Sean...I don't know why, but you seem to be a magnet for the unsuitable/incapable/scary bad groundies.
I think there has to be a better pool than you have been swimming in, but of course, I could be totally wrong in that perception.
You may need to cultivate your hidden badass boss persona in interviewing prospective employees.
I'm curious how much the state government jobs affect the local labor pool.
I'm always curious where people find their best employees. I asked on TB, basically heard everyone sucks. No stories of a good guy shared.
How much is expectable nonsense from a laborer? How much should I suck up and deal with dangerous employees.
Part of how I find good clients (at least in my mind) is that during the bid, I emphasis safety on the crew and professionalism.
A potential customer asked me what I thought of a competitor's strategy, being in a crew of 6 guys to hump rounds out, individually after they are bombed into a bed of brush in a tight space. The didn't need to take down the power line, which concerned him, regarding his power mast. The service drop was 3" from the trunk. Could they do it with the line in place?
I said of course they could do it with the line in place. They can get up on it and dance, too. Might get electrocuted. I'm not going to do it.
We had a back and forth, about 5 times I had to say, "No, the service drop is weather coated. Its to protect the wires and keep them from touching. Not electrical insulation for people. I've stood on a deck and felt the electricity go through a dogwood that was touching the service drop 10' away on the trunk."
"oh."
"ya, the boss never gets electrocuted to death from climbing a tree when he's standing over there, on the ground, away from the tree, drinking coffee, cracking the whip. Boss never falls to his death from a tree while standing over there chatting with the customer."
He repeated that back and chuckled. "The boss never falls to his death from the ground."
But he's been in business 20 years.
Also they were going to pile branches for a pad where there was lots of landscaping. I told the customer that nothing will make it through that bombing. They will offer to plant another tree, out of their inflated bid, based on deceiving the customer. There was barely a walkway, limbs were upto 20' long. 20" x 80' hemlock.
I'm bidding to speedline it all down to the open spot with easy enough access for truck and chipper, and not bring out ex-felons, the itchy and scratchy brothers.
I have a two time customer. He used me once years ago. He called me again for a tall alder over the garage. In between, he had a guy OD in the driveway, after doing the job wrong, which took him all day, with his buddy, and "their women".
True story. Quintessential dirtbag tree guys.