I don't think I'm asking too much

[sofadoc]

From time to time, customers will drop off a piece of furniture, and ask me to store it until they're ready to get it recovered. I have plenty of storage room, so I oblige.

But in a few weeks, I'm starting a big job (a PAYING job) that will require all of my storage room for over a month.
This means that I have to purge my store room of several pieces that have been sitting there for anywhere from 1-3 years.

I've called the customers to whom the pieces belong, and explained the situation. They seemed totally unwilling to accomodate. So I had to put it bluntly "If you don't pick it up by the 28th, it's going to the landfill" (the city is having a big "Clean UP" day on the 28th, when I can haul off everything for free).

I never asked for a deposit, or any kind of storage fee. I don't think that I'm being unreasonable by asking them store their OWN stuff for a change. A couple of them acted very "put out" by my ultimatum.

I have a feeling that I'm going to have some unhappy campers later on down the road.

[Mojo]

I would follow that up with a registered letter to each one. I can see them taking you to small claims court for an heirloom high dollar antique piece of furniture and telling the judge " he never called me or told me he was throwing it out.

I don't think your asking to much either but if you have a couple customers who are getting nasty about it, those are the ones who will cause troubles for you down the road.

Just a suggestion,

Chris

[gene]

I'd be upset too if I was getting a free handout and then all of a sudden the person giving me the free handout wanted me to get up off my ass and take care of my own life.

Oops. Sorry, I thought we were talking about the general response to the Tea Party. Wrong topic.

I think this is one thing that you and I have in common. I hate it when I do a favor for people who show themselves to be totally unappreciative. I do take it personally.

As my business adviser says, "You can be a nice guy, or you can be a businessman. You can't be both. Now, you can be a businessman who is also a nice guy, and that's a good place to be."

gene

[kodydog]

If your giving them two weeks notice your not being unreasonable. If pick up is inconvenient for them you could offer delivery for a fee.

[bobbin]

Gene, have some Green Tea and put on your slippers... :)  dial in Terri Gross... ;)

Look, there's no such thing as a "free lunch" (someone's paying for it!) and all those "wannabe" customers fiddling around with "when" to recover the furniture you're presently storing need to know the gravy train has pulled into the station!  Time to "-hit or get off the pot".  Pay up or pick up. 

Registered letters to all of the "storage customers" (CYA, baby) and after that a tag sale on the sidewalk... then the landfill.  (wish I lived closer!).

[DDandJ]

I'd be all over that tag sale.  I'm within driving distance  :D

[sofadoc]

I'd be all over that tag sale.  I'm within driving distance  :D

Used furniture sells for almost nothing around here. Believe me, none of the stuff that I plan to haul off has any value in it's present condition. Even if it were recovered, it's all pretty "run of the mill" stuff.

There's a local retail furniture store that hauls off old furniture for their customers when they sell them something new. Most of it goes right to the dumpster, but if it's in good shape, or only needs minor repair, they give it to me.  I then do any minor fixing that it needs and sell it on consignment to a local used furniture dealer.........at least I try to sell it on consignment. I've yet to see dime one.  The guy that runs the consignment store always has to mark the price way down in order to sell it. Apparently, he has to cut out MY half.  :(

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

Have this problem ALL THE TIME.

Sewing machines, sofas, it's all the same.

We now put a "Not responsible for merchindise left after 30 days" disclaimer on all repair receipts.  We ALSO take a deposit for machines that are, ahem, low end that we realize my not EVER be picked up.  I've 'hit' people with repair bills as low as $85 that were left indefinatly becasue the customer didn't have the money.

We here are not a storage faclitiy for sewing machines to be picked up when thier back up breaks down and they now very quickly need thier machine;  I don't want the responsibilty of having other peoples valuables under our roof.  

Believe you me, the second an act of God occurs and thier precious furniture gets flooded or some junk, they are going to want premium top dollar compensation, asking way over the reasonable value.  Do you even have insurance for this kind of thing?

[sofadoc]

Back when my parents owned the business, we completed a chair and called the lady to pick it up. It sat there for 6-8 months. She kept making excuses that she just couldn't make it into town to pick it up.

One night, burglars broke a window to get in our shop. A shard of glass damaged the seat in her chair. My mother offered to recover the chair again at no charge to her. All she had to do, was come in and select a new fabric. She was there before my mother could hang the phone up.

After we recovered it again, it sat there for several more months. By then, I had taken over the business. I left a simple message on her answering machine "That ole dog ain't gonna hunt no more".
My parents were way too easy to take it the shorts.