody is on the same page about what is being done.

i do the same as well.seems to work in my favor.