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SMS Walgreens snow contracts

29K views 92 replies 38 participants last post by  Ramairfreak98ss 
#1 ·
Has anybody heard from SMS yet about snow contracts?? I mow the western half of MN. all the Walgreens and I havent heard a damn thing about snow contracts. I emailed my SMS contact and no return email and all my store managers are PISSED off because of this. It snowed 6 inches way up north so of course my phone blew up over this and all the managers said if we get snow come plow us out please. I said yes I will from a customer service stand point. I personly think I am getting the shaft cause brinkman probably is working on a deal or something or another! All the managers don't want to lose me as contractor been mowing these stores for 4 years kinda of built good realations with all the managers oh well one door closes and another one opens up.
 
#2 ·
PTTP08;1496963 said:
I emailed my SMS contact and no return email and all my store managers are PISSED off because of this.
Never worked for SMS but it sounds to me like their contract may be up for a renewal and there's other people such a USM bidding on a new contract. They very well might not have the account this year and is why no one is calling you back.
All the managers don't want to lose me as contractor been mowing these stores for 4 years kinda of built good relations with all the managers oh well one door closes and another one opens up.
Unfortunately, that doesn't mean spit how much the managers like you. Hell even if one of them was your wife you still will be s*it out of luck if another NSP comes in with a lower price. All the managers can do is talk about how much is sucks not getting any snow removed. At the end of the day the main office or "headquarters" if you will calls the shots on who cuts what and who removes the snow.

Good luck!
 
#4 ·
hoskm01;1497879 said:
Walgreens will stay contracted at the local level this year. Unfortunately, the local level may not have this news yet nor a request to proceed. Stay close to your store managers.
Thats good to hear. I got CBRE on me to give them a site survey. They had all the mowing for walgreens and are trying to get the snow. Nothing concrete yet.
 
#6 ·
maelawncare;1497938 said:
Thats good to hear. I got CBRE on me to give them a site survey. They had all the mowing for walgreens and are trying to get the snow. Nothing concrete yet.
CBRE manages all of the facilities maintenance including landscaping and snow, among many others. They are a good group to know.

snowbrothers101;1498431 said:
I was told SMS is out. CBRE is currently running a national RFP for the snow. Confirmed through 2 different national companies.
SMS may be out, wouldn't be surprised. There will be no national RFP for snow this year so if you're an incumbent vendor at your local site(s) then you're in a good place. If your contacts still think it's going down, they're behind and out of touch.
 
#8 ·
SMS finaly got back to me and gave me pricing for all my stores YEEHAA and it seems very fair which I am very surprised at. Any of you plowed for SMS in the winter time? Do you check into that IVR system or what? I did that for lawn care but snow is a lil differnt story since you can't really schedule it ya just gatta go and plow.
 
#9 ·
PTTP08;1499121 said:
SMS finaly got back to me and gave me pricing for all my stores YEEHAA and it seems very fair which I am very surprised at. Any of you plowed for SMS in the winter time? Do you check into that IVR system or what? I did that for lawn care but snow is a lil differnt story since you can't really schedule it ya just gatta go and plow.
It is pretty much the same as in the summer. Minus the online scheduling of course.
 
#10 ·
I have plowing for SMS for 3 years now and the IVR system is a snap! and yes thier prices are ok for a national. I just show upand plow and then I IVR into the system what I did as im driving to the next store on my cell. I have 5 family dollar stores I do for them. They just got into the lawncare side this year with Walgreens out here in Colorado and but couldn;t hire me for the lawns because Walgreens corporate told them they had to hire who has been doing the lawns for them first. If the old contractor didn't want to work for SMS then SMS could hire me. But the old contractor went to the regional manager for Walgreeens and got him to tell SMS that they were going opt out of using SMS in thier region which apparantly they have the choice to opt out of using SMS if thier reginal manger wants to not use SMS. The Walgreens stores turned into a nightmare with SMS and I told them forget it and to call me this winter when the snow season comes. They did and here we go!!!
 
#11 ·
Insurance Requirements for SMS

What did your insurance companies say regarding the SMS master service agreement which puts all the liability solely on the contractor.

I have done the landscaping for walgreens thru SMS and now am looking at doing the snow removal for them. My insurance company is having a issue with the requirments... Plus I am struggling with the way they have it worded.. Looking for your opinions.
 
#12 ·
Snowman7;1507054 said:
Insurance Requirements for SMS

What did your insurance companies say regarding the SMS master service agreement which puts all the liability solely on the contractor.

I have done the landscaping for walgreens thru SMS and now am looking at doing the snow removal for them. My insurance company is having a issue with the requirments... Plus I am struggling with the way they have it worded.. Looking for your opinions.
+ $4,000,000.00 umbrella.....
 
#14 ·
You must have gotten a different contract than I did then.
 
#18 ·
In our area they have separate contracts for summer & winter work; so its like signing up again to a degree. I got on board this spring with the WG in our area, & my project manager was able to score the plowing agreements as well.... whew, almost didn't make it because of seniority & semantics :)
 
#19 ·
who is SMS ??? I have been trying for years to get in to the walgreens and can get squat for info on what National or reginal does their work for them. and I have read in here plenaty of times people saying that they would never work for a company that tells them there prices to do the work. yet here we are being told what to do the work for and you guys excepting it??? just a question not a pissing match just wondering why you would change your mind :) and a $4mill unbrella would double my insurance prem. I hope those are good prices. are these seasonal bids , per push or hourly??
 
#23 ·
Trim;1532341 said:
SMS is based out of Chicago. The prices are about 25% lower then they should be

If you have 4 Walgreens sites it's a 1 mil policy

If you have 5 or more walgreens sites you need 4 mil policy (That's crazy)
60% lower for me. I would up having to turn it down because they would not budge on price.

Last year we plowed and salted our walgreens for $500. This year SMS wants sidewalks included. Ok $600. They want it done for $305! And the trigger at 1". I told them no way. They won't even go higher than $305. Looks like I'm out of walgreens finally. This sight is going to look like crap this year.

Oddly, I have the family dollars sidewalks. A whopping 10' of sidewalks for $75. Good price to me.
 
#25 ·
maelawncare;1532547 said:
60% lower for me. I would up having to turn it down because they would not budge on price.

Last year we plowed and salted our walgreens for $500. This year SMS wants sidewalks included. Ok $600. They want it done for $305! And the trigger at 1". I told them no way. They won't even go higher than $305. Looks like I'm out of walgreens finally. This sight is going to look like crap this year.

Oddly, I have the family dollars sidewalks. A whopping 10' of sidewalks for $75. Good price to me.
Wow 500 for a walgreens What is it a Super Walgreens Never seen a Walgreen lot that was very big
 
#26 ·
maelawncare;1532547 said:
60% lower for me. I would up having to turn it down because they would not budge on price.

Last year we plowed and salted our walgreens for $500. This year SMS wants sidewalks included. Ok $600. They want it done for $305! And the trigger at 1". I told them no way. They won't even go higher than $305. Looks like I'm out of walgreens finally. This sight is going to look like crap this year.

Oddly, I have the family dollars sidewalks. A whopping 10' of sidewalks for $75. Good price to me.
A one inch trigger would be pretty nice. You could milk the crap out of that. How long could it possibly take to plow off a Walgreens? Especially every inch.
 
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