I know people have the right to ask questions. But how many phone calls will you take from the same customer before you get that gut feeling to bail? If i dont lock the job by the third call i start getting that feeling.
small job 1st or second call big jobs may take 3 to 4 calls depends on size and what type of job. ive been there done that,most of the time it pays off.
I really have to laugh at this one, not to be insulting at all. But ironically I had a customer that in all seriousness, He had sent me over 20+ emails , it may be more. I think it is an all time record and I ended not doing the job cause it was painted and peeling ( whole nother story there) anyways my lesson learned,
(1400 sq.ft.roof clean)
2-3 MAX. I have learned oh so well.
the SOB gave me the weakest letter to use as a reference from all the time I invested to keep a good co. name. At one point I tried to blow him off, but he stuck like glue. This is the BS I got for attempting to maintain integrity of our business.
No pun intended Aaron , which I never gave out the referral of your guy down here I didn't want to ruin his month with this guy.
The customer wrote me this Banging Refferal in a email:
Never Ever Again!
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"by the way you were right - first quote $3,600 to whitewash roof- getting second one next week
On Fri, May 20, 2011 at 5:42 PM, kevin wrote:
no problem Kim - here you go and thanks again for your attempt
"Presidential Pressure Washing performs as they promise, when they promise, and exceed all expectations for the services they offer. We highly recommend using Presidential, because of their expert advice and pressure washing capabilities. KS Properties "
Kim R
-- Edited by Roof Cleaning Bradenton FL 941-822-2454 on Wednesday 25th of May 2011 08:55:48 PM
Ed I hear you it can be a pain in the ass, but these people do they're home work and I have found turn into my best advertisement and refferals. On the other hand I gave an est. out last year about an hour frome me, we are on our third phone call this month with refferals given and great feedback on them. But the person wants me to come back out there and go over it with them again, sorry an hour ride back and forth and gas to go over what has been done already...I had to draw the line there...ask all the questions but a return visit is out...to busy to go there again.
Dont get me wrong peeps, 3 calls is not etched in stone. Certain variables and planning may be cause for more calls/emails. But sometimes its the pia questioning when you just know that when the job is done it will be another round of interrogation, possibly water boarding. There are some people that no matter what you do you will not make happy. One wrong move and you get bad online review. Its a gut feeling that can be gotten even on the first call. I rarely turned down jobs but i did today. I gave this girl 30 minutes on the phone 2 days ago only cuz i was driving. I gave her the whole truth and nothing but the truth. She wanted msds for everything. I know she deserves to see it, but i just got that feeling that said "walk away". Oh by the way she was a chemist. Way too analytical for me. she said i must have something to hide, which pissed me off. So i emailed her the msds, but im still not doing it the job.
Ed, I have a co-worker like that, he annoys the hell out of people that do work at his house, but he doesn't mean any harm, haha. I cleaned his gutters and he was watching like a hawk the whole time. I have personally witnessed him hounding potential contractors on the phone and when I ask how the estimate went, he says, "They didn't show up." This happens to him a lot, but he and others don't understand that by acting like a paranoid freak, they scare people off!
While she may not mean any harm, she would probably be more trouble than she is worth.
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Ed I agree with you, a customer like that is completely out of the ordinary, she would cause you grieve through out the job. It wouldn't be worth it. I had a guy like that last week, I told him my company policy is to be paid in full by cash before starting. He wouldn't pay me up front, so we didn't do the job, I don't need the aggrivation their is another prospect just around the corner or another incomming call away.