inconsistent pricing, unreliable scheduling, aggressive communication, threatening and erratic behavior.
Pricing issues
Chris gave us an initial quote and was very confident, saying that other companies could be ripping us off by including extra work he claimed wasn't necessary. Once the job had already started, he changed his position and said the extra work might actually be needed. He then tried to charge us an additional amount that was higher than the price quoted by other companies we had contacted.
Scheduling problems
We never got a clear time for estimates or work. I constantly had to ask for an approximate arrival time. When he came on Friday, he worked for less than two hours and then stopped, saying he was "too tired" and would need to come back on Monday to finish.
Unprofessional and aggressive communication
When I followed up on Monday, Chris said he couldn't come as promised because he wanted to spend time with his kids. He said he could come Tuesday but "don't know when. maybe late afternoon." When I told him I was unhappy with that and the possible additional charges, the conversation escalated. He raised his voice, blamed me for "not letting him be with his kids," and kept yelling. I ended the call to stop the interaction.
After that, he repeatedly called and sent a series of long, hostile text messages. In those messages, he called us "ungrateful," for him saving us and our tree, and criticized other tree companies, painting himself as the only one who can do the job. Most concerning, he sent a text saying he would come immediately to "undo" his work and that the tree would "fall and hit the house." Because of how serious that statement was, we told him we would contact the police and take legal action if he intentionally made the tree fall.
Erratic behavior
About 30 minutes after sending the angry messages and blocking my number, Chris showed up at our house acting like a completely different person. He apologized multiple times and even offered to finish all the work for free. We chose to pay the originally agreed-upon price just to end the situation and avoid further conflict.
Sexist and dismissive behavior
Chris was dismissive toward me when I asked questions. His tone was noticeably better when speaking to my husband. In one message, he said that hanging up the phone was "not adult-like" and specifically criticized me for "hanging up on men."
Bottom line: This was an extremely stressful experience involving unclear pricing, constant schedule changes, aggressive communication, and statements that felt threatening. Chris said that even if we posted a negative review, he "doesn't care" because he is retiring in 2 years and he has enough clients who "love" him. We would not hire Chris again. If you care about clear estimates, reliability, professionalism, and being treated with respect, I recommend choosing another tree service company. read more