Up-selling
I find it hard sometimes when looking at work to point out problems that could arise in the future for my clients, I’m aware it may be taken as me trying to “up-sell” a client so they increase their spend with us. It’s never the case, we’ve built our relationships on trust and honest advice. It needs to be time to trust your tree surgeon.
This advice was made crystal clear this week when I visited a windblown 80ft tree at a local golf course this week.
I’d looked at the tree 18 months ago. I thought I recognised it and remembered that i’d spotted an issue with it back then. I checked back when in the office on the recommendation/quote for works.
Trust your tree surgeon
Here’s a snippet of the recommendations from Sept. 2016
“Fagus sylvatica – common beech: Located near the 16th hole; this tree appears to have numerous brackets of the fungus Ganoderma applanatum present at a wound @ 6m high, there appears from ground to be a hollow, maybe from a historic limb failure at this point also…………. given the high footfall in this area I recommend that the tree be felled to ground level”
And?
Sure enough, it was the very same tree, the client had decided not to go ahead with the works in 2016, as a result this tree became more unstable and finally snapped @ the 6m point. It has damaged another two trees but fortunately no damage people occurred. Please bear in mind this is on a golf course! It could have been a tragedy.
It was a lucky escape, it doesn’t take a huge imagination to see what could have happened here.
How is this done?
I guess its a tough balance to get when giving people honest advice and not coming across as trying to “Up-sell” Ultimately it’s the goal of getting your client to trust your tree surgeon. How is this done?
That’s the magic question
Our clients understand from the start that we are in it long term with them, after all, a good relationship could bring return visits as much as once every year. Time to play the long game – look after your clients and they will look after you. Pretty simple really.
Good honest advice
This travels both ways, sometime it will mean letting the client know that there may be the need to spend more money (or maybe prioritise). The other direction, could be that the client need not spend so much money, there’s a better option (maybe cheaper). You can rest assured we will happily take that journey in both directions.
