What a Friggin Day

[picframer]

So my day starts today at 4:30, have equipment to move. We are 95% finished a 27,000 dollar job, all we have left is spread 12 yards of mulch, this client has been amazing, the perfect client, we put a massive drainage system in along his driveway and made his driveway 3 feet wider, we put a new driveway in crowned and rolled man "did" it look nice. Did major excavation work, we had a crew there for almost three weeks. I am at the site to drop off a tractor to make spreading faster, I always buy from the same place, new driver. As I always do I make them get out of the truck and do a walk, the homewoner, my son and a worker walked as I explained stay away from this side and when you are beside the house dump, do not go back further as the septic field is there. What's he do???? Jumps in the truck and starts backing up the driveway this is a freightliner truck, he starts getting close to the drain so we all yell and wave out hands, what's he do??? Floors it and spins out 250 feet on drain in no time, does he stop at the top by the house to dump,,,,nope he keeps going and buries the axles of the truck in a twenty thousand dollar septic field, I thought I was going to have a heart attack, I could not even speak, the home owner made me get in his car and rushed me to an emergency clinic, severe Anxiety attack, gave me something under the tongue which calmed me down, let me go an hour later, this has never happened in my life. The home owner was calm, cool and collected, I was wild and I never get that upset. I called the owner of the company as I have his private cell, we are a pretty big client, he is two hours away for the long weekend (Thaksgiving) I explain what happened and that he muct come and come now, he finally agrees. I leave the truck in the septic field, I didn't have an excavator there any longer anyhow, owner arrives, long story short the driver had never driven the truck before, didn't work for them, was the office managers brother and was filling in as they were short staffed. Call my lawyer and he is there within 15 min as he lives on the ocean not far from this site, it is written by the owner of the product his company will cover all repair costs, will probably run 30 grand or more. I am beside myself this evening as we are booked solid 7 days a week into November and now booking April of next year but I can't leave the site until it's fixed, it will take us a good week and the driveway is a bloddy mess, it looked so nice and the client said people stopped and asked who did it...... Anyhow this has to be the most stressful day in my total career.....think I will take the dog for a walk and maybe start a camp fire in the back yard over a cold one.; This customer Dave has to be one of a kind, he wasn't upset at all at any time, even my staff were shocked.

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Andy
Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Last edited by picframer; 10-09-2009 at 07:08 PM.

[majoe7]

Lawn care business tips

Andy, All I can say is WOW! I am glad that you are okay other than the near heart attack. I would have flipped my lid too. It is nice to see that some clients can be the cool ones when something goes wrong. This one needs some pictures to it... Once my brother in law went to a new place to get a haircut due to the fact he had to go to an important meeting and had no time to go to his regular stylist. When she was done he stood up and took a look in the mirror and just passed out. He has never had a crew cut but now he did. He said take a little off and next he knew he was almost bald. It was bad enough because he is already starting to lose his hair on top. They called the ambulance and everything but he said that he just had to leave. To top it off they said he didn’t have to pay for his haircut. LOL I hope that it all works out for you. Enjoy your cold one. John

[Steve]

I am very sorry about that happening!

It's hard for me to picture exactly what was going on there. This may be a stupid question but I was wondering what he was dumping? Gravel for the driveway?

I guess ideally he is supposed to dump it gradually and slowly while he drives to spread it out?

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

I am very sorry about that happening!

It's hard for me to picture exactly what was going on there. This may be a stupid question but I was wondering what he was dumping? Gravel for the driveway?

I guess ideally he is supposed to dump it gradually and slowly while he drives to spread it out?

He was to dump a pile of mulch about 12 yards, a little over 1/2 a load so that we could finish the job and get paid, I only stopped by to leave a tractor with a loader and give a quick hand as the guys would have been done in about two hours as the landscape fabric was already down and the beds ready, then we would have been paid.

The driveway was finished, I spent three days on the driveway alone building it then we even rented a ride on roller to compact the Class A for the extra touch, it looked amazing.

Although I do have images, I can't post them until this is settled financially but I will once this is behind me, it's 5 am here, I am heading to the site with a crew at 6 to work on the damage, they got a lot done yesterday but it's a real mess. I spent most of the days getting new pipe, fittings and ordering clear stone, I helped them for about four hours, I worked on trenching out where the drain was tore up.

I've never had a panic attack before, I had no idea what the hell was going on, I honestly was so chocked up I could not even talk, scared the hell out of my son as he has seen me in some pretty interesting situations and never get that upset, I wonder if in part it was because I have been burning the candle on both ends and working 7 days a week plus we had the big Ocean front job on the go yesterday and started a 5,000 foot road rebuild, this was the last site I had to be at for the morning, plan was to bring a tractor, help my son and Brett, get paid and start a job next door that is a three week project, I have to take pictures of this new job, three companies have turned it down, it is an interesting location as far as the danger meter goes, backfilling a pool on a side hill but it's all bedrock underneath.

[picframer]

Originally Posted by majoe7

Andy,

All I can say is WOW! I am glad that you are okay other than the near heart attack. I would have flipped my lid too. It is nice to see that some clients can be the cool ones when something goes wrong. This one needs some pictures to it...

I hope that it all works out for you. Enjoy your cold one.

John

Thanks, the client probably saved the day for me, had he lost it I am not sure what would have happened.

Anyhow the walk was great, had a small campfire and after one it was time to hit the sack so I could get started early this morning......was in the mood for a lot more than one after yesterday!

[mark123]

That homeowner was beyond cool. I've been in a similar situation. One time I was delivering a load of stone to a job and the guy that was there told me to drive up on the lawn and where to dump. I start to pull into the spot he directed me to and the homeowner blows a fuse. "YOU'RE ON MY *!*#*$* SAND MOUND! GET OFF!!! GET! OFFFFFF!!!"

There was no damage but we lost the rest of that job. Even though it wasn't my fault I didn't sleep for a week over it.

wow!! what a situation! I don't envy you on this one at all!

So how does this work out, the customer pays the amount of the original amount and the other company for the repair to bring it back to where it was supposed to be?

That is an interesting situation no doubt. Keep us updated on this.

[picframer]

Originally Posted by SuperiorPower

wow!! what a situation! I don't envy you on this one at all!

So how does this work out, the customer pays the amount of the original amount and the other company for the repair to bring it back to where it was supposed to be?

That is an interesting situation no doubt. Keep us updated on this.

The drain and driveway are repaired and back looking as they were before this mess, all the mulch work is done, customer paid me in full the balance due.

As for the septic, by law I can not touch it as I am not certified so I won't, I will be by spring as I started the course.

I will prepare a bill later for the work I did and email it to the owner of the supplier that did the damage, I personally trust them, they would not want this getting around let alone me saying they do damage and don't pay, the homeowner is not concerned either, my repair biill will be close to five grand and that is at a discounted rate, it was one hell of a mess to tear up and put back down but it's done.

Someone was in today to look at the septic, he agreed with the owner as he knows this company as well as I do, something was really up with the driver as you rarely see this on a site, I never have, I have seen some damage and experienced some by suppliers, nothing this serious. It's generally the eve drain, man these truck drivers hit them a lot and its generally the handle for the top tarp that does it, I had this happen probably 6 times this summer, only one homeowner flipped out, crap happens but when it's holy crap that is a different story.

[Steve]

I've never had a panic attack before, I had no idea what the hell was going on, I honestly was so chocked up I could not even talk, scared the hell out of my son as he has seen me in some pretty interesting situations and never get that upset, I wonder if in part it was because I have been burning the candle on both ends and working 7 days a week

I am no doctor but I would agree that when you are working hard, very focused, and on a tight schedule, there is a tendency to get tunnel vision and if something bad happens, it can have a multiplying effect on your mind.

It's hard for me to imagine what went on over there so I do look forwards to seeing some of your pics of it once this is all resolved.

a 5,000 foot road rebuild, this was the last site I had to be at for the morning, plan was to bring a tractor, help my son and Brett, get paid and start a job next door that is a three week project, I have to take pictures of this new job, three companies have turned it down, it is an interesting location as far as the danger meter goes, backfilling a pool on a side hill but it's all bedrock underneath.

I look forwards to seeing and hearing more about this job too.

[picframer]

Originally Posted by Steve

I am no doctor but I would agree that when you are working hard, very focused, and on a tight schedule, there is a tendency to get tunnel vision and if something bad happens, it can have a multiplying effect on your mind.

It's hard for me to imagine what went on over there so I do look forwards to seeing some of your pics of it once this is all resolved.



I look forwards to seeing and hearing more about this job too.

I will post some pics tomorrow night as we start the job first thing tomorrow.

As for the panic attack and how it effected me, did a lot of reading as I was curious, sometimes we are under a lot more stress than we realize which is reallly hard on the body and when things like this happen, the body somewhat shuts down.

I could see my doc but I already know the answer, slow down and I will in a few weeks.....