Tree Services

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Take downs. Most customers perfer to selectively rid their property with unwanted, dead, or hazardous trees.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. The only advice I can offer in this regard is for them to get more than one estimate before they pay someone a ton of money for a job they could have paid less for and then, too, not to always think just because a service claims to have all this experience, credentials, etc. that they can always do a better job then the newer tree service because the bigger tree services are out for money the same as the smaller ones but the only difference is that the smaller and newer one will go to greater lengths to make for themselves a good name unlike some of the more established tree services.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Me personally, I would want to know how to trim trees and the art behind it. One secret to share in this regard is too not make flush cuts too close to the bark and the branch collar and when you use a chainsaw to trim somewhat bigger branches than an ornamental tree use this technique: Make sure your bottom cut and top cut line up...don't offset these cuts as previously thought for fear of getting your bar and chain stuck or injury from the way the wood splits. Make your bottom cut first then cut directly on top of the bottom cut but not to close to you branch collar. and this method is safe and tested. Wear saftey equipment, make sure your blade is sharp, never stand directly under the limb you plan to cut, get help if you need it and trim successfully.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. How big is the tree, is it close to the house or power lines or other personal property of yours or your neighbors? Do you need the brush cleared or chipped or hauled off? Do you need stump grinded? It is fairly simple to know exactly what to ask before you seek and most times customers who are not quite sure ask us and we are here to help about certain trees, etc.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I treat the customer's personal property like my own. By showing and operating safely, being organized, and simply by giving my all until the job is over this puts the customer's mind at ease and provides the greatest satisfaction to know that they feel that are being well taken care of.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love the fact that I am never in the same area all the time. I love being outdoors too it is truly a blessing to be my own boss in these tough economic times but having peace of mind through it all. There is really no way to describe the satisfaction derived from my line of work even though there are risk.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How much is this going to cost me? This in there minds is a major concern. And as in in most cases if you were to ask many of my first time or my repeat customers they would tell you that it not going to be cheap but neither will it 'break the bank.' I offer exceptional pricing and there will be no 'sticker shock' once you see my estimate.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I was working on in SE Winston-Salem and I had a real nervous customer who had a large dead pine tree between his two buildings and he was skeptical of my skills as a tree man and so I limbed lower limbs on the tree and I notched it out where I wanted it to fall and I had them pull and sure enough it fell right dead between the both of them and he was beside himself and all the rest of my time there he volunteered his help along with his friend and his two sons and he gave me a tip too. I rank this experience as one of my favorite jobs.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. The risk involvled and how they can't expect us to cut down their trees for little next to nothing. So customers should expect certain tree jobs to cost more than others because, indeed, this is one of the most deadliest jobs in the world.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I worked in landscaping pretty much all my life and I kind of fell into tree work along the way and I have loved doing it every since after working with a tree service for the first time years ago.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I limbed two great big oaks that were surrounded by a house and power lines with no bucket truck, just one ground man and ropes and so I climbed both trees and we roped the limbs. They took well to the pruning and are growing fine.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes I stay as up to date as possible with new climbing techniques and saftey procedures. And, of course, the invention of new and improved tools even if I can't always afford them.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. There is nothing major or new going on at the moment that I am aware of but if anything ever changes I will keep you posted. And, remember safety always comes first!

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I cleared about 7-10 limbs from over a man's house and it took a little over an hour and I only charged the man $50.00 for him being a senoir and a first time customer and he gave me $75.00 because he was so pleased with the job.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. No, mainly my concern is what is the tree(s) close to if indeed they are close to anything at all. All my first time customers get a discounted price and I never charge for estimates.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Take advantage of free advertising were ever you can find it such as Thumbtack.com and never pay for it because you will regret it later. Be wise and pass out fliers. Save money for a rainy day. Listen to others who have been doing this for years and seek their advice before you make costly mistakes. Have fun and enjoy the freedoms of owning a tree service. Be fair and treat customers right and by all means please be safe.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. What is your objective when you come to estimate a tree job, and why?

My overall objective is to offer the customer the cheapest way to solve his or her tree care needs and while this does not make me rich but I am satisfied with knowing the customer really appreciates my work and will call me back again and spread my name around to others about my work and this, my friend, is where true job security comes to the fore by means of referrals