Potential customers that do not live in our City

[tjgray]

I got a call from what seemed like a very nice lady. She told me that she lives in Houston *3 hours from us* but that they had a lot here in Dallas that needed to be cleaned up because the had recieved a citation...

I told her no problem that we would go look at it and I would call her on Monday with an estimate.

It sounds like it is going to be a big job...

My question is if we do get the job and it is as big as I think it is going to be do you think it would be bad business to ask for payment up front?

Since she lives in Houston it is not like I can send the guys over to her house to collect payment if she decides not to pay but I don't want to offend her and not get the work by asking for payment up front???

What do ya'll think? It could turn into a regular maintenance customer and could be a good customer but since she does live so far away I don't want us to get ripped off...

[musician/lawnman]

BE CAREFUL HERE! I've been lucky only been ripped off a few times & 1 of them was just like this. He had a "rental property" in my area that was vacant & asked me to look at it, gave me a name & his cell #, I called him from the property (it was overgrown) & quoted him a price. He ok'd it & gave me his billing address & was very concerned about making sure he recieved a recipt as it would be an expense he could write off against rental proceeds. I spent 2.5 hours there mowing a rediculously overgrown lawn, sent the bill & it was returned (no such address). I tried to call him again & the mail box was always full. I had it tracked to a prepaid cell phone (untraceable) tracked down the owner who knew nothing of it & has a tenent there, tenent was on vacation & swears he didn't call me. I got screwed! I thinkit was probably a neighbor tired of looking at it but I can't prove anything.
YES GET PAYMENT IN ADVANCE AT LEAST FOR THE 1ST SERVICE. Or get something, a credit card # & verify it 1st, a ss# anything that will help if this happens to you.