# help with customers



## Dent82 (Dec 6, 2005)

The other night we got a little over 3" in about an hour and a half at around 8 p.m.

The snow was very light and dry.

I went out and plowed most of my accounts and had two customers call and complain saying they are not going to pay.

Their reasoning: All the snow was blown away and melted before they got up for work the next day. And they don't believe that we got three inches.

Any way to prove it to them? Local weather station is across the river and received only a light dusting. (which is why I didn't plow all of my accounts)

Any experience and/or suggestions in defusing these situations?


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## carl b (Dec 28, 2006)

Drop those customers, they can't afford you obviously, Gotta leave some work for those low ballers.


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## Dent82 (Dec 6, 2005)

Well this is my first full season. Hate to drop people when we only get about 4 snowfalls a year.


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## kkls2006 (Jan 10, 2007)

With only 4 plows a year if they don't want to pay the bill you should tell them to take a hike!!!!!


What do you think they will tell you if they get 10+ and you don't show up????


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## StratfordPusher (Dec 20, 2006)

*When in doubt*



Dent82;363261 said:


> Well this is my first full season. Hate to drop people when we only get about 4 snowfalls a year.


Been there, done that...... let them off the 1 st time.... next time if there
is a next time, bill them for them both since they are now scamming you..

Al
tymusic


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## payton (Nov 3, 2005)

small digital camera- and a tape messure.. start taking pics b4 plowing..

most cell phones have cameras now. its saved my ass a few times.. espically when its the difference between 2-4 and 4-6

we had close to 5 inchs. the customer said he only had 3 at his house. and there was no way there was 5 at the bussiness addy. i simply emailed him a pic of the tape messure in the snow in front of his bussiness. he shut up and paid'd up.


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## DJ Contracting (Dec 16, 2003)

*Tape & camera*

But seeing how they started complaing already then I would drop them, give them plenty of notice hopefully after they pay and wish them good luck the next time you get a big storm. 
I just dealt with that with one customer that complained about the $35.00 I was charging for the past three years and wanted to know if I could lower my prices, I told him nicely that I would not change my prices and told him he was more than welcome to shovel his own drive. By the way I still have the account.


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## GrandScapes (Jan 18, 2007)

accuweather.com will show how much snow actually fell. We use it all the time when our 2" accounts try to claim there was not 2" that fell. sometimes were wrong and we take the hit but most of the time were good.


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## Dailylc (Feb 12, 2006)

Had a customer question how much was on the ground when we plowed. Finally agreed on a price together but also told him he would have to be present before we plowed from now on if he would not take our word for it. If that meant he had to be there at 3 am so be it.Well he decided to take our word for it and has referred us to several new customers. Just work it out.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

In the time I've been plowing, I've only had one customer act like that. It was lady who moved here from Georgia and had never seen snow before. The first time, I was patient with her. The second time, I helped her find someone else. My customers trust me because I go around before most of them are even awake. If they're not going to trust me, they won't be a customer.


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## Young Pup (Aug 13, 2004)

Dent82;363247 said:


> The other night we got a little over 3" in about an hour and a half at around 8 p.m.
> 
> The snow was very light and dry.
> 
> ...


I am curious, when you were done with the driveway, did you have any piles or rows of snow? I mean did you have fresh layered snow in spots where they should have been able to tell that it had snowed. If so did you point that out to them?


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## lawnMaster5000 (Jul 28, 2000)

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=recentevents
You should be able to find something like this for your area. I tried looking for you but cant remember how i got to this page for my city.

You can also look up a history on weatherunderground.com
http://www.weatherunderground.com/history/airport/KC75/2007/1/27/DailyHistory.html

Grandscapes, Do you remember how to find the history on accuweather? I couldnt find it. Thanks.


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## Jakkle5 (Dec 26, 2006)

Unless it was like 60 the next morning theres no way 3" of snow no matter how fluffy it was completely disappeared. Theres something missing from either side of this story.


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## Dent82 (Dec 6, 2005)

Thanks for the help everyone. The sites everyone posted would be very helpful, however they all reside on the other side of the Illinois river. The weather (especially precipitation) can be dramatically different. Yes you could tell I plowed. When I said that the snow had dissipated or blown away I meant to the extent that it looked like we only got 2" max 

I am definitely going to carry my camera for situations like this again. 

Do you take a picture at every location before you plow?


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## hydro_37 (Sep 10, 2006)

Only take pictures at the places you think will give you problems.


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## payton (Nov 3, 2005)

cheap digital camera and a rule only takes about a min to snap a pic. take pics at each location. once billing is done if theres no issues and everything is paid. delete pics.. no big deal its a quick and cheap insurance on snow amount.

hell most cell phones have cameras in them.. snap a pic and email it to them if need be.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

payton;365602 said:


> cheap digital camera and a rule only takes about a min to snap a pic. take pics at each location. once billing is done if theres no issues and everything is paid. delete pics.. no big deal its a quick and cheap insurance on snow amount.
> 
> hell most cell phones have cameras in them.. snap a pic and email it to them if need be.


If you have to go through all that, I'd question that they're worth having. I'd expect them to accuse you of having broken off so many inches of the ruler. No "insurance" to it. They either trust you or they don't.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

I feel that customers are worth keeping, you can fight over this one bill for this one storm and maybe you'll win so you'll get your $30 from the customer, but lose him as a continued customer. The way I have always done it is that if the customer is unhappy with my work for what ever reason I will not charge him for that storm! I have found if I come right out and say that to start with, the customer is much more likely to say "well okay I'll split it with you this time" now he goes away very happy, we didn't have to fight, he doesn't have a bad taste in his mouth. And I know if it's gonna be a marginal storm I may skip him. Eventually I learned what each of my customers expects, and they learned that I'm not out to screw them, and that I wanna keep them for the long term.
If this is your first year plowing then you need to learn how to make each of your customers happy, by fulfilling their expectations, and you need to train them! First off if the snow did melt overnight then I would not expect them to pay, why did you plow them if it was going to melt. I understand that we can't always know what's going to happen. Keeping a customer is a lot easier than getting new ones. If I could get a customer for $30 I think it's a good deal. After you argue with this guy and make him pay you think he's going to keep you? Do you think he will recommend you to his neighbors? How many future storms of 3 inches where the snow did not melt are you going to lose.

You are providing service to the customer, they're not there for your benefit.
Just my two cents worth


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## KINNCO (Jan 19, 2007)

Dent82;363247 said:


> The other night we got a little over 3" in about an hour and a half at around 8 p.m.The snow was very light and dry.
> Any experience and/or suggestions in defusing these situations?


Man I had the same happen to me at a "senior center"of all places
Now wouldn't you think a "senior center" would want the drive and lot cleared for the older folks with walkers and such?? DUH no brainer. I pusher all the snow to the other end of the lot the next time. I am still going to charge them for that visit...whether or not I get paid....time will tell. It's a good paying job and I'm gonna get 'too pissed"...just a little:realmad:


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## Dent82 (Dec 6, 2005)

Settled for half price. The worst thing about it is they are family friends. They should know I'm not trying to screw them. Also, when we got dumped with 13 inches of snow they made a comment about me being 15 minutes later then I said I would be. If they keep acting like this the next big snow I am going to push it all in front of their garage door.


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## Young Pup (Aug 13, 2004)

Dent82;366142 said:


> Settled for half price. The worst thing about it is they are family friends. They should know I'm not trying to screw them. Also, when we got dumped with 13 inches of snow they made a comment about me being 15 minutes later then I said I would be. If they keep acting like this the next big snow I am going to push it all in front of their garage door.


At least you got some money out of them. If I tell a customer a time I am going to be there I always say within the hour. Even if I am 10 minutes from them. To many things can happen out there that are out of your control.

Even if they are family friends it might be time to cut them loose. Sound like they think you only take care of them.


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## Mick (May 19, 2001)

Dent82;366142 said:


> Settled for half price. The worst thing about it is they are family friends. They should know I'm not trying to screw them. Also, when we got dumped with 13 inches of snow they made a comment about me being 15 minutes later then I said I would be. If they keep acting like this the next big snow I am going to push it all in front of their garage door.


And that's why I don't plow for family as customers. I'll plow family for nothing and neighbors if it's clearly understood to be strictly a customer relationship. I only have one that gets a time assurance and they are the first one on the route. I tried a time schedule a couple years ago and it only took one storm that started about 3:00AM to throw that off.

Why waste time and money pushing snow in front of the garage? Stay professional. If you can't do that, find a different line of work. There is more irritation on the way.


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## Dent82 (Dec 6, 2005)

Young Pup;366233 said:


> At least you got some money out of them. If I tell a customer a time I am going to be there I always say within the hour. Even if I am 10 minutes from them. To many things can happen out there that are out of your control.
> 
> Even if they are family friends it might be time to cut them loose. *Sound like they think you only take care of them*.


Isn't that funny, they think if they give you $50 that you should clear a path all the way to work for them.

Also, I was joking about pushing snow in front of the garage. Mailbox maybe, but not the garage.


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## JohnnyU (Nov 21, 2002)

I've found that family friends can be both the best and worst clients. 

I'll add this little bit of advice: Stand up to them. I learned a long time ago that you can't be a push-over. Be firm with what you say. You are the one that knows the business, not them. That is one of the many reasons that I got rid of 90% of my Residential customers. You don't go to the grocery store and argue about the price of your groceries in the checkout lane, do you? Same story.


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