I would like to take this opportunity to again thank JB Stahl for everything he does for the greater good of the surveying community. I posted a thank you note on the other board a while back, so I thought I would do a follow up over here.
I sat in on JB's class on moderating boundary disputes, at the LSAW conference in Spokane. I was always on the fence between; a surveyor should only find the facts and let the lawyers handle the sordid details and; a surveyor should offer advice on resolving boundary disputes. I was leaning towards the; just the facts, side of the fence. That is until I listened to what the good Professor had to say. The class was very enlightening, to say the least, and it gave me a whole new perspective on things. I new a lot about what he was talking about but what I learned was how to implement it.
last month. I was referred to a client that was having trouble with a neighbor. It seems the neighbor was parking junk over the property line and refused to move it. I did some research and gave the guy a price and some advice. He called back and said that another surveyor had given him a price of about $500 less, but he decided to go with me because he liked me and thought I would give him better service.
I did the field work and set the corners and points on line, a few weeks ago. I talked to him about how to approach his neighbor about moving the stuff that was over the line. I was busy with some other things and didn't record the survey until yesterday. I felt bad about the delay, so I delivered a copy to him in person. He's about 40 miles south of me. I had talked to him a couple of days earlier and he told me the neighbor had moved a few things, but was reluctant to move some of the bigger items. I dropped off the copy and my client was a little distraught. He had talked to the neighbor again and it got a little heated, so he talked to a lawyer. The lawyer told him; at $250 an hour, it would easily be over $5000 and probably more, and that is what he would need for a retainer. We talked a little about his options and offered to talk to the neighbor. He thought that would be great, so I put on my vest and walked over there.
I woke the neighbor up from his afternoon nap, but he seemed like a nice guy and we talked for about 30 minutes. He agreed that it was a bad idea to get lawyers involved and asked how long was reasonable, to move his stuff. I told him 30 days was pretty standard and if he need more time, I'm sure it would be OK if it was reasonable. I went back and told my client, he was very thankful and felt he would sleep better that night, knowing I had smoothed things out.
Thanks again John, keep up the good work!
I wish I was going to New Orleans. If I had the money, I'd be there in a heart beat. If anyone is thinking about going, but haven't decided yet, you better hurry. I think tomorrow is the last day for the early discount.:-)
Douglas Casement, PLS
Great! That is what land surveying is about, solving clients problems. Of course there IS more to it, but when you get results like that you figure you have had a good day.
T.W.
Well done Dugger, well done.
Now the trick is to manage the client interactions so you find a way to charge for the value you created for your client.
Sounds to me like you saved this guy at least $5,000. Time to manage things so you can capture some of that for yourself.
IF you can make it to 'Nawlins it will be great to see you. If not, we will talk about you. 😉
Larry P
> Of course there IS more to it, but when you get results like that you figure you have had a good day.
Yes, there was LOTS more. The deeds were a convoluted mess and I told the neighbor if he contacted the title company that was used when he bought the property and had them call me, I would help them straighten it out. That made him happy and I think he felt I was there to help him, not harass him.
All in a days work......:-D
Doug
> Sounds to me like you saved this guy at least $5,000. Time to manage things so you can capture some of that for yourself.
I was compensated nicely for this job, I saw it coming. The client knows I saved him a lot of money and was VERY thankful. He has lived in that area for a long time and knows lots of people, I'm sure to get some referrals, that is the best compensation of all.:-)
Dugger
Thanks, Radar. It's always great to hear the success stories that others are having when they take a few simple tools they pick up at a seminar and actually put them into practice. Your small example of the success and the satisfaction achieved by yourself, your client and his neighbor speaks volumes. You are so right about the value that the client received and the return on your time that you will reap from the reputation you have earned. That's precisely what will turn this profession's reputation around in the eyes of the public.
I still feel a bit weird about the "professor Stahl" reference. Yes, I do love to teach, but my first love is surveying. What I share during my seminars isn't found in many textbooks but is taught principally from my experience as a surveyor. The longer that I've been involved in dispute resolution, the more I continue to learn. The more I learn, the more I continue to share.
Sorry you won't be able to attend the Destination: New Orleans! event. We hope this will be the first of a series that we can offer. Teaming up with Jeff and Larry is bound to bring many more opportunities for surveyors to begin thinking beyond their four walls and to begin exploring the numerous opportunities for land boundary surveyors that we've been missing. The course that I've prepared for New Orleans, Unlocking Boundary Disputes: You Hold the Keys, should present even more ideas for surveyors to incorporate into their current practice.
You're also right about the Early Bird Special. It ends Saturday, June 4th, at midnight! If any of you all are planning on coming, don't miss out on the $45 savings and don't miss out on the open bar offer to the SurveyorConnect Mixer!
Thanks, again for the comments, Radar!
JBS
Professor Stahl also has a sense of humor...
Wendell and I were privileged enough to meet up with JB last month in Arizona. We had a good time at The Claim Jumper just BSing & laughing about stuff. 😀
JB asked about my traveling rats. Well, of course I had them with me and so I brought them out of hiding. Here's JB trying to get my "rat" tipsy off of his beer!! 😉 😀 :bye: :beer:
