A Tree Crew Just Left My House.

[MineralMan]

Some volunteer maple trees had come up behind our garage (damned maples) and were in the electrical wires in the utility easement. I had started on pruning things back a couple of weeks ago, but it looked like too dangerous a job for my amateur tree-trimming skills. So, I called Excel Energy, our power company. Someone came and checked and agreed that it wasn't a good situation. The power company handles that kind of thing at no charge to homeowners, which I didn't know until I looked on their website. They contract out the work to tree services in the area, I discovered. Good news for me. Bad news was that the power company said that they'd only cut the trees back so they didn't pose a risk to their power lines. Oh well. I could handle the rest, I figured.

So, today, a truck from Wright Tree Service pulled up and a crew of five had showed up to do this modest job. I walked back with the crew leader to check things out. He looked at the maples and said, "You know, it would be easier for us if we just took these things down to the ground. Would that be OK with you?" I said, "That'd be great." Then he said, "Normally, we leave the brush and branches, but I have a big crew, so we'll just chip it all up for you. No problem." "That'd be wonderful," I responded.

Anyhow, it took them less than an hour to cut those big, 4-inch diameter saplings down, drag them to the street and chip them up. I was out in the front yard watching the chipper eat the stuff and turn it into mulch. Finally, the crew leader came over to tell me they were through. I offered my thanks, and asked, "Can I contribute to morning coffee or lunch for your crew?" "No need for that," he said. I handed him $40 anyhow, and told him that I insisted. He pocketed the money and just said, "Thanks." They had gone way beyond what their contract with the power company called for, were friendly, efficient and did a great job. They even chipped the branches I had already trimmed and stacked up. I'm very appreciative for all of that extra stuff, but they did it just because they did it.

A good experience for a Thursday morning. Good folks working here in the Twin Cities. Working people often go beyond what they're required to do, and often get nothing for their extra effort, not even a thank you.

So, Thanks, Guys! This 68-year-old guy appreciates it a lot. Now, I'll head over to Yelp! and write a good review of Wright Tree Service.

[NV Whino]

1. Maybe you could send them out here

Davy Tree handles the PG&E contract in NoCal, and they are the worst bunch of tree trimmers that I have ever seen. Their objective is only to trim branches growing up into the power lines, which leaves a lot of lopsided trees. They don't trim branches, however dead they may be, that overhang the power lines, which frequently leaves us without power when the branches break off and fall onto the power lines. Total insanity.

[MineralMan]

2. Tree companies who work for the utilities

get a lot of complaints, that's for sure. In my case, these weren't trees I wanted in the first place. They're seedlings that I've neglected and that grew behind my garage at the lot line. No trimming was needed. They needed to be gone. The utility only pays the crews to remove stuff that is actually a danger to the power lines, so the result is often not all that aesthetic. That wasn't an issue for me at all.

My issues was that if they did that, I'd have to cut the rest down myself. I could do that, of course. I have a chain saw and know how to do the work. And then there's the brush and limbs. I could haul them to the city's chipping yard, but I'd have to rent a truck to do it, since I don't have a truck any more.

The crew that showed up could have just whacked these big saplings off under the power lines. They could have left the debris for me to deal with. They didn't do that. Why? Because I went out when they arrived and met the crew leader. I was pleasant and discussed the job with him. He could see that I had been in there trimming stuff myself. He could also see that I'm an old fart. He had four other guys with him and a chipping truck.

So, he decided to do a complete job, rather than the easiest thing that only met the contract requirements. His option. He did a lot more than I expected, and I would have been OK with the minimum, since it was the power lines I was concerned about. A power outage in Minnesota in the winter time is an emergency. Still, I was very appreciative of the crew clearing the whole line of saplings and chipping everything up. They did not have to do that. Maybe I was just lucky and got a good crew. I don't know, but I think there's more to it than that.

They get a lot of people coming out and being assholes about what they're hired to do. When that happens, they do a crappy job. Why would they do more than the contract required. This crew did more than required. I hoped they would. I made it clear that I appreciated the extra effort.

It's all in the approach and attitude. It's often all about the approach and attitude.

[NV Whino]

4. Approach and attitude, right.

Yes, it took six years of virtually getting down on my knees and begging them to take down a junk tree that they had been laterally trimming for umpty-ump years until it had only five branches on one side and two on the other. Finally they did it (after six years of pleading). They did haul away the small branches, but after three years, the sawed up trunk still remains, rotting, where it fell.

Good sense is not part of their protocol.

[MineralMan]

5. OK. I guess I just had good luck.

In any case, they did a good job at my place. Sorry you didn't have the same experience.

[warrior1]

3. SMUD does that too

I have a few big trees on the other side of my fence. They are no where near the power lines that cross at the fence line, but the lop the tops off time to time. They never get the trees that are actually touching the lines. Go figure. We are expecting some ferocious winds today.

[mercuryblues]

6. a few weeks

ago they were cutting down some beautiful old oak trees around the corner from my house. It is a shame, but they had to go, the were leaning and looked about ready to fall. My son was driving by and asked what they were going to do with the trees. They were taking them somewhere, where they had had to pay for drop off.

My son smiled and said, you can drop them off in my yard for free. A few hours later, we got enough wood for the winter and he had $50 in his pocket. Instead of having to drive a distance and pay for disposal.

[MineralMan]

7. Your son is a smart guy.

It's always worth asking. One time, I was driving down a street near my home in California, where a phone crew was working on a project where they were installing phone lines underground. There was a big pile of 3/8" yellow polypropylene rope on the ground near one of the trucks. I stopped and chatted with a guy who was working hard leaning against the truck. I asked him, "What happens to all that rope?" He said that they only used it once to pull phone cable through the pipe. Really? He told me I could take as much of it as I wanted. Well, I was driving a pickup truck, so I put it all in the back. Hundreds of yards of it. It filled the truck bed.

I gave rope away for a long time to my friends from that pile. It was great for tying down loads and such needs. It wasn't great rope, but it was free rope.

It never hurts to ask.

[mercuryblues]

8. not really.

He had to help cut it and split it.

Yup, my son always stops and asks. 50% of the time he gets the wood.

I can actually see why they would only use the rope once. It would weaken it increasing the possibility of it snapping the next time it is used. Perfect for less stress inducing uses. I call it recycling at its best.

[MineralMan]

9. That's part of it, but

putting that rope back on the big spool used by those trucks wouldn't be worth doing. That type of rope is very inexpensive, and it's not hugely strong in the first place. Since wear could cause it to break, they just throw it away. If you're lucky, you get some useful rope for free.

I used to heat with wood, too, and I had a couple of tree services who would drop off at my house when they removed trees. I loved it. I had a power splitter, so it wasn't too hard to split. I don't think I ever paid for firewood. Another guy built fences for people. He dropped off old wooden fence posts and boards at my place. I burned the posts and split the boards for kindling.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. It's always nice when you get great service

I actually thought the story wouldn't end well with the electric company sending you a bill.

[MineralMan]

11. Well, they send me a nice big bill every month.

Living in Minnesota has its drawbacks, it seems. Moving into the winter months, those drawbacks will soon become apparent, once again. But those wild trees won't knock the power out this year, anyhow.

Getting good service isn't usually all that difficult, but it depends, in part, on how you approach the people providing the service.

[IrishAyes]

12. Out of all the trouble I've been through with some people here in RedNeckLand,

that doesn't include the town crews. We just got our first garbage truck, and the guys always leave my trash can upright with the lid on. I notice other people's stuff gets tossed around like most companies do. If I'm outside when they come, they hand the container back over the fence to me so I don't have to go trudging out for it. Nice guys - I always smile and thank them. Same goes for the other crews too.

Sometimes I almost wonder just a little bit, though, if they might also appreciate the way I've sometimes buttonholed their bosses in a way they can't, and the letters I write in the newspaper are clearly pro-prole. Don't let the suits know this, but I suspect some of their employees might be secret Democrats.