I want to watch...

I tell clients that they are welcome to walk around with the crew. But then I tell them that most clients want to talk and when they are talking to the crew the crew isn't working - but the clock doesn't stop running.

At that point they decide they are better off letting the crew work.

However, occasionally the client has good information to share and you don't want to lose that.

I also suggest to them that maybe the first time we're on the site is not when they should plan on being with the crew, but rather when we go back to set missing corners. That way they get to see actual corners.

You know best how you work and react, don't do something against your better judgement.

I think the best and most polite way to put it is:"I don't know about everyone else, but when I'm in the field (working solo with the robot), especially when staking or setting monuments, I need to concentrate, and entertaining the homeowner is a real distraction. When I'm distracted, it's very easy to mess things up."
If it is a flat fee job, make it hourly if he "helps". I would offer to walk him around the site and explain stuff, AFTER I am done, made my calcs, and drew the map.

An old motorcycle shop I use to frequent had the service rates posted on a sign:
Mechanic Work: $65/hour
You watch: $95/hour
You Help: $130/hour

I realize that posting doesn't help your question, but I thought Dave and Pete had valuable input.
I occasionally have the client want to show me around and I don't mind that, but they quickly get bored/hot/sweaty and usually call it quits and leave me to my business after a short while.

I usually, politely, tell the home owner (on the phone if possible) that I'd like a couple hour head start to find/locate/set the property corners, and it's best if they show up near the end of the survey so I can show them the markers and answer their questions. Most are OK with that. I try to give them a time when I think it would be a good time to show up.

If they are home when I arrive, I'll usually talk with them a bit, then tell them "Let me do my job, and I'll come get you when I have all the corners found and marked".

It seems like many times, when the owners want to be there, it's because they know or suspect there is a problem, or have a conflict with a neighbor, (things they don't want to tell you on the phone) and what to be there to persuade you in their direction.

Thank you for the replies.

This particular job is fixed price, and I already spent a half hour or so walking the site with the (new) owner before I sent him the proposal.

Actually, I've tried the "Give me a few hours alone" approach before and that worked. I think I'll give him the distraction speech, and mention that I need to be on-site twice, once for the survey and again to stake. (Homeowners never seem to understand this, even when it's explained to them. They expect I'll just show up and start staking.) I'll offer to walk him around after I finish the staking.

After thinking about it a little more, the thing that annoys me the most is the "Let me know exactly when you're coming" part. I've usually got several jobs in progress at once, and small jobs like this I just fit in when I can (and when the weather's nice, etc.). Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing until that morning, or another job can have a "crisis" and demand my immediate attention. Since there is only one of me, committing to a specific date just so the owner can watch - well, it's annoying!

I guess there are worse problems to have, though. At least I HAVE clients who can annoy me!:-P

Try this approach....

I understand your desire to understand as much as you can about the survey. You will have questions like 'is that my corner?' or 'is that tree on my land?'. Your curiosity is a good thing. I want clients who are knowledgeable about their property.

Give me time to do my work and at the conclusion of the project we can get together.

Hope that helps.

Larry P

I actually like my clients to come along, and watch. It makes it take a little longer, but makes it more fun for me. So, I welcome them. I do tell them, that what I am doing is technical, and that they may get bored, and want to do something more productive, but that I enjoy sharing my world.

Nate

When a client wants to be there while the job is being done, I do my best to involve them in what is going on.

They can carry, cut, dig or bring out their brush hog, dozier or other machinery that will make what we are doing easier.

If they are asking too many questions, I usually let them know they are taking up valuable time and estimate when they will have used up the quoted amount and that I am packing up unless they want me to continue.

Rarely, I have been quoted as saying "do you want to talk or do you want me to survey".

Then there was that one lady that I had to order her and her dog into their house with the option that if she did not, I was going to leave immediately. She stammered and stuttered a few choice words and retreated with dog into her house.

It takes a lot of fineness and learning that there are many types of people and funneling it down to the fact they are our clients and that we must charge them for everything we do for them, even when that becomes watching out for their safety.

0.02

The other side's view

> I realize that this is not this biggest problem in the world, but it's been happening a lot lately.
>
> A client hires me to survey and stake/monument his property. He sends back my proposal, all signed, and attaches a note: "Let me know 2-3 days ahead of time so I can be there and help/watch."
>
> I don't know about everyone else, but when I'm in the field (working solo with the robot), especially when staking or setting monuments, I need to concentrate, and entertaining the homeowner is a real distraction. When I'm distracted, it's very easy to mess things up.
>
> Does anyone have a polite, respectful way of discouraging the client from watching (or even worse, helping)? I usually try telling them that there really won't be much to see. The last one wandered off bored to death before I even finished setting up.
>
> Or am I all wet, and should I welcome this with open arms and take it as an opportunity to educate the client about how we work?
>
> I would like to tell them that the price is double if they watch, and quadruple if they help, or ask them if I can come to their office and watch them work at their desk, but I restrained myself!
>
> Jeff

Aloha, Jeff:

As a client we are eager to know if our property line is where it suppose to be or not. It is very exciting moment to witness it. I did the very same thing to my first PLS. Mainly because I was very curious and want know how where things land and of course to open the gates for him to drive through our pastures. I mentioned this over the phone to him. His response(s) changed my view on surveying and surveyors forever. He made me feel that I am an important part of the process. His first response was "of course, I will call you once I arrive." Then he also suggested if I really want to help I could find as many existing property corner pipe as possible.

Your are one man army. He was the owner/party chief, arrived with instrument operator and a helper. Reviewed the map with me and his crew to verify what they are going to do. While his team was getting started he took the time a shared with me the process. We are going to find all the existing monuments. We will analyst all the data and determine the proper location of all the missing point. He also explained in a simple terms how things generally don't match between what is on the ground and what is written in the deed. Due to change in technology. And yet he is obligated to stay true to the original survey. He is just as liable as a doctor would be when prescribing medications. He explained further about the research required. At the end, he did say the work requires a lot attention and concentration to prevent mistakes. I was naturally and happily glad to leave him alone to work. He called me to update what they found and also walked me through all the reestablished monuments.

At the end of the conversation, I realized it is not simply pounding few pipes per written meets and bounds! I don't look at the surveyor working along the highway as I did before--some guys marking line for the real pros to come to do the work.. I realized they are professionals setting the foundation and reference points without which all other professionals will not be able to do anything--where it supposed to be!

I know not all client the are same. You may not have the luxury to explain things your clients as one man surveyor. Please try...don't give up on us 😀 I strongly believe educating everyone about this science and art is very important. Many of us simply clueless. Since most of the surveyor's work don't show any tangible results like architect's design etc. Clients only see laths with ribbon as an eyesore that they want to get rid of as soon as possible. It is good to share the information in the laymen's terms.

Aloha

At my first surveying gig I was told to entertain questions from the public or the client. LarryP knows exactly who I'm talking about.
Being the field guy it didn't matter to me if it took 10 minutes or 10 hours.
One job I was on at a college campus and this chick professor from archeology sees me with the gun all setup. They had just bought a TS and didn't really know anything about it. She asked tons of technical questions and I was happy to oblige. Tony, my PC, saw what was going on and came over and listened patiently while I described all the stuff we were doing and how it worked. She thanked us for our time and went on her way. Tony looked at me and said "you loved every minute of that didn't you". I sure did.

About 4 or 5 years ago I was on a job to cut out some property for the owners kids who already had houses there with their own kids. These two little boys, Noah and Caleb about 8 and 6 years old, were super curious and followed us around in their golf cart. After they saw me packing the gun and legs around, they started giving me rides on the cart. I called them my little "survey buddies". It was dam hot and they would go to the house and bring us cold drinks. When we traversed up around their house, their Mom came out telling me if they were bothering us to tell them to go away. She goes on to say something like "can you tell they are spoiled". We just laughed and I said something back like "you think?". I told her they have become my little buddies and bring us drinks and give me rides on the cart after they saw me packing all that stuff around. On that job I located a pin and it was covered in poison ivy. I started to pull all that away so we could get a shot on it and my little angel buddies were right there with me and started hollering at me as soon as I started grabbing the stuff warning me what it was. I assured them it was OK and that the stuff doesn't bother me. They were both stunned.
Bless their little pea-pickin hearts. I mess those little fellers. It was a job like that which wasn't fun but having those boys around dam sure made it fun.

Sorry to ramble on.
E.

I still like your story, Eric.

It is worth it, to have some young urchins along.

N

Generaly 90% of our surveys are performed from ATVs/UTV and I tell the client that I'll be covering alot of ground (sometimes miles depending on the section corners I need) but if they know where any pins on there corners are I'll meet with them first and they can show me. I'll try to schedule the beginning of the job for a definate time/date when they're meeting me for the first time but after that I don't know for sure when I'll be there but will schedule a time convenient for them to walk the site after I have pins set. For most of the full time farmers who aren't busy during the growing season they just tell me to call when I'm done and they'll run over and meet me. Never had anyone balk at that. Even the town surveys I do I can't tell them excatly when I'll be on site, usually tell them a time that allows me to get done before they show up and then I can walk it with them before I leave. The one time I met a guy selling ground to a school district he had no clue where the property corners where and kept dragging my partner around 50-70 feet from where they were. When I'd find something he'd shake his head no they had to be where he was looking even they he'd never seen the pins/stones before. Turns out he was wrong, we were right. Glad he was taking my partner for the scenic tour while I got something done.

Well this is embarrassing....

I exchanged emails with the client today. I explained about how it would be distracting and everything, but that I'd walk him around afterwards.

He replied that the only reason he had suggested being there was that he thought I needed help clearing, because when I was doing the walk-around with him before I gave him a proposal, I went on and on (and on and on) about how when I surveyed the abutting piece 3 years ago for his neighbor Dan (who is an excavator I work with occasionally on septic systems), the only way I was able to complete the survey quickly was by Dan clearing line for me through very thick 15 foot high brush with his chainsaw.

My client said he didn't have a chainsaw, but had some hedge clippers and would do his best to help me out!

I thanked him for the offer, but explained his lot has enough open areas that I don't think I'll have to clear anything at all...

I feel very small now...+o(

Well this is embarrassing....

and your lower unit is smashed kinda flat, like a mudflap....