# Irritating customer!



## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

Well it's no secret that NH has gotten some good snow in the last several days. I have a new customer this year, someone I'd had a little rocky start with over irrigation this past fall. Anyway, problem resolved and onto snowplowing. 

Single car wide, 2.5 cars deep driveway on busy residential road (lots of traffic, lots of city plowing). $30/per push.... no biggie

Plowed first couple storms, no problem. Big storm over the weekend, his small trailer & SUV are in the driveway, so I'm only able to clear the street end & a little behind the SUV. No problem, I'll be back later to get the rest of it when we have time to move cars & clean up. Got a call from the wife who said they parked the cars like that to keep me from plowing so they could save some coin around the holidays. I'm irritated, but whatever. "Ok, then consider the end of the driveway my compliments." No cleanup, I'm ok with this. 

Fast forward 2 days to today. Phone call from John saying the USPS won't deliver mail because of all the snow the city has plowed in front of his mailbox, so what would I charge to come clear it out? I hem & haw for minute and then answer, "$15." He comes back & says, "That's half the driveway cost!" I then tell him that it's a special trip JUST for his property, not even on a storm day. He says to do it, sounding all defeated & like he's doing ME a favor by having me come down to clear his mailbox. WTF????? What's with people?????


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## big bird (Nov 12, 2007)

YardMedic;460032 said:


> Well it's no secret that NH has gotten some good snow in the last several days. I have a new customer this year, someone I'd had a little rocky start with over irrigation this past fall. Anyway, problem resolved and onto snowplowing.
> 
> Single car wide, 2.5 cars deep driveway on busy residential road (lots of traffic, lots of city plowing). $30/per push.... no biggie
> 
> ...


does he wear his *** as a hat


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## santelikk (Sep 27, 2007)

Tell him he can save the $15 and go buy a shovel and do it himself otherwise.


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## Rotator911 (Mar 16, 2006)

I would have told him $50. I wouldn't rehook my plow and make a special trip for somebody being cheap.You were nice to do the end of his driveway for $0.00 Time is $ Fuel is $ & plowing is money!!


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

Explain to him that your "regular" customers get a different rate then "on-call" customers. Maybe he will become "regular" again and if he doesn't then he knows he will pay more.


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## CARDOCTOR (Nov 29, 2002)

have you been paid for all you services so far?


JR


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

CARDOCTOR;460429 said:


> have you been paid for all you services so far?


No, haven't billed for December yet -- have the 2 plowings before this last "mailbox" thing.


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## NCass31 (Dec 5, 2006)

just push the snow in front of the drive way and leave it there until he calls you to clean it up...charge $15. theres your $30.


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## bribrius (May 5, 2007)

just plow out the mailbox. literally. run it right over. then when he calls you tell him he owes you x and you have no idea who hit the mailbox


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

bribrius;460894 said:


> just plow out the mailbox. literally. run it right over. then when he calls you tell him he owes you x and you have no idea who hit the mailbox


Don't get me worng but isn't that a federal offense if you did it on purpose? Thats the last thing I would to, if the word got around about that, your name would go down the crapper.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

Is your life and truck worth $30 After almost getting hit on a busy street I don't do customers on them. Not to mention the time you wait for traffic.


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## StoneDevil (Dec 13, 2007)

Yes it is a Federal offense to damage a mailbox maliciously


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

theplowmeister;460993 said:


> Is your life and truck worth $30 After almost getting hit on a busy street I don't do customers on them. Not to mention the time you wait for traffic.


You're probably right about this, to say nothing of the current aggravation. I may have just become "overbooked" & need to unload this 1 extra customer! :waving:


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

YardMedic;461049 said:


> You're probably right about this, to say nothing of the current aggravation. I may have just become "overbooked" & need to unload this 1 extra customer! :waving:


Thats exactly what I was going to say. I had to deal with something like it myself. An on call basis customer calls and asks when I'm coming out. Told him when I get there I can't give you a time. He says well I thought you would of been here by now. I say well you just called now didn't you? Well yeah but I expected you awhile ago  What the **** man. Then he says theres a-lot of snow on the ground can you make it quick :realmad:. What a moron. SO I tell him that I have no idea when I'm going to be there cause I have many other customers in front of him. Oh well win some and lose some. He thanked me when I got there and gave me a $10 tip.


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## iflyhelis (Dec 9, 2007)

YardMedic;460759 said:


> No, haven't billed for December yet -- have the 2 plowings before this last "mailbox" thing.


You probably will be stiffed then.


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## CARDOCTOR (Nov 29, 2002)

i would stop over and hand him a bill in person before the next storm . if money is tight .
your probaly at the bottom of the list .


JR


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## DAFFMOBILEWASH (Dec 9, 2006)

Get out NOW!!!! So what is the $60.00 worth it, if the customer is having troubles paying you before winter actually starts what will it be like in late Feb/March.

Plus to the fact they gave you issues with the fall clean up!!!! Get out now before they cost you more $$$ and grief.

DAFF


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## QuadPlower (Jan 4, 2007)

"We blocked our driveway so you wouldn't plow it so we would have money for Christmas"

Why wouldn't they just call you and tell you not to do it? Instead you wasted you time and fuel.

If someone calls during a storm, (not a customer), I give them a "Price per inch" cost. $10 per inch with a min of $30. We get an 8" storm, it cost $80 to do the dirveway. They save on the 3 or 4 times in between that was only 3". So when the call to clear out the mail box again, measure and charge them the $240 for the 2' of snow in the way.

Drop them! If you have a contract to clear at a certian trigger then you need to get paid for it. If they refuse to have you do it, that is grounds to void the contract.

Drop Them!


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## yamaguy (Aug 26, 2007)

bribrius;460894 said:


> just plow out the mailbox. literally. run it right over. then when he calls you tell him he owes you x and you have no idea who hit the mailbox





RBRONKEMA GHTFD;460933 said:


> Don't get me worng but isn't that a federal offense if you did it on purpose? Thats the last thing I would to, if the word got around about that, your name would go down the crapper.


It's Bribrius, his names already in the crapper!


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

yamaguy;461504 said:


> It's Bribrius, his names already in the crapper!


 suds all around for that one! I hope he can laugh at himself a little.


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## jjklongisland (Nov 13, 2006)

Good luck, thats why I dont do driveways... I am curious how it pans out so let us know... I think you were awfully nice to do it for $15 and making a single trip for that matter.


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

For real. Thats why I charge double for people that call and give me sob stories. I was stopped by a guy about mid to late 20's and he tells me he cant shovel this much snow can I push it for him since I'm right here. I tell him sure 40 bucks. He looks at me like a moron and tells me he has a heart condition and he rattles of some meds. NOT heart meds by the way. I tell him since he's not a customer and not on my route that he pays more for the hastle. He looks at me and says ok can you put me on your route. I say sure. Then he gives me 20 bucks and says just make sure to knock on the door to see if I want you to do it the next time. I call him back to the truck and give him his money and say he can do it himself. GD it what a damn hassle these chumps are.


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

jjklongisland;461607 said:


> Good luck, thats why I dont do driveways... I am curious how it pans out so let us know... I think you were awfully nice to do it for $15 and making a single trip for that matter.


And I generally like driveways as much as commercial, but occasionally there's an issue. I considered the money loss here a possible investment, as being a good guy with stupid things in my mind could have bigger benefits on other projects. I know many think that ANY money left on the table is lost, but I have the philosophy that the right hand feeds the left, and I will ALWAYS keep little issues like his mailbox in mind with other work.


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## dakotasrock (Mar 23, 2006)

yea people are just stupid. I wouldn't even have drivin out there for anything less than $50. Gas is $3 a gallon!!!


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## John Mac (Feb 5, 2005)

The PITA customers will always be around, just let the other guy have them. Every year weed them out for the better ones. I don't do driveways anymore but did for years and very few of them were "ok". After I had a full 8 hours filled I just don't go anywere for less than $50. The first couple of years you service the hell out of them and then have a price increase. Keep the ones that want you because of service not price, after you prove yourself. No honor in being the best price, just being good at what you do. Some people do want to have a clean driveway and will pay what it is worth. Set your price, stick to it, service, and service some more, and you will have to many to do. We recieved about 1.5 " inches today and the only people out plowing contracts ( including myself) were guys that charged enough in the first place to give the customer good service. The driveways that didn't get plowed or parking lots for that matter are the ones that will be looking for a new guy next year.


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## firelwn82 (Feb 14, 2006)

John Mac;463065 said:


> The PITA customers will always be around, just let the other guy have them. Every year weed them out for the better ones. I don't do driveways anymore but did for years and very few of them were "ok". After I had a full 8 hours filled I just don't go anywere for less than $50. The first couple of years you service the hell out of them and then have a price increase. Keep the ones that want you because of service not price, after you prove yourself. No honor in being the best price, just being good at what you do. Some people do want to have a clean driveway and will pay what it is worth. Set your price, stick to it, service, and service some more, and you will have to many to do. We recieved about 1.5 " inches today and the only people out plowing contracts ( including myself) were guys that charged enough in the first place to give the customer good service. The driveways that didn't get plowed or parking lots for that matter are the ones that will be looking for a new guy next year.


True that my brother, True that.


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## Scottscape (Nov 27, 2005)

This guy must think or know your hard up for work. If someone pulled a trick like that with me they would be done for good. That guys training you to be his puppet


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## YardMedic (Nov 29, 2006)

Scottscape;463515 said:


> That guys training you to be his puppet


Point taken!


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## iflyhelis (Dec 9, 2007)

YardMedic;463795 said:


> Point taken!


I did a residential once, the guy said to me when I was coming to collect, that he thought that maybe I stole his picnic bench. He was going to be leaving the State for good in 3 weeks. I never did get paid, & I didn't steal is stupid bench! I told him I already had one, why would I take it?

People are Butt-Heads!


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## SkykingHD (Jan 31, 2002)

*drop him*

This customer is a PITA. To get out and drive to job for $15 is a very low price. At $3 per gal for fuel, $1200 for commercial insurance, cost of truck and drivers wage the PITA should have jumped at $15 for that service. This is 2007, that sounds like a 1970 price.

I am looking for good customers.... not PITA's this one goes in the PITA list.


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