CCPC

I'm with ya there. I did a little door too door in my first year, and hated it. It was way to time consuming for how much work I was able to get, and got some pretty nasty responces from people who felt it wrong of me to approach their house uninvited and bother them.

GET R' DONE!!!!!:lgkick:

Just like the statistics show, on average, it can cost ten times as much to find new customers then keeping customers you already have.

That does sound interesting.

For commercial bids, I always wear clean cloths. For residential, I try to schedule it where I can arive in clean cloths, but somtimes conveinience takes priorty. I as well, always prepare them on the phone that I will be a bit dirty, and most really could care less, and they actually seem to appreciate a working man image. Like Jon, I also prefer to dress comfortable and casual on most estimates. I generally will wear jeans and a tee shirt, but clean if possible. I think I do a much better job at selling my services when I'm comfortable, and I also think my casual appearence puts the customer more at ease. They see me as a professional regarless of whether I wear a polo, hair gel, gold chain, and a half a bottle of cologne to help close the sale.

Any curves in the hose, or 90 degree turns (such as with the hose reel) will create added friction and resistance in the potential flow of water. Because of this, I believe it's always a good idea to allow the flow from your machine too your gun or surfacer to be as straight as possible, i.e. uncoiling all of the hose off the reel, laying it out in the largest serpintine pattern if you can, the less turns in the hose, the better flow and, or psi you will achieve. Water doesn't like to make turns, it likes to flow straight. When you have 300' of hose coiled around a small cylinder, the water flow is continuesly pushing itself much harder against the wall of the inner hose to make its way to the end.

This is true Mike, and I understand what your trying to say, but, simply put, if they are unable to provide good service, and back up their good prices with customer care before and after the sale, its a recipe for their business to self destruct some time down the road. Look at it this way, your basicly outlining exactly what we all complain about on the service side of this business. LOWBALLERS!! The way they conduct business is equal to how most lowballers conduct business on our end. (E-spec)Defective parts at rock bottom prices = (lowballer)poor quailty workmanship at rock bottom prices Prices so low that customer service, before and after the sale, is non existant If one is willing take a chance with this (just like our customers taking a chance with Johnny 5 minute house wash), and doesn't mind getting screwed every once and a while, then I guess one would fall right into the same shoes as Mr. "hire the cheapest homeowner". The only problem I have is I like using their Emulsifer Plus, and I really don't want to switch to another soap, but I might start looking.

In my opinion, E-Spec has about the worst customer service, and a lot of their products are garbage. I had a very similar experience some time ago with them about somthing I ordered, and when I recieved it, it wasn't the right part. I called them about it, and they also wanted me to ship it back, and I told them heck no! After some choice attitude from Mr Alison, they did send me the correct part. The sad thing was, it was only about a 2 dollar nozzle, which is why I almost laughed when he wanted me to send it back to them. So I should make a special trip to the post office, package this thing, and spend my dollar to get a replacement for their screw up? Not gonna do it. I still order some things from them, and besides a few minor issues, and having to deal with very poor customer service, I basicly tolarate doing business with them on occasion. You know, now I've got myself all agravated at them again, maybe I'll stop buying from them all together. Why should I give them my business when they obviously have little appreciation to their customers. I know that if I treated my customers that way, I wouldn't be around for very long.

Just bringing this topic back up because I'm just finishing up my taxs for last year and one of the last things my accountant needs is my milage for last year. I use my truck for both business and personal, Allthough (because my life revolves around my work, and I no longer have a social life) 80% of the time when driving my truck it's work related. I'm very organized with all aspects of my business, recipts, billed work, customers, payables, reciveables, etc, but milage is where I drop the ball. 2004 I spent a lot of time trying to record my milage for every business related journey, but as 2005 started I just flat said the heck with it, too much of a pain in the A**!! Now I'm stuck trying to reconstruct my milage for last year. Thankfully, most of my work is in the same communities, so estimating distances is easy. I spent several hours last night going through Quickbooks and every customer last year and estimating milage for each. Then I estimated the most common places I go other than job sites, gas station, bank, P.O. Box, Lowes, Walmart, etc. and finally came up with a reasonable figure. What a pain, but I must say spending 3 or 4 hours now was still easier than trying to keep up with it everyday for an entire year. How do others handle their milage recording? Do you write it in everytime you go some where business related, or do you just estimate it at the end of the year? I know a lot of you have stricktly business vehicles, so this isn't so much of an issue.

Jeans and t-shirt Herman Survivors - "Reppelers" work boots from Walmart (hands down the best grip you'll find on asphalt roofs) protective sun glasses ( shadder proof, and foam lined to protect against chem drifts) Respirator (sometimes) rubber gloves (sometimes) Sunblock (all the time)

My first year as sole prop. I paid one lump summ at the end of the year after that I started paying quarterly. I've been told, but not to sure about this, that you can get away with paying one time at the end of the year, but once you start paying estimated taxs quarterly you must continue to pay that way. I'm a newly formed S corp this year, and I'm not to fimiliar with this process yet, so I just do what my accountant tells me to do, and write checks when asked.

Carlos, when you have time, I would like a copy. Thanks lpsr@comcast.net

pwkid was just talking about how he does that intentionally, and he claims it does produce a higher draw rate. I can attest to it as well becuase the injector I use now is rated for 3-5 gpm machines, and I use it with my 5.5 gpm machine. I tested this injector, as well as two others that were rated for my gpm machine, and the undersized one I'm using now has a higher draw than the others.

Would, or could the ball stick on a brand new downstreamer. You wouldn't think so. Also, if its pulling up the draw hose, but unable to enter the water stream that would seem to eliminate the stuck ball theory.

It sounds like either the downstreamer is faulty, or its assembled backwards. Hooking it up with no hose basicly eliminates everything else.

How much high pressure hose are you running it with? what gpm is your machine? what gpm is your DS rated at? what is the brand of the DS? Is it adjustalble? What kind of filter are you using at the end of the draw hose? have you tried it with no high pressure hose attached? Have you checked to see it the flow (arrows) are going in the right direction in relation to the QC? Have you taken it apart to see what's going on inside? Just some questions to help get the ball rollin

I've had customers tell me the same thing about the last guy who cleaned their house, blew out all the seals in their insulated windows. I never rinse thermo pane windows with more pressure than a soap tip, and even then I'm very cautious.

Sorry dude. I sucks that you pay good money for somthing, and end up dealing with a bunch of crap. Hope it all works out. This is the exact reason why I don't deal with anyone that I haven't heard good things about from multiple other contractors. (with the exception of of one company. Gee, I wonder who that could be) :rolleyes:

I would suggest trying to apply the GZ directly from the brush. This is how I apply my gutter cleaner, and it's effecient and the least wasteful. Just pour a little of your GZ in a 5g bucket (just enough to cover the bottom of the bucket, maybe an 1" or so), dip your brush in, apply your chem to the gutter, agitate if neccessary, and rinse as usuall.

That's my weaks spot as well. I can sell jobs real well, but I'm not consistant on trying to push other things that can use my expertise. I guess I'm afraid of looking a little too pushy, and wind up losing their trust, and the job I was originally called out to estimate.

He sure is, If only I had half that motivation. Currently, I'm still trying to decide wether I want to be rich one day, or kick back a bit more, and not be rich. I don't think I could ever be wealthy because money doesn't interest me that much.

When you say that you disconnect when not laying chems, do you mean after each time you apply chem you disconnect, or do you mean, say after cleaning a whole house and before cleaning the driveway.

Northern Tool has a sale on 1.8gpm Shurflo pumps 59.99. Just thought I'd share.

I guess it all depends on what your needs are. I've rearranged my chems and storage many times over the past couple of years as I find reasons to do so. I personally like 5g buckets for most of the chems I don't use as much of or as often, such as oxalic, degreasers, strippers and gutter cleaners. I keep my full strength chlorine in a 30g drum which I use for my house wash and pump up sprayer and a few other things, and I use a 100g tank to mix my roof cleaning chlorine solution.

Ah ha!!! so that's why my adams injector has been pulling more chem. thanks