Membership fee

they have a problem retaining vetran members.. How can they make this work? they need to figure a way to keep the vets.

David S, could they get you back and what would it take?

I asked David because i have grown to respect his thoughts, not picking one you david just want to know. I really dont know what the answer is...
 
Ron I think one of the key things on how to retain veteran members as well as gaining new ones is a word you said yourself to David, RESPECT.

In other words show respect to the members in ways not done now. Involve the members more, ask then what they expect and want out of the PWNA.

Chris is doing that, he knows many other ORGs offer a great deal more for their members. He wants to offer more and is working on that although we the general public are not informed of what goes on I am sure in time we will be given a sneak preview.

One way is to spend money in every state and city getting all pressure washers names, addresses and phone numbers along with business name and mailing them an informaton package from the PWNA. This would be done at the department that licenses businesses.

That is one way to reach many who either do not know about the PWNA or to reach them directly with the hopes they might join or rejoin.

This package has to have new and better things in it that catch their eyes and minds saying "hey look what they are offering now, WOW now I might or will join or rejoin, now it is becoming what I want, expect and need for an ORG.

Simply put the member sees and gains as a member.

many here say they would never join, I say NEVER say NEVER as we all can and do change our minds about things.

I have said I would rejoin when I see enough change to make it worth being a member of.

Consider this, the PWNA has a web site, they have a BBS yet how successful is their BBS compared to this one and other BBS's?

It would be of great help of David whould share his reasons with the PWNA board so they can have input on that to make it a better ORG.

Jon
 
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My opinion for what it is worth

What I want from the PWNA is a voice, which I think is what they are trying to do. Just one of many examples would be "water recovery" wouldn't it be nice for the regulations to be unicorn across he country. So when I or anyone for that matter has a question, an answer would actually exist, not well it depends on where you are. To move forward as an industry we can't all yell at once, we need a voice on a national level, and I don't see that coming from any place except an organization like the PWNA.
Just so everyone knows, I don't believe my dues are current at this time, but that is more of a I have been so busy issue than a I don't want to pay them issue. I plan to resolve that problem and am trying to clear a spot on the calendar for the Convention in Pittsburgh, since it's only a few hr's drive from here
 
The main drawback for myself is not just the dues but the location of the shows. The travel cost for me to attend is way out of budget. What about a show in chicago? No the wheather isn't great but still has alot of possibilties. Just a thought. Does the PWNA have any offices in IL?

Thanks
 
Just a question from a non member. Are all the conventions up north or on the east coast?
Gav
 
They are always in a different place...........this fall it will be in Pittsburgh, PA...........then in Jan/Feb of 2003 it will be in Las Vegas.
 
I just read all the post about P.W.N.A. I was thinking about becoming a member and was wondering what I got for the membership fee. Getting the cleaner times is nice but it sounds like not much more. I want to know more about P.W.N.A. before I spend my money. MARK W.
 
Hi Mark

Thank you considering the PWNA, There are a fair amount of benifits. some great and some not so great, but the good news is that there are some new, and I think major benifits in the works.
If you e-mail me your address or call the headquarters we will send you a full membership packet to look over, my e-mail address is woody642@mindspring.com and the pwna number is 800-393-pwna or 301-941-1064.
The upcoming Pittsburgh Fall technical seminar looks like it's going to be fabulous, we are planning all three certification courses , Kithen exhaust, Wood restoration, and environmental.
Hope to you there.
Thanks again Chris Detter :) :) :)
 
Quoting Chris "but the good news is that there are some new, and I think major benifits in the works."

Chris,

Can you say what some of them are yet?


Jon
 
Chris

Some of us have been waiting for a long time, have paid dues, have gone to shows and so on. I think Jon question is reasonable and timely.

David
 
David,
In last months PWNA express and a letter I wrote to the membership and this site, and a cleaner times article I outlined many of the new benifits that we are working on. The association and I have more ideas and benefits that we are trying to get in place. Please be patient.
If I were king of the world and I could throw a switch and make it happen immediately, I would, but Im not and I can't.
These improvements will happen and the members will know first then it'll become public knowledge.
Thanks for your concern

Chris Detter
woody642@mindspring.com :) :) :)
 
I know how this thing works-good programs depend on the number of members and the volume that they collectively and individually produce. You can't get the programs without the members. You have a big problem and I will bet that when 6 month come around the programs will be limited in scope.

All I am asking is a return of $250 that's all. To date the basic return is not anywhere near $250. Not to slam a vendor, but last week I got a 10% off for PWNA members if they buy some amount of chemical. I Will bet you lunch, I would get that same deal if I said yeah I'm a member or just said give it to me anyway.

True savings is based on a cost plus system-otherwords a item that cost $10 is sold to members at cost plus 15% or $11.50. One needs the true cost and negotiate the plus. In our market the items in general have no perceived value. For example a drum of chemicals could cost $100-$800 plus freight. So a 15% savings mean nothing at all. The point is true savings must be based on value and cost only. We need to see savings or why have a group of 300 members.

I would not be in your shoes, like they say "So many have walked down this path".

David
 
Why is it perceived that to get your $250 dollars worth it must be cash in hand, if the PWNA were able to get some government support for nation wide regulations, and standards, wouldn't you make the $250 back and then some even if only one of your customers were pressured to get their system cleaned one more time a year, you would at least break even.
It seems to me that everyone is to focused on how do I get my $250 back, that seems short sighted. I think the reality is that the more established companies are going to go on regardless if there is an organization or not, what it needs is more members to be able to make enough noise to make a difference.
The question as I see it is, Do I want to help make the PWNA be an organization that can help this industry go forward, that will help us all.
 
Make it $1000 or $1 I want a return on my money-you are so right. I have been a member for 4 years and yes it is now time to stop cutting bate and start fishing. PWNA could no more get a government regulation than I could buy Microsoft. I get more out of this BBS than I have with PWNA. PWNA only wished they had a forum like this.

My problems are not getting one more hood to clean, it is government regulations, workers comp. taxes and poor quality of employees. Just this week the State of Oregon set me papers on one employee for back taxes, and I am required to take my time and make checks out each payday for him. Then Placer county send be a notice that my two dogs have tags due for the year at $28. Now I am on a database for my dogs. It never ends with regulation.

David

I am sorry, just in a bad mood.

David
 
I agree, as it stands now they probably can't get a Government regulation. My point is simply, if the only thing someone has to consider when thinking of joining is how will I get my money back, then this probably is not the organization for them.
The only way that any government will listen to us is if we get together and make enough noise, or maybe if enough of us get caught doing something wrong they will go off on there own and make our life harder.
As for your local regulation problems, I can't help you other than to say if you don't want to bother with the extra paperwork, than fire that employee, but you probably feel you can't because it is more trouble to replace him, we all know about that one, hell I could have 10 trucks on the road, if I thought I could find decent people to put in them, as it is I have trouble keeping 3 up and running, I don't think PWNA can help any of us with that.

Chris Detter, maybe it is time for your input here.

Damn it's hard to make a point in writing, maybe I should have paid more attention in english class. LOL
 
related story, to lighten the mood

Quick story, I know my stories tend to get long but hang with me a second.
David mentioned employees, and being in a bad mood, and maybe we can all sympathize with this story.
I had a crew going to do a McDonalds in a Plaza, they were supposed to be there at 9:30pm. They then had a second store afterwards across the street. at 10:45 I get a call from that crew saying they can't find the first store, and the manager told them she was leaving and going home.
Now they had at their disposal a map program at the shop, the address of the store, with the phone number and a mobile phone to contact the customer. It seems they drove up and down the road looking for a McDonalds, that they could not find because it was inside a Mall, now they called the store three times to tell the manager they were on the way, they were running late, and finally they could not find the store, at which time she informed them she was leaving. At no time did they ask her for help or manage to notice that under the address of the store it said (Wheaton Plaza)
Now here is the kicker, I get confronted by two employees, this past payday, not understanding why there pay was 4 hr's short. I think from now on I will break everyone paycheck into 5 parts, and mail to the customers on that crews schedule, and tell them if they don't find the store, they don't get paid. Maybe that will work. Naaaaa I doubt it.
 
Bryan,

People join organizations for many reasons and not all are for "what is in it for me attitude".

I belong to my local Chamber of Commerce yet I don't go to functions, I did but it is all talk talk talk and that is boring to me. Main reason to get more $$$, they sell tickets for prizes, heck I can go buy the same prize for less then the tickets cost.

The following is not in any special order.

PWNA, pressure washers join for several reasons (this is my opinion, not the PWNA'S) :

1: A national organization of like businesses.

2: Yearly conventions with mini- schools, classes where we learn the basics of things. Some offer certifications, some don't.

3: A chance to meet once a year with others in same line of work, make friends, meet up with old friends. Meet the brass and chat etc.

4: To see the latest in equipment, hopefully as many vendors do not attend for different reasons, cost vs return is just one reason.

6: The BENEFITS: well this subject is the main one most are talking about now, lack of them or wanting better ones. I sent a list of what another organization I belong to offers to I believe Chris last year, however that organization has a few thousand members so it can and does offer more. No it has nothing to do with pressure washing.

Now Vendors join and pay more in the hopes of gaining business from us guys, and that is a sore point here, the lack of a discount. I get almost everything I need locally at the same or better cost and no shipping. I do not buy everything from this local vendor but a lot of things.

I know I mentioned something like a 20% discount, don't be fooled by remarks we don't make that much, heck they don't, some things are marked up so high it is funny, example Shur-flo pumps, I get them for around $75 or so, there are many offering the exact same pump for $120 plus. Why would anyone pay that much more to support one vendor just because he is PWNA?

Would you? I doubt it but perhaps you would, who knows.

Chris knows I am not against the PWNA, he also knows there might come a day I rejoin but for now I wait for change and to see what gets done.
 
That's fair enough

The first 4 reasons you listed came right out of my head. Again my point is simply that . " I don't get my $250 back "
is not a good reason to join or not to join. I am not telling anyone what to do. I don't agree with PWNA completely. I just think that is short sighted thinking.
As far as venders go, I have no problem if they charge what ever, if I think is over priced I will simply not buy it. Turn that argument around, I would not want PWNA to come to me and tell me that this guy is a member and you can do this work for him but you can only charge X amount.
My Pressure Washer service company marks things up 50 to 100% compared to what I can order it elsewhere, I know because I can order things from the same place they get it. I don't know why it is that way, maybe because in other industries suppliers only sell to distributors not us little guys. maybe one day that will change and you may be forced to pay the $120 for that sureflo pump.
I guess we will agree to disagree on this one, although I'm not sure we disagree at all.
 
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