© guy leblanc 2012 -2022
In recent years, pretty much everyone looks to websites to choose home service providers if they haven’t received a referral from someone they trust. There are some great clues on these sites that can tip you off about the quality of a tree service you may be considering.
First, look at the “About Us” page. My research shows that most often there is very little about “us” or even who “us” is on these websites. It usually says something utterly vague like “we are a full service tree company that provides quality care to all it’s customers”. Right. If this page on a website doesn’t say who the owner is, you should ask yourself what they are hiding. Either the owner does not have much in the way of credentials, or has a sketchy past, or quite likely the company is not locally owned or is some faceless venture capital corporation.
Also along these lines, this part of a website should tell you whether or not the owner is involved in the actual pruning or care of your trees. With the best tree services, the owner is- but like all of these arborist selection tips, that one factor by itself does not guarantee you quality tree care.
Another thing to look at on a website is pictures of the workers. Are they following safe guidelines? Workers not wearing helmets, eye protection or other safety gear is an indication that the company is not likely to perform quality work, and is actually a violation of federal labor laws which require this equipment. Working in the trees or off ladders without being tied in to safety harnesses with ropes is another violation. Companies that allow these kinds of dangerous practices very likely do not have a strong commitment to proper tree care either.
Take a look at the pictures of the work itself. Amazingly, many tree services actually publish pictures of work that clearly violates industry standards. The most common example of this are trees that have been drastically over-pruned (have had more than 20% removed from them- see specific guidelines about this on my pruning page).
There is quite a bit more than can help you choose a good tree service. Go to my May 2012 blog “Choosing an Arborist” for more of what to look for when choosing someone to care for your trees.
Or just make it easy on yourself. Call Guy LeBlanc at 5one2 301-8700 and schedule a consultation.