How'd it go today?

[Mick!]

Cheers, here in rural France if you don't like gardening the weekends can drag a bit. The wife does the veg, me the flowers,
You go figure!

 

[Mick!]

Actually I don't think there is a single group of tradesmen that see as many gardens as domestic tree workers, we see and work in hundreds every year, more perhaps than landscape gardeners! I think that is why we (tree workers) often have decently designed gardens, we see what works and what doesn't.

 

[SimplyArbor]

Took down a 140' hemlock today. 44" on the butt, 30" diam 90 feet up... pretty bad root rot with column of decay going up the stem about 8'. No rigging, cut and leave, got a $100 tip from the clients who were stoked!

 

[FireFighterZero]

Nice! I never made that much in tips the whole time I tended bar!

Got through the week of helicopter training and some incident commander training the past two days. Got home just in time to pull a dead calf. The calf had a front leg back and had been stuck in the birth canal for quite a while. Had to use a come along calf puller and got it done, the alternative is cutting the calf out, so I am glad we were able to do it.

I was going to make a video of pulling a calf in my TreeHouse shirt, but figured that I would save that for when I could deliver a live calf.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Dang biggun, Ian. how long in the tree? One of those where you have to cut your way into the base to fell the butt?

 

[MasterBlaster]

I haven't had a tip in years...

 

[Joezilla11]

That's a good feeling getting tips like that! I had the same the other day, $100 tip then off to the neighbor who asked for help cutting up a fallen tree and he threw in an extra $30 too! I split it all with my helper figured I'd share the good fortune!

 

[SimplyArbor]

Yep, haven't done a hog like that in a while... Took about two hours in tree, then fell a ~30 foot spar. Nope, wind was going pretty hard, so the huge limbs had some travel away from the base... Lost my hoodie in the mess though, boo. I know, I've noticed since I've been running my own show that i don't get tips very often anymore... Must think I'm getting rich

 

[Mick!]

That's a good feeling getting tips like that! I had the same the other day, $100 tip then off to the neighbor who asked for help cutting up a fallen tree and he threw in an extra $30 too! I split it all with my helper figured I'd share the good fortune!

Sharing tips with staff...........a moral conundrum.

 

[rumination]

How so? Sharing tips with staff makes perfect sense to me. You wouldn't have gotten that tip without them.

 

[squisher]

I split tips 50/50 with my employee.

 

[MasterBlaster]

+10!

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I split tips 50/50 with my employee.

This is my general plan. They wouldn't bet the tip without you. They get paid hourly regardless of extra costs incurred or things they may break.

 

[wiley_p]

Always give 100% of tips to the crew. It carries weight down the road by the respect it shows.

 

[mastermind7864]

How so? Sharing tips with staff makes perfect sense to me. You wouldn't have gotten that tip without them.

I feel the same way.

When I was framing full time we would sometimes get a job that had to be done on the weekend so we wouldn't take away from our regular work. When that happened I offered the guys three times normal pay IF they wanted to work.

I never had a guy turn that down.......

 

[Mick!]

Depends on the tip, if the client says that it is specifically for the lads, then I'll think about it! if it's just a 20 in cash with a cheque, I'll definitely keep it!
They get enough lunchtime finishes etc.

 

[Tucker943]

All tips go to the men. I make a better living then them. Pocketing $20 bucks in front of them would be low. That $20 will take them farther then it will take me. Not to say Im rolling in money, but a $50 tip from the customer ups a groundmans pay nicely that week. Your men have to see that you want them to do well. It makes them respect you.

 

[Mick!]

I don't do it in front of them!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'll tip a good groundie with my own money any day.

 

[Mick!]

I'd pay him..............his wage. When you start handing out extra for a difficult day they'll want it regularly, then soon forget the early finishes, free wood etc

 

[Fiddler]

I'll tip a good groundie with my own money any day.

yep

 

[Tucker943]

That's not true La Becasse. They're not dogs. Its ok to feed them from the dinner table without them turning into beggars. They are hard working men that put their pants on the same way each morning as a business owner. I look at men that wear my logo and have a strong desire to give them all I can. If theyre a loser, they go away early on. If they are a good fit for my company, I want to extend myself as much as I can. My guys generally respect the shit out of me and don't take advantage of me at all.

Treat your men well and don't take any shit.

 

[Mick!]

What's not true?

 

[Tucker943]

When you start handing out extra for a difficult day they'll want it regularly, then soon forget the early finishes, free wood etc

That.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'd rather err on the side of giving them a 'lil bonus once in a while over just paying them wages.

And it's not like I do it all the time.