Hit 500 trees pruned last month, but quality slipped. Trade off?

I hit 500 trees pruned in one month last week, a personal record for me. But I gotta admit, I rushed a few big maples near the end just to hit the number, and I noticed I skipped a couple of deadwood cuts I'd normally make. On one hand, the client was happy cause I finished early, and the pay was solid. On the other hand, my crew lead pointed out a bad cut on a codominant stem that could crack next winter. Is hitting a milestone worth it if the work isn't at my usual standard, or do you guys just accept some slip on big months? Has anyone else hit a number that made them second guess their pace?

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hugo_jones13d ago

Did you read that article in Arborist News a while back about how speed and quality start to fight each other past a certain point? It stuck with me, something about how our brains trick us into thinking we're still being careful when we've actually kicked into autopilot. I've seen the same thing happen with guys on the crew, they hit a big number and suddenly they're making cuts they'd never make on a Tuesday morning. The deadwood you skipped might not matter today, but that codominant stem is a time bomb, and next winter you'll be the one getting the call to clean it up. The client's happy now, but they won't be if they get a cracked limb on their car next year, so I'd say the milestone means nothing if the work doesn't hold up.