i got a plug on the a radio show

[Mike]

well a online fishing show. a local charter captLarry Smith  friend /neighbor I did his t top canvas and enclosure gave me a plug the other day

Radio Fishing

[MinUph]

That was nice of him Mike. Can't beat free word of mouth on the air.

[timtheboatguy]

Now that your going to get swamped with business you can invite us snowed in fabricators down to sunny Florida to help you get caught up :)

[Mike]

tim if you ever came down there is a great need in good mobile tech service, a real problem I hear all the time is nobody call you back or shows u to view a job. I know a mobile tech who worked for a dealer who closed down so he went mobile he has worked for me but he wanted to barter for work on his own boat ive  I gave his number to one of my customers and after 6 calls he never showed up.

[timtheboatguy]

It has always been one of my pipe dreams to fix up an old RV and travel south to work for the winter. With eight grand kids I don't think I could my wife to leave home for more than a few weeks!

It is sad that there are so many people in the service industry that think it is okay to not show up or return calls. I have had people tell me how much they appreciate that I showed up when I said I would and finished the job. This should be the norm and not rare.

[Mike]

most guys are stuck once there are grande kids rooted up north , me I left before there was a daughter in law even  lol

I get a lot of contract due to the fact that I did show up, what I hate is most time I can make a appointment that afternoon after work ill be the first guy to show up' so I get well ive got a couple other guys coming out ive called back a week later to follow up and somtime there never had the others show yet.

[sofadoc]

I once met a guy who had a local daily radio show. Out of sheer courtesy, I said something like "Oh yeah, I listen to you all the time" (I really didn't).

I found out later that after meeting me, he had dedicated 3 full segments of his program solely to talking about me and my upholstery business. Nearly 45 minutes total.

Customers kept telling me "Hey, I heard your ad on the radio". Since I hadn't paid for any ad, I kept assuming they had me confused with someone else.

When we ran into each other several weeks later, he became PO'ed when he realized that I was totally unaware of all the free pub he had given me. 

[Mojo]

That was nice of him Mike. :)

Out west it is pretty popular for mobile stitchers to run around doing solar screens and toppers.
I watched one guy measure and cut a set of solar screens for a guys coach. He would set up a sewing table and several other plastic fold up tables, cut and stitch.

When I was in Myrtle Beach a couple next to me owned a solar screen business and traveled the country in a nice coach. When they got an order they would extend their big patio awning, set up all these folding tables, get out their Sail Rite machine and go to town making solar screens.

In regards to contractors in FL. These guys are worthless. I went out to get three bids on some concrete work. I talked to 3 contractors and only 1 showed up to give me a bid. My next door neighbor gave a contractor a deposit to build a new garage and signed a contract. he never seen or heard from the guy again. Then the State Police shows up at his door and wants to interview him and asked him to press charges. They caught him and he is now doing 5 years in prison. Turns out he made a living bilking people like that.

In other parts of the country if you call a contractor they are beating down your door in minutes. Not Florida. I had the same problem in TN. I hired a gas pipe contractor to install all new gas pipe for a boiler I bought. It took him forever because if the sun was shining and the fish were biting he wouldn't show up. He missed a couple days due to hangovers. This is common in the South and you never hire a contractor during hunting season. :)

These are the same people who will whine and cry because they are broke and have no business.

Chris

[Mike]

chris heard all the stories,  then when I needed to have a boat lift installed I called a number of places, only one awnser the call and showed up asap. he got the job. since I moved in the new shop last January I had a few people call me asking about this other canvas guy m seems he was at the same address probably a different unit and screwed people and left town one huy had taked a cover from his sailboat to him and split I ended up replacing the canvas for the guy and a bit more I have a customer in manhing a complete canvas enclosure on a sailboat that also got screwed by him bigtime ; was going to rtrade a marine deisle motor for the job then left town with the motor, and didn't do anything for it