Here's a new one---for me---

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Sunrise Guy

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We were hauling out wood and brush between two high-dollar homes overlooking some cliffs. Great view. It was 7:30AM, today. We had done the bulk of the work, yesterday, which is why I'm on here at 9:45AM, today. Yesterday, while we were taking down a tree that arched into the adjacent property, the homeowner of that property yelled out, "Why are you cutting down MY tree? I did not give you my permission!" "Uh, M'am, if you'll trace that tree back to its base you'll see that it most definitely is not your tree." "Well, don't touch any of my trees!" "M'am, your trees need some serious work. Your husband keeps telling me, each time I call him, that he needs to check with you, to see if he can hire us. You really should let him."

OK, now on to today, and the new one, for me: We were hauling up the brush and wood, as mentioned, above. All of a sudden the same weirdo homeowner from the adjacent property appears on her balcony. Keep in mind it's 7:30 AM and a half-hour past my city's "quiet time" ordinance. We were not yelling or even talking very loud. We were concentrating on getting out of there ASAP. "Excuse me! Can you keep your voices down! (That's the new one) There are people trying to sleep, up here!" "M'am, we can keep our voices down, but our chainsaws, which we're going to fire up in another five minutes, will not be able to!" I wanted to simply say, "BITE ME!" to this weirdo, but I kept that inside. Once we were cutting, she never appeared, again. Needless to say, I won't be calling her husband for the gig, ever again. In truth, I strongly believe he was using the old "I need to ask my wife/husband" dodge, that really irks me, the three times I called him. He had hired me, then cancelled, then hired me, then cancelled. With his "lovely" wife, I feel sorry for the guy.
 
Some people are just so weird. I have customers say things i couldn't even make up if you paid me. On our tree farm a guy calls and ask me "do you grow live trees" i say no sir we grow fake trees. Idk what he wanted cause he said oh well that's not what i'm looking for and hung up?
i could go on but its no use you probably wont even believe some of the thing i here i still don't.

Those rich people just like hearing themselves talk.
 
It may sound very unprofessional but when I am really negotiatiating a job on something straight forward and I am very close to selling the job and the pull the "I'll talk to my wife" card. I say oh so your wife wears the pants? Be honest. How many of you guys would not want to prove that other guy wrong?
 
It may sound very unprofessional but when I am really negotiatiating a job on something straight forward and I am very close to selling the job and the pull the "I'll talk to my wife" card. I say oh so your wife wears the pants? Be honest. How many of you guys would not want to prove that other guy wrong?

very good line, not only is it affective, but if he has to ask his wife then what the hell did you just waste your time talking to him for?
 
Gonna need to ask the wife when to start clean-up and re-building when the tree fall on a structure?

Good rebuttal guys.

Jeff
 
Its not fair. You guys get all the weirdo's.

Once, just once. I want some long haired tree hugger to call me a tree rapist or an eco vandal. I once went to a save the forest meeting with my flouro work shirt on. It has Jims Trees written in bold across the back. I guess I was looking for a little fun.... Didn't get one single bite. Grrrrrr. Where have all the hardcore hippies gone!

On a brighter note, I did once have a dodgy looking character ask me if I ever have any bad debt problems. I looked him square in the eye and said "mate, I've got a 17inch chipper, a bobcat and a big back yard. They wouldnt even find the pieces". He paid. :)
 
Just answer the lady with your polite intentions: yell up to her "YES MAAM!"


And then carry on as usual.

If she yells at you again, holler up to her as loud as you can: "SORRY TO DISTURB YOUR LATE MORNING MAAM, BUT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! WE MUST BE HEARD OVER THE NOISE OF OUR EQUIPMENT!


UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF US ARE HARD OF HEARING!

She'll get the hint, and have nothing (really) to complain about.
 
Just answer the lady with your polite intentions: yell up to her "YES MAAM!"


And then carry on as usual.

If she yells at you again, holler up to her as loud as you can: "SORRY TO DISTURB YOUR LATE MORNING MAAM, BUT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! WE MUST BE HEARD OVER THE NOISE OF OUR EQUIPMENT!


UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF US ARE HARD OF HEARING!

She'll get the hint, and have nothing (really) to complain about.

Well sounds like my wife and if shes anything like my wife then she wount get the hint. So just do like I do and ignore her. Yell back I no speaka da english.
 
Its not fair. You guys get all the weirdo's.

Once, just once. I want some long haired tree hugger to call me a tree rapist or an eco vandal. I once went to a save the forest meeting with my flouro work shirt on. It has Jims Trees written in bold across the back. I guess I was looking for a little fun.... Didn't get one single bite. Grrrrrr. Where have all the hardcore hippies gone!

On a brighter note, I did once have a dodgy looking character ask me if I ever have any bad debt problems. I looked him square in the eye and said "mate, I've got a 17inch chipper, a bobcat and a big back yard. They wouldnt even find the pieces". He paid. :)

Ill trade spots with you. I get idiots all the time it is such a waist of time.
They call and ask if my trees are green or how they smell or if their real or alive....their frigging trees! What makes people think of the #### they say i cant even begin to figure it out.

One winter I went out to plow at 3 AM and I see the crack head neighbor sifening gas out my truck. At $4 a gallon i was pissed and he had 2 5 gallon cans. I can say he learned his lesson. Then i plowed a 6ft wall of snow in front of his house and over his driveway. He was digging out with 3 people for a day and a half.

And they have you do a job even tho they don't have the money so you have to wait for them to get their #### together. Then they try to get you to feel some sympathy for them and not pay the bill. I don't run a charity.
 

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