I Hate Dead Stuff
- Thread starter Steve Connally
- Start date
Brother you made a good call. I'm rather fearless when it comes to climbing trees, and that is to say that I know my different woods well enough to walk a fine line, but I would never. People just really don't get it. Often enough we get comments like we got some squirrel in us, or the people are certain that we derived from monkeys, but we ain't stupid either.So conversation with estimator goes like this.
Hey xxxxxxx what was your plan to get this pine down?
Just block it down
Well that won't work
Why?
Really? It's deader than fuck. Not to mention the 2 bees nests one at 40' the other at the top. I have no close trees to tie into.
Oh can't the bucket do it?
Xxxxxxx, the bucket is 50' the tree is 80' you do the math
Can't you throw a big top?
Did I describe the condition of e tree enough? It's leaning over the primaries.
So pull it with the swinger
So why happens when the top breaks out or the tree collapses?
Uh so you're not gonna climb it
No xxxxxx I'm not.
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Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
Yes there is an electric company with a 75' who will sub out.
Tell your boss he needs either or/ one of these ! Anyone have a lift in your area ? I sub out to other company's big and small all the time.
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Hoowasat
Participating member
- Location
- Newport News, VA
Good call, Steve. I don't want to read about you in the Daily Press. Well, I would want to read about good deeds like a cat rescue. 
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Does the boss not hear that the brother is losing him money by bidding/ doing his job badly?
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
Yep he knows but on most days he expects production to make up for the bad bids or just work till dark to make the daily goal. I might be the only hourly employee. All the others are paid by the day. The true definition of day is unclear to me. That's why I'm hourly and leave everyday at 3 no matter what. Condition of my employment.
TimBr
Official Well Known Greeter
- Location
- Northern Virginia
"Like" x 3. Way to be, Steve. Nice job of heading off a screw-job at the pass. So the crappy leader of this company is more than willing to make the guys that actually have to do all of the hard work pay the price for the incompetence of his estimator brother. He is allowing the wrong people to feel the pain, and he deserves to lose some good help as a result.
Really great move insisting on being paid by the hour. And really nice job sticking to your guns when you think you're being pushed into an unsafe practice. I know I'm being small-minded when I say this, but I would be tempted to print out multiple copies of an "I told you so." card to hand over to that estimator the next day each and every time the show turns to shit right after you refuse to do things in the stupid and unsafe way that he recommends.
A string of close calls and near misses are proof that something really bad is likely to happen if this guy is allowed to continue to do the estimating. It would interest me to know if the company owner would still employ his brother in the same position after a fatality is caused by these bad practices. How many would have to die before he figures it's time for a change? I know I'm probably being overly dramatic here, but it seems to me as though the owner values the financial well-being of his brother more than the very lives of the men that work for him.
It would be cool if you could somehow get some kind of paper documentation of these jobs you are rightly refusing to do, just as a means of allowing the future widows and orphans to possibly win a lawsuit against the owner for negligence.
Tim
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
So Steve, lets move on to the important stuff now like what model of Indian Motorcycle you have? 
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
HAHA 2015 Roadmaster!
His brother has been fired several times. He brings him back when it's too busy for him to get to all the estimates. We stay busy 365 which amazes me. Awesome high end client base but I don't understand how the client doesn't se whats actually going on, or more possibly, that's the norm for tree companies in my area. There are some really good ones out there. What another issue is employee turnover. There are 2 guys on the ground out of the entire crew who have done tree work and they are mediocre at best. The foreman is a greenhorn and I'm his puppet master most of the time. If I had a nickel for "Hey bro, what should I do about ...........?" So the point is the good help was lost a long time ago. Craigslist is the worker source and most already know what the deal is. I have been through 5 foreman, 4 climbers, and an uncountable amount of groundies. It's nuts. So here I am, I pick my guys and keep them close, teach them everything I can so they keep me safe. Use all my own gear and work in my own little bubble. Sad actually but it works for now.
His brother has been fired several times. He brings him back when it's too busy for him to get to all the estimates. We stay busy 365 which amazes me. Awesome high end client base but I don't understand how the client doesn't se whats actually going on, or more possibly, that's the norm for tree companies in my area. There are some really good ones out there. What another issue is employee turnover. There are 2 guys on the ground out of the entire crew who have done tree work and they are mediocre at best. The foreman is a greenhorn and I'm his puppet master most of the time. If I had a nickel for "Hey bro, what should I do about ...........?" So the point is the good help was lost a long time ago. Craigslist is the worker source and most already know what the deal is. I have been through 5 foreman, 4 climbers, and an uncountable amount of groundies. It's nuts. So here I am, I pick my guys and keep them close, teach them everything I can so they keep me safe. Use all my own gear and work in my own little bubble. Sad actually but it works for now.
What end of the globe you from?
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
Virginia. USA.
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
I have helped a few really good guys get great jobs they deserved. I always feel good about somebody who wants more outa the experience. Sad to loose them as coworkers but I can't be selfish about it. I just watch them get broken over a period of a few months then assist with an exit strategy. As far as I can figure, I get treated better because my financial well being can't be held hostage. I can walk away any time and still pay my bills. So I. Essence I am needed more than I need. He's not a bad guy. Most of the times he's good to me personally. One of my faults is loyalty so I stick it out and do my best because that's who I am. There will be a point I'll walk away and we are long overdue for a major incident. We have used up our luck time and time again. I'll just keep doing my best to make sure you don't read about me personally on the dripline.
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
Treezybreez
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Lancaster, SC
Steve Connally
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Suffolk, Virginia
So what did you do? Did you climb it or walk away?
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