Transcript
The SnowJobs Podcast: Let's get it snow jobs nation. We are back for you episode before the snow jobs podcast main show powered by Top Gun Backblades the best show in snow as always I'm Steve you know is with me
The SnowJobs Podcast: Jeremy Lindstrom in the house live in studio. What is up Jay?
RICK JAMES: ah steve Oh, Steve-O, not a whole lot. We're doing this on a Friday. Wow. Lunchtime.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Friday at lunchtime. this is I'm not used to this with the daylight out.
RICK JAMES: We're really getting early.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I feel like this is weird
RICK JAMES: first I like it. I like it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: This is weird i feel like I'm not I'm not like half asleep, which is gonna I don't know.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Not all.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i don't know how this is gonna go to figure it out Yep, how's your week
RICK JAMES: Who knows how it's going to go. Yeah, shit's going to really hit the fan today, maybe. i don't know.
RICK JAMES: Ah, it's a busy week here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Good anything new and interesting
RICK JAMES: Oh, just putting miles on. lot of windshield time. How about you? How was your week?
The SnowJobs Podcast: uh work work work that's about it just uh i tell you i'm busier now that we're not doing so much green and so i'm like what the hell oh thank god we downsized a little bit on the green it's uh it's been busy as hell and just a lot of different directions lot of lot of responsibilities pulling in a lot of different directions so it's uh it's good to sit down for an hour and forget about everything
RICK JAMES: How so?
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
RICK JAMES: That's good. That'll be good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep, yep. ah So we're getting ah we're getting close, man.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, it's been busy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What we got, like two more weeks till Sima? three Three weeks?
RICK JAMES: Yeah, I think so. What is it? Yeah, it should so my title
The SnowJobs Podcast: 23rd? Yeah, so it's the 5th right now. so
RICK JAMES: When are we going on? Tuesday? The 23rd? 7 or 5? Where are we going?
The SnowJobs Podcast: 23rd, yeah. Tuesday the 23rd. I think we're out there. And then, yeah. that's ah That's coming up fast. Coming up fast. We're going to to a preview show.
RICK JAMES: know What's it called? Yeah, definitely. pre sure What's it called? Where are we going? Schittimani?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Shit's an Addy?
RICK JAMES: Schittimani.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, shit's an Addy.
RICK JAMES: Gotcha.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. I didn't make it up. That's that's actually what it's called.
RICK JAMES: Oh, that's cool.
The SnowJobs Podcast: <unk>
RICK JAMES: Never been there.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah Yeah, I haven't been there in a while. I've been there, but I haven't been there in a while, so... Here's hoping to a ah very good time and seeing some good people.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, that's coming up. So we're <unk> we're looking forward to that. We'll have to get a review show going in the next couple days on that and maybe put one together for next week or the week after.
RICK JAMES: Oh, yeah, we got to do that.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, we're going to have get a few multiple guys on there.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Right?
RICK JAMES: Come
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. we'll get that done for everybody. But, uh, you know, today we are, uh, we're, we're going to go to the well one more time. We had some listener questions left over for Mike and Billy.
RICK JAMES: on back.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And, uh, we're going to go to the, we're going to go one more time. The fifth episode of the, uh, everybody's loving them. Everybody, you know, they've been commenting. Um, we've gotten a bunch of five-star reviews on Spotify and Apple out of it. Uh, the last couple of weeks, uh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: We jumped up. We're almost like 200 five star reviews on Spotify. So I think we're you getting up there.
RICK JAMES: Nice.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um But yeah, that's we had some questions left over and we had a couple of new questions come in. So we said, up you know what, let's we'll go to the well one more time because we you know, these guys took the time to send in questions.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So we'll take the time to try and answer them as best as we can from our experiences. So that's what we're doing today. We got Mike and Billy here. They're on their their lunch breaks, and we're going to get this laid down and get them back to work as quick as possible. So that's what we got for you today. And before we get to them, as always, we'll hear from Team Topcon. We'll come back and a quick week review.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, gang, we're back. So quick, week quick, quickak quick, quick week in review. ah Tonight, actually, it it is tonight because we're recording on Friday.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We got Storm Chasing Season 2, Episode 3, The Bruce Company. out of wisconsin that is dropping tonight so uh this will be you know by monday when you're here in this episode you'll have already watched it i'm sure thousands of you so uh we're looking forward to that me and jeremy had those guys on and we were kind of blown away by how established they were how old a company they were and how they've remained family owned no private equity for all this time so like that that was uh That was very cool to to hear and talk to those guys. So we're hoping for hoping for a great, well-received episode. where're we're
The SnowJobs Podcast: we're They're having a watch party out there and in Wisconsin at the company.
RICK JAMES: because they Yeah, I think they got a good snowfall.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So what's that?
RICK JAMES: They got a good snowfall, I think, for that event.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, they got a good storm when we were filming.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So congratulations to the Bruce company. So everybody head over to the Storm Chasing YouTube page and check out Storm Chasing Season 2. There are now three episodes out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So you got three hours of of video footage to watch on snow. no reason not to uh sima 2026 as we said shits and addy it's gonna be uh june 23rd the 26th and then after that we are in minnesota for storm field day can we even call it that anymore it's got to be field days
RICK JAMES: Yeah, probably few days.
The SnowJobs Podcast: because it's like multiple days now. It's it's ah it's grown as everything seems to seems to do around us.
RICK JAMES: couple days, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's all growing. And now they have the the day at Storm Academy on the day before. They have a golf tournament.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They have the welcome party. They got a lot of stuff going on out there. So, yeah, Storm Field Day is in July this year. They moved it up a couple weeks. It's July 29th to 30th, and tickets are on sale currently on the Storm website.
The SnowJobs Podcast: what else september 17th 16th and 17th actually 16th and 17th is a wednesday thursday wednesday head on out to storks in leesport pennsylvania for storks plow tech school uh learn everything you can about all the douglas dynamics products fixing them um and then head on over if you're already in pennsylvania drive the hour and 10 minutes over to the scranton wilkes bar area and hit hit up sns snow and ice solution sixth annual snow show that'll be on thursday september 17th what else october 1st is patty salmon's northeast de-icing solutions annual de-icing day it's the third annual it's in uxbridge massachusetts that's a good time they built a new building uh just for it and what who's the performer mort morton wallace
RICK JAMES: Morgan Wallace is going to be there.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah Morton Wallace is going to be there.
RICK JAMES: Morton Wallace.
The SnowJobs Podcast: up oh shit.
RICK JAMES: We'll keep changing on Patty. Get him worked up. so
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. I don't think we're go are we going to equip this year.
RICK JAMES: I don't know. We'll see you when that time comes.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's going to be a last-second decision.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We'll see how worn out we are by then. We've got a lot of events between now and then. So we'll ah we'll see how that goes. But Equip is also that's at the end of October.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So for anybody wanting to go to Equip in Kentucky, that'll be at the end of October there. I'm not sure of the dates. What else we got? Snowjobsnationstore.com has all your Snowjobs apparel needs. Head on over there and get them.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Keep hitting, like, and subscribe.
RICK JAMES: Let's get this stuff out of my office.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What's that?
RICK JAMES: Let's get these this stuff out of my office, man. I want to get these boxes everywhere here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I know. got to get some hats sold. We might have overordered.
RICK JAMES: Hats. Yeah, you think?
The SnowJobs Podcast: We might have overordered on the hats.
RICK JAMES: We're going to have a sale here. I've got to get some of shit out here. It's getting ridiculous.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yup.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So help Jeremy out. Head on over to snowjobsnationstore.com and do your part. Help clean Jeremy's office. Keep hitting like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Keep giving us the five-star reviews. Thank you for everybody that has in the last couple weeks. The comments have been great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We really appreciate you taking the time to leave us the comments and tell us what you're thinking. That kind of stuff always helps us keep doing what we're doing for you guys. Anything else?
RICK JAMES: Oh, I think we're good, buddy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right. We might have wrapped this up at a record time tonight. So let's hear from our partners, and we'll be right back, and we'll get into it with the boys.
The SnowJobs Podcast: all right gang we are back thanks as always to our partners in this show uh we get top gun arctic boss muskox and plow right we couldn't do it without you guys so we really appreciate your support and that's uh we're back let's go billy and mike let's go how's the energy level today
RICK JAMES: Hey boys.
Billy: Through the roof.
Mikey Santolucito : It's Friday.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you're the roof i love it billy i love it through through the roof
RICK JAMES: Through the roof. Through the roof.
Billy: Rock now.
The SnowJobs Podcast: nice you guys are uh you guys are creating your victims of your own success here it's uh they don't want you to go they want you to keep going with us here they keep sending in questions so
RICK JAMES: that a cocktail on your hand, Mikey?
Mikey Santolucito : Sweet.
Billy: Cinco de podcast.
Mikey Santolucito : What's that?
Billy: Cinco de podcast.
RICK JAMES: Is that a cocktail on your hand?
Billy: Five in a row.
The SnowJobs Podcast: is it what have you guys heard heard good feedback on these episodes from people
RICK JAMES: I'm just kidding. I'm just giving you shit.
Mikey Santolucito : It's Friday.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Billy: My niece is loving it. She's been listening to it when she pulls weeds and do other stuff. And obviously, i don't know if I said before, but she, Beth was new to the the walk crew last year. She loves it.
Billy: And she's like, oh my God, you guys are so funny. I want to listen to this every, like she just cracks up. And then at the end of the day, she's like, this asshole customer called, by the way, it was funny when Jeremy said this and Mike said that.
Billy: And you, Uncle Billy, you're you're f freaking great. And then I hate this customer. Like it goes back and forth, but she's loving And for female to listen to it, it's pretty cool.
RICK JAMES: ha she's She's in the business, son.
Mikey Santolucito : That's awesome.
RICK JAMES: She's in the business, son.
The SnowJobs Podcast: we are yeah we are definitely picking up more of the female demographic in the last year that's for damn sure our female listener numbers have climbed so what about you mike you hearing any feedback from the uh odp gang
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Billy: She's in the business now.
Mikey Santolucito : That's great.
Mikey Santolucito : couple guys in the office. They've been enjoying the series. don't get much feedback outside of that. I'm the only one that cares.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right. There you go. Good enough. Well, yeah, we've, uh, we've had a lot of, a lot of emails to the website actually this week with stuff, not so many, uh, DMS, but a lot of, lot of people reaching out on the website with questions. So that's always great. You know, that's what it's there for. So, uh, we'll get right into it then. Um,
The SnowJobs Podcast: The first question is about the, we keep talking about snow operations plans. We've mentioned it. I know I've mentioned it a bunch of times. So one of the questions was about what is a snow operations plan? um How do you go about coming up with one? And how do you get your, basically, how do you get your site to to do one?
The SnowJobs Podcast: um So we can kind of do that. I mean, a snow operations plan is basically just having a loose a loose plan of how the operation is going to go or should go. you know yeah it's something to have on paper yeah it's not paint by numbers like i mean you're gonna you're gonna jump from 11 to 28 you know from time to time but you know it basically just spells out like all right when you hit the the accumulation whatever your trigger is you know in our case it's any accumulation okay the plows will then start on the roadways and parking areas
RICK JAMES: Right.
Mikey Santolucito : It's an ideal situation, which none of these plans go according to plan.
RICK JAMES: None of it works. None of it goes to plan.
Mikey Santolucito : No.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah.
RICK JAMES: Oh, yeah.
Billy: So.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And then the sidewalk guys will come after one inch of accumulation. They will make their first pass. It's basically stuff like that. It's late it's all the marching orders for how how everything's going to fall into line, hopefully, in in a storm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that's all it is there. I will say they're, they're less important on cookie cutter sites. Like, you know, giant parking lot. That's just a big rectangle. No real worry. Just push left to right and pile it up. um On more intricate sites where there's a lot of vehicle traffic, there's a lot of vehicles that need to be parked in the right spots, like HOAs, getting them out of the roadways, getting them out of certain parking lots that they want cleared first, getting them out of their driveways and into their garages.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You do need a snow operations. Well, you don't need it, but it's good to have a snow operations plan that is endorsed by the site and and by the board and it's enforceable by them. So when you put out the text saying snow is going to start, you know, 8 p.m. tomorrow night, everybody please have their cars where they need to be by 5 p.m.
The SnowJobs Podcast: that that way it's enforceable that that on those kind of sites the hoa is especially having a snow operations plan for the complex and all the residents have a copy and know what the rules are it definitely will help you be more efficient
Mikey Santolucito : It's also good with your insurance carrier too, because let's say you have some designated parking areas like the the building I'm parked at right now. I know There's a few spaces out front handicapped, visitor, otherwise, that need to be cleared first, right?
Billy: Thank you.
Mikey Santolucito : It's an outpatient medical building.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep
Mikey Santolucito : So say somebody gets out of the car, s something slips and falls.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep
Mikey Santolucito : There's a little bit of snowpack on the ground, ice, whatever. You're getting two inches an hour. the place didn't shut down. They're still trying to go their appointment. They file a claim. They try and come back at you for it. you can look at that push plan or site operation plan and say, hey, listen, we were supposed to have this done, scraped and treated by 6 a.m.
Mikey Santolucito : We did. Here's, you know, if you have a truck doing it, here's the GPS report from the truck.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Mikey Santolucito : If you have it in your heavy equipment, you use that. And then you use the camera footage from the building. If you have dash cameras, use dash cameras. Like, hey, we were there. We did exactly we were supposed to do. It's still actively snowing. We were clearing the rest of the property.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Mikey Santolucito : That's it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Absolutely.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
Mikey Santolucito : Are you going to win?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. it's
Mikey Santolucito : no probably not.
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, no, you're not going to win.
Mikey Santolucito : But...
The SnowJobs Podcast: But again, it goes from, it goes to protect you from, you know, negligence down to an accident.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah. It's also a training thing too. So like you, you get some new operators, maybe for a site, you just give them that, I call it the push plan, right? That's all pile placements, where to start, where to stop, how many load and docks you get a clear, you know, where the shovelers have to start, where the secondary stuff don't to worry about till the end is it's really, I use it more for training purposes than I do with the client.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Mikey Santolucito : Cause the client you talk about it once and then you're done, unless you're putting snow in the wrong spot, you're never going to talk about that plan with them again.
Billy: Thank
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, the ah like ours on the one place has dumpster area will be the first thing that the sidewalk guys clear when they come.
Mikey Santolucito : Oh, because the the early trucks.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Because nothing will stop. No, nothing will stop 87-year-old Etta Munson from getting, if she takes her trash out at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The SnowJobs Podcast: every day, nothing is going to stop her from getting to that fucking dumpster area.
Mikey Santolucito : Is that her name?
The SnowJobs Podcast: No, I made that up.
Mikey Santolucito : That was very specific. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That was, ah i don't know if you ever watched Saturday Night Live.
RICK JAMES: It is today. It is today.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You ever watched Saturday Night Live back in the day when Will Ferrell was playing George Bush and they were, what was the other guy's name?
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, my God. Daryl Hammond was doing, uh,
RICK JAMES: Ross Pearl? Oh.
The SnowJobs Podcast: doing gore and uh that was the one of the funniest skit the debate ever where he you know al gore was saying this is 93 year old edda munson and he goes through a laundry list of what her sicknesses are but uh no that she will not that that woman is a she will not be delayed and that's just i'm using her as an example because ah there's a lot of them that are creatures of habit like that You know, that if they are 8 and 5, that's what they're doing at 8 and 5. If they're going to the drugstore every Monday at 8.30, nothing's going to stop them.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Two feet of snow is not going to stop them from shoveling a path to their car, getting in there, and getting to that drugstore to get their crap. So you got to make sure you adjust to them.
Mikey Santolucito : It's true. Mm-hmm.
RICK JAMES: You need those butterscotch candies.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So, yeah. Yes. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, the butterscotches or the ah spice sets or those little jelly things.
RICK JAMES: fucking know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, my good. That's so funny. But, yeah, the dumpster areas get done first because as soon 7 a.m. comes up, even if it's still actively snowing, they're bringing their garbage because that's what they do every day.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Doesn't matter if there's snow or 90 degree heat. Every day they are they get up, they have their coffee, and they walk their garbage down to the dumpsters. So that's why we have that. It's just like march like Mike said there, it's marching orders. It's ah you know something for the newer guys to follow. It's something for the residents to to abide by so they know what's going on. they know And so they also know what order the complex gets done in.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So they can see that their their street or their block of buildings, that gets done fourth on the list. So they're not like, well, wait a minute. These guys started, you know, 10 minutes ago. Why aren't they here yet? Well, because you're fourth on the list.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So we get there. So it lets everybody know the plan. It doesn't stop you from having issues from time to time, but at least there's a a plan that you can go to in the case of an emergency, like Mike said.
RICK JAMES: pain plan.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Billy, do you got snow ops plans on anything?
Billy: Yeah, um like Mike said that we don't, the client, it's just get rid of it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Billy: So we have like what we call three levels of response. So on a normal, easy snow, stops at 10, you know, it's, what's that?
Mikey Santolucito : What are you, Tovar? What are you, Tovar?
Billy: And then, or no, don't, that's insulting. I thought we were friends, but.
RICK JAMES: Not today. Mm-hmm.
Billy: then like so like if it snows throughout the day what clients are really high profile open drive lanes certain areas of walk so we use maps that will you know obviously maps that they can see on their phone or tablet that okay we're only going to do entrance points because obviously it just keeps coming and company you know i mean just entrance points to buildings and those would be fire exits are you know stuff like that and the other thing is we take uh response plans ah And it's it seems like it always gets missed.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Billy: Gate codes, locked gates, things like that. What we've done is and a lot of commercial properties that have back 40s with gates and things like that.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Billy: We'll put a lockbox on the fence and it's one number that nobody can forget. So then that pops the key. But, you know, how many times has anybody ran into?
RICK JAMES: What's that number?
Billy: I can't get in the back.
The SnowJobs Podcast: seven seven's a number that's two numbers uh yeah i mean it's yeah yeah it's sure yep
RICK JAMES: Seven? What's the number? Six, seven? Six, seven?
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
Mikey Santolucito : yeah
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Billy: We use a lot of maps, like that's kind of how I plan my response plan.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Billy: It's a lot of maps. So, you know, what gets done first, what gets done secondary, things like that, critical points.
The SnowJobs Podcast: hydrant locations
Billy: Absolutely. So, you know, like we talked on last episode, so it's very similar, but this is how we're going to do it. And then everything's labeled with hours of operation. So, you know, we know we try to communicate with the clients that take two weeks for Christmas and New Year's, but that never seems to be communicated to us, you know, peons at the bottom.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Billy: I used to do banquet.
Mikey Santolucito : I don't
Billy: Yup. Yup. We'll let you know a month in advance, three hours before, you know, a 500 person event. Oh yeah. The snow's not done. You didn't let us know. Thank you.
Billy: You know, we don't do that anymore.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ye
RICK JAMES: Thought you guys were closed.
Billy: so that's what we do.
The SnowJobs Podcast: 10-4. um As far as if you want to if you want to put one together for a site, um i don't I don't think any site owner would be opposed to it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: If you're basically just spelling out, here's what we're doing and how we're doing it on your site.
Mikey Santolucito : No.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Do you have any input for us? Because maybe the the board or the owner, maybe he sees something or or it's glaring that, oh, you know what? You don't want to do that there because this happens at this time on this day.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And he can fill you in on stuff that you don't know the inner workings of that building or the or that complex. So it's good. i've never I've never had a site owner when we're trying to put them together for them.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I've never had a site owner say, no, we don't want that. It's it's always good to know you know where each other's at you know in in their operation. So he can...
Billy: I think it's also good for
Billy: potential new clients too.
The SnowJobs Podcast: and Absolutely.
Billy: Even if you don't use it, it's ah it's a, wow, you know what you're talking about.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Absolutely.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Billy: I've never heard of such a thing. This guy came in for the last 20 years at the, you know, as a, as a plow cowboy.
RICK JAMES: We
Billy: And then, you know, you got a plan, you got a map, like, holy shit. Like this is, you guys are really professional.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Well, as I said, use the RFP.
Billy: We know, we know different stuff.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, use like use that kind of thing.
RICK JAMES: can go different.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Use that ah RFP, helping them develop it, even if you're not going to get the contract this year, even if it's they're they're not ready to pay what it should be paying. If you help them develop an RFP that's going to put people, it's going to put the 70% cheaper guys off the table because they can't keep up with the level of service that you're spelling out in that RFP, you're going to end up with it, or you're at least going to end up with a fighting chance to get it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: the next year so use that as a way to get in front of them build a rapport build a friendship you're helping them you're you're showing your professionalism help them develop an rfp that's going to eliminate the low ballers and gonna basically put the ball in the court of guys like yourselves and uh you know the higher end guys and that's uh you know use it as a sales thing like billy said 100
RICK JAMES: Thank
Billy: Absolutely.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah. You're going make them look good too. They bring that back to their senior leadership team.
The SnowJobs Podcast: hundred percent
Mikey Santolucito : They're oh, wow. This is, who is this? Yeah, we should bring them in on this on this property, that property.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep yeah we've always said that if you don't have an rfp when when they call us for a bid like listen would you like help developing one because without one you're going to get a whole wide variety of prices and basically you're you're going to pick a contractor and you're going to guess on the level of service that you're going to get
Mikey Santolucito : Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You're basically going to look at the dollar amount and you're going to know what the level of service is going to be, but they don't know.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They don't, a lot of customers don't know what they can expect as far as level of service. So ah RFP helps eliminate that and it'll help save them money in the long run by picking the right contractor.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So use it as a sales tool, get in front of them, get a rapport going, you know, get a relationship started by doing that and a snow ops plan if they want one of those two. um the snow ops plan is generally tougher to do if you don't have the contract because you're basically laying out how the property should be plowed so but use the rfp first and then when you're when you get the contract hit them with you know hey we'd love to to put a snow operations plan in here for you so you know again
Mikey Santolucito : Right.
RICK JAMES: Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: putting your good foot forward, being a proactive partner in the, in the place where we want to do this snow ops plan. So God forbid five years, 10 years down the road, I've retired. We've outgrown each other, you know, whatever, whatever happens with a snow operations plan like that, we can get another contractor. You have an airtight ah RFP now. So you're only going to be looking at tier one companies and whatever tier one company comes in, you can hand them the snow operations plan. He can hit the ground running.
The SnowJobs Podcast: knowing exactly how this place has been done the last 10 years.
Billy: one.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So it's a, it's another good way to to keep building that relationship with your client.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Anything else on that that we can think of?
Mikey Santolucito : You good stuff.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Cool, cool. We had a question about contract clauses. What clauses should we have in contracts? And what clauses are going to be, what clauses are you going to be putting into your contracts that you've learned this year?
The SnowJobs Podcast: So I think we covered this little bits here and there in a couple episodes over the winter.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah, we covered a good amount of this.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, we covered it. We can we can reiterate, but um like I said, i they took the time to answer the question.
Billy: going to pay.
Mikey Santolucito : Some of it um it's going to be customizable though too because each property is different.
The SnowJobs Podcast: we
Mikey Santolucito : Whatever kind of tenant is in there, they'll have different needs that you'll have to cater to.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sure.
Mikey Santolucito : But you know having ah having hourly clauses for standby time, if a storm doesn't come to fruition, um you can have something in there for freezing rainstorms where you can bill for, say, tier one or tier two based on you know the severity of it. If you get a quick freezing rain event, sure, it's a one to three inch tier because we have to staff with the same people.
Mikey Santolucito : we have putting down two times the treatment that we would for a regular snowstorm. Or if it's a long duration, 24 hour mixing event, you get a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch ice secretion.
Mikey Santolucito : then you're you're in tier two, tier three, you're or you're paying hourly. ah yeah you You can do that too. Like, yeah, you can just pay us hourly for this as well. I mean, having that clause is something we're heavily debating this year because we just keep getting more and more of those events in the New England area, and it's it's hard to capture that cost when you don't have it specifically outlined in your contract, but also they don't have anything in their RFP outlining it either.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. Yep.
Mikey Santolucito : It's more of a seasonal thing that just keeps happening.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
Mikey Santolucito : um Billy, what are some other good ones?
Billy: Well, I mentioned that, and quite frankly, I went back and looked at mine about to remember the, remember the photography and the video thing. I know it's minuscule and I didn't like the wording. So i actually, i i do a lot of adjustments because the weirdest stuff pops up and I wish I could have an example, but ah some I've added some things this year that I think are important. I mean, we've always used like acts of God clauses, you know, um drifting, you know, is obviously a
Mikey Santolucito : Drifting is a good one.
Billy: Drifting is is huge because, and and the back to what we said on the previous podcast is the the approaches to these buildings that, you know, county roads or municipal services that plow back your entranceways.
RICK JAMES: Drifting a rough.
RICK JAMES: Oh yeah, the comeback.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
RICK JAMES: Mhm.
Billy: Depending on the customer, obviously, I mean, it's still chargeable, but then sometimes it's, you know, kind of got, it's not a lot of work, but if there's traffic, it becomes time consuming. If you have like four or five entrances.
Billy: So i think there should be a clause in there for that because we found ourselves last year, five, six times at the same place.
Mikey Santolucito : Uh.
Billy: And it's so heavily trafficked. You're waiting 15, 20 minutes at entrance.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. No, that's that's definitely good. Jeremy, can you guys even, because drifting is a daily occurrence out there all winter long, can you even put a drift clause in there to get paid more? Or you just on seasonals? I mean, obviously, hourlies, you're doing well with those.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But I mean, would there even be any way to do it, you think?
RICK JAMES: Yeah, hour these or
RICK JAMES: I mean, other their seasonals, that's a hard one to – you almost got to eat it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It is. I don't even know how I'd write that.
RICK JAMES: he just You kind of got to eat it to have a seasonal contract. But and a lot of these seasonals now are not – some of these nationals we have are not great seasonals either anymore. so But yet you're – You want the seasonals to help cover you, but you also got to go above and beyond more more than you're getting paid a lot of these times, you know which it grifts all the time.
The SnowJobs Podcast: sure
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah but especially like a place like fargo where drifting and wind is a daily daily problem you that could really bleed you too on a seasonal yeah i don't know i'd have to think about that
RICK JAMES: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, definitely can. Definitely can. It's almost like Mikey and Billy said, you know, it's client by client deal.
RICK JAMES: You know, you got some really good clients that you're just going to whatever it takes to keep them happy because, you know, they've been with you forever and forever.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
RICK JAMES: So, I mean, you kind of got to play that game as well.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
RICK JAMES: so
The SnowJobs Podcast: So we.
Mikey Santolucito : It's also how many of those events do you get? Like yeah where you live, Jeremy, it's a daily thing, but out here in the Northeast, I mean, unless we get a a solid cold front, like we, like Steve and I had and Billy, you had two last year, right?
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Mikey Santolucito : We don't get a lot of those fluffy storms anymore where we deal with a lot of drifting. So it is kind of a clause that you kind of leave in there and just as a
The SnowJobs Podcast: No.
Mikey Santolucito : as a formality like hey i have this in here for x y and z reasons i don't think we're gonna see that more than three times this year maybe five times at the most
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, well, I mean, we we have something in there. I don't remember exactly how it's written, but it's ah like it's a 24-hour clause, basically. like After you've documented the site has been cleared properly, you know you've taken your photos and stuff, any snow conditions, i.e.
The SnowJobs Podcast: drifting, that currently exist that exist and need rectification, ah that's ah that's an add-on post-storm.
Mikey Santolucito : When does the clock start for that?
The SnowJobs Podcast: As soon as we are done with the as soon as the snow ceases.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Mikey Santolucito : All so snowstorm stops. You're doing your final cut work.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Mikey Santolucito : Everybody's cleaning everything up, treating. 24 hours from the last flake hitting the ground.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yes.
Mikey Santolucito : Okay.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Because that's, honestly, that's the only, i would rather have I would rather have it be able to be documented by weather pros, basically, than me saying, hey, this is when this is when it stopped.
Mikey Santolucito : No, that makes sense.
Mikey Santolucito : Hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I'd rather be able to go right to their storm sheet and say, hey, this is when the storm stopped in Fishkill. So 24 hours later, if it exists, you know, it's hourly. It's a you know time and material type thing.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But we, like you said, Mike, that is literally just a, you know, a crazy thing to put in there just because I'm, you know, I must have been bored that day to put everything in there. But ah we never use it. Like, I think...
The SnowJobs Podcast: This year, we didn't have any drifting on that 20-inch powder one because the snow was blowing so hard during. It never touched the roofs. It was off the roof before it hit the ground.
Mikey Santolucito : That's true.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know like
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We had wind during the storm, so there wasn't and and the wind died as soon as the snow stopped. So there wasn't any blowing after that because we were prepared for We were like, man, we're going get hammered for 36 hours after the storm with with all this drifting.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. didn't happen the roofs were clear when the snow stopped but um
Mikey Santolucito : Right.
RICK JAMES: Our roofs, don't know. There's so much fucking snow on those. They just blow for days on these roofs. Some of these, we know which ones they are, but goddamn.
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh i bet some of the big box stuff oh i bet that would annoy the crap out of me yeah i wouldn't be able to do it i bet
RICK JAMES: Oh, it's unbelievable. It's like... Yeah, it definitely wears on the team. Wears on the team. Let's see the sidewalk guys. They just get hammered.
RICK JAMES: So...
The SnowJobs Podcast: Um, my biggest two clauses as far as protecting money. Um, one, we, one, we knew about this winter, uh, with the salt variable salt clause, you know, that allows us to, uh, upcharge for salt. If we, you know, if we, ah if our supplier gets cut off and we need to go to a different supplier and they've gouged, uh, we have the ability now to, uh, increase our prices with documentation. Um,
The SnowJobs Podcast: And then the most recent one that we're now putting in is the fuel surcharge, like Billy just did for you know all his lawns and stuff. We're putting that in for next year.
Billy: Great feedback from those, by the way. Great feedback.
RICK JAMES: Yeah?
The SnowJobs Podcast: From your customers?
Billy: a Long story short, not my particular customers. that i've It's the ones that we acquired this season.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Billy: For fuck's sake, i swear to God, you thought I was taking a mortgage payment. I mean, it's all for...
The SnowJobs Podcast: Really?
Billy: I don't even... It's wild.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You what were you?
Billy: The way that these emails, like how the fuck dare you charge me $11 and 37 cents this month. How dare you?
The SnowJobs Podcast: What?
Billy: I go, it's for feel went up.
Mikey Santolucito : Oh my God.
Billy: This is the email chain. I'm thinking I'm, I am dead, serious dead, not serious.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Fuel went up. No, no, no, fuels.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Billy: Two people were like, what are you talking about? So Do you waste, you know, arguing for 30 minutes, historical data, previous company charged you, you know what, we'll delete it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nope.
Billy: I'm sorry to put you out on your, you know, $9 Starbucks for today. We're just going to delete it. Thank you. Have a great day. God bless. And then I get the thank you with the exclamation point. I could feel the anger because I end it with less, you know, like you want to fight me on $11.
RICK JAMES: yep
Billy: have customers that paid $800 for And it's under $4 right
The SnowJobs Podcast: For a month.
Billy: for on and and it's it's under four dollars right now
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh my God.
Mikey Santolucito : At
The SnowJobs Podcast: Wow.
Billy: but you didn't negotiate Starbucks. You won't negotiate Walmart for milk, but all business owner, you know, with great men and women that are out there every single week, multiple service intervals, your site looks great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: exactly that's what saying like
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Billy: It's I got, and that wasn't everybody. It was like maybe 1%. And it was like, it was once at fuck you exactly what to do with that one.
The SnowJobs Podcast: nice how out of how many of these people how many of these people out of you said 200 right how many had a problem with it that's actually awesome dude that's way below the normal karen rate
Mikey Santolucito : least he was honest.
Billy: Yeah.
Billy: Yeah. Six, six to 10.
Billy: not bad. You know, but it would have been nice if you say, hey, can we discuss this?
The SnowJobs Podcast: of customers.
RICK JAMES: Yep. a
Billy: Hey, you know, I had one customer, you never sent me the email. It's not in your contract. I said, well, here it is. I highlighted it for you. It is there. It's been there for the last 10 years. And we use constant contact ah to get in touch with these folks all at once, right?
Billy: You read it on this date at this time. You didn't get it? Nope. You screenshot it, you know, because, you know, when you have a few moments, you get vindictive.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Billy: want to be like that. And it's a waste of time for what? 12 bucks.
Mikey Santolucito : But it's so much fun.
RICK JAMES: Right.
Mikey Santolucito : And you do feel better afterwards.
Billy: It is.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Billy: It does. And then you end it with the God bless and you get a thank you all caps with an exclamation point. It's like, see in church.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Or, you know, um I'll give you this one. You can just put this, you know, as soon as they call with a problem.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Just hit them with that.
Mikey Santolucito : You could also pay your bill on time too, if they're in that category.
RICK JAMES: Whoa. Now you're expecting.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Dude, six out of 200 here. I thought you were getting mass rejections and mass problems. Six out of 200 is well below the normal Karen percentage out of 200 customers.
Mikey Santolucito : It's at 3%.
Billy: Yeah, something like that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, that's nothing.
Billy: wasn't bad. Like I said, it was just the the derogatory.
RICK JAMES: Just the ones that did just, just the ones that did just irritated you.
Billy: Like it wasn't correct.
RICK JAMES: Yeah. yeah
Billy: And, you know, I'm heavily irritated.
RICK JAMES: Cause it was so little, little amount that was like, really?
The SnowJobs Podcast: So 194 people out of 200 had nothing to say and were understanding, and you're going to worry about the six morons that literally probably bitch because water's wet and the sky's blue.
Billy: Yeah.
Billy: Exactly. And none of my commercials actually said anything.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Fuck them.
Billy: They said, hey we love you. We're happy to happy to you understand.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Exactly.
Mikey Santolucito : That's because their vendors are probably charging them more.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Because all their prices are going up too.
Billy: Right.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, because we're the least, yeah, we're billing the least by anybody, than likely.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. Yeah, $11 a month. What's that? Like a little over $2.50 week?
Billy: Pretty much.
The SnowJobs Podcast: My God. You gotta be shitting me.
Billy: I know we discussed it before on clauses on a different level or different subject topic is um lack of payment. the you understand the client understands that they're assuming liability.
Billy: We touched on this a few times.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Billy: But for the listeners, I think it's important. Because if you're going see service or disrupt service like Comcast or your energy or whatever for lack of payment.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Mm-hmm.
Billy: I think that they're you they need to understand clearly that or however a lawyer wants to write it that it's on you baby. You didn't pay we out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep.
Billy: do
The SnowJobs Podcast: Amen.
Billy: You know,
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yes, sir. Absolutely. Any other clauses we can think of that we've added or that should be added if for guys out there?
The SnowJobs Podcast: I mean, the the salt and the fuel are my two big ones.
Billy: That's huge.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know The ones I got to add this year, because that was part of the question. what are you What are you adding that you learned maybe in the last year? Those are two big ones that I learned, because the salt, we've never had a problem before getting shut off, even when there was quote-unquote shortages.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And the fuel, the fuel's never been a problem either, but this fuel is not going down.
The SnowJobs Podcast: So,
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
Mikey Santolucito : And it's not going to.
Billy: What do you guys have in there?
The SnowJobs Podcast: what's that?
Billy: What's that?
Mikey Santolucito : And it's not going to.
The SnowJobs Podcast: no no i don't think it will why would it well you know we're still buying it right
The SnowJobs Podcast: unless you can unless you can cut demand exactly so why go to why would it go down this is you know america capitalism what's up billy what'd you have
Billy: What do you guys... That ain't happening.
Billy: what do you What do you guys got in there for curb damage, grass damage, things like that? Like... Do you consider plowing a parking lot where that's just the cost of doing business?
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
Billy: And I mean, blacktop curbs are the worst up here. You're going to plow through them.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yep oh yeah because as soon as they freeze they're brittle as hell and they'll come up with a foot oh
Billy: Exactly.
Mikey Santolucito : Right.
Billy: You guys replace them. Is it on you as a con? I mean, what what do you guys have in there?
The SnowJobs Podcast: if it's on us uh we do not blacktop imperfections that like if you have ah a a structural crack in your blacktop and our one of our live edges catches it and rips up a section of it that's not on us as long as we documented it that it was in that kind of condition before the season uh Again, any broken curbs, we are documenting the crap out of with sight photos before the season. So we know when they try and say, hey, you broke that curb. No, we didn't. Here's this picture from frigging October 12th.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that looks the same as it did then. Oh, okay. But obviously, I mean, i have no problem. If we did it and I know we did it and and I can prove that we did it, then I'll take care of it because that's you know that's our job.
The SnowJobs Podcast: you know We're not looking to get out of anything. You know, damage happens. You make right.
Billy: What about scratches to the blacktop with like mouthoffs or nothing?
The SnowJobs Podcast: No.
Mikey Santolucito : Nope. Nope.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Nope. That's actually, we have that in the contract. Not responsible for any blacktop scraping. We use live edge plows to make your site safer. They scrape extremely clean. Any scratches or I forget how it's worded, but any scratches, scrapes, gouges, blah, blah, blah in blacktop, we are not responsible for. That is a cost of doing business. Basically it reads.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And we don't get any pushback on that. I think most people in the Northeast expect it. You know, plows are going to scrape.
Billy: while it's not good.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They're going scratch. um But yeah, we we have it in there.
RICK JAMES: Mm-hmm.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And that's part of actually the next question was about, you know, postseason review, postseason meeting. We compare photos. I'll go in and I'll compare photos ah on stuff that they have because, you know, they'll get calls from from tenants or they'll get calls from residents if it's a HOA, you know, or the owner of the property will say, ah you know, I think you guys did this.
The SnowJobs Podcast: no we didn't do that that was a 3am mail truck backing in uh you know and he slid off and and hit that fence that was not us and you have it on your surveillance camera oh okay everything always you know first outlet is always a snow guy and the landscaper if there's any damage that's the first place they're trying to get it to stick and if you can prove you didn't do it then they'll go somewhere else but you are always guilty until you prove innocent
RICK JAMES: oh always
Billy: Oh, yeah. Thank you.
Mikey Santolucito : It is true. Yeah, we rely very, very heavily on those preseason photos that we take of that site.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh,
The SnowJobs Podcast: oh hell yeah.
Mikey Santolucito : It's New England. Everything here looks like it's already been through like 20 rounds of snow and some of this stuff is only five years old infrastructure wise.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sure.
Mikey Santolucito : Just whatever protection you can give yourself, going to save you tens of thousands of dollars in repairs down the road.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. And I mean, I got to give it to the the complexes that we do. the The owners are outstanding about it. They know it's their it's their place. They own it. They know what was broken when.
The SnowJobs Podcast: they you know so And they're not looking to to basically crook you. So they're good. Like even stuff that's questionable. Like i've I've been honest and said, I can't tell from the photo if we damage that more.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And the owner was like, don't even worry about dude. It's already broken two feet over. Like, you know, what's another break in it? I'm like, all right, as long as you're good with it.
Billy: I had a funeral home. ah He owed his last installment and I sued him for it. And basically his counter, by the way, and it was mentioned to in court and this virtual court that he was friends with the judge and the judge even said, just pay your fucking bill guy, you know, but his complaint was we scratched part of the parking lot.
Billy: Not to mention though, Three weeks later, he had already scheduled asphalt to redo the whole parking lot. So he wanted approve some of that on the snow gun.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Just wanted a discount Yeah
RICK JAMES: Yeah, you want it. Yeah. Yep.
Billy: Crook in town here. I mean, if I died, I would just, but don't don't take me there. Like, you know, okay, you scumbag. Really? It was only like, I think it was like $3,000, $4,000. But had to do all this because he fought me tooth and nail on it and then tried to play his little game. He lost.
Billy: Just wild, though.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Man I tell you
Billy: You scratched even though I'm replacing it
RICK JAMES: Well, wanted you to pitch in
The SnowJobs Podcast: I think that's...
RICK JAMES: Just pitch in, Billy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: and
Billy: Yep, pitch in towards the the coffers.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I think that's probably one of the biggest reasons in the back of my mind why I never wanted to scale and go super huge because I kind of like knowing every person I work for and like knowing what basically makes them tick and what kind of relationship I have with them so that that kind of shit don't ever happen. Cause that, if I got to go to court over fucking getting paid, that's a fucking headache and a half.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't envy you bill.
Billy: We don't have to do it all that often. But then, you know, as I got older.
The SnowJobs Podcast: but you've had to do it, which just sucks. You've done the work. Like just fucking pay me. I get it.
Billy: I agree.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Billy: I agree.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That sucks.
Billy: mean, it it becomes as you get older, what's the threshold of what it's worth chasing? You know, you figure that your attorney's 300, 700, whatever, you know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Sure.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't think they don't know that too. The customers like, ah, it's, it's a $2,300 bill.
Billy: exact
The SnowJobs Podcast: He ain't going to fucking, I'm just not.
Billy: He ain't going after for it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah. He ain't coming after that.
Billy: just had the goon squad.
The SnowJobs Podcast: its ah oh man jeremy what about you man any clauses glacier uses like that are fargo specific that might help midwest guys that we haven't mentioned
RICK JAMES: I mean, know only thing we do like a pilot, if they're telling us to go offs site off site, to pile off the parking lot, we're not responsible for a turf dam or anything like that, stuff like that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: okay that's that's a good one that's a very good one to have in there
RICK JAMES: Because you're you're you're you're telling us we're going off, then we can't, you know, it's not like we're, if it's, if it's like a spring storm or, you you know, a fall storm where it hasn't froze here, we're like, we'll push it off or we'll come back later and push it further.
RICK JAMES: We're not, we're not going to deliberately just go pluck up your grass cause we can, yeah you know, cause it's in the deal.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Amen.
RICK JAMES: Well, we're smart about it, but yeah, we have, we have causes like that where if you're telling us to go off site, well, if we down or something out there, that's, that's on you. So.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah, that's a good one, actually. if ah Yeah, that's a really good one if you're not stacking it on the pavement, if you're if you're told to push it off the pavement.
RICK JAMES: So
The SnowJobs Podcast: okay we'll do that but the turf damage is the the turf damage is the easiest one i think to to know if that was us or not like
RICK JAMES: we well we'll fix.
The SnowJobs Podcast: we had to measure last year we got a call from the property management company saying hey i think one of your machines um went off road and it sunk like six inches well four inches and uh i said oh i'll come take a look show me you know where what area and okay it's down by parking lot too went down there literally i think i was on the phone with jeremy actually i'm literally measuring the wheel width of the tires that did this i'm like this is a fucking mower
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: this ain't this ain't a skid steer like you'd be sunk a foot like this is not a mower or this is not a skid steer or a sidewalk machine sidewalk machine tires are too wide nope not heavy enough to do that this um this is like a turf tiger though these are caster wheels that did this and uh yeah that that kind of stuff exists but i mean turf damage we will definitely we we do have it in there we'll replace your turf or bushes if uh if we kill them we do have that in the in the contract but with salt that's why we use that
Mikey Santolucito : How did you kill them?
Mikey Santolucito : So you'll do salt burn damage.
RICK JAMES: here.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We well because we use that as a selling point because in the last 10 years we use magic, which is, you know, they give you the the they give you the MSDS sheet. That's OK.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's concrete safe. It's vegetation safe. It's not going to burn your grass, not going to kill your bushes, ah all this stuff.
Mikey Santolucito : Right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We use that as a salesman. Like, hey, listen, these guys are going to come in. They're going to blast you with fucking untreated road salt. we it's going to do this to your concrete it's going to do this to your your to your steel magic 70 less corrosive it's concrete safe vegetation safe we've never burned grass or kill bushes with magic and part of that is responsible salting like hey don't hang your spinner four inches over the curb and let it go you know dust in the grass and the beds what bill
Mikey Santolucito : Right.
Billy: That's what I've been doing wrong.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah
Billy: Knew there was something to this.
RICK JAMES: I hate that when you guys back up and they're like, like you do know that spreader shoots backwards. why are we backing up that far?
The SnowJobs Podcast: yes exactly you know so dumb but yeah but we use that to sell so we put it in there that we will replace you know turf damage and because most guys don't have that in there explicitly that will replace you know dead grass and uh and dead bushes that from salt damage because we're so confident it's not going to happen so we use that as a sales tool to separate ourselves
RICK JAMES: I was like,
Mikey Santolucito : So dumb.
RICK JAMES: it
Mikey Santolucito : Good for you guys. That's great.
The SnowJobs Podcast: try anything else we've got a couple more here you want to hit some commercials guys get a drink real quick before we wrap it up we'll uh we got one more question to go and then i think that's it but all right let's hit some commercials we'll be right back
The SnowJobs Podcast: all gang we're back so let's keep rolling here with mike and billy so we got let's see do you guys do post-season review meetings with your customers
Billy: some.
The SnowJobs Podcast: okay us too some we do some
Billy: I'd like to buy more.
Billy: Find more and you know what, that could be a good selling point to a world review what worked, what didn't work, how we can improve better for retainment, but not a lot.
The SnowJobs Podcast: we We talk to every customer postseason, but we sit down meetings only with certain ones.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What about you, Mike?
Billy: You're muted. muted
The SnowJobs Podcast: Is he muted?
Mikey Santolucito : Christ, idiot.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, there he is. Hey, there he
Mikey Santolucito : Yep, no here I am. Yeah, we... I think we're going to do a lot more of it this coming year just because the amount of damages that we did have, even though documented, we were still somehow on the hook for a few things, but...
Mikey Santolucito : There are obviously clients that don't report to that site, don't particularly care to go walk it afterwards. They say, yeah, just you know sweep up whatever material was underneath your snow piles, fix whatever curb lawn damage you have, and we'll we'll see you next year. The larger clients, we do post-season walkthroughs with them, identify areas of area.
Mikey Santolucito : Damage that need to get fixed, what's the plan for the salt bin, getting the material out, getting equipment offsite. you know we'll We'll do that whole song and dance with the larger clients, but the medium to smalls are kind of a hit or miss.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yep. That's same with us. Large, the larger the sites, the, uh, the more in-person meetings, uh, but everybody will at least get a phone call post post-season to have a phone call.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Uh, what, you know, cause you want to know, you want make yourself better too. Hey, did you have, were there any problems this year that you, you know about, um, And they all have my number. They can all call me at any time, but maybe they don't want to bother me. You know, like some people are just good people.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Like, oh, these guys just got beat up for two days on a 20-inch storm. We're going to bother them over this. we'll We'll remember it after the season. And then then they don't until you ask them. So we touch base with everybody. Certain people. um Certain people we have meetings with sit down meetings, go over pictures, stuff like that. Compare if they have, you know, places they think were damaged.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um We can compare that and show them that they're wrong. Most likely in most cases, what we'll also do is we also 48 hours this year, I will admit it was a little bit longer.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um Every client or every customer gets a text message. 48 to 72 hours after with the timeline of when we serviced when we salted that thing for that previous storm basically and just let us know if there are any issues that you came across when you got to your your site that's 48 to 72 they like the con the I was a little later this year because we're we're just moving constantly I got a little backed up but but yeah post storm texts
The SnowJobs Podcast: uh we give them the certified total for the storm uh and then we you know we we just tell them what we did when we did it all the time stamps and uh go from there but yeah the postseason reviews i think they're important i mean honestly ah it keeps that relationship going too the more they see your face You know, I think it's a good thing. The more they see your face, the more they associate with you as a professional and trying to do the right thing and and trying to take as good a care of their property as possible.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't think there can be a negative that comes out of that. Anybody disagree?
Billy: I agree. And, you know, thinking about what Mike's doing with some irrigation today and saying, ah I'm actually doing it in a different way. I got a meeting next week. I'm going to irrigation turn on for a new client, Green.
Billy: And we're gonna sit down and talk about previous snow, which wasn't with us, and how we're going to move forward. So I'm actually using the time wisely as, hey, we'll get the sprinklers turned on.
The SnowJobs Podcast: smart
Billy: Let's sit down and hash this out. It's only 102. Let's start talking snow, you know.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah yeah strike while the iron's hot there's a chance of snow next week oh that's great jay do you guys do post-season things that you have to go out and meet with people or no
Billy: And another thing I really want to add, hey, by the way, we but we better start working on this, you know?
RICK JAMES: hu
Mikey Santolucito : Oh, hey, by the way.
RICK JAMES: We do on a few. Honestly, we should do a lot more than what we are doing.
Mikey Santolucito : Do you guys break stuff?
RICK JAMES: We do break stuff. yeah Amazing. yeah Lots of shit breaks.
The SnowJobs Podcast: they go hard mike they plow hard know infrastructure is only so strong
Mikey Santolucito : I know. i saw the video.
RICK JAMES: Yeah, it'll break a lot of stuff. I mean, a lot like a lot of curves and stuff that ends up getting broke isn't easy when we're hauling or something. Guys will hit the curve.
The SnowJobs Podcast: hmm no
RICK JAMES: Usually the pushers don't do that much damage. It's just a when we're low notes, we try to mark them really well, but you know how goes. You still creep up to it and, know, whatever.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
RICK JAMES: It is what it is. It's part of the game, I guess, unfortunately.
Billy: One thing I wanted to add on the previous question before the break on the clause part, reports of damage.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Go ahead.
Billy: I don't know if we discussed that. ah We've talked about damage.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's a good one. How to report it, what their timeframe is to report it.
Billy: We have it in there. Exactly. So, you you can't say we blew your mailbox apart, you know, two years from now.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i like that.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Billy: So, you know, is it 24 hours?
The SnowJobs Podcast: I like that a lot.
Billy: Is it 48 hours after the storm? But it has to be reported because a lot of things up.
Mikey Santolucito : I think that would be hard. Some of this stuff's gonna be buried.
Billy: That's the point. No, just kidding.
RICK JAMES: ah
The SnowJobs Podcast: Did I, uh, Well, like just like we had an incident this year that they tried to somebody tried to say it was an incident.
RICK JAMES: Mike.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I don't even know if I told you guys. um There was a ah call saying this woman's claiming that, you know, the plow, the plow scratched the side of her car.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Can you go check it out? Yeah, no problem. I'll be right there. Went up there. Literally the clearest case of a guardrail. ripping down the side of a car it had both tiers like it had the the top cord and the bottom cord of the guardrail would just rip the whole side of this car off from bumper to bumper and was like wait a minute it hasn't snowed in five days when when did this supposedly happen she go oh during the last snowstorm like and she's telling us now five days later she's reporting it i'm like you know what
The SnowJobs Podcast: We went through pictures and we found pictures of the car sitting in the parking spot with the damage already there before we even started plowing for that storm. So that's how we rectified that. But she was going to try and do it. And she did get a little squirrely when I said, you know what? No problem, ma'am.
The SnowJobs Podcast: If you want to do this, I told the property manager, if she wants to to to put in a claim, just we got to get a police report. And then just make sure she knows everything that's on that report is, you know, she's going to be responsible for if it's not what what she says happened.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And soon as the the cop got there, he's like, dude, this is a guardrail all day. I'm like, that's what I thought. And she changed her tune immediately. Oh, oh, maybe it was.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And I showed her the picture.
Mikey Santolucito : When did that happen?
The SnowJobs Podcast: And yeah, I showed her the picture. I'm like, man, that's your car right there, right? This is before we even dropped plows at that storm. Oh, Oh, maybe somebody else hit me then. You know, it's always the plow guy.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That is always their first line of questioning. Oh, yeah. No, plow guy did it.
RICK JAMES: little
The SnowJobs Podcast: Landscaper did it. Definitely.
Billy: We do a lot of high-end car dealerships, just the plowing and salting, no walk work, and it's 24 hours.
RICK JAMES: ye
The SnowJobs Podcast: Fuck that.
Billy: You got to report it. We never hit anything knock on wood because we only put loaders there.
The SnowJobs Podcast: God, that's got to be nerve wracking, though.
Billy: It's more nerve-wracking. Actually, it's easier to do it with the snow because they're actually pretty good about moving the cars.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Are they?
Billy: the fault cleanup for the leaves that becomes a cluster fucking mess because you got, you know, and not the dealership understands and they're actually cool.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, I bet.
Billy: It's the client's cars that are in there waiting for service. You're all, you got leaves on it and, you know, leaves definitely scratch, you know, enamel apparently, uh, you know, it's amazing what landspers guys cause.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, yeah. Yeah, they contain little diamond chips. Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Oh, shit. Yeah, no, Billy, that's, yeah, how putting the clause in there for how to report damage and what the statute of limitations is on it.
Billy: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I like that.
Mikey Santolucito : All damages reported by May 1st.
The SnowJobs Podcast: 100%. If we hit something, we'll be the first one to tell, hey, we fucked this up. We'll fix it Monday.
Mikey Santolucito : You got a whole month of spring where you can go outside. There's no snow. Let's talk about it. Don't come at me May 23rd with something new.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We're very lucky, too. We have very good um people in the complexes that like the guys we report to on a daily basis. Like i remember one one situation where we stack too close to the PVC fence on the border of the property and the weight of the snow just popped the one section out and.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Called, said, hey we popped one of the sections. we'll We'll get that pile moved tomorrow when we're hauling, and we'll we'll get it blown away, and we'll move it we'll put the section back. No problem. Don't even worry about it. I got you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And literally, we had a we moved the pile, and Troy was on it. He fixed the section, never heard another word about it. So yeah you tend to get sometimes you get lucky with good people.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That if you do good work by them, they want to keep you happy.
RICK JAMES: It all goes back to reporting it immediately to them instead of them finding it and reporting it. Then then everything gets blamed on you for sure. mighting More than normal.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
Billy: All right.
The SnowJobs Podcast: It's important your guys know that, too, that, listen, damage is going to happen.
RICK JAMES: Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We want you to be as careful as possible, but we understand shit's going to, you know, it's covered by snow.
RICK JAMES: It
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah It's going to jump out at you sooner or later.
RICK JAMES: creeps out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: i need to know when when it happens. Like, don't be afraid to tell me. I'm not going to get mad at you. You know, you're going get your balls broken probably by the guys, but still, it's no big deal.
RICK JAMES: Right, we preset every event.
The SnowJobs Podcast: 100%. We need to know. Cool. What else, boys? is Anything else?
Billy: What was the last question again? i know we jumped off.
The SnowJobs Podcast: ah Do you do the postseason reviews?
Billy: Oh.
The SnowJobs Podcast: And post-storm reviews?
Billy: I probably should.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Do you touch base with clients post-storm just to see how things went?
RICK JAMES: Thank you.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You know, is everything okay? Because I don't check every property anymore. Like, I trust my guys to do the job. So I do check in with the clients, though, because you got to keep that relationship going.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah, always.
Billy: and we need feedback on the new clients.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Huh?
Billy: we take feedback on like the new clients like, Hey, what'd you think of that compared to, you know, your last shit bag?
The SnowJobs Podcast: Okay.
Billy: Oh man, it's great. You actually showed up. So that's, I mean, showed up.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That was a win.
Billy: We can, we can have done bad, bad snow pile placement.
The SnowJobs Podcast: You showed.
Mikey Santolucito : the bar real high.
Billy: I mean, it could have been the most horrible plow in the world and, but we showed up. So it's a win in my book.
The SnowJobs Podcast: win, baby.
Billy: That's it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Just win.
Billy: You know, a wise guy, uh, 25 years ago told me, he says, you know how you're going to get ahead of most of the population? Just show up.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Yeah.
Billy: And here we are in this this world of where people don't show up or on time. I mean, look at Mike.
RICK JAMES: Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: I like. Yeah.
Billy: He's on site, you know, three hours earlier waiting for this. Like, that's that's that's classic.
The SnowJobs Podcast: yeah
Billy: See, he knows.
Mikey Santolucito : I ah no
The SnowJobs Podcast: like i'm not I'm not saying that this works, but it I truly believe in this, and I do this on a daily basis. I've always done it. I believe in keeping in touch with my clients as much as possible and having a relationship with them like that because you don't fire friends, and when a friend tells you that, hey, we need to increase prices right now, this is going on, this is going on, this is going on, and they're all plausible, then they don't balk and they don't change contractors to people they, they really like.
Mikey Santolucito : Yep.
The SnowJobs Podcast: um So I tell them what's coming. I send them the weather report before every storm. I touch base with them via text or a phone call post storm. I want to be, you know, as, as you know, as on top of things as possible as in constant contact without being annoying. It's only when there's events coming or going.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But, I mean, it's it's worked. Like, we've never had a customer balk when we've had to raise them, and we've never lost a site. We've never lost a site that we've held once we've got it.
The SnowJobs Podcast: We've only gotten rid of sites, but we've never been replaced on a site once we've had it. So there's got to be something to that a little bit, just being personable and developing a you know a professional friendship with your clients.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah. Treat your clients like family.
The SnowJobs Podcast: 100%.
The SnowJobs Podcast: They don't fire family. You can get mad at family, but you don't fire family.
Billy: but then they'll fuck you like family.
Mikey Santolucito : Yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Unless they kill someone.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Anything else, boys? i don't We got two more, but I don't even want to get into We're already over an hour, and you guys' lunch hour is over, so Jeremy's got stuff to do so we can get into that.
Mikey Santolucito : Round five.
The SnowJobs Podcast: What's that? We might be able to We're on five.
Mikey Santolucito : Round five.
The SnowJobs Podcast: This is five now. We we might be able to go for six.
Mikey Santolucito : I can't count.
Billy: It's fun.
The SnowJobs Podcast: But yeah, i don't want to hold you guys up for another half hour.
Mikey Santolucito : i mean It'll be a series record.
Billy: Next time. i'll
The SnowJobs Podcast: Hey, listen, as long as it's it's going well, people are loving them. We're getting good information. we're having a great conversation about stuff. No reason to stop. know, we got plenty of episodes to go.
RICK JAMES: I
The SnowJobs Podcast: We're not slowing down anytime soon.
Mikey Santolucito : Very true.
The SnowJobs Podcast: all right boys well we'll let you go then thank you boys appreciate you as always midday this is even ah way above the uh above and beyond the call of duty middle of your days
Mikey Santolucito : All right. Let's save them.
Billy: Anytime.
Mikey Santolucito : Thanks, guys.
Billy: Thank you.
Billy: That's tough for me.
The SnowJobs Podcast: jeremy's got a plane to catch so we got to get him out of here oh no you don't
Billy: My boss makes me punch in and out.
The SnowJobs Podcast: All right, well, we'll wrap it there. So thank you to Mike and Billy, as always, for the fifth week in a row. They keep killing it.
Billy: Oh, yeah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Thank you guys all out there for sending in all the questions and continuing to send in all the questions. And if you're listening to this and you got something that you you want us to elaborate on, the boys will probably be back next week to to help out again.
Mikey Santolucito : No questions, a dumb question.
The SnowJobs Podcast: That's it.
Billy: Hoo-ah.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Ask what you got. And even if it, even if you're worried about it sounding dumb, we'll put a spin on it. So it won't sound dumb when we read it. So, uh, Yes, we will. i know Trust me, i've I've doctored a couple of these questions just to, you know, because I know what they're asking, but it needs to be asked in a different way. So don't hesitate, gang. Send in your questions, whatever information you want to know, any questions you have, we'll get them we'll get them read. We're not stopping until we're done. So that'll do it for episode 174 of the Snow Jaws Podcast main show.
The SnowJobs Podcast: Everybody have a great week. Be safe out there. If you're celebrating anything, celebrate responsibly. Keep pushing.
