Corporate is the way almost every company is going, sorry to say it but get use to it. When a company goes corporate they bring multiple, 100s even thousands of accounts to the table. If Aldi came to you and said hey Olie were gonna give you 80 Aldis, we know you did them for 5k last year, but now were giving you 80, can you give us a deal. You'd be foolish not to, its just like buying soda at Costco, bulk pricing...
Use the going corporate to your advantage, I don't know if Aldi by you is like it is here, but in central jersey the Aldis are pretty close together. Explain that you can't do just one location for 2200 bucks, but if they give you 4 or 5 of them then you can talk. Most of these stores all have similar lay outs, yes there is the odd ball one here and there, but the majority are the same. Take the 200 increase on this account, get them to give you a few more and make some money. The economy sucks and that means everyone is trying to be more efficient. Plows are getting inefficient. Skid steer with a nice pusher and I guarantee you're done with that parking lot in less than 30min.
Believe me i took hits with TD/Commerece before, but if you want to hang around you have to roll with the punches.. Tighten up your operation and become more efficient. TD banks I use to have 1 truck with 2 guys doing 3-4 banks. No down time. Once sidewalks are done, shoveler goes out with a push spreader and salts the bare pavement, plower finishes and he calciums walks, bam onto the next one. No more coming back for the xbox etc...
Best of luck, I hope one way or another you get your account back and back and make some $$
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Superior Outdoor Services, Inc.
What did you tell the DM when he called? Or did he hang up because you just continued to laughed?
I told him we would take care of them when the new guys do not do what is needed or dosent show up but depending on the situation and timming of the snow he will be charged an emergency charge for not being in contract with us. We do all the other lots around this location so our trucks are already out there but they will pay almost double what they have been and will not have their store open or dock cleared on time. My 1st reaction was F%^& You deal with it but they have been good to me for years and I want them back someday.
Corporate is the way almost every company is going, sorry to say it but get use to it. When a company goes corporate they bring multiple, 100s even thousands of accounts to the table. If Aldi came to you and said hey Olie were gonna give you 80 Aldis, we know you did them for 5k last year, but now were giving you 80, can you give us a deal. You'd be foolish not to, its just like buying soda at Costco, bulk pricing...
Use the going corporate to your advantage, I don't know if Aldi by you is like it is here, but in central jersey the Aldis are pretty close together. Explain that you can't do just one location for 2200 bucks, but if they give you 4 or 5 of them then you can talk. Most of these stores all have similar lay outs, yes there is the odd ball one here and there, but the majority are the same. Take the 200 increase on this account, get them to give you a few more and make some money. The economy sucks and that means everyone is trying to be more efficient. Plows are getting inefficient. Skid steer with a nice pusher and I guarantee you're done with that parking lot in less than 30min.
Believe me i took hits with TD/Commerece before, but if you want to hang around you have to roll with the punches.. Tighten up your operation and become more efficient. TD banks I use to have 1 truck with 2 guys doing 3-4 banks. No down time. Once sidewalks are done, shoveler goes out with a push spreader and salts the bare pavement, plower finishes and he calciums walks, bam onto the next one. No more coming back for the xbox etc...
Best of luck, I hope one way or another you get your account back and back and make some $$
We do use loaders but not at this location but I have crunched all kinda #'s and still can not find a way to make money on a $2400 seasonal contract including salt and walks. The only way I could make money is to cut back on my work plow and I just dont see how that will work either, My name is on the line here all my trucks and loaders have my logo with my name on it. Like past times if we had a 6 in storm during open hrs we plowed it at 2 inches and salted if snow built back up on the lot we would go back out again and do the same and also if we would plow and salt before they opened and it started to melt and slush up they would call me to come back out to plow the entire lot again to keep it clear for people to push carts. I even called the DM one year and said hey your manager is having us plow 2 times per storm and wants 0 snow or ice on lot and he said keep it up thats how we want it. I would of loved to work with the new CO but they wouldnt even think of going any higher.
Corporate is the way almost every company is going, sorry to say it but get use to it. When a company goes corporate they bring multiple, 100s even thousands of accounts to the table. If Aldi came to you and said hey Olie were gonna give you 80 Aldis, we know you did them for 5k last year, but now were giving you 80, can you give us a deal. You'd be foolish not to, its just like buying soda at Costco, bulk pricing...
Use the going corporate to your advantage, I don't know if Aldi by you is like it is here, but in central jersey the Aldis are pretty close together. Explain that you can't do just one location for 2200 bucks, but if they give you 4 or 5 of them then you can talk. Most of these stores all have similar lay outs, yes there is the odd ball one here and there, but the majority are the same. Take the 200 increase on this account, get them to give you a few more and make some money. The economy sucks and that means everyone is trying to be more efficient. Plows are getting inefficient. Skid steer with a nice pusher and I guarantee you're done with that parking lot in less than 30min.
Believe me i took hits with TD/Commerece before, but if you want to hang around you have to roll with the punches.. Tighten up your operation and become more efficient. TD banks I use to have 1 truck with 2 guys doing 3-4 banks. No down time. Once sidewalks are done, shoveler goes out with a push spreader and salts the bare pavement, plower finishes and he calciums walks, bam onto the next one. No more coming back for the xbox etc...
Best of luck, I hope one way or another you get your account back and back and make some $$
How can you say plows are becoming inefficient when they are becoming more efficient with wings and expandable plows that cut hours off plowing time for some lots of mine. Yes a skid and push are efficient but every lot is different and here in the midwest the lots for aldis are 1.5 to 2 acres and not close together. We specialize in 2 to 3 acres lots as they are manageable and one efficient outfitted truck can knock them out in no time. Even last year here in cleveland we were 30 inches below our average as it was very mild, you would not make a single dime, check that you would be losing a lot of money if you were getting paid anywhere from $2200 to $2400 seasonal for an aldis lot that size. Like already stated salt, calcium, gas and labor would rip through that budget in no time. And your reasoning of saying OK I cant do them $2200 but if you give me 5 of them then we can talk is just not right. Why would you bust your ass on 5 accounts now to still not make any money on any of them. Like a friend of mine says sarcastic who owns a diner when I ask them if they are have been busy? "Yeah we are selling a lot of burgers, but we are losing 10 cents on every one". That is the same thing with these lots, Yeah we are really busy but we are losing $100 on each push. Yes it sucks and the price is junk, but to take on more just to create busy work and lose money is the definition of insanity . I am dealing with this same scenario on an account I lost this year. The seasonal price they went with this year will not cover the new service providers salt, calcium, gas and labor for this one account and that is basing it off of lasts years low snow and ice totals we incurred. They have the same scope of service and they are all zero tolerance. I just told them to call me up when things dont work out once this guy realizes he is losing money.
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"Let's take a ride on our 3-D dopelar radar!,
It's doplar you moron."
2003 CHEVY SILVERADO 2500 HD--Fisher 8.5 SS EXV
2004 CHEVY SILVERADO 2500 HD--Fisher XLS
(2)Truckcraft T-120 Dump Insert and T-130 D-ICER
Whelen LED Mini Justice Lightbar and Hideaways
Whelen LED LP Responder
4 -Toro 21" Single Stage
1-Toro 24" Snow Commander SIMA MEMBER
I don't know anything about all this corporate business, I have 6 ALDI stores, each with a different contact person, and they all pay per push, extra to salt the lot, only when they request it, shovel sidewalks but never salt them. I love working for them. They are a slow check (about 5-6 weeks after invoice) but it always comes.
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2000 F250 7.3
-Western 8' MVP
2003 Chevy 2500 HD
-Fisher 8' Minute Mount 2
1995 F350 7.3, 8' dump
-Boss 9.2 Poly VXT
-AirFlo SS V box
1997 F350 7.3, 10' dump
-Western 8' Uni Mount
-Western SS Ice Breaker v box
I don't know anything about all this corporate business, I have 6 ALDI stores, each with a different contact person, and they all pay per push, extra to salt the lot, only when they request it, shovel sidewalks but never salt them. I love working for them. They are a slow check (about 5-6 weeks after invoice) but it always comes.
Funny how it's so different by region. I have 4. One contact person. Per push, salt on request but they are very accepting of my recommendations when its needed (unless its a heavy year, they like to cut down more then), no walks or store entrances (I always make sure to drive close with the spreader rolling just to be nice and to cover my ass). Fast check for me, but I credit it to 2 things. A positive relationship with the DM/1 single contact, and the coorporate office is closeby. I've never had to wait over 30 days, and have had it in under 2 weeks a couple of times.
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Diesel trucks with plows that are too heavy for them, and spreaders loaded too heavy for them too
Allis 645B with Protech HD 14'
64 Chevelle Tube Chassis drag car and some other toys
Alls I know is what goes on here in Fremont Ohio but If I loose money on 1 lot then I would loose money on 5 lots right? These #'s are just so low there is nothing I can do with them. But on the other hand I am booked up this year with work now it just needs to snow.
I hope your not talking about cell tower sites? Tower sites are THE BEST accounts you will ever and I mean EVER have!!
I had one a few years back. Best account ever! No one was ever at the site. I even forgot to plow it a time or two and when I did get to plow it. NO foot prints in the snow.
1. No liability
2. No ones ever there
3. Plow whenever you want.
4. Send the bill and collect
And speaking of billing. I know the national that your talking about. RE-READ the contract. It clearly says..... You have 48 hours to submit an invoice after providing services.
SO.... To re-cap. You plow that cell tower last. End of the day or night. Go home take a nap for 12, 18 or 24 hours and when you wake up submit your invoice. All within the 48 hours of providing service to the account.
I concur on the cell tower sites. I plow 4 of them..... Best sites ever! they are in weird spots which make em fun and they are the easiest to please.
Curious about cell sites as well...never contiplated those.
As far as waiting for money, my main contract I wait 90 days for the money...but it is always there. Been this way for several years, you just have to be set up to deal with it and not living pay check to pay check. I was taught have atleast 6 months worth of reserves on hand at all times, and with the last few years between construction and snow that has come in very very handy. You should be able to reinvest in your company at all times, yes it is important to pay yourself but you have to have a company there in order to be able to pay yourself in the fisrt place.
I can see where you are coming from with the not being able to not being able to make money on the price they came up with. Only you truely know your costs, and if the numbers don't work then you have to move on. Some times that is just the way it is.
When I was still plowing for myself I can remember getting contacted for cell sites however it was some ridiculous stipulations. 3" or more was $50.00 however if a crew was en route or on scene and contacted you had 35mins to show up and have plow on gravel or they start charging you. I had to turn it down.... Try going to at&t, Verizon, sprint etc... web site and fill out a form to become a vendor. Just an idea.
Did they contact you guys or did you seek them out? There's a few around here and I'm curious as to how to go about getting them.
We solicited them as part of the regional office for the company. They have since separated and the regional off ice is with one company and the towers are with another. The ones I take care of are seasonal. Smallest is just south of 1000 a month and it's the size of a residential driveway with 5 steps to a door on the side. No salt either. Damages the cabling so they request salting if they need it.Service requirements are cleared with in 8 hrs of the cease of snowfall. stupid easy and well priced.
. I am dealing with this same scenario on an account I lost this year. The seasonal price they went with this year will not cover the new service providers salt, calcium, gas and labor for this one account and that is basing it off of lasts years low snow and ice totals we incurred. They have the same scope of service and they are all zero tolerance. I just told them to call me up when things dont work out once this guy realizes he is losing money.
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