# Ever had this problem?



## Ford.crazy (Jun 19, 2012)

Finally had time to write and ask a question.
We have a mixture of commercial and resi accounts. last week we were hammered with a 32+ snowfall in less then 24 hours. All our clients except for one was happy with our services. 
The one client that was not happy was a bar, by the time i made it to the lot there was 3 foot of snow in the lot plus drifting so probably more in spots. Well I couldn't back drag to move across the alley, as i was suppose to. So I chose to push it into one corner of their lot taking up 8 parking spots leaving about 30 spots open. My crew shoveled and snow blowed through 5 foot drifts against the building and all the side walks around the place. Needless to say it could open. 
Talked to the owners, told them I'll be there with loaders to move the snow as soon as i could get the loaders there as they are over 15 miles away working and only go about 15 mph top speed. Well after about 20 to 30 phone calls from this place complaining about it taking so long to get the loaders there and other businesses in the area are not plowed out yet and the employees are parking in their parking lot, because it's the only one opened up. I dropped them the last time they call yelling at my on the phone. I told them I'll bill them for what we did and they can get someone else, on the phone they agreed to it also. 

My question is did I do the right thing? 
Did anyone else ever have a client like this and how did you handle it.

I'll also add, on my contract. There is a place that says, if a loader is required to remain on site, there is a retainer fee. They never asked for a loader to be onsite.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

You did the right thing, they're morons.


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Mark Oomkes;2108437 said:


> You did the right thing, they're morons.


X2, and I don't even plow professionally.

They were more plowed out than anyone else, which is why employees from other locations were parking there, and they are complaining?


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

Idk, 
Some would have given him a refund, becuse of the snow left in the lot.

While others bend over and take it,
Saying, it's all aboot $$.

I would have told them to bugger-off too.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Lol.........


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

sounds good to me too. Used to have something like that happen to me. Would have a church parking lot that would never have any cars in it until the township declares a snow emergency and then they would have everyone in the neighborhood park their cars there beyond capacity of the lot. They would park in the lanes and entrances too. Once the storm was over they would start complaining why the lot wasn't plowed. Like I couldn't even get into the lot to plow. Crazy thing was not one member of the church lived in the neighborhood.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Should of told them your not a cop,call the police to have those cars removed. So you did your job but no else did theirs


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

grandview;2108521 said:


> Should of told them your not a cop,call the police to have those cars removed. So you did your job but no else did theirs


I agree, I wouldn't be pisser about 8 spots taken up after a 3' snowfall, I'd be pissed employees of an adjacent business were in my parking lot


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

grandview;2108521 said:


> Should of told them your not a cop,call the police to have those cars removed. So you did your job but no else did theirs


Agree with Grandview. We had similar snow fall in the Baltimore area at the same time you had yours. I know what you went through. Sounds like you did the best job possible under the circumstances.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

You'd had a top 5 snow storm in history, and they were worried about 8 spots? I get cranky with people, I wouldn't have even offered a loader. I'd have told them to f off too.


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## Longae29 (Feb 15, 2008)

thelettuceman;2108898 said:


> Agree with Grandview. We had similar snow fall in the Baltimore area at the same time you had yours. I know what you went through. Sounds like you did the best job possible under the circumstances.


Hopefully the OP had a "capable of 36" plowing sticker on his truck.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Longae29;2109280 said:


> Hopefully the OP had a "capable of 36" plowing sticker on his truck.


Lmao..........


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

thelettuceman;2108898 said:


> Agree with Grandview. We had similar snow fall in the Baltimore area at the same time you had yours. I know what you went through. Sounds like you did the best job possible under the circumstances.


Dude, you OK? I see you took time to regroup.

You must have been mentally and physically worn out from that historic event.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

He's never going to live that down,until someone else posts something different.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Well, he convinced me to buy the 2017 super duty, the unlimited package.

OP, you've done the right thing.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

grandview;2109294 said:


> He's never going to live that down,until someone else posts something different.


Yeah, but Birddseedd and mwarren have been banned, so it might be awhile.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Mark Oomkes;2109306 said:


> Yeah, but Birddseedd and mwarren have been banned, so it might be awhile.


Want to give it a shot?


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

grandview;2109310 said:


> Want to give it a shot?


Nope, I'm already on thin ice.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

In his defence it took a 30" historic blizzard to put him in that state of mind. Bird was like that all the time. I can't remember lettuce man being a jerk either.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Freshwater;2109323 said:


> In his defence it took a 30" historic blizzard to put him in that state of mind. Bird was like that all the time. I can't remember lettuce man being a jerk either.


Amen. Can't say I've had my brightest thoughts after being up for 2-3 days almost solid either.


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## Kevin_NJ (Jul 24, 2003)

Was bird actually banned? I thought he just left.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

k1768;2109402 said:


> Was bird actually banned? I thought he just left.


Banned, he attempted last week to return.


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## Ford.crazy (Jun 19, 2012)

Thanks guys, after hearing other opinions. I feel I did the right thing, I just never left a client before in the middle of things. I just couldn't take it anymore. After 30+ hours of plowing, Then running a loader for hours to catch up and then going back and salting. I was beat and drained and just couldn't take it anymore. We did the best we could under the circumstances. 

Now that it's all over with, I can't wait for the next one. :bluebounc


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

And guess who will call again when it snows?


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

1olddogtwo;2109433 said:


> Banned, he attempted last week to return.


So he's a Phoenix?


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

grandview;2109443 said:


> And guess who will call again when it snows?


Yup, when their lot looks like all the neighbors, and nobody has a place to park.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Could have been worse


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

1olddogtwo;2109456 said:


> Could have been worse


Lowest bidder syndrome..... Lowes had that here last year.

YOU almost hit the dude pushing the carts in the building !! What if you did ?

Would you feel bad ??


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## Ford.crazy (Jun 19, 2012)

grandview;2109443 said:


> And guess who will call again when it snows?





Freshwater;2109450 said:


> Yup, when their lot looks like all the neighbors, and nobody has a place to park.


I just may not answer, lol


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

If you go back, large price increase, and payment before you leave.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

Ford.crazy;2109460 said:


> I just may not answer, lol


As stated in another thread, I'll always answer and service. Nice price increase, and an almost guaranteed lowered PITA factor going forward.


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

Randall Ave;2109507 said:


> If you go back, large price increase, and payment before you leave.


I disagree. Payment before you do any work!!!!


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

1olddogtwo;2109292 said:


> Dude, you OK? I see you took time to regroup.
> 
> You must have been mentally and physically worn out from that historic event.


This one beat me up. Beat me down. I took the snow plow page off of my website.

Typing this from a padded room with free wi-fi.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

thelettuceman;2109532 said:


> This one beat me up. Beat me down. I took the snow plow page off of my website.
> 
> Typing this from a padded room with free wi-fi.


It's happens man, glad you made it through. Expect a little ribbing going forward, no big deal. Hope you made a lot of cash.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

thelettuceman;2109532 said:


> This one beat me up. Beat me down. I took the snow plow page off of my website.
> 
> Typing this from a padded room with free wi-fi.


It's all good my friend, we've all been there. Time to sit back and wait the the checks to come in.


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## Snow Commandor (Jan 30, 2011)

Ford.crazy;2108432 said:


> Finally had time to write and ask a question.
> We have a mixture of commercial and resi accounts. last week we were hammered with a 32+ snowfall in less then 24 hours. All our clients except for one was happy with our services.
> The one client that was not happy was a bar, by the time i made it to the lot there was 3 foot of snow in the lot plus drifting so probably more in spots. Well I couldn't back drag to move across the alley, as i was suppose to. So I chose to push it into one corner of their lot taking up 8 parking spots leaving about 30 spots open. My crew shoveled and snow blowed through 5 foot drifts against the building and all the side walks around the place. Needless to say it could open.
> Talked to the owners, told them I'll be there with loaders to move the snow as soon as i could get the loaders there as they are over 15 miles away working and only go about 15 mph top speed. Well after about 20 to 30 phone calls from this place complaining about it taking so long to get the loaders there and other businesses in the area are not plowed out yet and the employees are parking in their parking lot, because it's the only one opened up. I dropped them the last time they call yelling at my on the phone. I told them I'll bill them for what we did and they can get someone else, on the phone they agreed to it also.
> ...


I have a commercial customer who's never satisfied with what we do until we get there the day after the storm to touch up and do all the little nitty gritty detail work.
Last week when we had a 2 foot blizzard I had cleared his lot twice already and when he came by on Sunday (he's not even open for business on Sunday) he was fuming cause his aprons had all been plowed is since my last visit & I hadn't been back yet to do all the touch up work. Needless to say, this customer just has high in the sky unrealistic expectations given the fact we had just been dumped on with 2 feet of the white stuff.


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

Freshwater;2109568 said:


> It's happens man, glad you made it through. Expect a little ribbing going forward, no big deal. Hope you made a lot of cash.


I can take the ribbing. This website can really dish it out:crying:

Some of my customers do not understand that plowing in a blizzard cost more than plowing 7" of snow out of their driveway. That topic is for another thread.

I did make 1/2 the money working twice as hard. This snow was too much for me and my truck


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

thelettuceman;2109592 said:


> I can take the ribbing. This website can really dish it out:crying:
> 
> Some of my customers do not understand that plowing in a blizzard cost more than plowing 7" of snow out of their driveway. That topic is for another thread.
> 
> I did make 1/2 the money working twice as hard. This snow was too much for me and my truck


again?


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

thelettuceman;2109592 said:


> This snow was too much for me and my truck


 you're not related to some dbag in NJ that takes other established guys contracts, then once he gets there, bails on the place when he thinks it's too hard, are you ?

Nah !

I wouldn't wish that on anyone.... well almost anyone....


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## potskie (Feb 9, 2011)

1olddogtwo;2109456 said:


> Could have been worse


Man I've been doing it all wrong.


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## thelettuceman (Nov 23, 2010)

Dogplow Dodge;2109607 said:


> you're not related to some dbag in NJ that takes other established guys contracts, then once he gets there, bails on the place when he thinks it's too hard, are you ?
> 
> Yeah, It runs in the family. I cover the Baltimore area. The other side of the family does that in upper state NY. His initials are GV and he taught me how to bail out on hard to do properties.


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## Ford.crazy (Jun 19, 2012)

*and now the fun begins*

After all this, now they are questioning the bill. I can't believe people, anything to get out of paying. Anyways the bill is the bill, I decided they they pay it or we go to court. The bill is plenty worth the hassle of court.


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