We have found that when we need to hire someone to do any kind of work for us - plumbers, roofers, contractors - it's the interactions that make the difference, and the kind of people we encounter. Johnny started Northshore because he wanted to make a great place where people could work, but as in any competitive field, we also knew there had to be something to set us apart. And this unusual list is just that!
We will not always be the cheapest. We are competitively priced, but in the tree service field where you're always quoting a completely unique situation, we are sometimes the cheapest option, sometimes average, and sometimes the most expensive. That's just the way it is. But a lot of the time our clients choose us not because we are the cheapest quote they get, but because they enjoy us the most, trust us the most, and know they'll be the most happy spending their money at our "store" so-to-speak. It's the same reason I go to the Farmer's Market every week. It's not always the cheapest, but I leave there actually happy about the money I spent. Our clients feel that way because they know buying from Northshore supports a local small business, a family (or 2 or 3), local charities through our Giving Back pledge, and growing our urban canopy through the Free Tree Project. Not only that, but we strive to have the best customer service all around - from your first awkward but cheerful phone call with me, to the exceptional job site clean-up when the works all done.
We won't always work for you. Johnny takes his work as an arborist seriously, and with that comes a high standard for honesty. I tease him for talking himself out of work, but as his wife I'm actually quite proud of that. If your tree doesn't need anything done, he'll tell you that. If he thinks removing or pruning it is unnecessary or a waste of your money, he'll tell you that. We are not in the business of increasing demand through deception.
We won't cut you a deal. This doesn't mean we can't sometimes negotiate for certain circumstances, but rather two things: first, that we feel our quotes are fair for our customers, and second, that we do not accept cash deals. We pay the government their cut. Every. Single. Time. I won't lie, this puts us at a real disadvantage in the tree service industry where most companies probably do at least 30% in cash, and sometimes it's really tempting to bend the rules, but we won't for two main reason. First, because we are an industry where expensive accidents can and do happen, so having a paper trail is something any potential customer should want for their own protection. To put it bluntly, you don't want to be the victim of some horror story left with a tree on your house and tire marks on the pavement as the only thing tying you to some guy you hired with a pickup truck and chainsaw. Second, if we're willing to screw the government just to make some extra cash, why wouldn't we be willing to do that to our clients? At the end of the day, it just comes down to integrity, because when we wrote the slogan "deep roots grow a legacy", we chose it because this business means a lot more to us then just a paycheque.
We can't guarantee same-day quotes. We are a small family-run business that's still growing. That means Johnny is the business owner, estimator, crew foreman, lead climber, safety rep, groundsman, equipment maintenance man, shipper and receiver, and service co-ordinator. Now this isn't a complaint - we're grateful for this opportunity and it brings my heart such joy to have a husband who comes home from a hard day's work with a smile on his face (usually matching the rest of the crew), it's just to explain that at this point, he simply can't be everywhere at once. So while we might lose clients because we weren't the first guy to get to there, we also make lifetime clients who choose us because we are so involved in every step along the way. The guy you talk to about your trees is the guy on-site during the work, so there's nothing lost in translation. The guy who owns the business is the same one doing the job, so there's always the same quality controller. You get a consistent standard across the board, because the guy who is "all in" is always there.
So that's the difference between us and the other guys. That's why we think you won't regret choosing Northshore Tree Experts.