Helped a guy out today

[Huskytree]

Get a call to see if I would be willing to help a guy out today. I get to the jobsite and see the guy is clearly in over his head. Not that I haven't been in his shoes, but I wanted to learn. This guy didn't seem to want to learn anything and seemed to think he could have done it. Anyways I get the tree down safely and start thinking, did I do the right thing? Am I incouraging this guy to continue to bite off more then he can chew?

 

[hanniedog]

You can not be blamed if that guy does not know the limitations of his felling ability.

 

[tree md]

Well, the last guy I helped out like that came walking up to my job site bloody and asked for help with a tree he was doing around the corner. He had done something to screw up his saw, Not sure how he bloodied himself but he said he had a tree notched and nearly cut through around the corner and his saw had quit working. I left my job to go see what the deal was because I knew it had to be a safety hazard for anyone walking around the area and school was about to let out. I let him borrow one of my saws to finish the cut, he free climbed up the large Pine with no gear on, dropped the top on the chain link fence then fell out of the tree on his way down. He had one more tree to do there and I volunteered to do it for him because I was afraid he was going to kill himself. Plus I was a lot younger and more naive. I even cut the logs up enough for him to be able to carry them. I won't go all in to how the guy screwed me after that but suffice to say that he proceeded to go around the neighborhood telling people that he worked for me and claimed to be insured through me. He also cost me a job that was around $3K...

That's the last time I helped anyone out.

 

[superjunior]

Get a call to see if I would be willing to help a guy out today. I get to the jobsite and see the guy is clearly in over his head. Not that I haven't been in his shoes, but I wanted to learn. This guy didn't seem to want to learn anything and seemed to think he could have done it. Anyways I get the tree down safely and start thinking, did I do the right thing? Am I incouraging this guy to continue to bite off more then he can chew?

that all depends on if your willing to keep bailing him out. if its worth it to both of you then why not? You make some $ and he learns, sounds like a good business deal to me.. as long as he doesn't become your local competition

 

[Pelorus]

The neighborhood drunk comes by once or twice a month to get me to sharpen his saw. Learning to run a file over the teeth is an insurmountable mountain to climb for some folks. Wouldn't be a big deal, except he usually drops by when I'm dead tired and feeling anti social. And of course the saw chain is always beat into the ground. Literally.

Anyway, last summer another neighbour asked me to give him a price on felling a couple of dead elms. He says that my other "best friend" (the one with antifreeze in his veins) had told him "don't call Dave (me); he's really expensive". Considering that the saw abuser has no idea what I charge, and furthermore he has never offered me so much as a nickel for working on his Poulan, it was a bit rich. Ended up doing the elms for next to nothing just to prove a point.

 

[CNBTreeTrimming]

Sounds fair to me as long as you made your money and didn't short yourself.

 

[Slvrmple72]

There are books and videos for sale.
He is local therefore he is competition.
What is the value of your work?

 

[CNBTreeTrimming]

The neighborhood drunk comes by once or twice a month to get me to sharpen his saw. Learning to run a file over the teeth is an insurmountable mountain to climb for some folks. Wouldn't be a big deal, except he usually drops by when I'm dead tired and feeling anti social. And of course the saw chain is always beat into the ground. Literally.

Anyway, last summer another neighbour asked me to give him a price on felling a couple of dead elms. He says that my other "best friend" (the one with antifreeze in his veins) had told him "don't call Dave (me); he's really expensive". Considering that the saw abuser has no idea what I charge, and furthermore he has never offered me so much as a nickel for working on his Poulan, it was a bit rich. Ended up doing the elms for next to nothing just to prove a point.

Now that's dirty. I woulda knocked his...in the dirt and told him not to get up, and I like to think most of the time I'm a pretty nice guy.

 

[superjunior]

Well, the last guy I helped out like that came walking up to my job site bloody and asked for help with a tree he was doing around the corner. He had done something to screw up his saw, Not sure how he bloodied himself but he said he had a tree notched and nearly cut through around the corner and his saw had quit working. I left my job to go see what the deal was because I knew it had to be a safety hazard for anyone walking around the area and school was about to let out. I let him borrow one of my saws to finish the cut, he free climbed up the large Pine with no gear on, dropped the top on the chain link fence then fell out of the tree on his way down. He had one more tree to do there and I volunteered to do it for him because I was afraid he was going to kill himself. Plus I was a lot younger and more naive. I even cut the logs up enough for him to be able to carry them. I won't go all in to how the guy screwed me after that but suffice to say that he proceeded to go around the neighborhood telling people that he worked for me and claimed to be insured through me. He also cost me a job that was around $3K...

That's the last time I helped anyone out.

Damn MD, that sounds like a bogus deal. I help out a couple locals around here if they need a boom or a crane pic or whatever. I'm friends with a lot of my local comp and It's really a good thing..I know whats going on. anyhow I have no problem helping others out if they need a climber or piece of equipment.

 

[deevo]

The neighborhood drunk comes by once or twice a month to get me to sharpen his saw. Learning to run a file over the teeth is an insurmountable mountain to climb for some folks. Wouldn't be a big deal, except he usually drops by when I'm dead tired and feeling anti social. And of course the saw chain is always beat into the ground. Literally.

Anyway, last summer another neighbour asked me to give him a price on felling a couple of dead elms. He says that my other "best friend" (the one with antifreeze in his veins) had told him "don't call Dave (me); he's really expensive". Considering that the saw abuser has no idea what I charge, and furthermore he has never offered me so much as a nickel for working on his Poulan, it was a bit rich. Ended up doing the elms for next to nothing just to prove a point.

I had a neighbour like that this past summer, had 3 companies give him quotes on 3 fairly big Sugar Maples. I was in the middle, he asked if I would do it for the one who bid the least I said sure why not. Told him I would do it in a week as I was busy. The day before I was going to do it I hear saws running and the whole bit, i am like WTF? The lowest bidder did it for $500 less. Whatever, next time he asks I'll tell him to go pound it! Arse holes! Lot's of em around!

 

[deevo]

Get a call to see if I would be willing to help a guy out today. I get to the jobsite and see the guy is clearly in over his head. Not that I haven't been in his shoes, but I wanted to learn. This guy didn't seem to want to learn anything and seemed to think he could have done it. Anyways I get the tree down safely and start thinking, did I do the right thing? Am I incouraging this guy to continue to bite off more then he can chew?

He will have an accident or kill himself sooner or later!

 

[Huskytree]

money

Its really not about money. He could have paid me 5K and I would be still thinking the same thing. I have nothing against teaching, not that I am even near qualified to teach this. If he wanted to learn then I would not have the feelings I do now. I have had to have help on a jobsite before, to me better safe then sorry. I took notes and paid attention to the help I got. Had this guy done the same I wouldn't be second guessing myself about helping him out. This to me is more an ethics issue then money or my compatition. I feel I am sorta incouraging him to take on more work that he does not have the skillset for with the thought that well I can just get help if I get in to far. I can say that I am not going to continue to bail him out.

 

[deevo]

Its really not about money. He could have paid me 5K and I would be still thinking the same thing. I have nothing against teaching, not that I am even near qualified to teach this. If he wanted to learn then I would not have the feelings I do now. I have had to have help on a jobsite before, to me better safe then sorry. I took notes and paid attention to the help I got. Had this guy done the same I wouldn't be second guessing myself about helping him out. This to me is more an ethics issue then money or my compatition. I feel I am sorta incouraging him to take on more work that he does not have the skillset for with the thought that well I can just get help if I get in to far. I can say that I am not going to continue to bail him out.

Sounds like a good plan

 

[dts99]

my blood pressure is rising just thinking about the friggen guys ive "help out" or did the whole job for, i had a guy (whos in jail right now) a climber whould do jobs around town and id go chip at the end of the day for a few hundred buck, good deal right, well he got comfortable with me and took opn the world cuz i would show up and chip for a few hundred bucks, like 10 monster pines limbed in to giant piles of weaved up mess with butts droped on top, i had to stop answering my phone. and my buddies dad who bought a old electic co bucket and went out after a bad storm to cash in on peoples unfortunate tree damage, he got in over his head couldnt do a job cuz his 45 foot bucket couldnt reach nothing, so i topped the 2 huge oaks over there house and hes guna pay me when he finishes all the trimming and hangers and gets payed, he never finished that i know of and i havent heard from him since.:mad2: i took me alot to learn that i have my own business and not help people that are hacks and ruin my good name

 

[NCSteveH]

my blood pressure is rising just thinking about the friggen guys ive "help out" or did the whole job for,.......... i took me alot to learn that i have my own business and not help people that are hacks and ruin my good name

And take good job opportunity's off the table for you. Seem's like they always take the gravy work, then do it for next to nothing.