That one homeowner who actually thanked me for saving their old oak

I was out on a job in St. Paul last spring, pruning a big red oak that had some bad crossing limbs. The owner came out and said 'I thought you were gonna tell me to cut it down, thanks for keeping it alive.' Made my whole month. Anyone else get a random comment from a client that just sticks with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_terry9d ago

Funny how some people think the only answer is cutting stuff down when a little care does the trick. Makes you wonder how many good trees got the axe just because nobody asked.

the_fiona8d ago

@the_terry, that line about "good trees getting the axe because nobody asked" really stuck with me. I live in an older neighborhood where the city took down a row of perfectly healthy maples a few years back just because the roots were starting to lift the sidewalk. A local arborist told me they could have trimmed the roots and added some gravel drainage paths for less than the cost of cutting and hauling all those trees. Seems like we jump to the most drastic option first when a bit of patience and asking the right people could have saved them.