Last night ..... long post

Michael T

Michael T

Member
Last night I stopped by one of the jobsites to drop off some paper work to one of my men. As I left I decided to go by the Grocery store . This is a large chain with a deli and such. They have a hood about 14' long with one fan and I would presume the duct goes straight up, with a fan on the roof. I see a van on the sidewalk, with lettering on the side telling about vent hood cleaning and the such. I take note of this and enter the store. As I go in this guy is coming out with a shopping cart full of filters. This seems a little strange, and I think he is doing a filter exchange. I walk by the deli and dont see any plastic up or prep being done. Dont think anything else aboout it. As I exit I see this guy spraying down the filters on one of the islands with degreaser. I watch him for a while as I get in the truck.
Now picture this seen.... Upscale Grocery chain which owns the strip mall with about a dozen business in it. 24hr store and it is 11pm. This guy is about to wash filters in the front parking lot on one of the end Islands close to the door where people a coming and going. What a moron! I cant help my self when this happens. As I leave I drive wp next to him, no baracades od anything, and ask him if he is going to wash those filters there?
He says , sure. I said souldnt you wash them inside? He says , noplace to do it, anyway the grease turns to soap . Isaid , are you going to pick up the grease. He says no, Ill just wash it down the drain. istead of arguing with this guy I drive off. Today I think Ill call the store manager and let them know about the unprofessional service they are getting. Ive done work for this chain before so I know what the require insurance wise and so on. I consider myself a professional and try to represent myself in a professional manner .... most of the time. If one of my employees did this , heaven forbid they dont , there would be changes. YOu can train employees and expect them to do right, but.... Im still thinking about calling . Maybe it could land us another contract, or maybe not. But I would like to raise the standard of professional service.
What do ya think?

Michael T
Centex Pressure Washing Service
 
in my opinion

if you go about the selling, the right way,you should be able to get the job without being a rat.
Talk to the person in charge and sell yourself for what you know, not for what the other wash guy dose'nt.
You can tell the customer why you do it your way and let him figure out the rest. After your story he will watch the other guy and see for himself.
Talk to them about filter exchange,safety,EPA laws,ect... in genral not just to blast the other guy.
 
I agree with Ron. It is hard to say anything negative about another company without sounding that way yourself. Like Ron said, if all you do is give them a heads up as to what, and how it should be done, then they will likely watch closer the next time the other company cleans it.
I guess it is a matter of preference but I never talk about a competitor to potential customer. If the customer brings it up I simply say "I can't speak for someone else but this is what, how and why I do what I do"
 
I agree and disagree, certainly no one wants to win business this way. Trying to do it the right way first is good advice.

If you approach anyone on what you can do rather than what they can’t your going to look better. Talking badly about competitors will not get there business. Its proven that if you talk poorly about your competitor your chances of gaining there confidence decreases.

I offer this approach first, ask the customer how they would want the place taken care of. Let them tell you the way they would like it done. Ask them how they would like you to wash the filters and where. When you find out the customer has requested you also wash them in front of the store explain to them the ramifications if there are any. offer your remedy to the problem by explaining a safer method to complete the job. Show them some facts about how they are doing this incorrectly and tell them you will help them comply correctly with the laws.

Sometimes being indirect about this bad mouthing is better than coming straight forward at them. Don’t get me wrong there are times you do not pussy foot around. Have facts and present them, your word is not good you need documentation that these methods are incorrect. This type of presentation will be excepted better and looked at as if you came there to help rather than to persecute the contractor.


I run across this every week, I was talking with a fellow contractor this morning about the text book liability situation. I saw a van towing a pressure washing rig set up outside a 7-11 store. This fellow was doing everything wrong. Hose every where, brooms laying around the front door no signs no lights every door on the van open. The guys was parker in the center of and entrance, cars could barley pass one the one side. I watched waiting for someone to get hurt. I wish I had my camera, not to show the owner but for a training video for my people. LOL I could not stand it anymore. I left and never returned, funny the station manager calls me up about washing his store a few days later. I said how did you get my number? He said from the pads you left the night my former company was washing the sidewalks. I laughed inside, he told me he called because the attendant told the other guy I left my business card, calendar and scratch pads. The other pressure washer called the next day and started bad mouthing my company. The gentlemen that owned the 7-11 told him that the guy that left the cards never called. Then he informed him why would you feel that you need to call me about your work if you had done a good job. He claimed to the guy I follow him taking his business. The 7-11 owner asked me if this was true? I said sir I don’t have time to follow guys around I’m always online. .LOL

I did not get the job but the man informed me he is not comfortable with someone that’s not secure about his work. I never went by that location yet. I’m certain the man will call us someday to get the job done Right.

People are suspicious of others, don’t bad mouth your competition. Make people question you.

Inform people how it should be done and leave out how your competition does it wrong.
 
Same photo Just and away shot...I thought I’d throw this in. This is how I offer the facts and proof I can do the job better. I invited this customer to call me when his guy does the work. He did, those before and after where taken about one hour after this contractor left the job.

I can often roll up after another contractor cleans a sidewalk and show and incredible difference.
 

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Just returned back into town, the first post I read is about a employee doing what his boss(S) have told him over and over not to do. As a industry we can't allow this practice. So now what? who is at fault-its the boss every time-we can't punish the employee-he doesn't have the money-lets fine the employer.

I will bet a dinner that this is correct in this situation. I discovered that my employees did this once and I suspended and they went to the labor commission and won. All we can do as a owner is limit the exposure to problem, with good paper instructions along with a assorted color crayon box.

I would have called the owner of the company and told him what his employees were doing on his dime.

David:cool:
 
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