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11-02-2009, 03:41 PM
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#1
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Super Genius
Trade:
No trades, no CCs. Cash or check, please.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Southern Wisconsin
Posts: 584
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Dear John
Anybody else firing customers lately? I've been working for these folks for the past five years. Second customer in a month I've had to fire.
Somebody out there must be teaching homeowners that contractors are desperate and need to be trodden upon.
Last edited by davitk; 11-15-2009 at 06:23 AM.
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11-02-2009, 03:43 PM
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#2
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Super Genius
Trade:
No trades, no CCs. Cash or check, please.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Southern Wisconsin
Posts: 584
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-COMPLETE HOME REMODELING-
11/02/09
Dear John,
Enclosed is your check for the amount of 90.00 for the service call on 10/15/09. Please void this check as I
will not be depositing it.
I have dozens of satisfied customers who do not have a problem with a minimum charge for a service call, which in
the Madison area is 150.00, and Cambridge is 90.00.
I regret that it has come to this, but in order to maintain our friendship I feel it would be best if you found a different
home repair professional.
Sincerely,
davitk
Last edited by davitk; 11-15-2009 at 06:26 AM.
Reason: Because I can.
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11-02-2009, 04:33 PM
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#3
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Illusion of Perfection
Trade:
Residential Remodeler/Custom Carpenter
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Wayne, PA
Posts: 677
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What's the backstory on this?
__________________
Mark
Wayne, PA
"It is what it is."
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11-02-2009, 04:50 PM
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#4
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Pro
Trade:
Carpentry
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 619
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Yeah, gotta know what lead up to this letter. (and I hope you sent it to Tom and Suzanne  )
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zinsco
First off, I have nothing but contempt for my employees, they will never be as good as me and I hate them for that.
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www.meetre.com
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11-02-2009, 05:03 PM
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#5
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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yeah, I'll bet you'll continue to be great friends from this point forward 
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11-02-2009, 05:05 PM
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#6
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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Of course, that's all consumers are hearing is how remodeling work will be 30/40/50% CHEAPER, because all contractors are DESPERATE....and don't forget the fact how every single one of has has been screwin' the h/o's for years with our OUTRAGEOUS prices....time for payback!!!
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11-02-2009, 05:07 PM
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#7
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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I dare ya to send them a check for $90, for the privilege of serving them. 
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11-02-2009, 06:19 PM
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#8
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Super Genius
Trade:
No trades, no CCs. Cash or check, please.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Southern Wisconsin
Posts: 584
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Ah, yes, I am sure I will regret starting this thread...
I have done tens of thousands of dollars worth of work for these folks and they have always been pleased with both the service and the product. However the issue of price has been coming to a head lately.
No need to bore any of you voyeuristic contractors with the gory details leading up to the firing, just suffice it to say that 90.00 refund will be money well spent.
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11-02-2009, 06:20 PM
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#9
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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you're just a tease 
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The Following User Says Thank You to J F For This Useful Post:
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11-02-2009, 06:42 PM
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#10
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Chief outhouse engineer
Trade:
mason
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: NW Indiana
Posts: 365
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Anybody that does "tens of thousands of dollars of business" with me would get multiple "service calls"
For Free
as an acknowledgment that I appreciated their previous business.
If I thought they were trying to take advantage, I would state
in person
that I have to start charging a minimum as I am in business for profit, not pleasure. I would also take time to thank them for their past patronage and check to see if all is well with the previous projects.
Sell the benefits of lower cost materials and faster job completion in this downturn, not cheaper labor. Thats the best response for anyone trying to leverage you.
This is not the kind of economy where we can be firing good customers.
__________________
D K & Sons
The maintenance schedule for brick
1. Stand back and say "man that looks nice!" 
2. Repeat as often as needed.
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11-02-2009, 06:43 PM
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#11
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BLDG Inspector, G.C
Trade:
BLDG Inspector, G.C
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: N,Calif. Between Sacramento & San Francisco.
Posts: 156
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I bet your going to be put on Flakycontractor.com.
Now that you pissed off the HO.
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The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to spdtrx For This Useful Post:
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11-02-2009, 06:44 PM
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#12
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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11-02-2009, 08:08 PM
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#13
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General Contractor
Trade:
General Contractor
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 474
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Just one point. I hope you didn't send that exact letter shown in the pdf file. The part where you are talking about being a professional.... "feel" is not usually spelled like that. 
Kinda takes the effective punch out of your professional delivery.
__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL
Last edited by Willie T; 11-02-2009 at 08:13 PM.
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11-02-2009, 08:10 PM
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#14
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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ya lost me willie....unless something has been changed in the previous posts
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11-02-2009, 08:12 PM
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#15
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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"I feel it would be best if you found a different home repair professional."
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11-02-2009, 08:14 PM
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#16
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Pro
Trade:
Renovations
Join Date: May 2005
Location: West Coast Canada
Posts: 1,672
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I don't get it, why would you fire them over $90?
For me the service fee is to weed out the tire-kickers not to pay the bills. The tens of thousands is to pay the bills.
__________________
"Too much is always better than not enough"--J.R. "Bob" Dobbs
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11-02-2009, 08:14 PM
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#17
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General Contractor
Trade:
General Contractor
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 474
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The pdf version says: "fell"
Quote:
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11/02/09
Som or Tuzanne
Dear Som and Tuzanne,
Enclosed is your check for the amount of 90.00 for the service call on 10/15/09. Please void this check as I
will not be depositing it.
I have dozens of satisfied customers who do not have a problem with a minimum charge for a service call, which in
the Madison area is 150.00, and Cambridge is 90.00.
I regret that it has come to this, but in order to maintain our friendship I fell it would be best if you found a different
home repair professional.
Sincerely,
davitk
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__________________
"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Bill Everett - St. Petersburg, FL
Last edited by Willie T; 11-02-2009 at 08:18 PM.
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11-02-2009, 08:16 PM
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#18
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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that's the "tease"...$90 vs. "tens of thousands" 
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11-02-2009, 08:16 PM
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#19
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Pro
Trade:
Renovations
Join Date: May 2005
Location: West Coast Canada
Posts: 1,672
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I just did a free service call to an old customer, wound up getting a bathroom reno out of it. You think I'm gonna send him an invoice for the call? 
__________________
"Too much is always better than not enough"--J.R. "Bob" Dobbs
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11-02-2009, 08:28 PM
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#20
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where did everybody go?
Trade:
Remodeler
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: North of Atlanta
Posts: 3,257
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Now, normally I'll charge for "estimates", which in reality are the opposite of estimates...they're firm quotes for the work to be done, with drawings to illustrate said work.
For this project the drawings were "free"...only because I had done over 60k worth of work for these clients....so it some cases, for me it does make sense to do a "free" estimate.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jjfwoodw...eat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/jjfwoodw...eat=directlink
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