Another Quiet Day
June 13th, 2007 → 10:31 pm @ terry
We are looking for work to start picking up next week so we’re taking every opportunity to finish our projects around the house and around the office.
I prepared my route of forty-three mortgage inspections last night so I knew ahead of time that Streets and Trips had it timed at two hours and fifty-five minutes. Since I take my time, I usually take almost twice the time Streets and Trips estimates for completing the route.
We have a new record for the temperature in Mobile. Yesterday goes in the record books with the official high as one hundred degrees. Knowing that today would probably be just as hot, we worked our yard projects early and I did not leave until 11:30 to run the route. I got back at 3:45 but I could not locate two of the addresses on the route. I will probably be up early tomorrow to see if I can find them before the morning traffic.
I mentioned that I had contacted some companies about additional work. I have been communicating with one company pretty often but I am starting to hear the same stories repeated time after time. I have been told for two weeks now that we will wrap things up next week. I am going to remain optimistic through this week but I will move on after that. There are other companies!
Boat Painters Need Not Apply
June 5th, 2007 → 10:36 pm @ terry
We started getting a little work in today but by and large it’s real quite. I ran eighteen inspections really just to get out of the house and have something to do. (18•6.50) I also had one merchant site inspection that was less than a mile from the house, ten questions and two pictures. (1•25) I was gone about two hours.
We use the slow days to catch up on office work and to contact companies for more work. We contacted four companies that we have never worked for and either faxed them our application or used their online application. Two of the four look promising and we have no idea about the other two.
I don’t have much to pass on today but I would like to let you know about one conversation I had. This conversation made me think of a help wanted ad I read one time. A local house painting company was advertising for painters. The ad stated “Boat Painters Need Not Apply”. If you’re interested in the background on this statement, let me know. Anyway, this company rep placed a help wanted ad at TheRepReportâ„¢ and received over four hundred e-mail responses. The ad specifically stated that only reps in a particular state should inquire. The majority of the reps responding to the ad were outside of that state!
The company rep and I agreed that if the applicant cannot read and understand the ad, then it’s ok to click and delete. I’m just passing this along so you may remember it for future reference.
I hope you’ve had a good day. I’ll be back tomorrow.
Defensive Driving and Road Rage
June 1st, 2007 → 6:45 pm @ terry
Yesterday, I was informed by the boss, Vickie, that she had scheduled an insurance loss inspection for me this morning at 9am – another hurricane claim. I looked through the bins holding our assignments by zip code and found eight that could be worked while I was in the area of the insurance loss inspection. I put all the addresses into Microsoft Streets and Trips and just let it sit until this morning.
Bentley the Beagle decided that sleeping until 5:45am was good enough so he proceeded to wake us up so he could go out and get an early start on his morning nose exercises. I was wide awake after three cups of coffee and a shower so I decided I should run the route prepared last night and have the insurance loss inspection as last on the list. So, I was out the door around 7am giving me two hours to get it all done. Two hours was much more time than I needed so I planned on making a few extra stops for things I needed for projects around the house.
I have a strong dislike for traffic so you can imagine the comments I can make about morning rush hour traffic. We live just off U.S. Highway 98 and around here it has always been called Bloody 98. It took about five minutes for me to get an opening into the traffic and I was able to slow down to about 70 and cruise along with the morning crowd in the 55 mph zone.
I made my first stop just down the road around 7:15 am and found myself again with the challenge of getting back into the flow of traffic. I saw a tight opening and went for it! I made it with no horns, brakes, hand gestures or anything like that. Right then and there a revelation hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks – the field service business is just like driving!
To be in this business:
- You need some equipment – a car helps both in this business and while driving.
- You need a little experience – but only enough to pass the test.
- You may or may not really need licensing – depends on your outlook.
- You may or may not need insurance – depends on their outlook.
- You need to have a destination – the point A and point B stuff.
- You have to get out into the traffic – going into business.
- You have to deal with other drivers – competition.
- You need to practice good defensive driving – watch out for the other guy.
- Expect the unexpected – road rage, greed and selfishness are related
I know there’s nothing new for you here. Except maybe this. My route from Point A to Point B is not a straight line. I look for opportunities, relationships and life by way of Point A to D, to L, to Q and finally Point B.