Davis Tree Service

First got an estimate, around the third week of June and was told that since there was an old cottonwood they were taking out down the street, they would be here by the end of the week or early the next week. Nearly 3 weeks later, I called and left a message. It took 24 hours to get a call back (got a voice message), but they were here the next morning. I had called and told him that I was working a graveyard, but (in all fairness) I did not ask to reschedule... wish now I would have. After having worked a graveyard shift and getting only about 1-1/2 hours of sleep, they were here as we went back through things that I wanted done. (It should be noted that I am a renter, and had approval of the owner to have the stumps taken out/killed as many of them were destroying the cedar privacy fence around the back yard.) Once the chainsaw came out, I followed the guy with the chainsaw to make sure things weren't over trimmed (to my preferences) and things that I really wanted taken care of, were. We started at the front, south side of the house, and worked our way around the exterior of the privacy fence in the backyard... and the issues that existed within the back yard and around the flower/vegetable gardens. They, or especially the guy running the chainsaw first, did an excellent job and was very considerate of the things I had growing. Things were going along great and at a good pace with the main chainsaw operator (Tyler) finally around to the neighbor's old elm on the north side of the back yard fence, that was shedding terribly into our yard. The owner/boss (Ryan?) then went around with me again to make sure all the cut areas were treated with Tordon, to kill them. Apparently we only went around the outside of the fence... (more on that in a minute). Then, being barely able to stay awake I stood in the backyard and directed the guy with the chainsaw again, on what wanted trimmed from the old elm. Mr. Davis, then went to the front/driveway of the house and brought out another chainsaw, and cut off two smaller sapling stumps in the driveway next to the garage and continued to apply Tordon. BUT, he also cut down (and Tordon'd) a Rose of Sharon bush that I was nurturing at the end of my hedge. This is where everything completely and totally went south. I heard the chainsaw and went to look, as he was in an area that had already been gone through. He was proud of the angled cut he got on the saplings that were snugged up to the edge of the driveway, but I then noticed the Rose of Sharon bush had been cut down. This bush had been cut previously, about two years prior when the owner hired a handyman who knew nothing about trees. It was coming back, but more in a bush form. When I mentioned this to Mr. Davis, HE got upset and wanted to know why I didn't tell him. I explained that I had been with the man with the chainsaw already when he went through that area and had asked to have that particular bush left alone. (It also had a soaker hose that ran around the hedge AND the bush I wanted to keep). I pointed out the soaker hose around the bottom, explained that I wanted to keep it, and his behavior continued to escalate out of control. He became angry and said that I had no business talking to ANYONE but HIM, accused me of talking too much when he was trying to give directions to his employees (not true), and commenced to both physically and verbally angry. He went to the back area where the guy with the chainsaw was working out of the bucket on the higher limbs, and another worker was cleaning up the branches and informed them that they were DONE! I was SO tired and completely taken aback by how quickly and dramatically his anger escalated I told him I was upset, but not angry - after all the bush was gone, Tordon was on it and it wouldn't be coming back, what was the point? He continued to start bad mouthing me, personally - to the extent that he used the F word, (which did get my hackles up, even through the exhaustion). So the end of story is that I got about 85% of the tree work done I wanted with regard to cutting/trimming but NONE of the stumps INSIDE the back yard fence received a Tordon application. So, even though they've been cut, they will grow back unless I go and buy my own bottle of Tordon and treat them myself. He continued to swear and yell (for the whole neighborhood to hear) at ME, about having cut off a tree I had already notified (the guy with the chainsaw who got there first), that I didn't want cut/killed. And he pulled his crew before the job was finished. He sent me a text stating that since I wasn't answering my (cell) phone (it was upstairs, I was down), and that I didn't answer his knock on the back screen door (that had an enclosed porch, kitchen, pantry, dining room, living room and running window A/C between him and I), that I must still want to stay mad. In his text he offered to take some off the bill to pay for a replacement for the bush... I responded and said it wasn't necessary and that I wasn't angry, didn't hear either the phone or the knock at the back door, and that I was (mostly) pleased with the work that had been done. This guy, and the guy working for him (Tyler) know how to trim and use a chainsaw with exceptional skill. However, I was told (when one of his employees came back and apologized for his behavior) that these temper tantrums are very common with him. If you do use the service, I would advise that you tell him EVERYTHING, AND - follow the guy with the chainsaw. His workers were a great example of skill and professionalism. However, to a tired soul who had waited three weeks for them to get here, he was a veritable nightmare and displayed the WORST level of professionalism I've ever seen for a service company. I will never use him again... ever.