The Tree Guy

We wanted to remove some of the overgrown shrubs and trim the trees - they were in dire need of it. We got a referral from my mother-in-law who knew a guy that did good work but "was a little eccentric". We talked on the phone with him and he came over on a Saturday. He spent quite a bit of time with us to look things over and understand what we were looking for. He then offered some recommendations of what to keep, what to remove, and what to trim. We asked for an estimate. He responded, "Give me a few minutes to walk the yard again."

He spent a few minutes walking around the yard, gesturing a bit toward various flora, and talking to himself. Then he came back and asked us to walk along with him so he could explain what he planned to do. Mostly his plan was good and he was clear about what I should do (cut down the small volunteer trees and the mostly dead apple) and what I should leave for him (trim the big firs, oaks, and maples). He also recommended waiting on the oaks until they were dormant later in the year - trim oaks only in months ending with "r" was his rule of thumb. Then he gave us the estimate. I was shocked - it was considerably less than half of what I expected. I tried to hold back my excitement and asked when he would be able to do the work. "Well," he started, "I think I can get to it on Monday afternoon."

I was flabbergasted. "Sounds good. Is there anything else you need before then?"

"No. I'd just like to say thank you for letting me care for your magnificent trees."

I just about fell over. To top it off, he came when he promised, did what he said he would, cleaned up when he was done, and again thanked us for the opportunity to "care for our magnificent trees".

He's not eccentric, just passionate about his work.

Now there is a customer service lesson.