The business of doing business

[Pancake]

Yeah I know easy now. We provide summer and winter. Chainsaw protection always. Not a fetish. We fortunately have a shortage of pines in Nashville so the sap is hard to come by. Our helmets match by choice, and we try not to pick our nose on the job. We get dirty as well and I'm the odd ball who occasionally wears suspenders. 400$+ boots, what you wearin man? I do have a festsh about tucked in shirts I guess. I know, the client doesn't care.

 

[clearance]

Viberg lineman boots, actually they are way over $400 now, check them out on the web-Viberg boot.

 

[treesquirrel]

I have found myself matching hacks prices now more often than before. But at the same time I take one of their jobs away every time I do it. So far I can work efficiently enough that I have not taken a bath but my margins are not what I want.

I put every bid in writing and detail exactly what I am going to do. I have found that people appreciate this. They know exactly what they are paying for. Ive had many comments that this practice makes them very confident.

As for hacks and low ballers. Bring it on! I have yet to meet a job I could not do better than any of those crews and gain another satisfied customer.

Uniforms are a nice touch and I need to get on board with that.

 

[treevet]

Treevet- I'll be the first to tell you we are't worried about you, work, or much else. Just show up and do more than the client expects. We have a quality reputation and the juice to back it up. I am proud to say that we don't show up and present a dog and pony show to the "high profile" jobs. I failed to realize that we were supposed to be treating trees differently. I'm glad you have the work, I hope you enjoy the nasty back yards fenced in with the dog poo, the run down apartment complexes, and the likes. Yes, I'm sure you only bust out the uni's at the finer jobs. The ones where the boss man shows up and flexes his intellectual prowess, "if it were me I would ...." Forgive me if I'm to abrasive, I only have one green square.

Lighten up, nobody likes burnt pancakes. Never said we treat trees or customers any differently just wear logo shirts sporadically. You fail to realize the company you are in here or you wouldn t be beating your chest so much w just a couple of posts. We know you " don t pick your nose on jobs", do the job your supposed to and dress real swell. What else you got?

 

[Pancake]

Forgive me, I didn't realize there was a number of posts requirement to reach prior to letting it all hang out on this website. I am sure your a great guy with a great company and a healthy bottom line. I am pretty sure I know the company I'm in, but for the record maybe you could help me out. Uniforms aren't for everyone, neither is most of the stuff I brought up to begin with. To each his own. Good luck to you, stay safe.

 

[Pancake]

Treevet- Let me try to qualify my remarks. We are a TCIA Accredited company, an ISA Sustaining member, with all employees being Certified Aborists, Tree Workers, and a Utility Specialist. We are all competition climbers, and have won 3 out of the past 4 (may be 3 out of 5) ISA Southern Championships (including a sweep this year)and numerous other in and out of state events ( My Co workers are the champions, I have only recently started competing but will climb in at least 6 competitions this year). I am a liscenced pestcide applicator and a master gardner. We have chaired or otherwise served at several TCC's and I sit on the TUFC Board. I may only have a few posts here, and still don't understand the quirks of this site including the green squares. We are also certified splicers and have a secondary training company with several new innovative products which will be released in catalogs this fall if all goes well. I have a bachelors degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and a background in soil science and Plant Health Care. That's some of what else I got, how 'bout you? Peace.

 

[polingspig]

Here is something to think about. I have a beard. I wear jeans because I like them. I get my hair cut once every other month. I wear T-shirts. I still look more professional than most of my competition. I am a Pastor though, so I wear a suit on Sundays.
I put on a clean shirt when bidding a job, but I think the response I get from customers is good because my attitude is good. I can tell them what type of tree we are looking at and I show up when I say I will. I also put everything in writing. First a written estimate and then a contract.
The funny part is that I called some of my competition today to grind a stump for me. It was just a necessary thing. Anyway, he shows up with the whole family in the truck and looking a little rough. He did the job, I paid him and the customer told me how nice it is that I help the little guys. He has been working around here longer than me and has a bigger business.

 

[Pancake]

I hear you brother. We are all involved in our respective churches, and have been known to pass a job along or even give someone down on their luck a freebie. I speak and write locally for free. I have a goatee, and keep my hair cut close out of lazyness. I think the customers appreciate honest bids and good attitudes as well. I really care for the guys I work with and their families. We are very open and critical of each other, seems to keep it light. We are always pushing each other to do our best, to try somenthing new each day. Seems like an uphill battle to do what's right sometimes, that whole karma thing if you believe in things like that. I am certain people have been doing this a lot longer than me and are much more skilled and educated. Some people have natural talent, I have to work really hard to keep up. Somenthing to shoot for.

 

[beowulf343]

Yes, I said uniforms. Even clean ones at that. And call us prudes, but we actually shave and keep our hair short. .

Oh dear-i have a beard-i must not be a pro! Appearance isn't everything-would much rather work with a old dirty groundie with years of experience than any clean-shaven kid. Besides, if i hired someone to do a job requiring physical labor and he shows up looking like he'd never done a bit of work, i'd send him on his way. Granted, looking neat is good, but how good can you look after spending all day in a tree? In the outfit i'm with, the guys who always have the clean uniforms are the ones who don't do a bit of work.

Treevet- Let me try to qualify my remarks. We are a TCIA Accredited company, an ISA Sustaining member, with all employees being Certified Aborists, Tree Workers, and a Utility Specialist. We are all competition climbers, and have won 3 out of the past 4 (may be 3 out of 5) ISA Southern Championships (including a sweep this year)and numerous other in and out of state events ( My Co workers are the champions, I have only recently started competing but will climb in at least 6 competitions this year). I am a liscenced pestcide applicator and a master gardner. We have chaired or otherwise served at several TCC's and I sit on the TUFC Board. I may only have a few posts here, and still don't understand the quirks of this site including the green squares. We are also certified splicers and have a secondary training company with several new innovative products which will be released in catalogs this fall if all goes well. I have a bachelors degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and a background in soil science and Plant Health Care. That's some of what else I got, how 'bout you? Peace.

Wow, with trying to get all these certifications and going to all these competitions, when do you have time to do any actual treework?

What do i got compared to you? Absolutely nothing except 12 years in the trenches climbing every day and learning the ins and outs of treework by actually doing it.

 

[Pancake]

We have to get up way before the sun, except Sunday and one Saturday a month, work starts at 5mins till 6 every day. We usually train/workout before work and sometimes have an Aerial rescue or footlock training session after work Not alot of sleepin, most of us have a couple of young children. I 've been known to miss the razor after a hard day.really could care less if you shave or not, in the big picture it's a small thing. Our families are bought into what we are doing and are supportive, going to and helping out with competitions. Like I said, you've got a couple of years on me, but I climb daily for work and recreation both, and I am still learning ins and outs every day. Our shirts get dirty every day, we work hard. I'm not saying anything other than it is challenging trying to keep up this pace and I get disheartened sometimes by the sheer volume of hacks out there. In our market there is a tight niche, and we're trying to have the edge on the long dollar. I am absolutely certian beyond a shadow of a doubt that right now, there is some old duffer who refuses to shave, has a dirty shirt and scarred up knuckles, who has been hitting it alot longer than me who can smoke me in a tree. He can probabally do alot of things better than me. I'm just doing the best I can.

 

[beowulf343]

Is it just me, or does this guy sound like he's running a cult?


Getting treemen to workout before the job?? Most treemen i know would simply knock you out then go back to their coffee if you asked them to workout.

One of the strangest run outfits i've ever heard of but good luck to you man.

 

[Pancake]

Its not a cult, and I'm just an employee. What can I say, we truly love what we do. Our boss is a great guy, he doesn't ask us to do any of the extra stuff, he just wants the job done right, on time. Man we're just having fun. Thanks, good luck to you as well. You're not a Yankees fan are you?

 

[clearance]

Good God, either this guy has a sense of humor and he is pulling our chain, which I think is most likely, or he is the Ned Flanders of treework. Never have I ever heard of such craziness in treework, like Beowolf, most guys I know in treework would kick his ass if he pulled this crap on them, I'm a little different, I would just howl, this is some funny stuff.

 

[treeseer]

Stretching before working helps you work harder longer. Don't try tree work at age 56 if you don't do something extra to stay loose--you'll get sore or injured long before, as most of my contemporaries have quit long ago.

As for the rest, sounds like a lot of chest-thumping, rooster-crowing, and such an intense peeing contest that I either need to put on waders or leave.

Bye!:biggrinbounce2:

 

[M.D. Vaden]

At least we have the licensing, bond and insurance covered a bit better in Oregon under the landscape and contractors license boards.

Tree guys can be with the CCB (construction contractors board) or the LCB (landscape contractors board) and the landscapers will be with the latter.

The credentials are covered heavily for landscapers due to testing with the LCB.

For trees, no guarantee of training or certification - hit or miss.

 

[Pancake]

5.1 SIP pants, t-shirts. www.poteettreeservice.com or poteettree.com. Website is a work in progress but it may shed some light

Sincerely Ned

 

[Bermie]

Good on you Pancake...

Don't worry about the green dots, you can even get some for free by going to the 'beg for rep' thread in the off topic forum!!

There is the full spectrum of tree workers, owners self employed etc. on here and you will get the correspondingly full range of opinions! You seem to be at the futher end of the tidy professional while to others that really isn't a big priority for them as long as they do quality work. Don't get to dismayed at some of the feedback you are getting.

I for one like uniforms, all my competition here wear and provide them for their employees, including fleeces, nylon jackets, t shirts, caps. Even some of the landscaper wannabe tree work guys wear at least company t shirts. It maybe a hold over from our school days...all schools here public and private wear uniforms.
Its something people are used to and have come to expect if you are serious in your work.

Unfortunately a landscape co with uniforms and logos on their trucks will show up and try to do tree work for clients in addition to lawns and hedges, and I agree it is so annoying, they don't have any training, and they destroy so many trees.

I wish we took preventative safety traning more seriously, I have thought for a while it would be good for a bunch of us to get together for an afternoon of aerial rescue and safety chat.
Your setup sounds like a long day though, what time does everyone knock off??? I know doing training at the end of the day would be the last thing I'd want to do, by then I'm looking for the shower and the couch! And no way am I working six days a week!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I wear good Carharts and a colard shirt on most jobs, and my clients customers say they appeciate a clean-cut person on the property. Why do so many tree people have to look like trashpickers? Then they compain about lack of respect!.

T-shirt with sleaves ripped off from a concert 5 years ago, military cargo pants with holes in them, duct tape on sneakers...

If you do not look like a person with a profession, or trade, how can you expect the public to recognize you as a professional?

 

[Tree Wizard]

Hear, Hear JP.

 

[oldirty]

i wear the sleeveless shirts to show off the guns baby.

the ladies get a better look if the sleeve is gone.




oldirty