I had a client call and inform me that I was taking too long to get a job completed and would be finding another surveyor.
Didn't even get the chance to tell them that they have a 10 overlap on their north line....
And, your price was 1650.
And, he'll hire your competition, who will NOT address the problem, and will only charge 850....
Lovely, huh?
N
lakehouse21, post: 450600, member: 2751 wrote: Didn't even get the chance to tell them that they have a 10 overlap on their north line....
If I were you I would be glad to loose that job.
But did you get paid for the time spent, if any?
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Paul E, post: 450607, member: 10807 wrote: But did you get paid for the time spent, if any?
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I probably had 10 hours of field and 3 hours office to figure out there was a 10'+- overlap. Actually not upset about it at all
lakehouse21, post: 450612, member: 2751 wrote: I probably had 10 hours of field and 3 hours office to figure out there was a 10'+- overlap. Actually not upset about it at all
And I won't see a dime...
lakehouse21, post: 450612, member: 2751 wrote: I probably had 10 hours of field and 3 hours office to figure out there was a 10'+- overlap. Actually not upset about it at all
So if the 'boss' doesn't pay you for a day, your ok with that? If the employee gets paid, so should the office. I would be glad that I am not liable for the survey but as a business owner, I still need to be paid! (Yes I do have a clause on the estimate stating I will be paid up to the point of dismissal)
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lakehouse21, post: 450613, member: 2751 wrote: And I won't see a dime...
You're returning your retainer?
Paul E, post: 450614, member: 10807 wrote: So if the 'boss' doesn't pay you for a day, your ok with that? If the employee gets paid, so should the office. I would be glad that I am not liable for the survey but as a business owner, I still need to be paid! (Yes I do have a clause on the estimate stating I will be paid up to the point of dismissal)
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I will send a bill,
Jim in AZ, post: 450615, member: 249 wrote: You're returning your retainer?
I won't be returning the retainer, it will be deducted from the amount due and the remainder billed.
I was just assuming they won't pay me...
Did you put a timeframe in the proposal? We never do. I have lost a few projects because I refuse to.
Currently I have several fires that came in: Emergency septic upgrades for failed systems. How can i male them wait even though your project was first in line?
If they paid you a deposit (retainer), the other guy cannot start working on the same project until you are paid in full or to your satisfaction (based on the retainer amount and your time invested).
mattharnett, post: 450632, member: 6458 wrote: If they paid you a deposit (retainer), the other guy cannot start working on the same project until you are paid in full or to your satisfaction (based on the retainer amount and your time invested).
Why not?
In situations like this (where I take over for some other firm), I will not start until the previous surveyor has been paid. If there is a dispute between surveyor and client I don't need to be part of that.
Daniel Ralph, post: 450637, member: 8817 wrote: In situations like this (where I take over for some other firm), I will not start until the previous surveyor has been paid. If there is a dispute between surveyor and client I don't need to be part of that.
I will not adopt a blanket statement like this for my business. I am not a collection agency for those surveyors that are a disgrace to the profession.
If it were me, I'd call them back and tell them briefly of the problems you've encountered. Not to win them back as a client but just in the interest of full disclosure. The next surveyor should know this. Also just a good idea for your own reputation, you don't want people bad mouthing you all over town, this will give the situation some context for them.
There is a reasonable probability that the client will not be satisfied with the actions of any surveyor.
Tommy Young, post: 450633, member: 703 wrote:
I'm thinking ethics.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
mattharnett, post: 450725, member: 6458 wrote: I'm thinking ethics.
So if I take a retainer and survey the wrong property, or do something else egregious, the client can't hire anyone else until my bill is satisfied?
That's not ethics, that's cronyism.
Tommy Young, post: 450650, member: 703 wrote: those surveyors that are a disgrace to the profession.
Tommy Young, post: 450765, member: 703 wrote: survey the wrong property, or do something else egregious
The OP didn't mention anything like this.
I've been the second surveyor and I've waited until the other surveyor was paid in full for services rendered. Whatever "paid in full" might be is up to the other surveyor. I will call the surveyor I'm "replacing" and ask if he's square with said common client. These "other surveyors" aren't strangers. I want to know why I'm being retained while another surveyor might be on the ground when I get there. Wouldn't that be a treat? Hey Tommy, I'm here to survey now. You're outta here. Tough luck. BTW, did you find anything good? A ten foot overlap ya say. On the easterly side eh?
The OP said, eventually, that he received a retainer and was actively solving a boundary issue. He was fired. Did he get enough in the retainer to cover his 10 plus hours? If he did then [I'd] say to whomever, "We are square on that project. Do whatever you want." Did OP get more than enough to cover his time? If he did, perhaps he owes the client some money.
I've been in the situation where refunds were issued. The client retained my services and when said services were not to their "expectations" I was un-retained or de-retained if you'd like. Said services happened to be state-required sewage inspection of the parent tract system. This is required no matter what size property you subdivided provided septic is disposed of on-lot. Although not services I was to provide, I was required to inform the sewage agency of our activities. The client had two systems and both were failing. I didn't find out until I was out for my initial GPS observations when I told him about the required form he needed to sign. We'd spoke of it before this time. He expected me to not have to do it because he wanted to "avoid all that BS and just get the horse barn built." When I told him I would not "play along," he pulled out of the deal. He paid me for my time and I gave him his retainer check back. He built the barn but it was not on its own lot and I had nothing to do with it.
I don't practice cronyism or any such baloney. Surveyors surveying the wrong properties and doing other egregious stuff should be stopped. However, if left alone, those types might just egregious their way right out of business.
Daniel Ralph, post: 450637, member: 8817 wrote: In situations like this (where I take over for some other firm), I will not start until the previous surveyor has been paid. If there is a dispute between surveyor and client I don't need to be part of that.
The problem with this is that you assume the client will inform you that you're the second one in line. We don't always get the entire story from our clients...