Frustrated!!

[Coosh71]

So some of you know my wife and I run a cattle operation in the Texas Panhandle. But I also have a family business that I have ran for better part of 25 years. I have a residential and commercial construction company. Back in the late '80s and through the 90s my dad could not leave a job without someone chasing him down with a check in their hand. It hasn't been that way for a long time now. Recently in Texas has a lot of you know we had very cold temperatures pipes burst people's homes were flooded and destroyed. I left projects that had already been started resources over to help homeowners who were struggling with water damage. Weeks later, have yet to received one check for the work done during those couple of weeks. Everyone was satisfied with the work that we did praised us for getting there so quickly etc. I took a lot of time off this week with my family and traveled down south to come home to zero checks in the mail. So I decided to start making some phone calls today. After finishing my phone calls not one person was ready to write a check for one reason or another (all personal reasons). I'm so frustrated right now thinking of the thousands and thousands of dollars in material and labor that I'm out for being the good guy and jumping into the fire to help out that I could chew nails. Two of the jobs are waiting on carpet layers to replace carpet so that we can come back and finish some small finish work. When I ask the customer if I can get paid for the work that we did the customer says well you are not finished. Okay you know how people say you can't pick your kids or you can't pick your parents? Well not all contractors are crooks, druggies or alcoholics. And not all customers are upstanding Christians like they advertise. And I promise I will be way less likely to be so hopeful the next time this is getting old. Sorry if this post offends anyone I just needed a place to vent I guess. Thanks for reading.

 

[Brute 23]

Cant help on the ones bot complete because I am the same way. No one gets paid until we walk thru together and it all complete. I also go out of my way to meet them to do the walk thru and I also have cash or check ready to go right then and there when its complete.

Do like the ac people do. You have to be there with a credit card ready to pay when the job is complete.

My dad has the same problem with some people when he mows. I told him we could set up Vinmo and stuff so that people can pay immediately from where ever they are. He just dropped them which is a good idea too.

I learned a long time ago to tell people up front how payment needs to be arranged. Dont assume people have morals or standards or any thing else... be blunt and to the point. If they dont like it... it's because they were going to screw you over.

 

[Coosh71]

We have been in business forever!!! Payment isn't a mystery. Invoice says due upon receipt. Everyone has become so damned entitled! I mean I have 30 year olds who say say yes I saw it DUE UPON RECEIPT, but I only write checks one day a month! Well heck isn't that just handy for you!! I live in a small town and it's changed so much. It's sad. I make a great living here, and we do very high quality work no matter what the project. All to get stone walled when it's time to pay up. I'm so tired of being categorized the same as crooked contractors!

 

[farmerjan]

Even with builders, used to be you got x amount at certain intervals.... today, no one wants to pay but they all have money for things that are not necessities.... I would tell them that there needs to be a certain percentage up front from now on, or at x point along....
No, not going to help you now. I don't want to chase after money for things. My integrity says to offer x amount up front most of the time... if no one asks.... and when the job has been finished, be there with a check or leave it for them if I can't be there... And there are times it is a struggle to make sure there is enough money to pay. But I do because they were good enough to come do it.
My ex was a carpenter, and when he was doing his own side jobs and stuff, he had to have the material money up front.... I think that might have to be the way you do it from here on so you are not out cash.... just your time which is valuable but not as bad as out of pocket money too....
We started sending a bill and it said after 30 days there was interest @ 18%.... 1 1/2 % per month. My feed store company does it.... and I have had a couple months where there wasn't the cash flow to pay it but I paid some and swallowed the interest.... Do you have a way to take a cc???? most can do it on their phones now.... I would tell them from here on that it is xx % up front and payment in full at completion.... and put a lien after the first bill..... have the agreement or total cost in writing with their signature.... and then go after them if they don't pay it.... I get that some may be waiting on insurance payments... but they can try to make a good faith payment of some kind......
I'm like you, tired of it..... one of the reasons we will usually take cattle to the stockyard now..... get a check when they are sold at the end of the sale.... none of this haggling, BS, oh, I don't have all the money right now.... stupid excuses.... only sell private to a few that we have dealt with in the past and we know are good for the money...
Not worth the aggravations and hassles

 

[GoWyo]

Have a good written agreement signed by both parties that includes a provision for progress payments, due on completion and interest after 10 days, plus an attorney fee provision if you have to lawyer up to collect. And use the written agreement on every job, no matter the size.

 

[4hfarms]

Sorry people, for sure.

Oh, please sir, help me I'm a widow with a million kids and the bank is taking the house and the truck broke down and my new checks didn't arrive yet, etc, etc.

But no worries, I'll take time out of my schedule to help you, with my material, and tools and gas and, and, and... I got out of the business of helping others... or ones that help themselves (to my belongings)
I'm a nice person to anyone, until I'm not!

Last one stole out of my barn too.

 

[wbvs58]

I agree with you 100% Coosh, very disappointing. I was going to like your post but did not think it was appropriate, you might have thought I liked how they were screwing you.

Ken

 

[Splash]

Quite a few good ideas here. A good combination of most of them works. Payment upon completion, interest after 10 days, attorney cost provision after 30 days, and property lien immediately upon late payment all stated in a pre-signed agreement before work starts. Any one in business and/or with integrity can understand the conditions.

Sorry you have to go through this. The world has changed.

 

[Brute 23]

I call it the credit card mentality... buy now and worry about how to pay for it later.

 

[RDFF]

If you don't have it in writing, you don't have it, period. Anyone legit will appreciate that you spell out your expectations. Anyone offended by it you don't need to be doing business with anyway.

 

[Chevy]

Tell your wife to give you a hug. this makes me sad people are like this and don't appreciate that you showed up in a crisis to help them. Your a heck of a lot better person than me cause my temp would have done got the best of me. If it had already been past the due date which you said pay when it was done and they act entitled to me I'd already went over ripped all that plumbing out said "Repo! Have a nice day!" They don't pay they shouldn't be up in there with plumbing you did. I tell them if you don't like it hire a lawyer and take me to court.
I can't stand entitled acting people. Maybe take payment up front and no checks. We had people write us bad check before. That ticks me off wasting my time chasing them down to get paid when most likely they knew they didn't have the money to cover the check.

 

[Lucky]

I'm always amazed at how surprised people are when I pay them at the end of the job or pay quickly when I get the bill. We've got a few contractors that will wait months to bill us, when I ask why they said you always pay fast and most don't. I took that as they are holding my bill in case they need some money because of non payers. For me it's easier to pay the bill and not have things hanging out there. If you can't afford the service don't have it performed.

 

[Bigfoot]

Story from my childhood.......I was young. Maybe 5 or 6. My grandparents were both born in the late 1800's. They never really embraced the modern era. Even in the 70's, they lived as if it were the 20's. They literally went to town a half dozen times a year for less. Bought bulk supplies when they did go.

My grandfather had some work done on his tractor at the dealership. They brought the tractor home on a big rollback. When it was unloaded, he got his change purse out of his bibs, and asked "what do I owe?". The delivery guy said they'll send you a bill. My grandfather had me jump in the truck and we took off. I had never seen any sense of urgency from him in my life. Literally the most laid back person I had ever seen. His rush, was because he had a personal policy, that the sun never set owing anybody any money. Evidently he'd had a long run at it, and didn't want to break his record. For the most part, I have lived the same way.