That Look You Get...

[fstbttms]

...when a customer tells you eleven weeks after his previous service that he can see growth on his keel and that he thinks you skipped cleaning it last time.

[chris mac]

What! Your services dont include daily touch ups!
I'm guessing this was a new customer concerning their first ever boat

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by chris mac

I'm guessing this was a new customer concerning their first ever boat

Nope. According to him he’s been a Bay Area boater for 40 years. Naturally that makes him a marine biologist and hull cleaning expert.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Nope. According to him he’s been a Bay Area boater for 40 years. Naturally that makes him a marine biologist and hull cleaning expert.

The day I closed my business was almost as good as the day we bought our live aboard cat. Almost, because I had to then go and scrub the bottom[emoji848]
My dad gave me a book on sales when I was just starting my construction company. The main point I took from it was the 3 types of customers. A,B,C
A... everything is great, repeat business, pays on time, never complains. These are unicorns, if you get one, hold on to them,
B... one of the things above is missing. Not a lot of jobs, or takes time paying, or minor complaints here or there. These make up most of your customers.
C... most or all of the things are missing. Not a lot of jobs, doesn't like paying, complains about everything. Ditch these customers as quickly as possible! They aren't worth the hassle unless you are desperate for work!
Following that made life so much better! But some of those C's still snuck up on me, so I feel your pain

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by chris mac

Ditch these customers as quickly as possible! They aren't worth the hassle unless you are desperate for work!
Following that made life so much better! But some of those C's still snuck up on me, so I feel your pain

This kind of complaint is real typical in the springtime when fouling rates take a noticeable jump upwards. A little surprising to be questioned like this in mid-summer (and I did get another "You cleaned my boat two months ago and my engine intake is already clogged. I don't think you did a good job in May" email today) but maybe shelter-in-place pushed boat usage back a few months. This guy in particular is not a bad customer and always pays on time. I just posted this because it just chaps my ass a little bit when somebody who has never cleaned a boat bottom in his life presumes to lecture me on fouling rates and whether or not we did a good job.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

This kind of complaint is real typical in the springtime when fouling rates take a noticeable jump upwards. A little surprising to be questioned like this in mid-summer (and I did get another "You cleaned my boat two months ago and my engine intake is already clogged. I don't think you did a good job in May" email today) but maybe shelter-in-place pushed boat usage back a few months. This guy in particular is not a bad customer and always pays on time. I just posted this because it just chaps my ass a little bit when somebody who has never cleaned a boat bottom in his life presumes to lecture me on fouling rates and whether or not we did a good job.

Gotcha, still makes me enjoy retirement more when I hear stories like this though

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

...when a customer tells you eleven weeks after his previous service that he can see growth on his keel and that he thinks you skipped cleaning it last time.

Unfortunately, that response is totally unrealistic in the San Francisco Bay!! My sailboat bottom is cleaned and antifouling paint and zincs inspected every 3 months in the SF Bay.

[Bawlmer]

This Covid business has everyone cranky and freaked out. I know its taking its toll on me.

[JRSHAW]

True Dat
I lost my sister and Mom to this Covid thing. Tough year on everyone

[Halien]

Our diver (Seattle) sends me a video with the invoice. The hull is always sparkling clean when he finishes, but the fuzz starts growing back within a few weeks. Usually a quick brush around the waterline and a sail around the bay gets most of it off.

I really like the guy I use. He just shows up every few months, does his work, and sends me a reasonable bill. I pay him to change the zincs every six months, and once he changed my prop pitch for me.

There was a time when I thought about doing it myself, but this diver is a young guy building his business, and a vet. Even if I bought the gear to do it myself it would never pay off for me because I'd half-ass the whole job. Being under the boat kind of freaks me out. I feel much better about helping a hard-working kid make a living.

[joelhemington]

Sounds like a good Go Pro is in order if this keeps happening.

[Chayal]

My condolences JRShaw...

[Clivevon]

If (like I was) you are in a repeat business business, you soon realise that the people who give you problems are the people who give you problems. Best to avoid/drop them - they just cause stress & get in the way of building your business with good customers & enjoying a happy life. So - don't chase the last dollar. You will be better off in the end.

As a wise man once told my (much younger) self: "The fastest way to get rich quick is to get rich slowly". In later years I often thought I should seek him out & ask if I was getting rich slowly enough.....

[barnakiel]

I do not think you say anything. You blink, you loose.


What you do is you grin and utter in a conspiatory undervoice: ".. hey, mother****er ... got me !"


;-)


Appreciate your clients sense of humour. We all need this in the Covid era.


barnakiel

[Don C L]

My recent hull cleaning the guy did a thorough job! I came back and said, hey, where's all my bottom paint?! And after a couple weeks a green goo was growing, but to be fair, I've gotten 6 years off that bottom paint, so I ain't complaining and it wasn't the diver's fault I am sure. Still I wish he'd left a LITTLE more paint on the hull
I'll just have to sail faster to keep stuff from growing on it.