transplanting question

[ronslawncare]

first thing i want to say is this site looks very nice .over the summer i had a customer who wanted three small tree transplanted to her new house. this had been the first year in the business i said i no how to do it but i cant be responsible if they die which i no is not professional. she agreed i transplanted all three one maple died the other two was fine.i told her i felt bad and when she gets her new shrubs i would plant one of them for free for her /and thats what i wounded up doing for her. i charged 25.oo each tree because they were small .my question is when something like this ocurrs do you just replace it.or do you think i handle it the roght way .thanx ronnie

 

[SJR Lawncare]

I think you did the right thing, given the circumstances. You did tell her that you did not guarentee they would survive. I always say that I cannot 100% guarentee anything transplanted will survive, there are too many variables;ie water, soil conditions, heat, sun etc. I do however guarentee all plants that I supply & install.

SJR

 

[UrbanEarth]

I think you handled it very well and I also think that it was very professional of you to state that you were not sure about it and did not guarantee the work. I never guarantee transplants unless I sub it out to a spade (and then they would have to guarantee it as well).
As SJR said, there are too many variables.

Alan

 

[Ray Morneau]

There might be a difference in the way East Coast & West Coast guys deal with this guarantee business.

(My brother in Minnesota has offered guarantees.)

However, from what I have seen the last 30 years in California, my peers do not guarantee that a plant will live. As stated in one of my "General Assumptions and Limiting Conditions" clauses:
"Due to the fact that trees are living organisms, the individual variability of each specimen in
each situation renders guarantees and/or warranties for my services impracticable. However,
following the codes of ethics endorsed by my peers and the professional organizations to which I
belong, I offer my opinions relying on my best professional judgment and suggesting best
management practices for my clients’ trees."

Obviously, there are variables from the clients' irrigation system to the weather which I cannot control. If I control more variables, then I discuss more responsibility for the long-range outcome. But, the weather? How much is in my contract for monitoring? What did I build into my $$$-proposal/contract to guarantee survival for how long a time?

Then again, relocating 24" diameter oaks is different from installing 5-gallon plant material per a landscape plan. I, too, think you made a great move, Ron, to replace the lady's plant and I bet it pays off in the long run for you. Customer service is so lacking in our world that you will stand out to offer it (if it doesn't run you broke).