However, I would first like to clear-up the myth regarding ‘Certified Arborist’. I am also a Certified Arborist, and I take a bit of pride in that. However, it doesn’t mean much when it is merely a code word for a ‘salesman’. The lion has his share of tree work, which is accomplished without anyone being a Certified Arborist. Somebody may argue that the person with the clipboard, in this case, “the arborist,” who has had some training regarding the “non-arborist,” which is allowing them to produce a better product. However, this is not usually the case, and what’s more, difficult to verify. Furthermore, they may not have ever had any training. Of course, the end result is beneficial to having a Certified Arborist around during the time the job is being performed. Whether or not a company has a Certified Arborist does not matter if they are not made available to the customers.

The main point here is on whether or not a salesman (arborist) can speak in the same language as the non-arborist does. In some instances, the language barrier among the English and Spanish speaking is very devastating.

I can speak Spanish, but it is still difficult for me to communicate the technical details which are critical for safe tree work. I am on the side of the workers who speak Spanish on this issue for they would be the ones to get hurt when their training is not up to par. There should also be English speaking workers.

Picking up a phone book and deciding on calling a tree service just because they have an advertisement that is large and colorful could have hidden risks involved. In fact, most companies with strong ethics and good customer satisfaction will hardly ever advertise. This does not mean to rule out the larger ads, just to be certain they include more significant criteria that is used in which one tree service you decide on. The Better Business Bureau has been traditionally known as a resource for customers to find out if a business has a good or bad reputation, in fact, there is one member of the tree service that I am aware of that has shown up at the Better Business Bureau to have had 39 complaints in only the last 36 months. Now that is a lot of service calls, however, our company shows “0 complaints.”

Of course, there are many other companies that also have an excellent track record. At this time, the best available resource for consumers is Angieslist.com and Yelp. I also think that it is currently or temporarily free for you to join. They provide a ton of information regarding local services and service providers, which range from roofers to computer repair and tree services. Anyone that is lacking in ethics will not be able to outwit Yelp or Angieslist.com easily, and they are able to catch anyone who tries and make you pay dearly.