Don't name names. It's not a good idea!

[Sunrise Guy]

Unless I'm having some kind of hallucination, it appears that a post in here that put down a company's work, and named that company, has been pulled, along with any record of those who posted in the thread. It is like it never happened.

The moderator did the right thing. Too often I am asked by potential clients what I think of the work of this or that tree company. I don't go there, homie. You should not go there, either.

There are many ways that putting down the work of others can come back to bite you in the :censored: . Besides the obvious legal issues, some clients will actually bait you to see if you get into bad-rapping others, and will then not hire you because they find that you do.

Very early in my career I fell into that exact trap. I was asked about a specific company and then I rattled off a bunch of negative stuff about it. The potential client was visibly taken aback and said, in a shaky voice, "Well, I had a very good experience with that company but they were unable to do my job in the time-frame I needed, so I decided to give you a shot. Now you have really offended me with what you've said, and I am asking you to leave, right now!" I felt so stupid on the walk back to my truck. I learned my lesson, though.

It kind of goes back to that old saying that my Mom taught me, long ago:
"If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything." I wish I had that saying in my head that one time I slipped up.

 

[ddhlakebound]

I was disappointed the thread was pulled, but the reasoning is understandable. I do think it's sad that everywhere we look, everyone is more concerned with the liability they expose themselves to than with speaking the truth and doing what's right.

If everyone is afraid of getting sued because they called someone's bad treework bad, how is the public ever going to learn what good treework is?

Bad work is bad work, and if somebody is more interested in having their ego stroked than they are about learning the difference between bad treework and good treework, then I'm not the guy they should ask for an opinion. Because when they do, I politely express my opinion without even thinking about what they want to hear.

I'm sure it has probably cost me a few customers. It's made other customers savagely loyal. Some peoples personalitys jive when they interact, others don't.....just the way it goes.

The one thing I noticed when I looked at the website of the tree service in question from the previous thread was that they claimed 20+ years in business, but there was not a single picture of a tree they had trimmed. Only equipment pics, and removals in progress. They had a website, they had a camera....there must be a reason they didn't show any trees they'd trimmed.

Sunrise Guy, what is your layman's opinion of my "Hall of Shame" on my site? No names are listed, just the pics of BAD treework.

 

[mckeetree]

Unless I'm having some kind of hallucination, it appears that a post in here that put down a company's work, and named that company, has been pulled, along with any record of those who posted in the thread. It is like it never happened.

The moderator did the right thing. Too often I am asked by potential clients what I think of the work of this or that tree company. I don't go there, homie. You should not go there, either.

There are many ways that putting down the work of others can come back to bite you in the :censored: . Besides the obvious legal issues, some clients will actually bait you to see if you get into bad-rapping others, and will then not hire you because they find that you do.

Very early in my career I fell into that exact trap. I was asked about a specific company and then I rattled off a bunch of negative stuff about it. The potential client was visibly taken aback and said, in a shaky voice, "Well, I had a very good experience with that company but they were unable to do my job in the time-frame I needed, so I decided to give you a shot. Now you have really offended me with what you've said, and I am asking you to leave, right now!" I felt so stupid on the walk back to my truck. I learned my lesson, though.

It kind of goes back to that old saying that my Mom taught me, long ago:
"If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything." I wish I had that saying in my head that one time I slipped up.

I totally disagree. I tell it like it is. If a company needs accolades, I give them. If they are mediocre, I explain it. If they are pure sh!t, I run them into the ground and then stomp the ground. I am way, way past worrying about looking needy or insecure because I bad mouthed another company. If a client has a problem with that I don't care. We work 45 to 55 hours a week and never catch up. My reputation speaks for it's self and if another tree service reputation needs speaking for I have never been short on words.

 

[mckeetree]

I had a very good experience with that company but they were unable to do my job in the time-frame I needed, so I decided to give you a shot. Now you have really offended me with what you've said, and I am asking you to leave, right now!" I felt so stupid on the walk back to my truck. I learned my lesson, though.

Leave right now. I would not want to work for some corn ball that came out with some dumb sh!t like that anyway. Leave right now. Give me a break. That is about the gayest thing I have ever heard.

 

[treeseer]

"If you cannot bring good news, then don't bring any."

Robert Zimmerman, MN

 

[Ekka]

Yet to see anyone get sued for telling the truth, sounds to me like a bunch of gutless bastids around here.

What about cases like this?

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=68048

 

[046]

OP provided a link to channel 5 news in Kansas City (metro 1 million + folks)

 

[Ekka]

Like I said, Gutless Bastids.

You can read news or make it.

And reporting truth or facts is commendable, or forever parade the scum of the industry.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

So we shouldnt name a company that put peoples life in danger, screws over people, treats employees like rubbish, wrecks trees, lies cheats or steals.
So does this mean we can name models of saws that suck, or it would be wrong to say that brush bandit has sold defective chippers to arborsite members, or a certain seller on EBay is scamming people???

FFS. THIS IS WRONG. FREE SPEECH. OPINION. EDUCATED OPEN DEBATE. WARNING OTHERS OF DANGER

These are important things, why be muffled?

 

[treeseer]

IF you triple-check your facts, AND filter out your emotion, AND it is not done just to gain a competitive edge (this can backfire )reporting can be a public service.

The moderator did right because of the personal/inlaw issues involved colored the criticism indelibly.

I would divorce my motherinlaw if she hired anyone else..

 

[arbor pro]

I commented in the original thread that, an accusation without proof, is mearly slander. I believe Sunrise Guy and I were both expressing our concerns that the thread gave absolutely zero information about what the offending company did wrong to deserve the negative remarks.

If the original post had contained some photos of the alleged 'hack work' along with a better description (heck - any description) of the work actually done, the accusations may have been appropriate but, without any proof, it's just slander - or even worse, a bunch of worthless gossip.

If you're going to hack on a hack, just back up your accusations with proof. It's that simple. You'd demand the same from anyone else hacking on you or your company so why should anyone on this site be the exception? Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you...

 

[toddstreeservic]

I would strongly reccomend that my mother-in-law hire another tree company.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

(snip)

Sunrise Guy, what is your layman's opinion of my "Hall of Shame" on my site? No names are listed, just the pics of BAD treework.

My opinion, as a Certified Arborist, is that you're definitely doing the right thing by showing the public how others can do serious damage to trees with their bad work. I am thinking about adding such a page to my site. I do have a couple of pictures on there, right now, that show what happened to two trees that were buried too deep upon installation.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I had a very good experience with that company but they were unable to do my job in the time-frame I needed, so I decided to give you a shot. Now you have really offended me with what you've said, and I am asking you to leave, right now!" I felt so stupid on the walk back to my truck. I learned my lesson, though.

Leave right now. I would not want to work for some corn ball that came out with some dumb sh!t like that anyway. Leave right now. Give me a break. That is about the gayest thing I have ever heard.

The gal was trembling as she said it. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

 

[ropensaddle]

+1 on the removing of posts name calling never helps anything.
If I have a problem with you it wont be heard secondhand.
I will find you and state my case its called honor you either have
it or you don't! I also am accredited member of an organization
that will revoke your membership for slander. If it is truth I will
find you and state my feelings personally but not without investigation
and knowing fact. I have surprised many calling them out on **** they
have done but at least they heard it straight from the source.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I totally disagree. I tell it like it is. If a company needs accolades, I give them. If they are mediocre, I explain it. If they are pure sh!t, I run them into the ground and then stomp the ground. I am way, way past worrying about looking needy or insecure because I bad mouthed another company. If a client has a problem with that I don't care. We work 45 to 55 hours a week and never catch up. My reputation speaks for it's self and if another tree service reputation needs speaking for I have never been short on words.

As long as you have a good lawyer, I suppose you may not have to worry UNTIL you put down the wrong company that has a better lawyer.

In all seriousness, as a group, I don't find our peers to be overly litigious, but it only takes that one guy who decides to sue you for slander and then you're in for wasted time in court, legal expenses out the :censored: , possible bad publicity, etc. I figure, why bother? As long as I do great work and have happy repeat customers I'm not going to worry about putting down the work of others.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

+1 on the removing of posts name calling never helps anything.
If I have a problem with you it wont be heard secondhand.
I will find you and state my case its called honor you either have
it or you don't! I also am accredited member of an organization
that will revoke your membership for slander. If it is truth I will
find you and state my feelings personally but not without investigation
and knowing fact. I have surprised many calling them out on **** they
have done but at least they heard it straight from the source.

Walk tall, and carry a big six-shooter! You get 'em, Clint!

 

[ropensaddle]

Uhhhhhh my above post does not count for politicians as it
costs too much to find them to state the truth to them.

 

[mckeetree]

The gal was trembling as she said it. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Well you are lucky you didn't get involved with her work. I guarantee you she was a fruit cake.

 

[tree MDS]

I was disappointed the thread was pulled, but the reasoning is understandable. I do think it's sad that everywhere we look, everyone is more concerned with the liability they expose themselves to than with speaking the truth and doing what's right.

If everyone is afraid of getting sued because they called someone's bad treework bad, how is the public ever going to learn what good treework is?

Bad work is bad work, and if somebody is more interested in having their ego stroked than they are about learning the difference between bad treework and good treework, then I'm not the guy they should ask for an opinion. Because when they do, I politely express my opinion without even thinking about what they want to hear.

I'm sure it has probably cost me a few customers. It's made other customers savagely loyal. Some peoples personalitys jive when they interact, others don't.....just the way it goes.

The one thing I noticed when I looked at the website of the tree service in question from the previous thread was that they claimed 20+ years in business, but there was not a single picture of a tree they had trimmed. Only equipment pics, and removals in progress. They had a website, they had a camera....there must be a reason they didn't show any trees they'd trimmed.

Sunrise Guy, what is your layman's opinion of my "Hall of Shame" on my site? No names are listed, just the pics of BAD treework.

They did kinda look like hackers-and that was a pretty simple job that it seemed most of those pics were taken at, looks like someth'in a hack would be proud of, jmho.