[Smitty58]

So this has been bugging me and I thought I would get some plow guys thoughts. The Church I went to for years (don't go there now) and plowed the last three years for FREE calls me up the night before snow. "Are you going to do take care of our snowplowing this year?" I say, "Well I put a bid in with your secretary on the last mowing invoice (I mow an empty lot of theirs) a couple of months ago. silence.....then I say "Well I was in a bad wreck and my plow truck is in the body shop ,but I'm going to rent a Bobcat to take care of my customers. Guy doesn't ask "Did you get hurt?" NOOOOOOO! nothing ,just well ok then.

So I'm driving down the road the next day towing the Bobcat and I pass the Church, guess what. There's another plow guy plowing the lot. What's the deal here? Now if he goes there then fine ,but I don't think he does. If he bid it cheaper than me then fine. He had to of bid it short notice because like I said I talked to the guy the day before this.

So am I wrong to be upset about this?

 

[grandview]

Let me get this straight. You plowed for free and this year you put a bid in? Maybe he's plowing for free. Or as you said his bid was less. I stay away from Churches just for that reason. They have an operating budget just like everybody else ,they just act poor.

 

[bribrius]

So this has been bugging me and I thought I would get some plow guys thoughts. The Church I went to for years (don't go there now) and plowed the last three years for FREE calls me up the night before snow. "Are you going to do take care of our snowplowing this year?" I say, "Well I put a bid in with your secretary on the last mowing invoice (I mow an empty lot of theirs) a couple of months ago. silence.....then I say "Well I was in a bad wreck and my plow truck is in the body shop ,but I'm going to rent a Bobcat to take care of my customers. Guy doesn't ask "Did you get hurt?" NOOOOOOO! nothing ,just well ok then.

So I'm driving down the road the next day towing the Bobcat and I pass the Church, guess what. There's another plow guy plowing the lot. What's the deal here? Now if he goes there then fine ,but I don't think he does. If he bid it cheaper than me then fine. He had to of bid it short notice because like I said I talked to the guy the day before this.

So am I wrong to be upset about this?

probably someone that knows someone and called and asked him to do it. they could have misunderstood your conversation and only caught the fact that you had a accident and were renting a bobcat. they probably also still wanted you to plow it for free.
i wouldnt jump to lots of conclusions though. stop in and talk to them.
not surprised they didnt ask how you are. many people that go to church are only as religious as it is convenient for them.

 

[Clapper&Company]

I agree, with GV they want every thing for nothing, We bid a few large churches every year, and alway tohigh and they try to get us to join.

We do plow a small lot for a church, and give them a deal but they only have 10 members of that church so..

 

[Smitty58]

Well I knew I was opening myself up for criticism ,but bring it on. The free thing I considered it part of my service to the Church ,but since I no longer go to that Church why should I continue to do it for free. I know I'm an idiot ,no one here plows anyone for free right? Just bugs me that they didn't even acknowledge my bid ,then call the night before to see if I'm still going to do it. I guess I should talk to them to at least let them know how I feel.

 

[Clapper&Company]

I am not criticism you or calling you a idiot.

I agree with you, they did you wrong... after all that free service they should of stayed with you.

 

[bigearl]

I plowed the church that I go to last year, got under bid this year, was a little upset the other guy doesn't go to church there then I found out he was $1100 cheaper than I was. OK can live with that. I go to church Xmas eve and there is 1" in the lot. I dont know about you guys but being Xmas eve would you have cleaned the lot or am i just being an ass?

 

[Clapper&Company]

I would of had that wet pavement

 

[DJ Contracting]

Why not go in there and talk to them and see if they are willing to pay what you had in your quote as far as plowing for free that was your choice, i give the church that i attend a discount ($50.00 per hr. per truck 3 trucks) and thats a good deal from what they used to pay. anyway it takes about 1/2 hour on a 1-3 and about 1.25 hrs for a 4-6, anyway good luck and make sure you talk to them it probably just a misunderstanding.

 

[mike psd]

do you know if there's been a change with the board or paster whoever in charge of there . i do agree that church's and place like that want everything for free . why do think little old guys that are retired of over there changing light bulbs and door knobs for free . i'd be more upset if knew people in charge there and didn't comment on your condition and your family after that wreck . it upsetting however better to cut the ties . with price of fuel running your trucks ect nothing is for free anymore .

 

[Kramer]

Not sure I understand why you care.


Do you feel used because you plowed for free?

Are you upset becuase someone else might be doing it cheap or free?

Obviously from the responses they've given you they're not really willing to pay a going rate. You don't even go there so again.... why do you care?
You say you've been in a wreck and they don't even care---they are only interested if you're ready to do their work free.

Get some accounts that want to pay you your rate--you have a business don't you?? Forget any guilt or emotion....you titled this thread ""my old church"..... that's right, move on!

 

[kc2006]

Alot of churches will try to get something for nothing. But the churches with good attendence numbers will treat you right. I sub for a guy with ALL churches, all big and bring in good money.

My church however has issues. They aren't bringing in big money, but enough to be stable. But they still want to try and keep stuff cheap. We had a priest in there that didn't get along with my father (my dad takes care of their courtyard gardens and does some janitorial stuff). So i placed a bid on the mowing, my price, 350 a cut and i go to the church, another guy 420 a cut and he lives an hour away. The priest gave it to him. Nice! Well that priest is gone and a new ones there, i put a bid in on plowing, my price 155 a push, someother guy 185 and doesn't go there....yep he got it. I refuse to bid on anything for them again.

 

[Smitty58]

I guess I should just let it go. I always had their lot cleared before any services and they have a daycare that opens at 6am so I always had it cleared for them. So I guess it just bugs me that I didn't even get a call from someone there to let me know where I stood after I bid it. I really just assumed since I didn't hear from anyone after I bid it that they had someone else. I can accept getting outbid. I didn't get upset about it until the call the night before it was going to snow and then seeing someone doing it. Then the second plowing event which just happened to be a Sunday morning the lot was not touched until the afternoon. Just feels different to me than just being underbid. I think now I'll stop in there tomorrow to talk to someone about it.

 

[GreenKingL&L]

There are 14 churches in my town of 15,000--I plow 5 of them. I try to give all of them a good deal, being raised in and around church it just seemed the right thing to do. I still make money on all of them, and they all appreciate the good service. One of the churches I used to attend, and left on very unfriendly terms with all the pastoral staff--and I mean very unfriendly. They still requested my company's services, through one of my employees that still attends there. We have done them for the last three years, and this year, after two plows, they called to cancel, saying one of thier members had volunteered to do it for free. On one hand I feel sleighted, AGAIN, becuase I have lost a job that I bothered to provide a quality service at a nice discounted rate. But then again, for the same reason that I was giving them a discount, I should be happy for them becuase they found someone to do it for free.

I think your particular church did you wrong by not communicating any better, but its nothing a quick stop in to talk to them won't fix

On a side note, I had to chuckle and then at the same time admire his committment to the job because for a job that takes me 2 hours in a heated comfortable truck, that volunteer spent over 7 hours there on an open cab kubota in 6 degree weather.

 

[ptllandscapeIL]

I do a few churches,and i can say they pay i mena im more then fair with them beign raised in church,something between you and the guy upstairs but anyway,dotn blame the church its politics just like everythign else good inthis world they have been overturn with politics

 

[LoneCowboy]

I do a couple church's and I bid them just like I bid anything else, based on the size of the lot, the layout, the trigger, where the snow goes, etc
I get market (in my opinion) and I go there.
And honestly, they whine more than any of my other customers (combined), so I'm ok with not giving them a discount. It's a fair price.

I don't understand the poster above who bid lower than someone else and they got it, that doesn't make a lot of sense. I'd wonder very hard where my tithe's are going if they aren't taking low bid. I expect my church to take care of my offerings, because it's not my money, it's God's money.

 

[InspiredDesign]

take ownership

About not getting a call back on the bid, I always look at it that I am the salesman, if they haven't called me, I need to call them. It's all business.

About not asking how you were doing, I must admit I do care about people, and I'm told I listen well, but there are times when I've got one thing on my mind and I miss a lot of other stuff! Those of us who are married or even have a girlfriend, ask our wives if we've ever missed anything.

Life moves on. Until we aren't breathing anymore, God still needs us somewhere!

 

[RLM]

We plow one chuch, small lot. Pays VERY well, I don't even send them a bill the check shows up on time or early. They never call to complain, etc.

 

[cubanb343]

Plowing a church can be tricky- I was considering plowing my church (for the right price of course). I got them to buy an Exmark for summer so I take care of the lawn in my spare time. For free. However, as far as snow goes, it's MY PLOW, MY TRUCK, MY SPREADER, MY FUEL, MY TIME, MY WEAR AND TEAR, MY BEING AWAKE AT NIGHT. In that case, they have to be charged. Just remember, you'll always have "someone else whose brother has a truck" and "somebody who's retired with a snowblower" and "someone's landscaper at home who plows" and "I'd do it differently" ETC ETC ETC. Too many opinions to go around and can very easily be a no-win situation. So, as for me, I stay out of the snow decisions and let two retirees take care of it (for free). And I shake my head on the mornings when the lot is 1/2" ice. (ex, Christmas morning). And shake my head when over the past two winters they've each hit a car. Hmm... Sounds like a lawsuit eventually

 

[Smitty58]

UPDATE - stopped in to talk with the Pastor. The first thing out of his mouth was "Do you still want to take care of the snowplowing?" to which I said "well I bid it a couple of months ago but when no one called I assumed you had someone else". I know I should have called them back ,I need to do a better job of that just got busy and didn't do it. So anyway he did ask about my truck and how the family is doing. I told him where we are going to Church now and how everyone is ,and I also told him about my disappointments with the people there (theres more to the story that I won't get into now) So we had a decent conversation and he had to get somewhere so we left it at that. He did say he would prefer that I do the plowing and he wasn't happy with the guy they found ,so I guess maybe I'm gonna do it. It was kind of left unresolved about that because he realized he had to get to an appointment. I guess I'll email him today to rebid it (secretary probably lost the first one ,kind of an airhead).
So thanks for all the thoughts ,got me motivated to do something about it instead of just assuming. Yes I know what assume means.