Business is slow this season

[colson04]

Remember the days gone by when we would head out on a job for the day and never talk to anyone until we got home. The world could be ending and we were oblivious.

I just had that discussion with my brother. I miss those days.

 

[Birken Vogt]

If you have plenty of work then that method is fine. I say that without sarcasm. Of course everybody who leaves a VM needs a return call at the end of the day at least. Not a couple days later.

I heard a plumber say one time. If you are laying on your back in a crawl space in the mud and the phone rings. You answer it. That has always been my motto although it is changing now I have more work than I know what to do with. It is a hard habit to break. Although mine is more of an emergency service business so it is a little different.

Best thing you can do is get your wife or somebody to answer the phone when you are busy. People like to speak to someone when they call. At least they know the message got through and a real person is there. I had been using Google Voice free version. But support for multiple phones is ending. I am in the process of switching to Vonage. Have not got it working yet. Voicemail transcription, texts and everything from a computer desktop.

 

[Welder Dave]

I was doing an eviction once. The judge here told me when I took a partial payment I effectively changed our contract. I will never do it again.

You get it in writing it's only for a specific time or month(s).

 

[ianjoub]

You get it in writing it's only for a specific time or month(s).

Things are different between where you are and where I am.

I had given them a receipt which stated the payment amount they made and their owed balance. That is as 'in writing' as it gets.

 

[Welder Dave]

You were dealing with an eviction. The judge may have been sympathetic to the renter. Judges aren't always right. If something was written and signed in advance may have had a different outcome.

 

[Mike L]

I never did any of that and I stay busy with a waiting list. Of course I'm not basing my livelihood from my shop, but it could be a full time profession if chosen.

Just do good work at a fair price and the rest kinda takes care of itself.

That’s one thing that has changed in my business since I moved to Texas. People will not wait down here and seem to get frustrated that I’m busy working on someone else’s equipment. People I’ve never met will call and it goes like this “ hey my name is bob. I got your name from Jim who says you’re the best mechanic in east Texas. (Here we go) I need my whatever repaired. Can you do it ? Me: sure but it will be a couple days.
Bob: ugh. It would be better if you could do it yesterday
All I can think is that if I’m the best mechanic in east Texas (I’m not by the way) is what makes them think I’m sitting home waiting for their call. Then they make an excuse to not get it scheduled and I never hear from them again. Phew! I’m done ranting. I do have a pretty good customer who calls me and the dealer. Whoever can get there first gets the job. Typically it’s me because they are always 2 weeks behind.

 

[crane operator]

That’s one thing that has changed in my business since I moved to Texas. People will not wait down here and seem to get frustrated that I’m busy working on someone else’s equipment. People I’ve never met will call and it goes like this “ hey my name is bob. I got your name from Jim who says you’re the best mechanic in east Texas. (Here we go) I need my whatever repaired. Can you do it ? Me: sure but it will be a couple days.
Bob: ugh. It would be better if you could do it yesterday
All I can think is that if I’m the best mechanic in east Texas (I’m not by the way) is what makes them think I’m sitting home waiting for their call. Then they make an excuse to not get it scheduled and I never hear from them again. Phew! I’m done ranting. I do have a pretty good customer who calls me and the dealer. Whoever can get there first gets the job. Typically it’s me because they are always 2 weeks behind.

"Well the crane we had booked for tomorrow- just called and cancelled. We don't usually use you because you're so expensive".

I'm booked up for a couple days, I can try to fit you in maybe Thursday afternoon?

"oh no, we've got the framers scheduled and the trusses are here- you'll have to get here tomorrow morning"

Me laughing....

 

[Truck Shop]

People will not wait down here and seem to get frustrated that I’m busy working on someone else’s equipment.

People will not wait anywhere, instant gratification, I want it and I want it now. And how did that
happen, the PC and cell phone created that culture. The only area left where people have to wait
{unless a cancellation} is in the medical health field.
*
When working on cars, trucks or equipment it's the customers lively hood. If they don't see it parked
outside they get nervous. Towards the end of taking care of a companies {outside work} at the shop,
I really enjoyed being able to tell them ain't going to happen today or tomorrow, parts are three days
out. Out would come the fiddle & the whining would start like a country western tune.
*
The older and longer you guy's stay at it--you will get sick and tired of the public and there
demanding. after awhile they all look the same--a sphincter on top of shoulders one big pucker.
*
Then there's the 8 year old kid that comes in asking if you can air up his bicycle tire, you drop
what your doing and take care that in a minute-seeing him smile put's a smile on your face,
for that kid was the best happiest customer all day.

 

[1693TA]

The joys of retail:

I've learned through the years and various involvements, the transients don't matter much and tend to cause you grief. Doing good work and standing behind the occasional failure of the same, (even if no fault of yours) will carry you far. A strong, repeat customer base is very important but again, don't worry about the transients.

It's like everybody can purchase something cheaper online than local, I get that, but usually won't install furnished parts and stand behind them if installing them at all. Sometimes "parts is parts" and I get that too, but that markup is what keeps the lights on, and the tank fueled which is what the customer doesn't see along with you have to live too. You don't need those that are pinching pennies and expect you to follow the same analogy. Send them to the curb. Takes a while to weed them out for certain, but once your reputation is cemented it can be built upon and clientele built upon that reputation tend to follow. Of course you have the ones that will surf for the cheapest price they can find, but they too remember getting screwed and then are quiet when returning so you can make repairs.

Not your place and don't step into berating anyone, just make the repairs and charge accordingly without barter. Make certain it's on their dime as that drives the point home without even talking about it.

 

[Welder Dave]

A cell phone is a double edged sword. If you answer it a potential customer will figure you aren't busy. If you're really busy, sometimes you just want to ignore the phone. The worst is people expecting you can come and do their job right away after there's been a spell of rain or bad weather. They get all upset like it's your fault you're behind and have other customers ahead of them due to it being too wet to work.

When we get snow in the forecast is when there's all of a sudden a mad rush to get winter tires. Nobody does it a few weeks in advance, it's always last minute. The tire shop I go to put a notice on their door "No walk ins appts. must be made for all services".

 

[thepumpguysc]

I have the msg on my vm:
Thanks for calling but if I don’t answer, I’m elbow deep in calibration fluid.. I’ll return your call as soon as I wash my hands..
That seems to hold them off for a few hours..

 

[Mike L]

People will not wait anywhere, instant gratification, I want it and I want it now.

I didn’t deal with this attitude back home very often. I mean, sometimes a plow truck would break down in the middle of a snowstorm and we’d scramble but generally people didnt assume I was sitting at the house with my boots laced up and the truck warming up just waiting for their call. last spring I was working on a tub grinder and a fella who owns a pile of equipment called me about a broken mulcher. I had been trying to get his business for a while with no luck. Told him I could be there the following morning but I was elbows deep in a job and couldn’t leave. He told me he’d get someone else and I’ve never heard from him again. To this day I still feel like I made the right decision. I’m not going to bail out on a job from a customer who was regularly hiring me to help out someone who had never given me a job. as far as the cell phone goes I always try to answer it during regular hours. At night I leave it downstairs with the ringer off. Family knows if there is an emergency to call my wife’s phone.

 

[DMiller]

A Perceived Emergency In your mind does not necessitate panic moves or excited changes of plans for Me. Each takes their turn.

Had that sign for years, do not know where put it. No need of it these days.

Bad checks were never good especially when the passer came back months later forget passed bad paper but needed more work done. Could get really interesting in a hurry.

 

[Truck Shop]

as far as the cell phone goes I always try to answer it during regular hours. At night I leave it downstairs with the ringer off.

It can be an interruption that will cost some day. Again people impatient can't leave a message, on
a phone full of gadgetry just for that reason. And as time rolls on as with the use of texting
it's going to boil down to just a-----{.} which I see is becoming a common thing on here, because
people too lazy to type out a reply, that gets in the way of right now.

 

[DMiller]

As noted needed day before yesterday put it off for weeks now machine down panic. No my concern.

Shop rates in house heee even in a Ag/Tourist Burg as ours $110 at Ford, $135 at Tractor shop, independents are overwhelmed at $130/hr cannot fend off calls.

Go bigger city, shop rates from $150-230/hr and that Per Man on a job, takes two or assistance for one are paying for two.

 

[Truck Shop]

As noted needed day before yesterday put it off for weeks now machine down panic. No my concern.

Shop rates in house heee even in a Ag/Tourist Burg as ours $110 at Ford, $135 at Tractor shop, independents are overwhelmed at $130/hr cannot fend off calls.

Go bigger city, shop rates from $150-230/hr and that Per Man on a job, takes two or assistance for one are paying for two.

Well what's needed is for everyone to come on HEF to get all the free info and go to work taking
care of their own.

 

[DMiller]

Had a Laugh this morning, had a Interested party in the KW, for a day. Asked how many miles on Engine, explained still less than 1000, he asked who overhauled, just stated, Myself.

Long Pause then Thank You. No word since. Got to love those that never ask further, believe ONLY a Shop can do work on Cat engines. Be another winder shopper along shortly undoubtedly.

 

[thepumpguysc]

“Window shopper”.. lol
Wife calls them “tire kickers”..
She’ll see me on my phone for 30 minutes- an hour at a time answering emails.. and say, “what. more tire kickers”.. lol

 

[skyking1]

You're a saint, pumpguy.

 

[Mike L]

Had a guy text me on December 31. Had a skidder that got rolled into a pond and now has electrical gremlins. Wanted to know how much to fix it. I gave him my hourly rate and mileage. Never heard another word until late january. Wants to know how soon I can get to it. Told him the following week but it ended up being the week after because of the 8” of rain in 3 days we got. I was behind and then lost the vgt actuator on my truck. Now he’s getting impatient and I’m in no hurry but finally got over there. He’d replaced the ecm and the dash display but never got matching software. Unfortunately the dealer has to provide the correct software. he tells me “Yeah I thought that’s what the problem was“. So why didn’t you just call the dealer a month ago and have them take care of it?