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Everybody in their brother will be out sealing...

4K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  Loooogie 
#1 ·
Gas prices are cheap(er), I am guessing sealer is gonna go down too, alot of people are out of work.

I bet we are gonna have alot of fly by night sealing this year and cut throat pricing... let the games begin!!!
 
#7 ·
I won't go into all my background but I get calls from people all over the country and the slimeballs are already coming out like flies with their black water & "we will beat any price" fliers & door hangers. I'm hearing the same story from coast to coast. These guys seem to be flooding the markets everywhere in addition to the constant "travelers" who are a usual pain.
When the economy crashed last year lots of newbies went under and older companies quickly downsized.
Used sealing equipment was practically being given away by last fall and winter (I knew there was trouble when you started seeing equipment for sale in early August-should have been "money time") and now all these guys who know nothing about the business are out there hitting your customers with crazy offers trying to pay for whatever they bought.
I wouldn't advise selling out just yet (unless you have to) but look for something you can do different with products/services to set yourself apart and start hitting your repeat customers with mailings or if commercial personal visits, & such NOW... by "sealing time" these guys will have already got them.

I would also suggest looking into whatever association memberships are available for both your lawn care & pavement businesses because indicating quality is the only way to compete with these guys who have no references or reputations.

Also the cost of asphalt is not tied to the price at the pump. AE sealers have dropped a few cents some places but sealers WILL NOT be going down substantially. Predictions are for continued materials price increases for at least 3-5 years before they "level off".
 
#8 · (Edited)
I ran this add on several of the regional internet classified listings and i am planning on including it with my flyers. I might even purchase space in some of the local newspapapers and run it as a classified.

Fraudulent Home Contractor Warning.

This information is being provided by:
Lakeview Asphalt Sealing & Roof Coatings.

As a service to the general public we are presenting a informational guideline in helping you as a property owner to avoid getting taken by fraudulent contractors.

During the seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008 the West Kentucky Area experienced an increasing number of fraudulent and out of state "travellers" who posed as legitimate home and property improvement contractors. Several of our customers have told us stories of their experiences with these individuals.

Fraudulent asphalt sealing contractors diluted their sealer products to the point the freshly sealed surface had washed away within a twelve month period. Others diluted sealers with diesel fuel prior to application which resulted in oily residues where carpets and flooring materials were ruined and needed replacing.

Fraudulent asphalt installation contractors gave a fixed cost estimates to elderly persons and upon a 50% completion of the job would then approach the elderly homeowners and demand an additional amount of money. They would then threaten to tear out the existing work and as a result of this "dismantling cost" place a lien on the homeowners property.

Fraudulent roofing contractors simply "took the money and ran" having requested a partial down payment deposit for materials and not returning to perform the work. Some property owners had arranged "open accounts" with the hardware store suppliers. These open accounts resulted in additional non-used materials being added to the bill without the knowledge or consent of the property owners.

It is your property, it is your money being used for repairs and you are the one experiencing the end result long after after the contractor has completed his work. You should not feel guilty as if you are playing the role of a KGB agent because you ask a few simple questions in order to get the best end result for your hard earned and long saved dollar. Some eldery folks may not be capable of using proper judgement in hiring a honest contractor. In the event a contractor shows up at your elderly neighbors house then please be a good neighbor and and politely approach that contractor in order to request a photo identification and a vehicle license plate number.
A truly legitimate contractor will be well pleased in providing a photo identification, vehicle license plate number and a list of previous property owners he has provided services to. He will also realize that when you as a property owner requests this type of information you are not only helping your self and your neighbor but you are protecting him as the local contractor from the posibility of fly by nighters stealing work from him and the other credible local contractors.

If you have any questions about dealing with a suspected dishonest contractor please feel free to give us a call at the number listed below.

Lakeview Enterprises
Lakeview Asphalt Sealing & Roof Coatings
Po Box 125 / 208 South Green Street
Providence Ky. 42450
Phone: (270) 667-0725
 
#9 ·
my price for sealmaster col tar is the same as last year. As for others coming into the business... competition is good. People get to see you get what you pay for.. Most fly by nighters are just ripping people off and in my area most people know not to hire them.. If you have a professional looking truck, your a clean cut person with a work shirt and your truck is letterd up, have insurance, advertising, and are prompt you will get plenty of work and wont worry about joe smo sealcoater taking your business. as soon as I can get sealer im out working, I have better things to worry about than the fly by night plastic pump tank guys.. as for gas prices being low who cares...
 
#10 ·
I won't go into all my background but I get calls from people all over the country and the slimeballs are already coming out like flies with their black water & "we will beat any price" fliers & door hangers. I'm hearing the same story from coast to coast. These guys seem to be flooding the markets everywhere in addition to the constant "travelers" who are a usual pain.
When the economy crashed last year lots of newbies went under and older companies quickly downsized.
Used sealing equipment was practically being given away by last fall and winter (I knew there was trouble when you started seeing equipment for sale in early August-should have been "money time") and now all these guys who know nothing about the business are out there hitting your customers with crazy offers trying to pay for whatever they bought.
I wouldn't advise selling out just yet (unless you have to) but look for something you can do different with products/services to set yourself apart and start hitting your repeat customers with mailings or if commercial personal visits, & such NOW... by "sealing time" these guys will have already got them.

I would also suggest looking into whatever association memberships are available for both your lawn care & pavement businesses because indicating quality is the only way to compete with these guys who have no references or reputations.

Also the cost of asphalt is not tied to the price at the pump. AE sealers have dropped a few cents some places but sealers WILL NOT be going down substantially. Predictions are for continued materials price increases for at least 3-5 years before they "level off".
Some good advise thanks...

Too bad these guys give the industry a bad name..
 
#11 · (Edited)
I ran this add on several of the regional internet classified listings and i am planning on including it with my flyers. I might even purchase space in some of the local newspapapers and run it as a classified.

Fraudulent Home Contractor Warning.

This information is being provided by:
Lakeview Asphalt Sealing & Roof Coatings.

As a service to the general public we are presenting a informational guideline in helping you as a property owner to avoid getting taken by fraudulent contractors.

During the seasons of 2006, 2007 and 2008 the West Kentucky Area experienced an increasing number of fraudulent and out of state "travellers" who posed as legitimate home and property improvement contractors. Several of our customers have told us stories of their experiences with these individuals.

Fraudulent asphalt sealing contractors diluted their sealer products to the point the freshly sealed surface had washed away within a twelve month period. Others diluted sealers with diesel fuel prior to application which resulted in oily residues where carpets and flooring materials were ruined and needed replacing.

Fraudulent asphalt installation contractors gave a fixed cost estimates to elderly persons and upon a 50% completion of the job would then approach the elderly homeowners and demand an additional amount of money. They would then threaten to tear out the existing work and as a result of this "dismantling cost" place a lien on the homeowners property.

Fraudulent roofing contractors simply "took the money and ran" having requested a partial down payment deposit for materials and not returning to perform the work. Some property owners had arranged "open accounts" with the hardware store suppliers. These open accounts resulted in additional non-used materials being added to the bill without the knowledge or consent of the property owners.

It is your property, it is your money being used for repairs and you are the one experiencing the end result long after after the contractor has completed his work. You should not feel guilty as if you are playing the role of a KGB agent because you ask a few simple questions in order to get the best end result for your hard earned and long saved dollar. Some eldery folks may not be capable of using proper judgement in hiring a honest contractor. In the event a contractor shows up at your elderly neighbors house then please be a good neighbor and and politely approach that contractor in order to request a photo identification and a vehicle license plate number.
A truly legitimate contractor will be well pleased in providing a photo identification, vehicle license plate number and a list of previous property owners he has provided services to. He will also realize that when you as a property owner requests this type of information you are not only helping your self and your neighbor but you are protecting him as the local contractor from the posibility of fly by nighters stealing work from him and the other credible local contractors.

If you have any questions about dealing with a suspected dishonest contractor please feel free to give us a call at the number listed below.

Lakeview Enterprises
Lakeview Asphalt Sealing & Roof Coatings
Po Box 125 / 208 South Green Street
Providence Ky. 42450
Phone: (270) 667-0725
Nice advertising!

I don't blame just the sealers, some blame has to go to the homeowner too! If I know this pair of shoes is worth 100 bucks but somebody is selling if for 35, if I buy at 35 I am putting myself risk. I know myself I do not let people work on my house unless I know who they are.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Good info for fliers & web site too. And a couple newspaper ads at the start of the season is a good idea.

What I meant by "slimeballs" should have been clearer. Some of these guys don't know any better. The economy has put a lot of people out of work & hurting and we all know there's several "you can get rich quick sealcoating" sites out there... so a guy looking for some extra income sees those sites then sees an ad for a cheap price on a sealcoat machine and the seller will tell him anything to get the machine sold... and "poof" he is in the sealcoating biz and knows nothing.

So most people I know (the ones I was talking about I have been hearing complain from coast to coast) are being plagued by these guys more so than the usual "travelers".
They are usually local or semi-local but they have no idea how to "do it right" and nothing about sales so they just flood an area with fliers or ads that "we will beat any price" and go from there.
They probably won't last 6 months or a year but for now they are causing some guys havoc with their "regulars" who want to know how these guys are so much cheaper.
Hard to explain it's because they are stupid and either the sealer won't last or they will be out of business in a few months depending on which "get rich quick sealcoating" systems they used for ideas.

There is only one legit site I know for teaching the sealcoating business and they don't sell anything but the course and don't say it's easy to get rich. It's called "Successful Sealcoating Made Simple" ad it's a good starting place for the newbie or someone who got bad advice from one of those other sites. Covers everything from cleaning & prep to sealing cracks and explaining the different types of "good" units without recommending any brands.

Here's there "teaser" Video sample" if the link works http://learnsealcoating.com/Teaser Tape 4 web site Medium.wmv
 
#13 ·
When i go to give an estimate on any type of work im doing (asphalt related or non-asphalt related) i always hand my drivers license over to the property owner. They always say "No you dont have to do that because thats not necessary". But i always tell them that when a person comes to do work for them that they should always ask to see their drivers license because it will have a tendency to turn the cons and crooks away. They usually agree with me that it is a good idea. If all contractors would do this it wouldnt be long until it is considered a common thing for homeowners to expect to see proper identification from all contractors.
 
#14 ·
I have prepared a detailed information packet outlining the reasons why asphalt should be sealed and the advantages of having it sealed. The various type of sealers that are used, the various methods of applying the sealers and why one method my be more practical than the other in specific situations. And also how long the sealer should be expected to last before the asphalt should need to be sealed again. The purpose of adding sand to the sealer and the possibility of lawsuits if the sand is not added. Information concerning the drying time and curing time of the sealer is also included.

This information packet allows the property owner to be motivated to ask me questions about my services rather than me throwing cold information to him while at the same time desperately hoping he will listen to what i say. It also seperates me from the "fly by nighters" who cant say anything more than "Hello i would like you to pay me for spraying this here sealer onto your driveway so it will be all nice and black looking".
 
#16 · (Edited)
I think if someone handed me there license i would tell them to leave.. Looks like your trying to hard to prove something. If you have your name out there they will know your legit. word of mouth is huge...
Yes and if you asked me to leave i would most likely leave as quickly as possible. Because i dont know who you are or what kind of person you are. And from experiencing such odd anti social behavior i would most likely be glad to leave being gratefull that i didnt make the mistake of attempting to do work on your property.
 
#17 ·
Different strokes for different folks!

One of the reasons you started a business is for freedom to do things the way you want, right?

As long as you MAKE MONEY and keep your customers happy who cares how you go about it?

The other thing to consider is that areas are very different... so somthing in one area may be normal while in other areas it is bizzare.
 
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