Snow question

[nick11380]

Yesterday we got 8+ inches of snow and I snow blowed all my snow customers. However, at one place the city didn't plow the street yet when I did the snow blowing. Now that the snow plow went through theres about 2+ feet of snow blocking the driveway. I never had this situation before. Do you go back and clear the end of the driveway for free because (you were paid for the job) the plow hadn't cleared the street yet (at 11:30 AM)? Or do charge extra for going back to clear the end of the driveway? I've been charging $25.00 to do the sidewalk and driveway at this place. If you would charge extra for going back to clear the end of the driveway. How much would you charge?

Theres so much snow blocking the end of the driveway that a car can't drive over it.

[mariner]

Definitely do not do it for free! There are always going to be certain factors that you cannot control in this business. This is one of them. If a customer wanted me to take care of it, I would charge for my time.

[Phil Nilsson]

Now that the snow plow went through theres about 2+ feet of snow blocking the driveway. I never had this situation before. Do you go back and clear the end of the driveway for free because (you were paid for the job) the plow hadn't cleared the street yet (at 11:30 AM)? Or do charge extra for going back?

It's nobodys fault ... however YOU are the solution ... just ONE driveway? ... go back ... clear the thing ... no charge.

P.S.
After a storm is over and the plowing work done ... it's typical to send out one or two units to do quality control visits on accounts (at no extra charge) ... you know, push snow back away further from a mailbox, fire hydrant, make a pass over a street drain, clear snow back more from a dumpster ... make sure that at the ends of the drives ... traffic can see oncoming cars (big problem at snow stacked entrances left and right of drives where visibility is poor) ... and more or less "dress up" the plowing jobs that were done in a hurry when time was of the essence in getting them done on time.

You snow people out there know what I'm talking about.

[Getter Done Lawn]

do it for free....they will relize your not some jack-a** tryin to squeeze every penny outta em and it will give them a better impresion of you..i mean com'on, how hard is it to go over there and move the snow again anyways?

- Aaron

[GeeVee]

Pre planning would help some.

When you can foresee the plow is yet to be there, go and take a whack at what may wind up in the drive, reducing the amount that will wind up in your clean space?

I can't see doing anything free- but somehow you should make this right this time. In the future, like Nelson says, maybe do a round trip (out and back the same route) instead of out and then back to the shop right after the last one is complete.

Makes so much sense, I might get into the plowing business.

GeeVee

[nick11380]

how hard is it to go over there to move the snow again anyway

I don't have a plow. All I have is a small toro (CCR 2450) snow blower. The snow blocking the driveway is over 2 feet and would have to be done by hand.

If I had a truck with a plow it would be easy to move the snow again and I'd just do it for no charge and wouldn't be asking of I should charge. But with the amount of snow it's going to be hard work doing it it by hand.

[Scaper-S2k]

After a 10" snow fall, I can see charging extra to go back and clean up what the trucks pushed there. It happens to everyone unless you clear the lot the day after the trucks fully finish up, and that could be 2 days after the storm. Probably not exceptable for some clients.

That portion is not your fault and can actually be harder to clean than the entire driveway was. Especially when it was slushy and then froze solid.

Around Christmas we had 18"-26" of snow. People cleared their drives, but ALL drives then got 2' of snow pushed at their entrance over the next couple days. THEN it dropped to below zero the next 2 days and it became a chunk of ice. I saw people using pick axes to break it up. We got calls from people just to remove that. One of my guys took our smaller skid steer out and did quite a few.

Heck you could actually make good money just removing that stuff for people.

[Phil Nilsson]

I don't have a plow. If I had a truck with a plow it would be easy to move the snow again and I'd just do it for no charge and wouldn't be asking of I should charge. But with the amount of snow it's going to be hard work doing it it by hand.

You (should) have a plow but don't ... not the customers fault that you do things the hard way with equipment that can't handle the job ... that's tough ... even more reason to go back at no charge.

In fact ... in fact ... wht don't you "connect" with plowers (right now) send them over to make those few passes on that drive ... if you won't or can't!

[KMCLawn]

I always snowblow up to the curb. It is generally indented in from where plow usually pushes the snow. This way there is little snow left on the plow blade to fill up a driveway entrance. I always go back and make sure it is cleaned up before I put the equipment away for the day. No extra charge. It keeps the customer happy.

[clclawn]

we do about 120 drivways, 84 are in 2 villa complexes and the others are single family homes. we always go back after the storm and clean up the ends. we have all the drives clean by 8-9am so almost all of them need clean after big storms. If it is one event that week we will usualy charge 15 to clean em up. this weekend (wend-sun) we went out 4 times so i will not charge extra.

I have found every costomer i talk to seems happy they can get out and the $15 is well worth it.

also on other thing to consider for next year, we charge 25 per drive up to 6 inches, the anything over 6 is an additional $5 per inch. this may justify you doing it for free if it is already billable.

[mariner]

With that much snow you should have to go out twice anyway. We got 6 inches one day and another 4 over night. Better believe I was there both days and charging for each one. At $25(average) a pop, i'm slightly below the competition and i'm doing it with a snow blower and cleaning the sidewalks too! If someone were to complain i'm sure we could work something out but I have not encountered that problem yet!

[Scaper-S2k]

not the customers fault that you do things the hard way with equipment that can't handle the job ... that's tough ... even more reason to go back at no charge.

This has absolutely nothing to do with him having a plow or just a shovel.


There are many people that live on streets that don't get cleared quickly. But they want their drive done when the snow stops. If you go and do the job ALL THE WAY TO THE STREET, you did the job correct, whether it's a truck, a blower, or a shovel. If a city truck pushes snow over what was cleared, it's not the contractors fault.

If a client didn't want to pay me for coming back because of what the city does, they won't get their driveway cleared until the entire street is cleaned.

[kutnkru]

When I did snow removal up in NY if there was a 12in. +/- storm I would usually go through the route about every 4 in or so for comm and 6in for residentials.

Just like Erich stated, if we are coming back thru an area at say 9am and the plow doesnt get there until 2pm ,,, Ive done my part as a professional and kept their access OPEN during the storm.

I would under normal circumstances wind up doing a drive-by late that nite to make sure anything pushed in from the storms was cleared. Then when it came to billing the resi's would get a bill for 2.5 pushes.

[pow]

If the city plow had already been there, wouldn't you have to shovel the end of the drive anyway? The only thing you are really losing is your travel time to go back so I say do it for free. The next storm maybe you can wait until the city has finished their part if that's an option.

I'm curious as to how long it takes to do a driveway and sidewalk where you are from.
I've seen snow piled up at the end of a drive that would take an hour to clear with a shovel, maybe you could hire somebody with a plow to do this job for you.

[clclawn]

[QUOTE=pow]If the city plow had already been there, wouldn't you have to shovel the end of the drive anyway? The only thing you are really losing is your travel time to go back so I say do it for free. The next storm maybe you can wait until the city has finished their part if that's an option.
QUOTE]

If you wait till the plows come through it will not get done for 2 days, not acceptable. Second since when do we not charge for travel time???