tessa_murray•27d agoMost Upvoted

Had a homeowner talk me out of a removal job last spring

I showed up to quote a big silver maple in a backyard near Portland. It had some dead branches high up and the owner was convinced it needed to come down. But when I walked the yard I noticed the trunk looked solid and the leaves were healthy. I told her honestly that a good prune would probably buy her another 10 years. She looked at me funny and asked if I was sure because the other guy said it was a hazard. I spent 20 minutes showing her where the wood was still sound and where the real issues were. She ended up going with just the prune job and sent me a photo of the tree leafing out perfectly this spring. Has anyone else had a client push back on your honest opinion like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_garcia27d ago

Did you catch that article in Arborist News last month about how many removals are driven by homeowner fear rather than actual risk? Seems like your situation is exactly what they were talking about - the "other guy" probably saw an easy removal price tag instead of a healthy tree. Good on you for taking the time to educate her rather than just taking the easy money.

ray_martinez8227d ago

Man, isn't it wild how some homeowners are almost disappointed when you tell them the tree doesn't need to come down? I think you did the right thing being straight with her. It takes guts to turn down easy money like that, especially when another guy already had her scared. That photo she sent you must have felt pretty good though. It's stuff like this that reminds me why I got into the business in the first place.

avery_jackson27d ago

You ever have a client almost get upset because you saved them a couple thousand bucks? I had one lady last year who was dead set on taking down a perfectly good oak just because a storm knocked a few branches off. Took me three visits and a bunch of photos showing her the trunk was solid before she finally backed off. And yeah, @william_garcia hit it right on the head with that article, people get spooked by one bad story or some cowboy who just wants to run up the bill. I still get a little sigh of relief when I get a text from a past client showing the tree still looking healthy years later, makes the whole honest spiel worth it.