As a long-time “tree guy” and the current sales and operations manager at a sizeable family owned arboriculture and vegetation management company, I thought I would share something I wrote aimed at upping the standard in the industry, in our company, and also as a guide for anyone hiring tree companies to work on their properties:
Being the Best Tree Care Company – Seven Things That Will Set You Apart from the Competition
If it’s your mission to be among the best tree care companies in the industry, it stands to reason that you have to consistently do a handful of things better than your competition. Here are seven things that make great tree care companies stand out:
1) Leaving Work Sites Free of Property Damage – The cost of doing damage to property on a tree job extends well beyond the cost of repairs and the loss of profit on the job. The tree business is highly competitive and margins are tight. But the reputational damage, loss of referrals, and the opportunity cost of having sales and estimating staff running around matching building materials and getting them delivered and replaced, when they could be out looking at new work, removes any hope of profit on a job. A big part of avoiding property damage incidents involves seeing risks of the job ahead of time, and taking the necessary steps to avoid damage at all costs. This starts with the estimator accounting for the time to do things right, making sure the crew brings the proper gear and protection items (and uses them), doing a pre-walk of the site before the work begins, and watching for changing conditions during the day. Other ways of protecting customer property from damage include using high impact plastic mats or already downed tree debris to protect surfaces, and being mindful to not allow vehicle, chipper or other equipment leaks or exhaust damage lawns or driveway surfaces, and selecting smart chainsaw fueling locations off of manicured lawns and stainable hard surfaces.
2) Avoiding “Topping” Trees Without a Sound Reason - While some types of work or specific tree safety issues demand that trees be topped to achieve necessary clearances to utility lines or to address defects, topping previously un-topped trees should be avoided. Aggressive “suckering” and/or abnormal growth will almost always occur following topping, requiring more frequent and costly ongoing trimming, and introducing opportunities for the entry of pests and disease. Most topped deciduous trees will quite quickly achieve the same height that they were at prior to topping, but will have more than double the amount of material growing at that height. Sometimes, there's no getting away from topping, but there's almost always a better alternative, including passing up the job and letting someone else permanently ruin a tree.
3) Employing Sound Pruning Principles: Avoiding Stub Cuts, Rip Cuts and Flush Cuts; Always Cutting to Lateral Branches or Branch Collars, and Using Sharp Pruning Tools (Not Chainsaws) for Ornamental Pruning – Cutting branches in a way that allows the cuts to heal quickly looks better and reduces the time window for pest and disease entry. Making relief cuts to remove the main weight on a branch before making a final cut through the branch collar where the branch meets the trunk or secondary stem avoids ripping, speeds healing, and looks cleaner.
4) Leaving Splittable, Uniform Length, and Squarely Cut Firewood Behind – As much as possible, in order to keep the job budget in check and to reduce the potential for lifting injuries, tree estimators may encourage customers to retain the firewood from a tree takedown. Ultimately, leaving the firewood behind may not be desired, so the necessary equipment will be mobilized and billed for in order to do it safely. It makes a huge difference to the customer if the wood left behind is of uniform length, sits squarely on a chopping block, and can be hand split if necessary. As a customer, nothing is worse than trying to re-buck a 20” block into two splittable lengths with their foot right next to the chainsaw bar, or trying to split a piece that can’t be stood upright or stay square in a hydraulic splitter. It’s also often a good idea to vary the bucking length based on the diameter of the wood. 12” to 16” bucking means a bit more work for the crew than 18-20” bucking, but you won’t end up with a customer cursing your company’s name when they go to manage the wood.
5) Doing Stellar Cleanups – unless otherwise specified on the work order as “no cleanup” or “takedown only”, it is easy to stand out as a professional tree company by making sure that the rake-up and blow-off of all surfaces, including the spillover zone beneath the mouth of the chipper chute, roofs and eaves troughs are left free of any debris that was created by the work. Start at the highest point, work down, and keep all debris moving toward the truck and chipper.
6) Maintaining Crew Appearance and Synergy – Tree companies that sweep onto a job site looking and operating like a unit are remembered favorably by customers, neighbors, and inspectors. Uniform looking, recently cleaned safety orange tops, chainsaw pants that are in good repair, and wearing uniform PPE looks great, and inspires confidence in the company.
7) Practicing Efficiency of Movement – Every efficiency that can be built into a crew’s day ultimately makes a tree company able to be more competitive, field nicer equipment, and be able to share its success with the guys on the ground that are making it happen. The more unbillable morning mobe time that a tree company has to pad into estimates, the fewer jobs can be won on jobs that are being awarded solely on price (as many are). From having a guy start the paperwork at the beginning and end of the day while others are readying the saws and mats or wrapping up the cleanup for a quick departure to the next location, to making every move in the air and on the ground count, it all makes the company more competitive and makes them stand out. Get out the door, practice economy of movement in the tree and on the ground during the day, and get ‘er done.
In conclusion, be an arborist, a lover of trees and a steward of your environment, not a weekend warrior or a “hack”. Be a positive representative of the industry, and leave behind a legacy of properly pruned trees that provide beauty and value to the community for decades! 