Tree Talk....??

[lxt]

The "BBB" is a joke! they base dues/membership on how many employees you have! atleast thats how it works here!

I had a problem customer last year, went to magistrate, I end up settling with home owner...........could of fought it & a 50/50...but any way things were made right! I now have a B rating with the bbb! I call & ask how their report card works!

for each complaint or based on severity of complaint.......(mind you even false complaints) knocks off atleast 1 grade level.........we`re back in elementary school now, for every year without you jump up a grade level............Hmmmm... after 3 years your slate is wiped clean! what a bunch of crap!!

just like you said newsawtooth......I agree 100%, even if you make it right/settle or are falsely complained about....you suffer, but the illegal hack working for cash gets by unscathed!!

LXT.............

 

[ropensaddle]

The "BBB" is a joke! they base dues/membership on how many employees you have! atleast thats how it works here!

I had a problem customer last year, went to magistrate, I end up settling with home owner...........could of fought it & a 50/50...but any way things were made right! I now have a B rating with the bbb! I call & ask how their report card works!

for each complaint or based on severity of complaint.......(mind you even false complaints) knocks off atleast 1 grade level.........we`re back in elementary school now, for every year without you jump up a grade level............Hmmmm... after 3 years your slate is wiped clean! what a bunch of crap!!

just like you said newsawtooth......I agree 100%, even if you make it right/settle or are falsely complained about....you suffer, but the illegal hack working for cash gets by unscathed!!

LXT.............

I tried the bbb thing three years then got in poor times and quit. Believe it or not those dues add up.

 

[Labman]

There I fixed it for you:angel: Ok guys here is what we do lol , we form our own brotherhood put the requirement of ten years documented off ground experience. Certification is not a requirement but is valued to be in our club. We can call it the A teamtree and we pool our skills to fight back. We run it by election of representatives who will be expected to stand heel to toe with these binny man enterprises and political regimes. We find a way to make us stand out and have benefits of joining the club to attract only experienced and legal citizens. Of course there will be dues for joining but we set it up non-profit though its workers and elected officials needed to run it and keep records get paid a fair but published salary. Benefits will be promotion advertising, discounted health benefits, discounted insurance benefits etc. Our elected officials will be paid fair but not a killing the whole aspect and goal will be focus on the best bang per buck for members and in domains that actually reduce their expenses. The A teamtree will instead of becoming fattened by greed make it like a coop and profits after necessary expense and prudent reserve will be refunded to members. Also there will be emergency fund set aside for qualifying tragedies such as a members home burning etc. I guess it is a silly dream but it seems like one way of combating the greedy leaches that prey on us each year

As a home owner, I am more comfortable dealing with somebody I have heard of. I do nearly all of my own work, but if I need to call in help, I want a professional, not a local hack. So how do I tell the difference? I am also suspecious of larger companies. Those guys with the orange trucks aren't going to top my trees, but how about my wallet?

You may be on to something, a viable business plan. A name, standards, marketing, etc. Most of you can't afford to educate the public that topping isn't good practice. Look at Ace Hardware.

 

[ropensaddle]

As a home owner, I am more comfortable dealing with somebody I have heard of. I do nearly all of my own work, but if I need to call in help, I want a professional, not a local hack. So how do I tell the difference? I am also suspecious of larger companies. Those guys with the orange trucks aren't going to top my trees, but how about my wallet?

You may be on to something, a viable business plan. A name, standards, marketing, etc. Most of you can't afford to educate the public that topping isn't good practice. Look at Ace Hardware.

You are already 90 times better than the average homeowner for even being here. It is hard to educate ho's, topping has been a no no for as long as I have been in arboriculture and still, so many want their trees mutilated. I think you could spot through conversation who was a hack. Many however couldn't,maybe some prime time public info stating the effects of improper pruning could get their attention!

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

titles

Yes the BBB is a joke. All they want is money and then more money. They dont do any advertising for ya. They call me each year. And I tell them to stick it where the sun dont shine!!
Now the FDA - Fraud Drug Administration... Dont get me started.

 

[BC WetCoast]

BC....you are right about one thing, people want someone to oversee things & promise them all will be good...........unfortunately, thats what customer service usually does, in regards to tree care...........depending on area, Im not sure many will care, you do a good biz, be honest, make it right & do the best you can do!! this will go further than any 3rd party selling accredited status


LXT............

In the short term, residential customers will probably not care about 3rd party accreditation. But who would have predicted 15 years ago that there would be a significant demand in the grocery store for "Certifed Organic' food. Or people demanding lumber with an FSC certification.

 

[NCTREE]

I just love it how guys on here talk #### on the small guy just getting started like they have no business trying to get a business up in running. They all had to start some where and were all in the same boat at one time. Its rather ####ing hipocritical. Get your ####ing nose out of you own ass. You aren't any better than the next guy. If your starting a biz or have been in biz for a short time and are working towards building a legit biz than do it. It's impossible to start a tree service biz at the snap of a finger and expect to follow all the rule and guidelines. The biz wouldn't survive very long. Having said that, don't be a hack!

 

[NCTREE]

In the short term, residential customers will probably not care about 3rd party accreditation. But who would have predicted 15 years ago that there would be a significant demand in the grocery store for "Certifed Organic' food. Or people demanding lumber with an FSC certification.

FSC lumber just means that the timber was managed in a sustainable way, their is no guantee of quality of the lumber. I graded lots of FSC lumber in my days as a log grader and most of it was junk. All the FSC lumber came from state or federal land. Some of the nicest well managed timber i've seen came from private land. If the buyer really knew what they were paying for when they bought FSC lumber then I'd think they would change their minds.

Now "Cert. Organic" food is a joke. I would buy my food from the amish guy down the street before I'd ever buy food in a grocery store claiming to be "Cert. Organic". Buy fresh buy local.

 

[lxt]

NC.........well said! the problem is in what you said to.. cerified this, regulated that & some 3rd party sees a way to make money, its not for the betterment of the industry although they preach such, look at the ISA:

I remember when a certified arborist was similar to a doctor, very few around, highly respected & familiar in all tree care aspects........fast forward 15+ yrs & now there are thousands, many cant/dont climb & on & on. Bottom line is.... they have cheapened the cert. by watering it down, only to promote another cert. with a little more effort needed to obtain.

do we really need a BCMA certification? NO! so why create such.....seriously? its for the money!!!!! if they put the same standard into the CA cert...there would be no need for the BCMA designation, however.....they dont wanna lose CA`s, that would mean less money....so create something more costly to make the credential holder fell more authoritive about themselves!!

I remember a certain person on this site razzing me about "if you think its so easy take the test" this came from the fact I stated I was just as knowledgeable as any CA in my area..........well I took the test & passed easily, I didnt want to, it didnt make me any better.........but for the purpose of obtaining work on certain contracts I thought it would be an advantage......silly me!!!

Now.........another Cert from the competitor organization..........well Im saying kiss my ? to that!! enough is enough! I understand being certified, but as a biz owner, I pay taxes!!!!!! employ people, follow the rules as best as possible & so on......WHO IN THE HELL DOES TCIA THINK THEY ARE???? lobby & try to enforce a meaningless designation that large companies are happy to help out with cause they cant compete................its called free enterprise!! & as long as I do things by the book/to the best of my ability...then I deserve the same chance as them!!!!





LXT............

 

[pdqdl]

... It would be fun in a way to apply and work as a newbie until they figure out different.

Nice try rope! You don't really think you would get hired as a newbie somewhere, do you?

1. You couldn't stand working that cheap.
2. You wouldn't likely be chosen from among the large field of other (but younger) potential newbies.
3. Chances are good that you would be spotted as a pro the first time you opened your mouth in the interview.

 

[ropensaddle]

Nice try rope! You don't really think you would get hired as a newbie somewhere, do you?

1. You couldn't stand working that cheap.
2. You wouldn't likely be chosen from among the large field of other (but younger) potential newbies.
3. Chances are good that you would be spotted as a pro the first time you opened your mouth in the interview.

Lol well I maybe could act a little mentally challenged and use d instead of t. Like dalk like dhis ya know

 

[rageracer83]

I was a foreman 20 years, it has been cheapened since early eighties. It now is just a title of someone who does the managers job,the hands job, and catches the flack after their superior gets back from golfing I hate corporate enterprise can you feel it lol:monkey:

holy hell. you just said the same exact thing i've been saying since i was "promoted" to a foreman at Davey. I lil xtra pay for 10 times the bs you deal with. Sometimes it just seems not worth it. Needless to say im looking for other employment in the meantime.