i really want to quit

[Mike]

so I finnished a boat c0ver  job last Thursday the owner said he'd see me Saturday when he got into town . ok I wanted to be paid . and a paid customer wanted to make a change  on a top and I agreed to keep a guy happy but he said I could come get it Saturday when he knew his schedule he'd call me.  so ok im waiting for 2 call last Saturday one to get paid one to keep a guy happy on memorkial day weekend no  calls I went and drove by the money job the boat was out.  I git a text hed call me when he was able to free up   waited all dAY NO CALLS FROM EITHER nothing sunday Monday . tueday the favor guy said he got busy but could I come over wensday ok   . wensday I did get it and then I got a call from the money jobs wife she wanted to pay with a card. ok im finally paid .  now I patterned a new bimini top boot and a full mooring cover for a deckboat wensday the owner lives north of tampa with a place here .she was in pa but said her sisternlaw in Clearwater would pay me I finished the canvas this morning and got a call from the SIL who wanted to wait till dsaturday morning ro come see the boat and pay  so another Saturday f<*^*d up  .


I may as well install a cover I pattened today and will sw tomorrow for a toon

[Darren Henry]

I feel your pain brother. :(

We get alot of out of town customers.[Brandon is "the bright lights" to most of western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan] My boss uses visa/MC to avoid the headaches you are having. "You want to buy a ---widget-- on Saturday. We've got one. Give me your credit card number." "Trailer is repaired, you want me to put that through on the same card you paid the deposit with or another one?". He doesn't bother with e-photos etc... to show the job but my buddy Jerry (the caretaker friend on Lake of the woods,for those how remember me talking about him) started doing that years ago and his "wait time" for a cheque from people went from their next visit to the speed of snail mail plus a couple of days.

If I had been able to get a land line at my shop,back in the day, I would have used both ideas. A mix of Jerry's respect and politeness and Ernie's desire to get the bill cleared up and move on to the next "issue"instead of chasing acct. rec.

I'll bet Chris has some input from his experience and being in the same state as you.

[Mike]

I doo a lot Darren were I finnish a job there up north so I email a pic on my phone and either recive a check or credit. im using square for charges right on the phone

[momto3fatdogs]

Guys, you could make it even easier on yourselves by getting one of those cube attachments that plugs into your smart phone. You swipe a card and for 2% - 3%, you're paid. OR......how about paypal? the only hiccup I see you running into would be with some people that don't have email accounts or that don't/won't get on the computer. I certainly don't do your volumne (yet :D) but paypal is my best freind!

Sam

[Mojo]

I never have problems with people paying. Their order never ships until I am paid and they are always in a hurry to get their order so they pay quickly. Some are PrePays.
I get paid in cash, by check, credit card, Paypal and for the very first time yesterday through Intuit / Quick Books. I still haven't figured that one out yet. I need to get my wife on that one but the payment was through a customers business. The vast majority of my customers are retirees in their 60's and 70's and this group of people stress over owning people money. I have never seen or heard of a group of people who fret and worry over owing someone money for a job or whatever.

I have no problems with payments. What really gets to me are the phone calls and e-mails I constantly get for guidance with someones awning that wont retract or come out. It seems to go in spurts. This has been the week from hell with people who have needed my help in troubleshooting awning/slide topper assembly issues. I spent 30 minutes on the phone with a guy from NYC trying to help him with his Omega awning.

I do have a rule where I no longer take my phone into the shop with me. The word has gotten out among the customers that I return calls in the evening because I cannot hear the phone during the day because the machine is running. :) It isn't so much the machine but rather the music ( which I like loud ) and not wanting to be disturbed while I am cutting or sewing. I get into my production groove and don't want to be bothered. Even the dogs are learning this. :)

I answer all e-mails either during breaks or most times in the evening and return phone calls then as well. My daytime hours are spent on production. As it is I am sewing till 8 or 9 pm and 7 days a week right now to get out from under this back log. This week has been a bitch. I pound out two orders and then check my e-mails and see I got 3 more. How about we both quit Mike and just fish for a living. Screw this working/sewing stuff. :)

Speaking of working I have made MiamiMike work his ass off this week. With all the orders came a whole lot of material ordering. I had Mike grabbing me rolls of fabric from all over - Jacksonville, Cinci, Chicago, New York, etc. I wont even comment on the bills......damn full rolls of fabric are expensive. :( He had to do some searching for a few colors in Recacril and Sattler.

I am hoping to be all caught up and laying back and relaxing a little by the end of June. I have another run of chemo coming up then as well and my mother in law arrives from Australia in two weeks time as well.

Chris

[Mike]

I used to be able to do long 8 hour plus days. Not im only get for about 6 and im spent.
My workload is getting shorter. But i always weems to get calls whem im close to finnishing all. Maybe ill get some time to do some fishing.

[Allan]

Mybe do what hotels do and swipe the credit card when you check in so they have it if you leave and do not pay
Maybe you couls do that when a costomer books the job you get the credit card details so if they dont pay you have their CC details for billing

Allan

[baileyuph]

Hey Mike,
I don't want to break the thoughts of this thread, but the material on the boat in the driveway, the cover seems to drape wel, what is the fabric?  Is it a weave or vinyl, looks like a weave.

Sometimes I wonder how the boat people on the coast do it.  The conditions they work under to pattern and all, easy to understand the mood to quit.

Everything I do isn't easy, as I age, there is a pace I go and just keep on keeping on.

As a side note, I have been thinking about starting a thread on boat cover patterning, but too busy now to do it(later).
Doyle

[Mike]

Doyle that was sunbrella on that. Boat.