Realtor Customer of the month

[Pat Whatley]

3 hours....round trip to meet realtor so he can point at a field and say "put sign right there by the tree.

4 hours....deliver and install signs

3 hours....drive back because realtor decides me wants sign in front of tree, discover sign is gone.

4 hours....return with replacement sign and reinstall

4 hours....pick up signs because realtor got wrong map from bank and had them installed on the wrong property

1 hour....time spent discussing with realtor who is losing it over the invoice he just got with 18 hours of driving/labor time on it, plus three signs, six posts and concrete.

The realtor is insisting that the agreement for me to do his sign work was a partnership, that we were working together to sell the property. I asked him where my "partnership" check was when he sold the shopping center I'd put the signs in front of a couple of months ago. He's actually trying to convince me that he shouldn't have to pay anything because he doesn't have any signs and they haven't been installed on the right property and the stolen sign is my fault.

Thankfully Mr. Realtor has his account secured with his American Express card which will be charged in full if the account isn't paid by 30 days.

Commercial real estate sign work has been very, very good for my family but sometimes you've got to deal with a mental giant or two along the way.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Oh wow that takes the realtor cake right there. Just when you think they can't get any dumber...

 

[Techman]

The stolen sign is in the hands of the original property owner. He is likely ready to deal some death from above for the realtor who had you post that sign.

Ask me how I know? It happened to me on my property. A sign would appear every few days several times. I took the sign down every time and kept the really nice MDO and 2x4 posts for myself. I was just a little peeved at first but not so much after I got to keep the 3/4 MDO sheet 3 separate times.

 

[ddarlak]

in between each one of these fiasco's i would have been reminding him of the charges to prevent the sticker shock after tha fact.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

yikes thats alot of driving and time spent for some simple signs, one drive is all it's worth but that many wow.
Partnership lol like were are those commission checks then lol

 

[GraphixUnlimited]

hehehe got a good chuckle out of this one as i think we ve all been there

cheers eh

 

[Si Allen]

May I recommend:

 

[Locals Find!]

After working with Realtors most of my life. (Family full of Realtors) Always, Always, Always... bill them up front and only listen to half of what they have to say and double check everything and make sure everything is in writing. Especially addresses. They will screw you the first chance they can if your Not firm and up front and don't CYA.

I never believe them with addresses either I always check county records. You don't wanna know how many times I have seen them sell someone the wrong property and even the wrong house. It's kinda scary.

By the way what are you getting for a put up and take down? In my area its only $25 for a single arm post and $75 for a site sign up and down. Just curious.

 

[Colin]

Commercial real estate sign work has been very good for my family, but sometimes you've got to deal with a mental giant or two along the way.

Don't you mean a "mental midget"?

 

[Firefox]

Dang That sucks...

Seems like for jobs sooo far away (or with costly changes) we should use change orders like they do in the construction industry. Have the customer sign off on the changes each time with the additional charges listed for their approval. If nothing else it might make them think (not likely) and then there would be no surprises.


Partnership? Like I would have you as a partner! Just pay the bill and pretend to be a silent partner!:ROFLMAO:

 

[Firefox]

Don't you mean a "mental midget"?

I think he means a mental midget whose head won't fit through the door!

 

[FrankenSigns.biz]

American Express card charges can be recinded by the client much easier than other charge cards.

 

[signmeup]

American Express cards charges can be recinded by the client much easier than other charge cards.

That was the first thing I thought of. I'd be nervous if I were you. Hope you have a good paper trail/email trail to fall back on.

 

[FrankenSigns.biz]

I have had AmEx charges reversed without cause. Due to that fact, at the bottom of every charge slip are the words "ALL SALES FINAL" as well as "NO REFUNDS" right there at the bottom of every receipt our customers sign. Dupe me once shame on you. Dupe me twice shame on me. I won't be duped again.

By the way, if you put this at the bottom of the charge slips, and it is signed by the customer, it makes it next to impossible for the charge to be reversed.

 

[Locals Find!]

Dang That sucks...

Seems like for jobs sooo far away (or with costly changes) we should use change orders like they do in the construction industry. Have the customer sign off on the changes each time with the additional charges listed for their approval. If nothing else it might make them think (not likely) and then there would be no surprises.


Partnership? Like I would have you as a partner! Just pay the bill and pretend to be a silent partner!:ROFLMAO:

I make my customers fill out a work order request and change order request for every site sign I put up or take down. Fairly easy policy to implement. If they don't fill it out they don't get a sign put up or taken down.

 

[FrankenSigns.biz]

And by the way again, Realtors are, above and beyond, the worst of the worst, scraping the bottom of the barrel, type of customer. They "work for free" until a comission is paid. If they don't sell, they never get paid. So if there is a customer out there who expects you to work for free, it is surely a Realtor.

 

[Colin]

I think that many realtors now are becoming aware of how bad a reputation they have developed over the years, and for them, a good reputation is important for their own success, so I think that many are starting to "behave" a little better.

 

[John L]

bill them up front and only listen to half of what they have to say and double check everything and make sure everything is in writing. Especially addresses. They will screw you the first chance they can if your Not firm and up front and don't CYA.

I never believe them with addresses either I always check county records. You don't wanna know how many times I have seen them sell someone the wrong property and even the wrong house.

In my area its only $25 for a single arm post and $75 for a site sign up and down. Just curious.

As described, I'd charge $325 just to check / double check all the records each time.