Client Observer

Not The Way To Impress Him...

That is if he knows.

If he follows the board he knows now.

Paul in PA

That is why you charge double if the owner wants to assist or observe. Distractions are expensive.
jud

Jud is right about distractions.
However, on my first surveying/engineering job I was told to field questions by the curious - to a point of course.
One time was doing a job at the UNC-Asheville campus. A professor of geology or archeology came by. Their dept. had just bought a new instrument that none of them knew anything about. She knew enough to realize I was the gunner and running the DC and that there was "someone else out there with the rod". She was all curious about how the thing works. My PC was watching so he came up to us. He barely said a word and let me do all the talking. Satisfied, she goes on. He looks at me saying "you loved every bit of that didn't you". You bet I did.
The other fun time was a little ole lady strolling by. She knew what surveyors do and stuff and she wanted to look through the gun. I was already setup and would have to have broken it down and re-setup to accommodate her small stature. She understood and went about her way. My PC on that job calls me on the radio "what was that all about". I explained it was all good.

The only times I/we had an owner follow us around was on recon where they knew where stuff was and could tell us the tree names if we didn't know.
Generally speaking, I haven't really had a bad time with the public.

:good:

Once upon a time I was doing a simple city lot survey with the client present throughout. She also never shut her mouth during that entire time. Discovered later that when I was adding some numbers I accidentally miscounted by one....in the ten's column. Set all the corners ten feet too far east. Knew it didn't look right, but, needed to dash off for some reason I don't remember now. Had the pleasure of going back to fix the mistake while everyone in the neighborhood followed me around demanding to know why I was so confident about what I was doing seeing as how I had been just as confident the first day when I screwed the pooch.

"..She also never shut her mouth during that entire time. Discovered later that when I was adding some numbers I accidentally miscounted by one....in the ten's column."

Was this the city survey where you surveyed the wrong lot ? 🙂

Dagnabit! I was hoping everyone would forget that true story that I probably should have never posted here.

No, it was a different really dumb mistake, about 20 years earlier than the wrong lot survey.

Had a client who wanted to help.

So we let him cut brush, dig holes and fetch water.

He was impressed with how hard "we" worked.

Charge to teach - Client Observer

Always charge your normal fee to survey; and extra to teach!

Charge to teach - Client Observer

Repeat after me . . .

Distractions are expensive.

Distractions are expensive.

Distractions are expensive.

Distractions are expensive.

Distractions are expensive.

Distractions are expensive.

I always explain to people(customers), that when I'm working I get into my "numbers" mode and would be happy to explain things "after", I finish my work.

Set your rates accordingly,
$150/hr if I do the work.
$200/hr if you want to be there.
$300/hr if you want to help.

you got that right :good:

Yeah, sometimes I just post the first thing that springs to mind.
Just had a humorous picture in my head of an elderly lady asking you
"what you were doing on her property".."I didn't order a survey"..."I'm not paying for this survey"....
I have my own bizarre thought process.:'(

Had 2 little boys follow me around in their golf cart (can we say very wealthy).
They never asked to help - they just did.
They were about 6 and 9 years old. They were truly fun to have around. Plus they gave me rides on the cart after they saw me packing all the stuff around.
They would take off and go to the house and bring us water. We never asked for a thing. That's just the way they were brought up apparently.
We got near the parent's house and their Mom came out to be sure they weren't pestering us. She told me "now if they are bothering you guys, just send them back to the house". I basically told her they were a blessing to have around - plus they brought us water and give me rides on the golf cart so I don't have to pack all this stuff like usual.
Them little fellers knew every inch of this property. They told us where all the bees nests were. They about had a fit when they watched me clear out poison ivy away from a pin I found. I assured them it doesn't bother me like most people.

Kaleb and Noah: I won't forget you little guys. You made those few bad days pretty dag gum enjoyable!

>poison ivy ... doesn't bother me like most people
I'd still be careful. It often doesn't bother someone until they get too big a dose, and suddenly they are sensitive to it.

Charge to teach - Client Observer

> Repeat after me . . .
>
> Distractions are expensive.
>
> Distractions are expensive.
>
> Distractions are expensive.
>
> Distractions are expensive.
>
> Distractions are expensive.
>
> Distractions are expensive.
>
> I always explain to people(customers), that when I'm working I get into my "numbers" mode and would be happy to explain things "after", I finish my work.

I have been know to tell clients that I will be willing to chat with them as long as they want. But they should be aware that just my time cost them $x.xx per minute. If they slow down the field guys also, the cost more than doubles.

They generally get really unverbose quickly.

B-)

Been there done that & took a series of shots every spring for years afterward. Doctor said the theory at the time was that constant exposure finally makes you more sensitive than the average person. Once I started being sensitive to poison ivy a case would last for months if I didn't go to the doctor.

Big E

I read your story and cried. I know. I put up with it every day I go in the field. I know. I know. God Bless. It really put a smile on my face to read what you put above.

Nate

I always welcome any client that shows intrest.
I always tell them that the way I do things may not fit into their thinking, but generally my sequence is:
1.) research,
2.) tie everything in the field.
3.) go to office, study, analyze
4.) go to field tie more monuments, based on previous work
5.) return to office, re compute final coords
6.) stake final corners
7.) Plat and final

Now, you are welcome to tag along. In fact, I'd enjoy it.

Usually they tag for an hr, decide that I am from outer space, but know what I'm doing, and go do something more productive for their day.

Anyway, it seems to never bother me. Even the ones that hang around all day.

Nate