I called Oro Valley Tree Service for an estimate. A window of time (2-5) was given for the…read morefollowing day. After waiting a couple of hours, (we get calls from the gate and I didn't want to miss the estimator's arrival,) at 4:20 I called to see if someone was coming out.
Had I not called, I doubt if the estimator would have come out to the property before 5, or for that matter, at all.
The estimator looked over the tree to be cut back, and a possible additional job, if he wanted it, and said I would get an estimate by email from his office. He was about to leave and I asked him if he had my email. He didn't. I wrote it down for him.
By the next morning, not having received an estimate I called Oro Valley Tree Service and spoke with the same person I arranged the estimate with, who turned out to be the owner.
I explained that the visit by the estimator went well; I didn't push for a price, or attempt to negotiate; offered him cold bottled water when he left, etc. But I know he had a price in mind when he looked at the project. This estimate by email is an unnecessary, and I suspect, an intentional, delay. The benefits of this--for a business--should be obvious. (Many of these are psychological; it gives added importance to the job, even when the work doesn't deserve it, it makes the customer wait, and places the customer in a subordinate position, and quite frankly, is insulting to the customer). An email, when citing the estimate, and used for a contractual reference is fine, but a verbal estimate could easily be offered before the 'write up'.
When I called the service and said I'd rather just pass my comments, (above) as a point of information; that it was simply for her and her business, and nothing more. I did not want any work done, or did I want to cause any ill will with her employee, she disputed just about everything, said the worker was fine, the estimates were handled this way, and was extremely defensive. I didn't expect this.
Instead, she could have accepted my remarks, asked what could be done, but there was none of that. Had her attitude been reasonable, and not dismissive, I wouldn't be writing this review.
Tree trimming is a competitive business, and I would think businesses would be eager to help customer's when unprofessional behavior is encountered. The customer's time is important as well.