# Do i call my customers before i remove there snow? im new



## sebyhood (Sep 13, 2017)

lets say i have a new customer that wants there snow gone at 10:00 AM do i call them before hand to make it clear that im about to do the job. what if they aren't home. any advice would be much apprenticed


----------



## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Dont need to call a customer unless you need something from them or to notify them of something of importance. If you agree to have them done by a certain time then just make sure its done, unless its a daytime storm than you need to have plan b worked out


----------



## sebyhood (Sep 13, 2017)

ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


----------



## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

Oh boy.


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


U must be a heavy sleeper.
With millions of billions of snowflakes landing around me I can't sleep.

The sound is incredible.


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

You might want to consider a different winter revenue source.


----------



## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

John_DeereGreen said:


> You might want to consider a different winter revenue source.


He might want to? He will be forced to if he cant get up and check the weather.


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


Just watch the weather and monitor your jobs. Is there no one local that can educate you? It's a way of life.


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


Practice not sleeping all night long now, you will get used to it. Not trying to be a jerk, how old are ya?


----------



## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Forget about trips. Forget about parties with friends. Forget about having much of a life at all unless you grow and have good people in place to manage everything for you. Even then, that's not a guarantee that it'll all go smoothly.


----------



## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


I don't sleep more than 2hrs at a time for 3 months. 
If you have the snow handled on time, should be no need for a phone call either way.
Don't plow the snow across the road...


----------



## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

depending on how many customers you have, allow 15 min per customer...time x # = how many min before 6am you need to hit the road for plowing, set your alarm 30 min before that and look outside


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Oh and do not wait till there is two feet of snow in the drive to go plow it, make sure everything is clear with your customers, what they want, and the type of service you can provide.


----------



## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

1olddogtwo said:


> U must be a heavy sleeper.
> With millions of billions of snowflakes landing around me I can't sleep.
> 
> The sound is incredible.


Damn you must have really good hearing aids! 

If there's snow in the forecast, you need to be awake.
If you live near a Great Lake, you also need to be waking up frequently because of lake effect bands.


----------



## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Me


1olddogtwo said:


> U must be a heavy sleeper.
> With millions of billions of snowflakes landing around me I can't sleep.
> 
> The sound is incredible.


me
Too!


----------



## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

sebyhood said:


> lets say i have a new customer that wants there snow gone at 10:00 AM do i call them before hand to make it clear that im about to do the job. what if they aren't home. any advice would be much apprenticed


I think you should call them at 4:30 am and ask them.


----------



## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


If a storm is coming i might get 3 hours of broken sleep. Forecast could say snow starts at 2 am.. if there is 2" by 5 am we are plowing. But the snow might start at 5 am and therefore i am up every hour check on conditions.. im kinda lucky that i have security cameras in 4 different towns in about a 35 minute radius. Cant tell depth but in a situation where rain/snow line is close is can help determine whats raining and whats snowing


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

LapeerLandscape said:


> I think you should call them at 4:30 am and ask them.


Ya they can help him out by jumping out of bed to call it for him.


----------



## Arrowbrook99 (Oct 22, 2017)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


Please tell me your joking.


----------



## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

LapeerLandscape said:


> I think you should call them at 4:30 am and ask them.


I had a customer last year that wanted me to call him before I salted. It only took 3 2am phone calls before he gave me the green light


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

BossPlow2010 said:


> Damn you must have really good hearing aids!
> 
> If there's snow in the forecast, you need to be awake.
> If you live near a Great Lake, you also need to be waking up frequently because of lake effect bands.


Yea, they have Bluetooth mics.......


----------



## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

OP, if you are in fact being serious, and are not just trolling on here, I think it would be best for you to start working for someone else during the first year. Even as a subcontractor. I'm afraid you are going to run into a lot of problems on your own. 

Give us a little more info on yourself and your business plan.


----------



## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

yes there is good info among the jokes and remarks

blue parrot is a good bluetooth headset if you need to work and talk at the same time


----------



## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

JustJeff said:


> Oh boy.


:laugh::laugh::laugh:
There should be a way to double like a post


----------



## MSsnowplowing (Nov 1, 2012)

iceyman said:


> If a storm is coming i might get 3 hours of broken sleep. Forecast could say snow starts at 2 am.. if there is 2" by 5 am we are plowing. But the snow might start at 5 am and therefore i am up every hour check on conditions.. im kinda lucky that i have security cameras in 4 different towns in about a 35 minute radius. Cant tell depth but in a situation where rain/snow line is close is can help determine whats raining and whats snowing


Stick a measuring stick into the ground so your cameras can see it, then you can tell the depth.


----------



## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> :laugh::laugh::laugh:
> There should be a way to double like a post


Double liking is the equivalent of love...

Could always nominate Jeff for the 2017 Plowsite annual post of the year dinner...Thumbs Up


----------



## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

iceyman said:


> If a storm is coming i might get 3 hours of broken sleep. Forecast could say snow starts at 2 am.. if there is 2" by 5 am we are plowing. But the snow might start at 5 am and therefore i am up every hour check on conditions.. im kinda lucky that i have security cameras in 4 different towns in about a 35 minute radius. Cant tell depth but in a situation where rain/snow line is close is can help determine whats raining and whats snowing


But if you don't come out early enough, you'll miss the gathering at the dunkin donuts on 35 at 2am of all the plow jockeys and their shovel monkeys in tow..

That would be a shame if you weren't there.


----------



## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

OP if you are doing this professionally then you will know when it snows because you will be up checking all night. When we have a storm coming in, I am glued to all my weather and radar apps. If its snowing before i got to bed, i take a drive to check/measure my accounts. If there isn’t much on the ground yet or its borderline i go home go to bed. Set an alarm for every 2 hours until 3 AM. Then I’m out the door to start the route at 3:30. Unless we get a heavy band on one of my 2 hour checks, then you may have to out earlier to keep up with the storm.


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Also if you're doing a business that opens at a certain time, even if it's snowing, you want to hit it right before it opens. Remember, sleeps over rated.


----------



## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

Randall Ave said:


> Remember, sleeps over rated.


I might get a lot of it this Winter!


----------



## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

JustJeff said:


> I might get a lot of it this Winter!


Think of how perfect all your neighbors driveways will be. Maybe you can sell all the fresh baked cookies that head your way from all your generosity and boy scout good deeds.

My route significantly declined this year, and I'm gonna do a few freebies to fill in


----------



## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

That's funny. I had already thought of that too! And I was thinking "well, I've got a 9'-6" V, and an 11' V, I wonder how fast I could get my 250' driveway cleared"? !!!


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Dogplow Dodge said:


> Think of how perfect all your neighbors driveways will be. Maybe you can sell all the fresh baked cookies that head your way from all your generosity and boy scout good deeds.
> 
> My route significantly declined this year, and I'm gonna do a few freebies to fill in


Be careful with them freebies, Come spring they will complain about a little grass pushed up. I thought I could trust this guy. I'm still alright with him its his Wife that's the :terribletowel::terribletowel:. She don't have to shovel he does. She's hot but  he's kinda homely. You know how that goes. lol


----------



## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

I've got about 5 or 6 freebies that I've been doing for the last 5 years or so. None of them have ever given me any grief. They know that they get done after the rest of the paying route is done. Sometimes they'd have to wait until the next day for me to get to them. They never complain. Just friends that I take care of when I can and have the time. I'm VERY familiar with that "freebie crap". I used to do a couple of other people as well. All of the sudden they're calling me to plow them at their convenience, and "expecting" me to keep doing those favors. I put an end to that quickly.


----------



## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

FredG said:


> Be careful with them freebies, Come spring they will complain about a little grass pushed up. I thought I could trust this guy. I'm still alright with him its his Wife that's the :terribletowel::terribletowel:. She don't have to shovel he does. She's hot but  he's kinda homely. You know how that goes. lol


Are you suggesting you have to service his "hot" wife, if there's a problem????

Really???

?


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Dogplow Dodge said:


> Are you suggesting you have to service his "hot" wife, if there's a problem????
> 
> Really???
> 
> ?


No, I don't think she likes me much, Probably cause I don't drool over her like the rest of my hood.


----------



## Avalanche 2500 (Dec 31, 2015)

sebyhood said:


> ok i see. how do i even know if snow has fallen is waking up early and looking outside the best way.


I use to wake up early, look outside.... due to snow to see if there was school 40 yrs. ago


----------



## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Dogplow Dodge said:


> But if you don't come out early enough, you'll miss the gathering at the dunkin donuts on 35 at 2am of all the plow jockeys and their shovel monkeys in tow..
> 
> That would be a shame if you weren't there.


Not a coffee or dunot guy and i like to pregame alone.. helps me get mentally prepared


----------



## sebyhood (Sep 13, 2017)

Randall Ave said:


> Practice not sleeping all night long now, you will get used to it. Not trying to be a Richard, how old are ya?


im 17 and obviously ignorant really good advice here though got my answer


----------



## sebyhood (Sep 13, 2017)

JMHConstruction said:


> OP, if you are in fact being serious, and are not just trolling on here, I think it would be best for you to start working for someone else during the first year. Even as a subcontractor. I'm afraid you are going to run into a lot of problems on your own.
> 
> Give us a little more info on yourself and your business plan.


Not trolling and im only doing snow removal as a side gig rn and will have a actual job. my business plan is well i got a really good deal on a used snow blower and im gonna pedal it around my neighbor hood this winter clearing snow for profit. haven't done this seriously before so sorry if my questions aren't educated


----------



## sebyhood (Sep 13, 2017)

Randall Ave said:


> Also if you're doing a business that opens at a certain time, even if it's snowing, you want to hit it right before it opens. Remember, sleeps over rated.


if there is 3 inches on the ground and its still snowing i get the job done and come back later or something? do i charge double


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Yes, but things need to be clear, or say outlined with your customers. What you are going to do, and for how much.


----------



## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

sebyhood said:


> if there is 3 inches on the ground and its still snowing i get the job done and come back later or something? do i charge double


You really have to watch the weather even though they are not always accurate. If you have 3 inches on the ground and you are suppose to get 3 1/2 total then I would wait. If you have 3 inches on the ground and you are suppose to get 5 do it twice and charge twice unless the 5 comes from say 9pm to 5am then do it once and charge accordingly.


----------



## Mike_PS (Feb 28, 2005)

I think the OP received some good advice (and some really good jokes on top of that) to assist him with his questions...so, going to close this out for now


----------

