Storm Work, Staking the claim... Lesson learned.

[SouthSoundTree-]

Had a funky situation today. Big wind yesterday. Nanny cancels this morning. Was going to do a job with a tipped tree, and two dead, next to a clear cut supposedly with root disease. Canceled that. Sent employee home.

Took D to preschool in the car, rather than my truck, as now I have no childcare to pick her up from preschool until the end of the day. As I'm pulling up to preschool, I get a call about two cedars on a rental house just down the road. Poked two holes in the roof, and crushed the add-on back porch.

I run down after dropping D in class, and start reaching out for childcare on the phone. Get to the house, pull out the two stubs broken off that went through the 4-12 roof. Property Owner is elderly, and heading to an important doctors appt this morning when she gets the call about the 2am crash, and isn't readily available by phone after our initial conversation at 10am.

Skip ahead.

Drop D off at child care arranged in town at 1 pm, buy a tarp and roofing tar (should have on hand), and head back out of town with the mini. I could have easily done this job with the mini and called my friend with the grapple truck.

Almost to the job site with work truck and mini, and the Property Owner calls. The renters had called the Property Management company who called Two Schmoe's Dull Saw and No PPE Tree Service, who got out there 1/2 an hour before me.



It was a weird situation.

Had I stayed with my work truck rather than taken my car (preferred kid-mobile), and had tar and tarp on hand, I could have zipped off all the limbs, kicking them off the house, plugged the two holes, and staked a claim as having begun on the project, and gotten back in time to pick D up from preschool. Worst thing would have been losing the job to a yet to be signed contract, having done minimal work. Could have made a bunch of money on it.

When I worked a tornado about 7 years ago, people were trying to get a bunch of jobs sealed. We had a bigger sweetgum tipped on the house, entirely over the house. Some we were there (friend's local tree company). He was selling the job for $3k for an obvious insurance job due to structural damage, Joe and Schmoe tried to grab it out from us on the phone, bidding $900. $900 would have covered the takedown with curbside disposal if the tree was standing up, not on and over the house. My friend told the crew to unload, and he started cutting, having gotten a signed contract already. We did the job. He got paid.


Speaking to the insurance adjuster for 15 minutes about the extend of damage and do they need a Dry-out team, she said that it was approved for payment for the tree removal so long as it wasn't totally ridiculous, and we could get it tarped. Their main concern is paying for water damage, and structural damage.


Please share your experiences.



At least I saw a customer with her friend who lived right near the cedar job. He's got a big maple 4" from his gutter at his house that he bought 6 months ago. She and I are slightly friends, having worked for her many times, and had an enjoyable rapport. Good referral for her friend.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Rub some dirt on it!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

No lesson other than you don't want that kind of client brother. If that is who they want to hire just because 1/2 hour. Let alone the lower price. Next!

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

There was a Property Owner of the rental home, with a Property Management company who was contacted. PM company didn't know the PO called me, due to the whole doctor's appt thing. Nothing malicious. Just "crossed wires".

PO apologized and offered to pay "your bill" (meaning my bill of an unspecified amount). I told her $200 was normal for mobilization for the storm, and I was 1 mile from the job. It was only me, and the mini behind the pick-up. Sounded fair. She apologized a number of times. I don't know how she found out that the other crew was there. Could have been the PMco calling her to say that the Mike's Tree Co had begun work.

 

[Steve Mack]

I don't like Property Management companys. Worked for one for years, knew the owner and his wife from when they first started. They gave me a fair bit of work, and I did them a few personal favors but the jobs were always hard ones and risky.

Got a call to do a stump from a guy who turned out to be their rubbish clean up guy and he was telling me how much money he was making doing their tree jobs. A lot more than me, and all easy good paying ones. Told the owner to get stuffed after that.

He must have taken it literally because he got caught screwing the secretary not long after. They had a really nice house and 5 acre property, I'm sure his wife is enjoying it now.

 

[flushcut]

No lesson other than you don't want that kind of client brother. If that is who they want to hire just because 1/2 hour. Let alone the lower price. Next!

^this

 

[woodslinger]

I just did a leaf cleanup for a friend from highschool and former landlord. She asked me about some tree work she has had estimates for and going lowest price for everything. I was not upset walking away with no tree work from her, still a friend, just not my preferred client.