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Jarrod

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Posts posted by Jarrod

  5. Posted · Report reply

    OK EVERYONE, IT'S ONLY 2 WEEKS AWAY!!!!!!!!

    LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GONNA HAVE ABOUT 20 CONTRACTORS THERE. (UNLESS MORE SIGN UP)

    ON THE DAY OF THE DEMOS, EVERYONE WILL BE PICKED UP AT THE HOTEL AT 10:00 AM SHARP.

    THE FIRST DEMO WILL BE A HOUSE WASH/DECK STRIP COMBO.

    THE HOUSE HAS MILDEW ON THE NORTH SIDE.

    THE DECK IS ABOUT 800 SQ. FT. AND IS ELEVATED. IT HAS A FAILED, FADED STAIN ON IT AND IS TURNING GREY.

    AFTER THIS JOB, WE WILL ALL GO AND GET SOME LUNCH (IS OLD COUNTRY BUFFET OKAY?) THE PRICE OF THE MEAL WILL BE COVERED.

    THE NEXT DEMO IS A SMALL DECK THAT WE WILL STAIN WITH WTW WHG.

    AFTER THE DEMOS ARE DONE, WE WILL ALL GO TO (I'M NOT TELLIN)

    ON THE MEETING DAY, IT WILL GO AS FOLLOWS -

    10:00 AM - MICHAEL KREISLE WILL COVER INTERNET MARKETING AND MARKETING IN GENERAL. HE WILL ALSO TOUCH ON MAXIMISING YOUR PROFITS.

    11:00 (ish) AM - BARRY MADDOX WILL COVER CUSTOMER RETENTION IDEAS

    NOON - WE WILL BREAK FOR LUNCH - PIZZA (DURING THIS TIME, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT THE VENDORS HAVE BROUGHT.)

    1:00 PM - JARROD WILL COVER PROFIT MARGINS, SALES AND WE WILL PLAY "STUMP THE SALES MAN." BRING YOUR 2 HARDEST OBJECTIONS TO OVERCOME, AND WE WILL SHOW YOU A REALISTIC WAY TO KNOCK'EM OUTTA THE PARK.

    AFTER THAT, YOU WILL ALL BE LURED INTO MY DUNGEON OF HORRORS, WHERE YOU WILL SUFFER HORRENDOUSLY & NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU SCREAM.

    OTHER THAN THAT, WE'LL HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND :D

  7. Posted · Report reply

    Great question Adrian. I have been trying to perfect a "system" of my own to weed out people who waste my time too.

    Basically, when they call, I tell them that my minimum job is $550.00. for a deck or pavers resto. At that point, they will either say "Holy cow man! I was expecting to pay about 2 or 3 hundred!" - OR - "We understand, our deck is quite large and it will most likely cost more tham $550.00." Even people with small to medium size decks will most likely accept the minimum price. It's the cheap people that will freak out. And that's a good thing because you just saved some time and gas.

    I just saved myself a 30 min. drive just the other day by doing this. The guy called me for a quote for his deck. I said "I'll be happy to give you a free quote sir. It sounds like you have a small to medium size deck, my minimum job is $550.00."

    At that he said "Well forget it then." I asked him how much he thought it would be and he said "I got it done 5 years ago for $300.00."

    After explaining to him all the reasons why contractors can't do decks right for $300.00, he still insisted that he wanted it done for that. I thanked him for saving me from wasting a 1 hour round trip and said goodbye.

  17. Posted · Report reply

    Personally, I feel like you are getting involved in a much larger issue that you may not be realizing. Ever hear of buyers remorse? ok. so he goes and agrees to pay your "x" ammount of dollars for work to be done, and then husband goes rediculious on finished product, due to feeling guilty about spending amt. of money, and feels that he can get you to go down on your price by giving you a difficult time, hoping you will settle for whatever he gives you.

    These people are EVERYWHERE!! Even with a signed contract and all corners rounded and all i's dotted and t's crossed you will still run into them. those which still give you a hard time, regardless of what you do, they are just unhappy people. In my opinion their marriage is a little disfunctional if the wife approves something, and then the husband has the nerve to cross her judgement and demand otherwise. It sounds to me like that marriage isn't 50/50. Heck what does she do, run to him to wipe his arse when he demands it.

    I've actually walked away from jobs because of a feeling I get in my gut. you know like when something just "ISN'T" right. And doing a job for a mutual friend isn't one I'd take on. The only thing I'm going to do for my friends is get them a beer when they come over. Anything more than that leads to complications. Sure I'll "HELP" them do their deck, but I keep $$$ out of the equasion if I actually value the friendship. $$$ ruins a lot of things, friendships included, heck it's the #1 reason for divorce in america today.

    My advice - Trust your gut, do a good job for a fair price, and get your act together when it comes to customers expectations. I would also go along with Ken's methodology to collect payment, however remember you share a mutual friend and there is going to be bad feelings regardless of the outcome on either behalf.

    I had one instance where I delt with a customer much like the one you are describing. After job completed I knew I wasn't going to collect payment, by a conversation overheard the family was having financial problems. Something about a credit card, and he was yelling at his wife. Well.. he then tried to tell me he couldn't pay me for the job because it "WASN'T WHAT HE WANTED" heh. No hard feelings I said, I'll come back tomorrow,for "x/$" more, just sign this statement stating that the work performed was what was agreed on, and I'll attach the labels and invoices to send along with a claim to the court house.

    If I really wanted to be a jerk I would have came back the next day stripped the stain I applied and left him a message stating" Here's a blank canvas, have at it picasso"

    I think that you're on to something here. I have dealt with this a lot lately. The economy here is really bad, so a lot of people are getting pretty wierd. This guy sounds like a real *****. BTW - RAISE YOUR FREEK'N PRICES!!

  24. Posted · Report reply

    I want to apologise to you all for goofing up on the math when I added up all the expenses for the RT. I have been really stressed out & busy lately and when I added up the expenses I completely left out a few of the expenses. One of them was the food - can you believe ME forgetting about food? OMG!

    The price is now $107.00 per person. I'm sorry for the mistake, but I have to cover my expenses for this or I'll be paying out of pocket. The prizes you'll recieve just for showing up will more than offset the $107.00 anyways.

    Please don't kill me, or send Scott K up here with a baseball bat.

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