Beth n Rod

Well it's a banner day! Welcome Gideon H. as our 200th member! Beth & Rod:D :D

Scott, what a truly beautiful post. Thank you for following the little spider. Have a great day! Beth :cup:

That sucks! I called them recently, got a bad feeling over the phone and used someone else who I have been happy with. I will never, ever use them now. You better hope they have the old drive lying around somewhere...if they do take it somewhere else. Beth

There are 7 new games in the arcade. They were just added the other day. Enjoy! Beth :cup: :sunshine:

There are always going to be the weekend warriors and diy'ers who will take advantage of these options. I don't mind it especially when we are available to come and fix the mess they make. Rod!~

Jim, That was funny! :dancing: Beth

I find this an excellent point. Our companies reputation is on the line and we all have taken chances at some point by offering things we have little knowledge or experience with. But what sets us apart is by learning about them and evaluation of them and then making choices that not only are beneficial for the customer but our business' as well. Customers of quality know these things and will look for them in whom they hire. Many have done their own research and are looking for validation from companies who have experience with it. Some are just dead set on a certain product because of what they read in Consumer Reports. Little do they know of the VOC formation changes of recent that may have an impact on a product of choice and that is where we come in...with knowledge. We keep up-to-date and network which provides a benefit for the customer. What ever happened to the selling point of being on the cutting edge and using the latest technology? In our field, time is the test and most of us know what works and what doesn't because we have seen it first hand and have dealt with the frustrations of a product failing despite following the label directions and trying to appease the customer. We have heard the claims of 10, 15, 20, +++ years of duration yet the products have only been on the market 6 months or more. The customer does not know about the accelerator booths that are used to test a product and give an approximation of duration determined by the results of the test. This is not actual but simulated. PLUS.. they (mfrs) don't have anyway of telling you what to expect when it comes time to do anything to it because they have not really experienced it themselves because of the preliminaries they rely upon to back up their claims. We (Contractors) offer realistic expectations and don't offer the exorbitant, neglectful products that looks great at first but when they fail they do so with expensive repair or replacement needs because the chemicals needed to otherwise remove them are too dangerous to use in a residential environment and the liabilities are imminent as far as I am concerned. Again, good point Shane. Rod!~

You guys are too much some times. Funny stuff. This is a tough one isn't it? The dictionary says one thing and like Paul says...1 oops!!! But the term 'Expert' is also subjective in the terms of who thinks is one. I am of Seymores mindset and don't get complacent thinking I am an expert because than I feel I would close my mind to new things and ideas because of the egotistical state of ignorance once assumed in it. This is just my way of looking at things though. Our customers have called me an expert but in the course of the meeting the term comes out in phrases such as "I don't know, your the expert" or "I would like your expert opinion" or " I couldn't do it so I called an expert". While in most cases I can take this as either flattery or the person conceding themselves to a hierarchy of a customer-expert relationship. I will say I am very knowledgeable and experienced but by no means do I tout myself as an expert. But then there is the term 'expertise' to consider. I have it and it has been demonstrated, documented and photographed as the results our company provides and obtains further business as a result. But there is always room for improvement despite the achievements to date. IMHO; being an expert is subjective and to me is an honor bestowed upon by others and not necessarily by oneself, otherwise people tend to think of you as a braggart. Someone said it's not bragging if you can do it but thats another debate all it's own, isn't it? :) Rod!~

Agreed John. Usually if you can get to them within a few weeks of their first being attached you can get them off for the most part, but after that, they are near impossible to remove by normal house washing methods. It calls for scraping off the nodules and applying a sodium hydroxide solution followed by a bit of brushing and then applying a Sodium Hypochlorite mix to lighten the stain. Depending on how long it has been there will determine the results. On vinyl siding depending on certain colors and the quality of the siding itself artillery fungus can be removed almost completely and on others a stain will still be present. On aluminum siding you will have discolorations in the paint no matter what you do because of the enzymes in the spores that are used to attach themselves to the surface they land on which destroys the coating in the process. It is not to different from cyanoacrylate in super-glue in the way it works deliberately by emulsification and after the action is complete it re-hardens to form a bond. This is the nature of what we are up against when we are trying to clean siding. Rod!~

Chip in for the kids :)

What do you have in mind for the recording studio? Previous rocker here :bandplay: Rod!~

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195 Artillery Fungus Article Beth :cup:

Great seeing you Jarrod! You have been missed! Beth

Linseed oil is a natural mildew food! Mildew loves this stuff and will grow like crazy on anything that has it. Some use a mildewcide additive and try to control the problem. Too much linseed oil darkens the wood. This results in a less favorable color when another product is applied after it has been exposed to it. Mineral oil is much better for exterior wood. Linseed oil which until the idea to use it on exterior wood was used primarily on fine wood furniture to darken the wood naturally and moisturize it before applying a varnish. Contrary to popular belief, linseed oil does not revive old dried out wood but expands the fibers and hardens them. Once added to wood, it never cleans up as well and is more difficult to sand as well. Regarding educating the customer, when it comes down to it, some people go for price and that is where education can not win. They are the most difficult to work with commonly and want the most for the least. I'd let it go and let the hungry ones have at it. We have a limited menu of stain choices to make it easy to choose. For those who want more, we talk about them to the extent of what the customer is looking for out of a product. They often stop trying to 'color coordinate' and start looking at how long it will last and the maintenance they will have to do in the interim. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who think that the deck should look just as good 1, 2, 3+ years from now depending on the product claims and think that if it doesn't the contractor is to blame and take no responsibility in themselves to keep the deck clean in between times. Here is one on the other side of the spectrum; a person we did one year only wanted a clear sealer installed, but after 18 months called us out because they wanted some work done on it again and we were surprised to find out they were personally holding us responsible for the deck turning gray and that we should do it again at our expense and go after the manufacturer to get our money back. I have had others who were telling me from the very beginning that they wanted us to do the work and that we were the only ones who they thought were competent enough to do so. Price goes down on the paper and they flip, tell us that they would not pay even half that price and cannot justify it. Some times people don't know how to do business and think that by offering flattery it will get them a better deal. They don't think about that person having expenses too and a living to earn. Others will tell us right up front they don't have much money to spend and need a good deal in order to go with us. It's a shame to waste all that time, fuel and effort to see someone who should have had the consideration to begin with on the phone to tell us what they could afford before we wasted a trip on them and bumped someone else because they were in a hurry. As Jon Fife said, one should know after a few minutes into the estimate which is most important to the customer. Sometimes though...it is a crap shoot! Rod!~

I have always heard that people don't plan to fail but they do fail to Plan! Plan your time, making it time you need to devote to increasing your education and knowledge. Delegate to others in order to free up time but definitely plan. Attend conventions that are specific to your interests and network. Take classes, seminars, etc. Forgive me if I read your post incorrectly, but it sounds as if you admittedly put the cart before the horse and are trying now to rectify this and get yourself prepared for what your business is demanding of you in order to keep up. Business' can take off so fast that it's like a runaway horse and until you get the reigns pulled back and can control its direction one could find them headed for a wall that wasn't there before. Been there, done that!!! Fortunately, we had the background in business, marketing, sales and management to help with the most part. The Human Resources side was our shortcoming and we are looking that tiger in the mouth as we read this thread. H.R. is not as easy as one may think because as an employee you see one side of it and not the other which can be an enigma until you find out the psychology of it's support structure. I don't know exactly where you feel your weaknesses are but there is hope yet. Just plan. Run the business so it does not run you. Rod!~

Given an inspection of a deck, I may have one expectation but the customers is not always as realistic. There is a gray area here where it is up to us to make the expectation as realistic as possible IF all the variables are identified and addressed such as; What is currently on it, when it was installed, by whom it was installed, what the preparation methods were, and how many times it has been done. There are more obviously but these are the most typical of incidents helping me to determine realistically what can be done to the deck. In order to get the optimum results, the wood should have been regularly cared for (at least every 2 years or annually if it was a clear product) prior to our companies services and not have a prior product containing a silicone, Teflon or linseed oil ingredient installed. In the real world of expectations the gray areas withstanding, we give according to what the customer is willing to pay for. To address your poll Ken: We want a finish that looks great and last for at least 2 years before needing our companies maintenance but is easy to clean with a percarbonate cleaner by the customer without damaging it in the interim. The product should not have to be stripped in the maintenance process and the color should match each time to avoid uneven or splotchy results. We have arrived at a product as all who know us know, that meets with these stringent demands and so far the only disappointment was on a cedar deck that was damaged by a homeowner in whose lack of patience resulted in him pouring the concentrated deck cleaner straight from the bottle on it and then called us to fix the damage. The obvious damage was removed but the symptoms went deeper into the wood so as to keep it from penetrating and therefore it peeled in a couple of the places where the cleaner was poured on straight. That deck has since been serviced again this year and the problem areas sanded even further to get below the problem. The product still lasted 2 years. So, our disappointment was minor. :taz: Rod!~

Is it in the flight traffic lanes? Could be jet fuel. Needs a degreaser to remove it. Rod~!

Check the harness anyway. The charge could have caused damage to the casing making it weak and brittle. Use a continuity tester to check the other wiring in case it bridged through an open circuit and fried other lengths as well. Rod!~

Eeeeeeewwwwwww! TMI! TMI! TMI! Beth

Ok, now you done it James, I'ma gonna haf ta tern you in for impersin8ing a perfeshonal. 'hic!' Thats the one offser, lock im up! :lol: Too funny James. I call shenanigans! Rod!~

...You did not....now THAT was a tall tale... funny too! Nah...you couldn't have done that.... Beth :cup:

If I were you, I'd seriously consider changing cc processing companies. The information that I gave you is what we have been told by our agency and therefore what we go by in terms of legalities. We have experienced a few people who try to defraud us and the cc processing company will stand behind us because of our record with them. We take every precaution to make sure the customer can't get a charge back after receipt of merchandise until they return it. The ccp will wait for us to issue the refund once we have received it instead. This is another reason why we decided it was best to get out of selling online. With services, it is hard as hell for the customer to get any money back once we have provided the service(s). Plus, we also have it in writing their obligations that they have to sign off on. Online is quid-pro-quo until someone lies about it and then with the commonality of cc fraud online and id theft, ccp's often side with the customer first but not without getting both sides. Rod!~

Jon is in the house!!!! Man it's good to see you! Beth :groovy:

No tracking # ?? Once you send something, check the tracking # and if that shows a problem, fax or email them the report. It's not your fault that the shipper messed up. This also is evidence against a charge back on their part because you are able to show the cc clearing house that you honored your part. Most times they are already used to this type of situation and mostly will just tell the customer to work it out with you. As long as you are doing your part they will not charge-back the order because of the items supposed to be in transit and the questionable reasons people do this is to try to get something for free. The burden of proof is on the customer to show you did not complete the order or respond to their inquiries. You have a tracking #, an order # and a ship date to back you up. My line would have been: Thankyou for your patience, charging back an order without having received it is a criminal offense and you are welcome to act as you see fit but be aware that my tracking # of that shipment tells me where it is and if the shipper looses it then I will take care of it on my end and let you know what I am doing to fill you order. There is nowhere on the store that allows you to call me up in anything less than a polite and courteous tone. I'll be in touch when I know more. Thank you! <under my breath as I hang up the phone I will reserve and expletives that I see fit to relieve me of my stress> Rod!~

Hey Gal, Happy Birthday Week! Beth