Knock on the door and I'll move the car. No way.

Anybody ever have any customers ask for this? Do you do it? There is no way I'm gonna wait for them to move their car. Am I out of line here?

 

One of my accounts is a townhouse complex. All I do is honk once or twice to let them know I'm there (as long as it's not too late.) If they don't move, that area doesn't get plowed.

-Tim

 

We have a different policy on residentials and condos. All residentials and condos are on seasonal contracts. We will revisit them after the storm is complete and everything has been done once. We will not wait for people to move cars and longer than they are.

If it;s a day storm everyone is gone, so there is no problems. Even on the night storms we don't have many residentials to revisit. Most of our customers have their cars in a garage. In Maine we can't let snow sit on the drive because we know it will become a block of Ice. So it is in our and the customer's best interest to move all snow from the parking area.

Geoff

 

I had a lady who had her Cadillac STS stuck and wanted me to get it out. I told her if anything happens it's not my fault. Let's just say it was very fun hearing that engine scream.

 

12 years ago I was up on Interstate 90 and stopped to help out. Needed to pull out the car. Gave the chain (which is all I had at the time, now we carry snatch straps) to the owner of the car, told him to hook it up anyway he wanted. Pay me first ($20 at the time) and I'll pull you out.... He hooked up the chain. I drove away. Off came the bumper. I kept right on going. Off I went. Never stopped. Unhooked the bumper about a mile down the road.

We NEVER hook up the strap or chain when pulling people out. We don't wait for people to move cars. Knock on the door ?? I don't get out of the truck once it's warm. You watch for me.... if you see me and move the car pronto, I'll plow the spot. I drive away and the car's still there, you lose.

Probably a good thing I spend lots of time in the office now, huh....

 

What's the problem with waiting a couple of minutes. While you're waiting do their walks, make some phone calls, etc. Most of my customers have their cars in a garage, but I'd be more than happy to move it for them.

How many of you guys have these customers in the summer for lawn maitenance?

Granted, if I knew you were coming I'd try to have my car moved. But I think all I'd have to do would be to explain to my customers the importance of having their car moved and I think they would listen.

 

Iused to get really mad plowing out condos when people didnt move. They always pick the worst spots to park too. Now I consider it when bidding. I still clench my teeth when folks come out with the scraper in their hand to clean off their car and move it after their lot is done. I don't wait. Some condo associations are really organized about this, but most are not. It's like reverse pinball go all over the feild, but dont hit the $30,000 bumper.

 

On our residentials we have two guys in the truck a shoveler and a driver. Not the best setup in the world but it works. If they come out and move the car while we are plowing and shoveling, fine we do the spot. If they don't move it then, we revisit the location when we get to it. This is only to prevent forming an Ice block in the driveway, which is good for us and them. All of this cost is all figured into the contract, when we give them a price we ask about the amount of cars they have and where they are parked.

As far as take care of the rest of the landscape, I leave that to someone else. The first time they see us is when we put the stakes up, the last time they see us is when we pick up the stakes in April. I don't know or really care what happens from April to november.

As far as explaining the importance of moving the car to a customer, I just don't see it happening. A long long time ago I was plowing residentials, and there was one cutomer that had 3 cars 2 in the garage 1 out side. I asked him if he could park the third car infront of the grage so we could pile the snow where car # 3 was parked, because it was the only place we could put snow. Well there wasn't onetime where the car wasn't in the way. Needless to say I just stopped showing up to plow it because it was a pain to do it with the car in the way. When the guy found me getting a soda at a store he asked why I hadn't done his drive yet. I told him I quit doing it because he never put the car in the right spot, and to find someone else. He inisted that the next storm he would keep the car in the right spot. I told him sorry find someone else, and he pulled the same BS with them.



Geoff

 

>>What's the problem with waiting a couple of minutes. While you're waiting do their walks, make some phone calls, etc. Most of my customers have their cars in a garage, but I'd be more than happy to move it for them.<<

That may be OK if you have nothing better to do, but when I'm plowing it's because it's snowing, and there are a whole flock of places that need to be plowed. I've quit waiting, if it's moved before I leave it gets cleaned, if not,, NOT!

Three of these are condo accounts which we do on a yearly basis. No matter, if the car is in the way the space doesn't get plowed. One of the three has their act together, they get out and get moving as soon as we arrive. We plow one section and all the cars go there while we plow the parking area.