How I Spent My Birthday So Far.....

[Ed The Roofer]

How I spent my Birthday so far.

Copy/Paste from a roofing forum from just a little while ago.

Ed



Went to pick up my dump truck from the large job we just finished..

It had 2 front tires flat.

Went back to the shop to pick up the guy who had the compressor.

Filled up tires and drove back to my shop.

Maybe someone in the neighborhood let the air out of the 2 tires. There were a lot of landscaping crews and one gazebo building crew and one window replacement crew all on the same block.

Park it after the 1/2 hour drive back to the shop.

Drive 1/2 hour to meet the guy who's job I finished on July 1st. Now, he is getting a little fuzzy about the amount due. It worked out okay though and I got my 4 Grand.

Then, drive back to the job site where I picked up my dump truck to meet that home owner who owes my 6 Grand.

No one is home and I am on time and he doesn't answer his cell phone. Arghhhh!!!

Drive to my apartment 2 flat to pick up the rent from the one tenant who is late again. He's not there like he said he would be. Arghhhh Again!!!!!

Go back to the office and try calling the customer than owes me the 6 Grand again and still get his cell phone voice mail.

Get a call from the tenant that he is home now, so i have to drive back to the apartment and he tells me that his work has cut his hours from 40 per week to 32 per week and decreased the wages down by 5% too, so he is short and only gets paid every 2nd week.

Well, at least I picked up that 4 K that was way overdue, because tomorrow my mortgage and line of credit payments are due, so I am covered, for now at least.




I am going home to hug my kid and play some WebKinz game with him.

Now, once I do that, I will tell you all, that this was one of the best days of my life.

How can things be any better than spending them with your kid and your wife?



Thanks a lot guys. I hope you enjoyed the Brewskies on me. Send me a receipt and you will get reimbursed. (I know you wouldn't do that, but it's the thought behind it that counts)



Have a very nice weekend everyone.



God Bless You All From My Pea Pickin Heart.



Ed

[Blue]

Do you find that if there is an issue with your workmanship the customer will call in sick to work to make sure they are there to tell you all about it.

When it comes time to pay for some reason peeps find something else that is more important to do and their phone is off all of a sudden.....wierd.

[Bodger]

Do you find that if there is an issue with your workmanship the customer will call in sick to work to make sure they are there to tell you all about it.

When it comes time to pay for some reason peeps find something else that is more important to do and their phone is off all of a sudden.....wierd.

"I have to transfer some money. Don't deposit this for at least a week."

Like I don't know it takes about a minute to transfer money.

My favorite one was this yuppie broad who was giving me a sob story about needing to wait until she got her year end bonus before she could pay my progress payment that was overdue.

We were sitting at her dining room table. On the table was a pile of opened mail. On top was a statement from Charles Schwab.
Her account balance : $325,000

[Blue]

OMG Kevin, I heard 'em all. Best one was an old Highschool buddy. Ricky Hicks. Dudes handrail was falling off his deck. Begged me to come replace it and the steps were gone. Deck 6' tall. Finally I make time and go over and buy materials to fix it for 1/2 my normal rate. He's got toddlers and shit. Get it all done and he tells me that the wife went out and blew their wad on patio furniture and aa new grill. I would have to wait two weeksfor his next paycheck.

[Bodger]

OMG Kevin, I heard 'em all. Best one was an old Highschool buddy. Ricky Hicks. Dudes handrail was falling off his deck. Begged me to come replace it and the steps were gone. Deck 6' tall. Finally I make time and go over and buy materials to fix it for 1/2 my normal rate. He's got toddlers and shit. Get it all done and he tells me that the wife went out and blew their wad on patio furniture and aa new grill. I would have to wait two weeksfor his next paycheck.

Dismantle handrail, see ya in two weeks. And don't tell me youhad to spend the dough on the kids' broken arm either.

Yeah, we should start a thread about all the BS people come up with when it's time to pay.

[Blue]

My track coach was a grizzled vet prolly 30 years on the job. First day of practice he hands out a typed list of excuses for missing practice that were not allowed. He had about 80 excuses on that thing that he got over the years.

I always wanted to make a similar non payment list and hand it to the new client on the first day but never got the cahunas to do it.

[Bender]

My customers pay me to get rid of me...

Happy B-Day Ed

[Bodger]

Ooops, I forgot to say it. Happy Birthday Ed!

[buildpinnacle]

There are several roofers around here that advertise 'no money 'til we're done'. I, for one, don't need my clients to assume I have money in the bank b/c I won't invoice them until I am done. This business is not about perceptions. These guys are idiots in my opinions who increase their risk to sound like they are loaded and 'safe'. I considier it bad business to work for free. If you train your clients up front about how this is a work for pay relationship you don't decrease your chances of getting burned. I get 10% at contract for deposit, 40% upon materials delivery, and the balance while the guys are sweeping up. I NEVER like to wait even one day to pick up my money. The times in the past that I have had to due to schedule seem to become more difficult to handle. The HO's seem to be more apt to pay while my guys are still sitting in the driveway. I don't know why. Maybe it's because the 'work' is still in their heads and they are excited. Could be that they know I can tear it off faster than I put it on. Don't know. I do know that the longer you wait, the less of a priority you become.

Blue, I think it is completely OK to hand that list out. A bit of salesmanship can cover the uncomfortable moment. Shaming is a good tool for us to use, guys. I'm sure there is a chapter in one of Zigs books.

This whole thread just put me in a bad mood for some reason. I absolutely hate people who don't take my business or my money seriously. Try telling the mechanic you'll get up with him in two weeks and you'll be walking home.

[buildpinnacle]

Happy Bday Ed

[Ed The Roofer]

I am going home to hug my kid and play some WebKinz game with him.

Now, once I do that, I will tell you all, that this was one of the best days of my life.

How can things be any better than spending them with your kid and your wife? Ed


This whole thread just put me in a bad mood for some reason. I absolutely hate people who don't take my business or my money seriously. Try telling the mechanic you'll get up with him in two weeks and you'll be walking home.

Then, from the Original Post, you missed the main point I was trying to make.

No matter how crumby the rest of the world can be and treat us, there is ALWAYS something more important in life than the petty issues, even though money does matter, but it is not everything.

Ed

[naptownCr]

Then, from the Original Post, you missed the main point I was trying to make.

No matter how crumby the rest of the world can be and treat us, there is ALWAYS something more important in life than the petty issues, even tough money does matter, but it is not everything.

Ed

Thank you I could not have said this better myself. I had an 8th grade science teacher once say that money is only important when you don't have any.:2thumbsup:

[buildpinnacle]

I got your point, Ed...and I agree. It still made the A.D.H.D. in me kick in and made me start thinking about all the collection posts I've read and how people have no respect for our businesses and times. Not trying to hijack you celestial comments as they are true and golden....just get sidetracked from time to time.

I'm coming off of a 9 month fire loss that I would like to burn down again as I am completely spent on it and burned out...no pun intended. I just need a vacation.

[buildpinnacle]

My dad always told me no to sweat the petty stuff and never pet the sweaty stuff.

[Ed The Roofer]

I got your point, Ed...and I agree. It still made the A.D.H.D. in me kick in and made me start thinking about all the collection posts I've read and how people have no respect for our businesses and times. Not trying to hijack you celestial comments as they are true and golden....just get sidetracked from time to time.

I'm coming off of a 9 month fire loss that I would like to burn down again as I am completely spent on it and burned out...no pun intended. I just need a vacation.

I understand and agree with your feelings.

I had them yesterday too.

If you really want to see the financial pickle that I am in, see my post in Google Girls thread about her 5 questions about business and marketing plans, etc...

Yes, I am fed up with it, but I really try hard before I go home to wipe that aspect of my life out of my mind before I see my kid and wife.

That thought alone is precious enough to me to at least temporarily wipe the negativity away for a few hours at a time.

Just to be clear, I was not implying anything negative towards you in my previous post with the quotes listed and bolded.

I was just pointing out that no matter how crappy things get, if you choose to, you can still find a little sunshine out of each day.

Take care my friend and I really mean that.

Ed

[buildpinnacle]

Thanks, Ed. I was taught early that I absolutely had to learn how to 'turn it off'. For such a simple man, my dad is one of the best salesmen I have ever met. He's never read the books, attended the seminars, or any of that, but knows all of it. I can remember out of college I got mad as a hornet at something that went wrong on a roof and was talking to him on the phone venting and cursing on the way to an appt. He, in essence and not in such a nice way, told me that I had no business wasting a customers time and couldn't sell my way out of a traffic jamb with my mind where it was. That was the start of many lessons from him on turning it on and off when needed and certainly not taking it home to momma and the dogs. I still do occassionally because I am nowhere near perfection yet but still striving. Some of the biggest fights my wife and I have had are probably because I came home in a bad mood and brought the business with me. Your OP should be made a sticky and we all should contribute on how we leave the business in the truck so we don't take it in the house with us. Good thoughts, Ed.

[Silvertree]

I think you will get all the support you need from the great people on RC.
I read your post and I understand your feelings. Were with you however you need.