STAFF & EQUIPMENT
1. Do they have the equipment to do the job right?
There are a number of fly by night tree service companies working in the Clearwater, St Petersburg & South Tampa area that are little more than two guys, a chainsaw and a pickup truck. They just don’t have the equipment to safely and properly care for your trees.
Pinellas Tree Service was designed for high-production tree service work. With state of the art equipment that includes bucket trucks, cranes, stump grinders, log loaders, tractors and wood chippers… we can safely handle any job, big or small.
2. Do they have an ISA Certified Arborist on staff?
Just one bad pruning can destroy your trees! To protect your valuable investment, always choose a tree service company with an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist. (An ISA Certified Arborist is a person with extensive knowledge in the science of tree care. To be certified, an arborist must pass rigorous tree care examinations and complete ongoing continuing education classes.)
Pinellas Tree Service has two ISA certified arborists and a staff that averages 17 years of experience, caring for Pinellas County trees.
3. Do they complete background checks on all the employees that you hire?
Small tree service companies performing mostly seasonal work, have to lay off some if not all of their employees during slow months. This means they have almost no choice but to hire some workers with shady backgrounds. People you just shouldn’t have to trust to be on your property.
We take our responsibility to our customers very seriously. We perform background checks on all of our employees and hold them to a strict code of conduct to insure that your job goes as planned and you’ll have no unpleasant surprises.
INSURANCE COVERAGE
4. Can they provide a certificate of insurance direct from your insurance company showing they carry both workmen’s compensation and general liability insurance?
This is the question most tree service companies pray you’ll never ask. For despite having an occupational fatality rate that is three times higher than policemen and firemen, less than 1 out of 9 tree service companies in the Clearwater, St Petersburg area carry both workmen’s compensation and general liability insurance.
If a tree service worker is severely injured on your job and they don’t have workmen’s compensation coverage, the injured worker will likely seek compensation from you. Never allow tree service work to be completed on your property, unless the company providing the service can prove they have adequate insurance coverage. Insist that they provide a Certificate of Insurance from their insurance company showing both workmen’s compensation and general liability coverage and make sure that they list you as the certificate holder.
We provide a Certificate of Insurance direct from our insurance company, with Workmen’s Compensation and General Liability coverage of at least $1,000,000.
5. Do they offer a property protection guarantee?
Poorly equipped tree service companies with inexperienced workers can make mistakes that cause serious damage to your home and your property. When property damage occurs, these same tree service companies often lack the insurance needed to cover the damage. So you’re stuck holding the bill.
Our Property Protection Guarantee means that in the unlikely event we damage your property, you’ll be covered… 100%.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
6. Will they show up on time and complete my work on schedule?
Some companies arrive hours or even days late for your appointment. When you call to ask where they are and when they’re coming, you’re stuck talking to a voice mail machine
We respect your time. We show up when we say we will and complete your work on schedule. (And if you do call with a question or a concern, you’ll always talk to a live person who will assist you.)
7. Will they clean up their mess?
In a recent industry survey, clean up after tree work was the number one customer concern. The sad truth is that some companies leave their tree debris behind for YOU to clean up. We don’t. When we finish the job, we clean your property as if it were our own backyard.
PRICE
8. Will they offer me a fair price and guarantee that price in writing?
Everyone wants to get a good deal when they purchase goods and services. But in the tree service industry, the lowest bid is often made by the company that offers the lowest overall value.
We don’t try to compete with the small tree service companies that offer rock-bottom prices and shoddy service. We simply offer you the highest quality tree care, at a fair and reasonable price… and then guarantee your price in writing.
REFERENCES
9. Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau?
There are over 100 businesses in the Clearwater, St Petersburg area that call themselves tree service companies and yet, only 34 are listed with the Better Business Bureau.
Pinellas Tree Service has been a participating member of the Better Business Bureau since 1996. Contact the BBB at www.clearwater.bbb.org to get a report on our standing.
10. Can they provide references?
As a rule, you should ask tree service companies for three customer references of recent work done in your area. Reputable firms will have no problem providing references of satisfied customers.
In our 28 years of serving Clearwater, St Petersburg and surrounding areas, we have performed thousands of jobs, caring for countless trees on golf courses, apartment complexes and municipal land… and on properties just like yours. At your request, we will provide at least three references with your estimate, as part of your tree care bid package.
