speed of wasin a house

[PressurePros 249]

Wow, Mike. Your website.. no. If you and I were speaking on the phone I'd probably let slip a few curse words, talk like I would to another guy and not worry about how grammatically perfect my speech was. But when it comes to presentation to the public, especially in print, you have to put your game face on. Your website has misspellings, your speech flow is casual and unprofessional, and overall you come across as a backwoods guy that owns a pressure washer. That's not going to land you high end work. My recommendation is to skip over learning chems and technique for now and read through the sales and marketing forums.

As for your guys that are selling $99 decks. Look closer at the fine print.

Chemicals - extra

Sealing - extra

Staining materials - extra

Larger decks - extra

This is a marketing ruse older than both of us put together. Carpet guys do it all the time. I think its an unethical way to advertise but it works or they wouldn't do it.

[TNRoofCleaner 16]

You had a contract didn't you? You should have only refunded the amount for the staining labor and left the stain on his front porch. Threats of calling the BBB can be serious but once they got your side they would have sided with you. At least anyone with common sense would have. Your prices are your prices and your reputation WILL proceed you. Be careful in the future.

[Rick2 42]

Oh Well, I tried.

[chris francis 15]

You had a contract didn't you? You should have only refunded the amount for the staining labor and left the stain on his front porch. Threats of calling the BBB can be serious but once they got your side they would have sided with you. At least anyone with common sense would have. Your prices are your prices and your reputation WILL proceed you. Be careful in the future.

What can the BBB do to you I have never used bbb and can not aford to be member of them.

[TNRoofCleaner 16]

They can do nothing to you personally but if complaints go unanswered this can be a negative as far as you getting future work. Consumers rely on the BBB to get a sense of if they should hire a company or not. Negative marks or a lot of complaints will turn customers off.

[gutterdog 14]

Wow, Mike. Your website.. no. If you and I were speaking on the phone I'd probably let slip a few curse words, talk like I would to another guy and not worry about how grammatically perfect my speech was. But when it comes to presentation to the public, especially in print, you have to put your game face on. Your website has misspellings, your speech flow is casual and unprofessional, and overall you come across as a backwoods guy that owns a pressure washer. That's not going to land you high end work. My recommendation is to skip over learning chems and technique for now and read through the sales and marketing forums.

As for your guys that are selling $99 decks. Look closer at the fine print.

Chemicals - extra

Sealing - extra

Staining materials - extra

Larger decks - extra

This is a marketing ruse older than both of us put together. Carpet guys do it all the time. I think its an unethical way to advertise but it works or they wouldn't do it.

can i copy some of what you said.... the 99 dollar guys? i wanna give the best to my customers. even if it costs a lil more.

[gutterdog 14]

the "101" on wood someone said to me in here. that was rude wasnt it?. I been washin wood 5years now. sold every job. what if someone tells me somethin wrong n goes against insurance! I want to learn ya ways.I know what chemicals can do. Id like to be like you, get the prices you say you gettin. be elite! like i am with gutter cleanin. help me out,....

Edited August 6, 2009 by gutterdog

[gutterdog 14]

the "101" on wood someone said to me in here. that was rude wasnt it?. I been washin wood 5years now. sold every job. what if someone tells me somethin wrong n goes against insurance! I want to learn ya ways.I know what chemicals can do. Id like to be like you, get the prices you say you gettin. be elite! like i am with gutter cleanin. help me out,....

help me out. the 101 someone said. everyone is a liar round my way.yall aint givin up nuthin. scared of me or sumthin... shoot from the hip in here, im not out to steal work from someone. i want to make friends. better for all of us that way. ive ben sobusy lost work i couldve subed. thrown somethin to you. my repeat, reg customers. MY customers, lol!!! theres that and what can ya throw me? what can ya throw some the other contrctors in my group, and what can they throw to you? i seen the work of my friends. i only stand behind friends ive seen their work.

Edited August 6, 2009 by gutterdog

[Fordracing19 14]

Been drinking and posting/web designing much?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Michael,

Please do NOT copy paste photos into a thread. You need to use the attachment feature. Read this thread to learn how.

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/gadgets-gizmos-pc-help/3866-basic-how-tos-bbs.html

Beth

[TNRoofCleaner 16]

help me out. the 101 someone said. everyone is a liar round my way.yall aint givin up nuthin(this is something a vet does to a bull). scared of me or sumthin... shoot from the hip in here, im not out to steal work from someone. i want to make friends. better for all of us that way. ive ben sobusy lost work i couldve subed. thrown somethin to you. my repeat, reg customers. MY customers, lol!!! theres that and what can ya throw me? what can ya throw some the other contrctors in my group, and what can they throw to you? i seen the work of my friends. i only stand behind friends ive seen their work.

I did some highlighting to help you. (I'm sure I missed some) Sentences start with capital letters. If you are not going to take the time to communicate correctly then how should I expect you to take the time to do a proper job?

I can probably say this for everyone, no one is scared of you as competition. (I apologise to anyone that is afraid for being wrong on my assumption.) As a matter of fact you are needed to take up jobs that most of us would not do. You keep saying you are the best gutter cleaner in town. I hate to tell you this but there is nothing special about gutters. Setting the ladder is harder than cleaning the gutter.

Suggestions have been given and you ignore them. First and best thing is to clean up the use of the English language. This is instant and free. If you ignore suggestions people are going to quit giving them. Your use of the language makes you come across as a backwoods, uneducated Appalachian hill billy. (left a few descriptors out) As long as you continue to portray yourself as such you will have to compete with the bottom dwellers for work and you will be worrying about the $99 deck washes all your life. You only get one chance to make a first impression. It's ok to talk to someone like a friend but remember these are not friends they are customers. If I called you and you talked to me like you have been posting I would not even set up an appointment for a quote.

If I was in your area I wouldn't hire you because of that and I would not work for you as a sub because your pricing would be too low for me.

I suggest that you go to the local library and read everything you can find on wood care or anything else you want to get into. I know this post sounds harsh but it needed to be worse. I hope you can take the criticism in a constructive way and make the changes suggested.

I for one will not post anymore until I see the English cleaned up at least in the posting. I have other acquaintances in the area in the same line of work and I'm sure they are glad you are there to take the crap they don't want to do.

Good luck to you.

Edited August 6, 2009 by TNRoofCleaner

[Rick2 42]

Mike, each time you ask for advice here it is given to you by several people, myself included. The problem is that you don’t seen to be taking that advice. I don’t think anyone here has anything personally against you and would give improper advice. Many of us have been in the business for a long time. We know what works and what doesn’t work.

If you don’t want to try the suggestions found here try Google. I just typed in “Restore Wood Deck” and came up with 50,100 hits. Surely there’s some good information in there. I also tried “Correct English Usage” and had 31,800,000 hits. Over 31 million!

The information is out there and it’s easy to find. If you were able to build your own website (which must be difficult) you should be able to find and information you need to be successful.

Good Luck, Rick.

[Adrian 155]

Been drinking and posting/web designing much?

What kind of cleaning are you doing Charlie?

Are race tracks a contract for you?

[gutterdog 14]

Mike, each time you ask for advice here it is given to you by several people, myself included. The problem is that you don’t seen to be taking that advice. I don’t think anyone here has anything personally against you and would give improper advice. Many of us have been in the business for a long time. We know what works and what doesn’t work.

If you don’t want to try the suggestions found here try Google. I just typed in “Restore Wood Deck” and came up with 50,100 hits. Surely there’s some good information in there. I also tried “Correct English Usage” and had 31,800,000 hits. Over 31 million!

The information is out there and it’s easy to find. If you were able to build your own website (which must be difficult) you should be able to find and information you need to be successful.

Good Luck, Rick.

Oxygen bleach!!! Now I'm getting somewhere! I don't know why I never googled it? That is "Restore wood deck" . I really feel a little stupid right now! Glad I found The Grime Scene. Thanks for putting up with me and my learning "curve". I've googled alot of things why didn't I google that???? Major blonde moment!!! I am deeply embarrased. Heart felt appologies to you guys, and thanks. - Mike

[Celeste 341]

Now - when you typed that in and found multiple companies that offered the service, did you look at any of their websites? If so, did you find "speech" like yours on their sites?

There are two serious reasons why your choice of verbage is not going to work for you.

1) I'm as redneck of a gal as you'll ever find - and I would never hire you because of the grammatical & spelling errors and slang that you are using on your site. Friendly is fine - we can all be friendly without appearing "stuck-up" (which has nothing to do with slang by the way). I wouldn't hire someone that used ebonics either.

2) Google isn't going to like "washin" nearly as much as "washing".

Seriously - you have found a gold mine in TGS - you don't have to like any of us, but it would behoove you to listen to sound business advise from industry colleagues & competitors.

[gutterdog 14]

Now - when you typed that in and found multiple companies that offered the service, did you look at any of their websites? If so, did you find "speech" like yours on their sites?

There are two serious reasons why your choice of verbage is not going to work for you.

1) I'm as redneck of a gal as you'll ever find - and I would never hire you because of the grammatical & spelling errors and slang that you are using on your site. Friendly is fine - we can all be friendly without appearing "stuck-up" (which has nothing to do with slang by the way). I wouldn't hire someone that used ebonics either.

2) Google isn't going to like "washin" nearly as much as "washing".

Seriously - you have found a gold mine in TGS - you don't have to like any of us, but it would behoove you to listen to sound business advise from industry colleagues & competitors.

Rub it in!! I do deserve it!!! I never thought about how google crawls the page and my slang, or whatever, would not be recognized, and some other things also. The more I learn the more I find out I NEED to learn. I really am sorry. I do appologize. Looking at the past. I see how I've been wrestling with the lower companies. It's always a struggle too. A year ago I was in a price war, with a guy that just started up, in a local newspaper, gutter cleaning. Some experiences I've had in the past.... I've made some good decisions, and some bad ones. Acctualy I'm meeting with someone to do another buisiness plan next week. I have to redo alot it would seem. Hurts my pride a little bit. It really felt like I was being picked on. Some of the jokes made. I took it wrong. A light lit up today!!! Do I want to keep fighting with the lowballers, or loose some work, but build more word of mouth, at a price that is not just fair to the customer, but fair to me also.Thanks again everyone for putting up with me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! - Mike

[Fordracing19 14]

What kind of cleaning are you doing Charlie?

Are race tracks a contract for you?

I am just doing a little restaurant cleaning right now. I just bought the rig 2 weeks ago. I am doing a lot or reading on the different forums trying to learn.

[Fordracing19 14]

Gutterdog,

I do not know what web browser you are using but I use Mozilla Firefox and it has an automatic spell check while you type. It helps me a lot. My spelling is very bad.

Mozilla Download

[gutterdog 14]

Gutterdog,

I do not know what web browser you are using but I use Mozilla Firefox and it has an automatic spell check while you type. It helps me a lot. My spelling is very bad.

Mozilla Download

Thanks!

[Adrian 155]

A light lit up today!!! Do I want to keep fighting with the lowballers, or loose some work, but build more word of mouth, at a price that is not just fair to the customer, but fair to me also.

Right answer!!!!!

Focus on the techniques that you learn here. Make them a daily part of your S.O.P. from sales to application to expansion and additional services.

Re- direct your attention away from your competition and put that attention into running your business better than them by the quality of service and customer service you offer. But most of all be a positive reflection of our industry.

[gutterdog 14]

Right answer!!!!!

Focus on the techniques that you learn here. Make them a daily part of your S.O.P. from sales to application to expansion and additional services.

Re- direct your attention away from your competition and put that attention into running your business better than them by the quality of service and customer service you offer. But most of all be a positive reflection of our industry.

I get a little confused with some of the terminology in here. What is S.O.P.?

[Adrian 155]

Standard Operating Procedure (Daily Practices of your operation)

[gutterdog 14]

Right answer!!!!!

Focus on the techniques that you learn here. Make them a daily part of your S.O.P. from sales to application to expansion and additional services.

Re- direct your attention away from your competition and put that attention into running your business better than them by the quality of service and customer service you offer. But most of all be a positive reflection of our industry.

Hey also, the person that i'm going to sit down with next week suggested for me something to think about. Kinda what you said? How can I Make myself different somehow? Different so that I get the call. Adrian, I got alot to think about and think fast!!! This one brain cell I'm workin with is overloaded!!! lol

[gutterdog 14]

Standard Operating Procedure (Daily Practices of your operation)

S.O.P. is that like P.O.D.? plan of the day, but things done in order everyday? Just in general, if you don't mind? What is your S.O.P.? If you can't tell I am a little unorganized. I just thought I could figure it all out my self and all I have done is survive and not much more. I have no good role models or anything to copy and put into play like that. One of the things I will be talkin about next week. She isnt in the pressure washin business. I think she might tell me to ask someone in here?

Edited August 6, 2009 by gutterdog

[Adrian 155]

Hey also, the person that i'm going to sit down with next week suggested for me something to think about. Kinda what you said? How can I Make myself different somehow? Different so that I get the call. Adrian, I got alot to think about and think fast!!! This one brain cell I'm workin with is overloaded!!! lol

Well, take a break if you need to.

If you mean different as in " stand out from your competition",

Offer professional service, DO quality work, be confident, and let the course of time run with your company following a high standard of practice. It does not happen overnight. It's acquired.

....most of all be kind to your only brain cell.