That Neighbor You'll NEVER Plow Out / Snowblow Again !

[chumly2071]

I have a really good group of neighbors, and we all help each other out. the last big snow we had, I was on my tractor, 3 guys running push blowers, and one on a small gt with a front blower. we spent 6 hours digging out the drives on our street. Everyone was appreciative that didn't have the equipment to help, so it worked out. I don't ask for anything, but remember the ones who go out of their way with a thank-you. they get taken care of first (after I do mine).

 

[CowwFace]

My wife is an optometrist (eye dr) and freebies are a tough call - just like plowing snow, once you do it for free its hard to start charging even if you really need/want to..

My wife gives close friends and family (mom/dad/sister/niece) free eye exams - BUT they normally take us out to eat or something like that in return..

From my understanding - In your situation, if she bills the insurance company she MUST collect the co-pay.. If the insurance company audits her and finds she was not collecting they can cancel their agreement and possibly try to recollect their payments..

SO - she either needs to do it for free or do what she did..

I look at is this way - in both situations there is only time (no real materials) involved for the chiro and an eye exam, which is easy enough to swallow.. BUT my wife looks at it that its the expertise you are getting they lessen their profession by giving it away for free all the time

brian

Hey ThatGuy,

My heart goes out to you... My Wife is married to an Optometrist as well .. they are a "strange bunch"!!

Lessons I've learned about discounts and payment plans ... people love you at the immediate time you give them a break .. but then hate you in the future when you have collect money, OR charge for replacement hardware you made at cost the first time...

Tractor on!

 

[vettemanwight]

I have a neighbor that I have beeen snowblowing his driveway for about 8 yrs now. He has been layed off for 2 years. I have never expected $$ in return, we have a house in Fla we go to for a weeks vaction in the winter. He has never asked if I would like my driveway done when I am gone. So this winter I figured , he is home all day he can snowblow his own driveway, Oh did I mention he has an almost new snowblower sitting in the garage!. Well guess what ??? he just drives over the snow and packs it downNow with it getting warmer he has a veryy rough and ubeven driveway. I have another neighbor who has a JD with a snowblower Hes retired and is always out clearing his drive. He doesnt have a cab and I do I am allways busting on him about getting one LOL. His son took him on an Antarctic cruse for 2 weeks, his wife didnt go, I told him dont worry about your drive. I did it 3 times for him. he stopped today to pay me.......... I told him the banks in town said his $$ are NOGOOD. We got a good laugh. He brought me a tea mug and my wife a stuffed penguin she loves penguins !

 

[PILOON]

I've loaned tools to most of my neighbors over the years, and the ONE time i needed to borrow a lawn mower, as mine was in the shop, my nice neighbor had the nerve to say "I'm not comfortable loaning out MY tools". mine you hes borrowed many of mine in the past (but no longer). were still friends, but no tool loaning again for me.

hay..maybe I'm being petty
who knows

I loan once and if it comes back promptly, in same condition he/they get repeat tokens BUT if 2 weeks later I have to beg it back because I need it they have had their last loan!

 

[PILOON]

The worst is welfare types who hire snow contractors to maintain the drive while they guzzle smoke and watch TV and then don't pay because they are 'on welfare'.
Naturally they can't be sued.

SO, one fellow I know gathers as much snow as he can find and pushes it under the guy's bumper thereby jacking the rear high up in the air!

Once when I did snow commercially I learned a client was about to move come Sat so I stopped to collect B4 he left.
He rudely told me where to go!
Last laugh was mine as that Sat we got 24" of heavy wet snow.
I honked the horn and waved to him as I drove past watching him with his garden spade and snow up to his waist.
His drive was a good 500 ft!

On the other hand I often do a swipe to clear entrances of plow residue even if not my client, just to be neighborly.
I always have a tow cable in my car just to be the good semaritin as I figure some day I'll need a tow as well.
Bet I have pulled 5-6 cars each year for the last 6-7 years.

 

[Scrambler82]

Since we are telling stories...
There was a neighbor that would pay a blow truck to clear her drive but offer me nothing if I came by to help out.

She paid the truck driver in front of me !

 

[cotter]

My policy is pretty simple.
If I come to you on my own, 'thank you' is all I ask. Yep, I might not get to you right away due to my other obligations but hey refer to cost. I have one elderly lady who always tries to pay me, and way too much at that. I did allow her to give me stuffed animals for my daughter.
If you call me, be expecting to pay. No, I usually won't set the amount but offer something up or I might not be back next time. If you are on my short list you will be told ahead of time what I will charge, and if you are the worst of that list you will pay ahead of service and will pay top $. I have to agree with the feelings on the couch potato who does nothing to help themselves out of their situation, like wont even shovel their 10' of sidewalk to the front door while you plow their 150' driveway.

I'll lend friends/neighbors tools all the time. I usually have Lifetime handtools so I really don't care if you broke it, but be sure to go and get me a new one at Sears before you return it to me, and not 2 months later. Some tools do not get lent out, but they come with me as an attached operator. My brother wanted to borrow my chainsaw, Stihl 041. The same brother that spent 1/4 of his childhood in an ER, needless to say he got me and the chainsaw, my mother would have killed me if I gave him the saw.

Chad

 

[Thomas]

Those type just don't care..hooray for me the heck w/you type attitude,and you do care about leaning helping hand.
Just water of ducks back for me I say,but those type won't see my tractor tire print on they land again.

 

[Scrambler82]

Did not mention, I do not loan out tools… PERIOD !

I will however let you use them if you are in front of my shop.

Years ago I had a friends dad send him over to borrow tools thinking I would not say no but I did and the dad did not speak to me for a long time, funny.

 

[gerard]

Had a new neighbor move in next to us. First winter we had a storm and his driveway was plowed in. He tried to drive through, got stuck, and was hand shoveling. I went over with the tractor, introduced myself, and cleared the end of his driveway with the bucket. Went downhill from there. We have horses. He has dogs. Started finding dog sh*& in our riding arena. Saw him one day down at our pond with his dogs where we have domestic ducks. Went over and politely asked him to keep his dogs on his property and his response was when you live in the country you can walk anywhere. Last conversation I ever had with him was to advise him that if his dogs chased my horses I would shoot them. (Permissable in NY under agriculture and markets law).

Finally wound up spending $6k on a fence to border our property. Last two property owners before him were great. He was and is an ****&%$.

Moral of the story - next house buy more land! (I never had occasion to use the face before. Cool )