Should all horticulturists be qualified - College Assignment

Hello
Thanks very much for the advice, what i hoped to achieve by the post was to get a feeback from a variety of people with in the industry.
May I also asked who said that quote as I feel it could be a great quotation and attitude shown towards gardeners.
Thanks again for your help

 

Hello, Thanks very much for your comment
Would you agree that companies / people who are self employed are checked by some sort of oraganisation? and may i also ask on what you mean by being stiched up by such organisations?

Luke

 

Hello
Yes sorry i should of stated the APL is the association of professional landscapers.
The organisation requires companies to have at least a few years experience, references and qualifications. Do you feel this is enough to prevent rogue traders ?

 

If I was seeking horticultural/landscape (some Landscape Architects hate the 'ping' word) advice I would be looking for qualifications, as I've worked in multi- disciplinary practices with them.

 

Hi...when I replied to your opening post I was responding from the point of view of the customer and emphasising how important customer confidence is. For instance if I wanted to have some landscaping done, I could ring the APL and check the company out and know that they have been vetted in a rigourous way and are shown to be trustworthy and reliable.

Due to this vetting procedure rogue traders are much less likely (if at all!) to be members of such an association. As a customer this means that I'm less likely to have problems with work done.

The problem is that customers either don't know that they can find a reputable company through a trade association or they want to cut corners and get work done on the cheap. There will always be rogue traders which is why any reputable firm should sign up to trade association membership as this shows a commitment to adhering to an industry standard which is good for both the customer AND the trader.

 

The trouble is, such trade associations often want lots of money off you, on an ongoing basis, and often offer little if anything in return.

When my mate and I set up a business for a while, we received more phone calls from people trying to convince us to sign up with them than we did from actual customers.

 

Hi Luke,

I'd have no problem with an organisation inspecting my work, what I object to is being forced to join and pay through the nose just to be able to do what i've been doing for years.

For example, i'd been fitting windows for years, but after 2002 I couldn't fit them without paying to be a member of FENSA. Now I might only fit one or 2 over a year, but i'd have to pay them all year regardless of how many i'd fitted.

 

We are supposed to pay through the nose to employ electricians and gas fitters, OK I know its nasty if you get a dodgy electrical/gas job done, but what if your windows fell out because someone didn't fix them properly or they leaked.

When I replaced my own windows I paid at least £200 for some bloke from the council planning dept to come out and OK them.
When I asked what he was looking for he seemed a bit unsure, until I mentioned fixings.

 

That made me chuckle!