newlook

This is a topic that continues to remain on the forefront of our industry and will probably be still there after we are all long gone. There are many reasons and/or factors that play into why us legitimate contractors lose bids/accounts to the so called lowballers. We all have looked inward and questioned as to whether or not we were doing something wrong as it relates to our marketing, sales presentation, equipment used, cleaning tactics, chemical application and etc. I for one agree with Ken's position. We put alot of energy into avoiding crossing paths with the lowballers out here. This energy that I talk about is invested into our overall business plan that we visit at least once a month. Our emphasis is put into the marketing and sales of our services. I am sure we lose some accounts to the so called "lowballer" but from a practical point we do not even worry about it ~ by the time the lowballer starts the contract we lost ~ we picked up 2 more contracts! Just my .02 cents :)

yea Celeste ~~ Poot? :)

Shane, This is right up our alley as my wife is from Louisiana. 'Ain't nothing like some good ole fashion cooking' ~ :)

Nothing you can do about those that do not carry insurance. As PressurePro mentioned the only thing that you can do is try to educated your customer about the exposure they would be taken if they went with an uninsured company.

It's raining in N. Ca ~ well for at least one or two days. Other than that the weather has been awesome and hot.

We are a S corporation.

Maybe I am wrong but I don't think the general public would even call PWNA today and ask for recommendation and/or direction on picking a contractor for power washing. I am not saying or implying that the PWNA is not capable of doing this but I just think that the PWNA is not exposed to the general public to the degree that a customer wakes up one morning and say's "I am going to call the PWNA because I am thinking about getting my house power washed next week". I do see the PWNA migrating in the right direction as it relates to localizing the awareness of the organization with the local chapters. How these chapters blossom will be vital as it relates to the general public awareness of the PWNA. When the PWNA reaches that plateau of public awareness and confidence, that is when I feel the general public can default to the PWNA (local & national) and ask for direction as it relates to selecting a contractor. I do agree with Scott on the subject of the PWNA stating what a legitimate contractor should posses (insurance, license and etc) in the event there is not a PWNA member operating nearby. I would not expect the PWNA to recommend any specific contractor if they are not current members of the organization. I do not see the harm in the PWNA telling a customer that a contractor SHOULD have certain credentials...the PWNA requires certain credentials for membership. On the lighter side of things, Kaui was great :) Just got back on Sat from 8 days of great weather and beautiful beaches. I will post pics later.

It is difficult to determine whether or not some information is true or false. I Know that the administrators do a damn good job in keeping track of individuals that offer nothing but trouble on the TGS. There is a ton of great information on the TGS but we do have an occasional Eienstein that tries to reinvent the wheel. I have found that the fakers, wannabes and etc. just move on to other sites or just plain disappear. If we feed into their ploy then they tend to stick around a little longer. Just my .02 I am off to the airport .... see you all in a about 9 days

First of all ~ thanks to all of you that have sent me emails wanting to know where in the heck I have been the last couple of months. To be honest with you...I have been swamped with work out the you know what :) and I am trying to get to Kaui starting this weekend for a much needed vacation. For those on the east coast, the power washing season has just started. For me out here in N. Ca., I would say we are mid way through. Anyway, thanks for checking in on me! Aloha :sunshine: :golf:

That is a nice job.

Thanks Michael...

Hey all, Sorry for not being as responsive as I usually am. I have been totally swamped with work for the last 2 months and have not had a chance to catch my breath. On top of that I am heading to Kaui for 8 days starting this weekend. When I get back from my vaca I will email those that have expressed interest in the contracts. Again, sorry for not getting back to you all. Aloha :)

We try to educate them as much and as quick as possible as to why our prices are at the level that they are in. I try to "snag" the bargain shoppers with a quick overview of the work we will be doing and etc. If they are still set on a low price, I thank them for their time and wasting mine ~ then move on. We have customers call us and ask us to come out and fix what the original company did or did not do. Usually the problem is that the 1st company was using a 0 degree trip on the wood trim and stucco. Then the customers gets on a rampage about the fees we are going to charge to fix the problem the 1st company created...go figure!! As Tony said, the general public does not have a clue....:)

Thought it would be interesting to find out what everybody did professionally or non-professionally before they entered into the power wash industry? I for one used to work in the Direct Marketing during the .com era (if you could call it that) ~ our company barely made it through the 1st round investors. Prior to that I was a firefighter in Northern California.

You are right about the gas. :lgmoneyey I think reg. unleaded is at around 2.68 a gal. Premiumn unleaded is closer to $3.00 a gal. My business partner and I have 5 vehicles in our fleet plus the family car. I guess you could imagine what we spend on gas each week.

Wish you were closer up here in N. Calif. ~ I could keep you busy ALL year round with wood work. I try to stay away from wood work as much as possible but our customers draw us into doing it :).

Shane, As always...great work. You gotta love it when your "home brew" does all the work for you.

Charlie and Nick...welcom aboard. I was on your site. Outstanding work. As Reed said, it is good to see youth doing something positive and productive.

Looks great Beth and Rod....very elegant

Glad to hear that the convention went well. For myself...I have been swamped with work. I haven't really have not had a chance to spend the time on the BBS like I want and/or used to. Folks back east are praying for good weather and the season to start...I am well into the season in N. Calif. ~ a little rain here and there.

Jesus Scott...our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to them and you. It is tough. I lost my brother-in-law (fishing buddy) last October. Be strong and carry on.

I agree Rod. Yes, I think this is a great idea and who knows...maybe the PWNA will come around. Instead of figuring out where this will be maybe we should work on how this meeting will be structured and the many different panels/topics it should cover. I think Beth asked/mentioned early on in this thread for volunteers...count me in. Let me know where I can help.

A meeting on neutral ground sounds like a great idea. As far as the location ~ Vegas is a good place to meet :) or someplace centrally located. Atlanta is good and in the middle.

Don, I understand your question(s) to John but I also side with Celeste in defending John T's post. He has been really the only one from the "other side" :) that has taken time and tried to explain things to the best of his ability as it relates to the PWNA. Certainly I wish more BOD members would participate on this site to "unofficially" bring us non-members up to speed of what is going on over there.

John, I think you can actually put them in either place. If it were me, I would probably want to scoot those tanks a little forward from the axles...but that is just me. I have a 275 gal. poly and I ride it just in front of the single axle of our water trailer. Take into consideration your access to them to fill the tanks with water. Also, mentally place all your equipment in your trailer and see if it is a good fit.