A Pruning Predicament(Part C – Confidential Information for Steve Bernard)

A minor incident made worse by poor communication skills has embittered the relationship between Trees-R-Us, a small landscaping company, and one of its clients. A hedge trimmer employed by the company inadvertently cut through a few wires during the annual hedge trimming. Steve Bernard, co-owner of the property and member of the co-owners association’s Green committee, had offered to hold the wires out of harm’s way, but his offer had been ignored when he left to make a phone call. While it was a minor incident, it could easily have been avoided. The hedge trimmer responsible for the incident had advised Bernard that he would be reimbursed for the damage, which Bernard estimated to be about $900, but Robert Anderson, president and owner of Trees-R-Us, was unwilling to do so. Bernard had to wait months for an answer and was disappointed by its coldness when it finally arrived. Christine Rodriguez, the company’s customer service manager, had always given him good service in the past, but he was unable to reach her. Bernard was finally told that he would not be compensated for the damage but would be offered a $100 discount on the following year’s contract. Dissatisfied, Bernard had asked to meet in person with Anderson and Rodriguez to negotiate a fairer solution.