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S3-136: Qualifying New Customers, 5 Questions to ask
0 Playsin 2 days
The guys sit down with Mike Santolucito of ODP, and Todd Dickerson of Top Dog Services to go over a basic 5 questions to ask a new perspective customer on the initial phone call to help qualify/disqualify them for your business
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Transcript
00:00:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Happy Monday, Snow Jobs Nation. We are back again, bringing you episode 136 of the Snow Jobs Podcast main show powered by Top Gun Backblades. As always, I'm Steve. That's right. You know who's with me?
00:00:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hop along, Lindstrom.
00:01:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's up, buddy? Love that hat.
00:01:01
RICK JAMES
Hopalong? What are we doing hopalong? What's
00:01:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because of the cowboy hat. I don't know.
00:01:07
RICK JAMES
wrong with the cowboy hat?
00:01:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's awesome. There you go.
00:01:08
RICK JAMES
What's wrong with the cowboy hat?
00:01:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
You going to a rodeo?
00:01:10
RICK JAMES
Change it up. Maybe. We'll see.
00:01:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nice.
00:01:13
RICK JAMES
Why not? um yeah
00:01:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Are they in town? There's always a rodeo in town in Fargo, right?
00:01:17
RICK JAMES
No, there's there's nothing in town, i don't think. No.
00:01:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, man.
00:01:21
RICK JAMES
No, we got – I swear to God for our guest tonight. So, you know, we got top dog Todd, you know.
00:01:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:01:27
RICK JAMES
I see him wearing his cowboy hat, so as well wear mine. But he didn't – yeah, he's showing his bow.
00:01:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's chilling on his boat.
00:01:32
RICK JAMES
He's not wearing his cowboy hat. So he's just wearing his banana hammock.
00:01:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah there we go there we go oh man so how was your week buddy yeah
00:01:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:01:41
RICK JAMES
It's been pretty good. Pretty good. i mean I mean, besides all the crap that happened this week, but i mean it was we were busy at work and a lot of spraying gas juice, starting to get some salt in, you know, just, i don't know, just normal week, I guess.
00:01:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
saw that yeah same same long week but uh good i gotta to go back tomorrow um
00:01:54
RICK JAMES
How about you? about you? How was your week? and
00:02:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
but we're friday night now recording this one we're way ahead of the game we got two full days dropping like what the hell are we gonna do with all that time uh no was uh it was a long week but it uh it's a good week it was over so uh good to go ready to uh we had a couple bids come back accepted so that was uh that was good to get those out of the way and uh two larger two larger bids so happy about that and
00:02:05
RICK JAMES
Way ahead. Holy shit. Shit. yeah
00:02:12
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:02:24
RICK JAMES
Oh, good.
00:02:27
RICK JAMES
Good deal.
00:02:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, ready to get it going. Usually as soon as September 11th is over, we start really cranking for snow, getting and everything prepped and ready, seeing what we got to order, what we got to get in stock and stuff like that.
00:02:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's it, bud.
00:02:43
RICK JAMES
You need a lot of stuff yet this year or no?
00:02:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
No. um We need a lot of little stuff. like i and I know I got to get more belts ah for a couple of the single stage blowers just to have ah yeah little stuff, sidewalk machine stuff. um I think I'm good on edges.
00:03:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Winter took care of us on the edges at the end last season there.
00:03:01
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:03:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we have those edges and we got the Sabres on the other two.
00:03:04
RICK JAMES
Nice.
00:03:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we're good to go with that. think we're going to install the Razorback on my truck, I think, this week, the end of this week, coming week.
00:03:16
RICK JAMES
Yeah, that'll be good.
00:03:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
So be ready to go, man.
00:03:17
RICK JAMES
That'll be good. Hell yeah.
00:03:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
I can't wait to use that thing, dude. It's going to be sick.
00:03:21
RICK JAMES
I'm pretty sure you can wait. I know you. You can wait.
00:03:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, dude, I'll tell you, I'm itching to try that thing. I mean, i don't I don't really want snow before Christmas, but I mean, maybe a little snow before Christmas, but nothing major.
00:03:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:03:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, I can't wait to use that thing. I'd like a like two inches that'll be gone, you know, in six hours, whether we plow it or not type thing just to screw around. That would be fun.
00:03:42
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:03:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
That would be fun.
00:03:44
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:03:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, I'm just waiting for the rate controllers to come in to put on the tornadoes. And other than that, we should be good to go. Not really much.
00:03:52
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:03:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
We got to tune up.
00:03:54
RICK JAMES
That's good. I suppose you're going need some more plow rate stakes with your new lots you just said you got.
00:03:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
um i'm well yeah the the one is new the other ones is is just a renewal for another three years excuse me so that was good um but yeah no the plow rights i'm getting more of anyway because of the uh i i kind of have to because i asked matt to get that extended reflective on there and he came through and he got it done so you can order those with double the reflective now so i'm definitely definitely got to get those for the boys that was their
00:03:59
RICK JAMES
Oh,
00:04:15
RICK JAMES
yeah.
00:04:19
RICK JAMES
oh
00:04:22
RICK JAMES
getting a pallet.
00:04:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't think we need a whole pallet, but we'll get we'll get some in stock. But, yeah, that's it. Nothing else going on. So, yeah, what are we going to do tonight, man?
00:04:32
RICK JAMES
Cool.
00:04:36
RICK JAMES
I think we're going to talk some preseason stuff with the boys and, you know, get some, see, see what everybody does for the preseason or customers bidding and all that fun stuff.
00:04:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah Amen. Amen. Yep, we got some, ah we had some information that the Jordan Smith and Storm gave us from their 2025 contractor survey that is still going on, but gave us some preliminary stuff, and there were a couple snow jobs questions in there, and the one thing guys were asking for, well so besides more episodes, they you know, guys were asking for daily episodes.
00:04:46
RICK JAMES
So, yeah.
00:05:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's not going to happen, but, you know, we're going to try and...
00:05:08
RICK JAMES
Sure. It definitely could if i wonder if we will to get if we can get paid good.
00:05:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
or ah
00:05:13
RICK JAMES
We could do this every day.
00:05:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, I mean, yeah, that, I mean, yeah, if you wanted to, if you wanted to make it our full-time job, then no problem. We'll get you a daily episode. We'll get you a daily dose, but yeah, so we could sling it.
00:05:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we we could talk some shit every day.
00:05:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
No problem there. But yeah, no, why we're, why we're doing this though, the guys are asking for it like more contract based stuff, more preseason based stuff, more technical stuff, more talking about, you know, snow equipment, getting, getting opinions of different guys.
00:05:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, you know, as always, you guys ask, we answer. yeah know We try and do the best we can for you. you know Not all the time, but you know we definitely try and do what guys are you know most of the people are asking for. So that's what we're doing. So today we're going to talk about something that may be overlooked by some, ah possibly even by many, but it's it's very important.
00:06:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
the the The name of this game is increasing your efficiency to increase your profit margins, right? We know that we're we're all in the same boat. Everybody has less money to spend on their snow there's stone management, and all of our costs are up.
00:06:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
So you got you got to waste as little of your own time as possible. You got to be more efficient. So what we're going to do tonight is we're going to go over, like specifically, I've had a lot of questions of guys, how we qualify our customers and our flow chart and stuff that we use on the phones.
00:06:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that's what we're going to do. We're going to go over the top five things we ask of new prospective customers. It's just basically your initial phone call with that new customer, you're you're qualifying or disqualifying them based on what you're hearing off the questions you're asking and their answers.
00:06:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
right, so to help us do that tonight, we have two great perspectives. All right, we have Mikey Sanalicito from Outdoor Pride. He's always got a lot of good knowledge in these areas.
00:06:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's got a lot of experience up there with ODP.
00:06:58
RICK JAMES
Thank you.
00:07:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we're ah we brought him in tonight. And from the federal snow world, the airport snow world, One of the big dogs, no pun intended. Todd Dickerson of Top Dog Services is also going to join us tonight.
00:07:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we're going to get, hopefully we'll get a small company outlook. We'll get two larger company outlooks from Jeremy and Mike and and kind of maybe their tips to what they do.
00:07:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then we can get something you know some stuff from Todd, hopefully on the federal side, if any of you guys are are looking at that stuff, or larger, you know more complicated contracts and RFPs. Todd has a lot of that kind of expertise.
00:07:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it should be an outstanding episode and hopefully very helpful to a lot of guys out there. And you know hopefully we can bring you what you need. ah But before we get to talking with the boys, as always, always going to hear from Team Top Gun.
00:07:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Come back, and we'll make a couple announcements about shows and do a quick week review.
00:08:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, guys, we're back. Todd's doing a bunch of hand signals. I can't see what he's doing with his phone, but oh he wants Mike to call him. All right, that's fine. Remember, guys, we're doing video tonight.
00:08:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah But anyway, we are back. So what do we got to do here? We got to go through some announcements. And now I got to find the damn things. There we go. So industry show announcements, guys. We talked about this the last couple of weeks. Wednesday, this coming Wednesday. So two days from the time this is dropping.
00:08:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're Wednesday, September 17th. Storks Plows in Leesburg, Pennsylvania is going to be doing their Plow Tech School. That's how that goes over training Sorry guys how to troubleshoot fix issues with western plows and spreader actually all douglas brand plows and spreaders Uh awesome class. We heard nothing but great feedback from it last year Uh gene and his guys did a great job with that. It's 125 for the day. I believe there's still 10 spots Uh open for that it's limited to 50 So, uh, if you're interested and you're coming to maybe pennsylvania for sns on thursday know, maybe add a day to it and and join us on wednesday out there at storks I will be out there for that, uh Um, the next day, Thursday, September 18th is the SNS snow and ice day.
00:09:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's at SNS out in Taylor, Pennsylvania. It's right outside screen. Uh, Great one-day event, guys. It's 9 to 4 p.m. And, you know, they said couple panel discussions. From 5 to 8 is their after-hours networking event.
00:09:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah That was awesome last year. Right, Jay?
00:09:55
RICK JAMES
That was good. That was good time.
00:09:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
That was freaking awesome. right they They killed it with the after-hours stuff.
00:10:00
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:10:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
And we had a great time. lot of boys hung out until the bitter end.
00:10:03
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:10:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't think anybody left there until at least 9 o'clock.
00:10:07
RICK JAMES
oh No, no, it was fun.
00:10:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was good. Good time. So if you want to go to that, just check our socials. We've been putting the flyer up there. It's got the QR code. Scan it, and we will see you there. Jeremy is flying in for that one.
00:10:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
So ah you don't want to miss that. What else here?
00:10:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:10:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Thursday, October 2nd, we have the second annual Northeast D. Icing Solutions Field Day. That's in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. All right, that's Patty Salmon's deal. ah That starts at 9 a.m. m You're going to have Jordan Smith talking liquids. You're going to have a discussion on live edge wing plows and their benefits and a panel discussion led by the Snow Jobs podcast guys. As we said last week, we we found out that we were apparently doing that as we were reading the announcement.
00:10:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
So good to know.
00:10:54
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:10:57
RICK JAMES
Patty's picking up all the travel expenses out here.
00:10:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is
00:10:59
RICK JAMES
So yeah.
00:10:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Way to go, Pat.
00:11:01
RICK JAMES
First class all the way.
00:11:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm getting a sweet. ah Yeah, he also has an after-hours networking event at that as well. So please RSVP by September 25th if you're planning on going to Northeast D-Icing's field day.
00:11:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
uh what else do we have couple announcements congratulations i wanted to give a shout out uh congratulations to western snow products on their 75th anniversary in the snow product manufacturing game all right as all of you guys know by now jeremy is a big boss fan and i of course swear by my westerns so uh you know my but i know i know you know you got to use what you got to what you got to use and what what you have dealer support for but uh
00:11:35
RICK JAMES
We don't have Westerns around us.
00:11:43
RICK JAMES
to be honest, when I first started pushing years ago, first thing we we had were Westerns, so straight plows.
00:11:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:11:50
RICK JAMES
that So I have used them.
00:11:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
But then now you don't have a dealer in Fargo anymore?
00:11:53
RICK JAMES
i I don't know where there's one. There used to be one here a couple years ago, but I haven't seen any any signs anywhere.
00:11:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:12:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right.
00:12:01
RICK JAMES
So at least the guys that had it.
00:12:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, what are you going to do?
00:12:03
RICK JAMES
So.
00:12:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, if you don't have the dealer, you don't have the dealer.
00:12:06
RICK JAMES
right.
00:12:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
And you need a dealer for those. But, uh, yeah, like they've never let me down. I've had MVP threes and, uh, the tornado since I started, basically, they've always been awesome to me.
00:12:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
um so I wanted to give a big shout out for their 75th anniversary. And, uh, they had, they posted a thing about the, I guess they took a company like dinner cruise or something. It looked like, uh,
00:12:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
the other night that looked like pretty cool event so uh good for them congratulations western on 75 years in this industry that's uh pretty impressive it's uh who the heck wants to be in snow that long that'll wear you down quick uh what else brother you still got you still got tons of stock in the snow jobs nation store all right
00:12:39
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:12:50
RICK JAMES
Yep. Yep. We're trying to stay ahead of the car heart shortage. Like you always been saying.
00:12:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh yeah a long sleeve i heard all long sleeves will be in the shortage this winter so get them now create the shortage i love it it's supply chain it's you know covid it's still covid supply chain issues still
00:12:54
RICK JAMES
So yeah.
00:12:58
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yep. Shortage long sleeves. Get them now. Get them now.
00:13:06
RICK JAMES
yeah You never know. COVID 2.0. two point zero COVID don't...
00:13:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
but oh shit you got anything else bud
00:13:16
RICK JAMES
i don't
00:13:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, cool. So let's hear, as always, from our great partners. And we're going to come back and we'll get into this with the boys.
00:14:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, gang, we are back. Let's welcome in Mikey and Todd back again. How are you boys? Todd looks like he's signaling for a left turn there for the longest time here.
00:14:37
RICK JAMES
Hey guys.
00:14:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, there, bud. It's
00:14:40
Todd Dickerson
Keep forgetting we're on video tonight. Sorry, boys.
00:14:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
all good.
00:14:44
Mikey
Sorry, right they're they're only doing this half, right?
00:14:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
said, what's he got his arm out for?
00:14:47
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:14:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's he doing?
00:14:49
Todd Dickerson
In this hotel room, I'm trying to click the the a remote control.
00:14:50
RICK JAMES
Yeah. He's got a rod out. He's got a rod out on the boat there. He's...
00:14:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
go. Yeah. Oh, man. How's everybody doing?
00:15:00
Mikey
Doing great, man.
00:15:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. All right.
00:15:03
Mikey
Doing great.
00:15:03
Todd Dickerson
Awesome.
00:15:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool.
00:15:04
Todd Dickerson
Getting a little chilly around here and, you know, sick of the the humidity and all that's going away. So let's rock.
00:15:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, absolutely.
00:15:10
Mikey
ah love it.
00:15:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely.
00:15:11
Mikey
Trees are turning.
00:15:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
You guys.
00:15:13
Mikey
Morning's getting crispy. Let's fucking go.
00:15:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah. Todd, when are you guys ah responsible to get on airports for for the winter?
00:15:17
RICK JAMES
He's...
00:15:20
Todd Dickerson
Um, it depends. Some of a new property is, uh, October 15th.
00:15:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:15:27
Todd Dickerson
Um, most of them are like November 1st.
00:15:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
It depends on the region.
00:15:33
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:15:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:15:34
Todd Dickerson
but like Yep.
00:15:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha. Cool.
00:15:36
Todd Dickerson
Yep.
00:15:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. So we talked about what we're going to do tonight. You know, the top five questions that you should ask on the initial phone call to help you qualify or disqualify a new prospective customer. So I think we'll just kick it off. We'll get into this and guys just jump in where you, where you feel that you have it something to add or going to get something in there.
00:15:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
um I think the first thing we can all agree on before you even start asking questions, just determine who you're speaking with, whether it's the owner, property management company, board member.
00:16:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
mean, you got to get that nailed down to to see because it's it's very important to know, is this a decision maker or is this a ah basically, honestly, a tire kicker or somebody that's
00:16:17
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:16:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, if you have ah if you have nine board members and they're all calling a company to get ah a bid because maybe they're unhappy with the current snow provider or they have an axe to grind, you know it might not even be something that the rest of the board is shopping.
00:16:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're just, you know, basically wasting your time. So definitely definitely determine who you're talking to and if they have the power to, if they have the information at hand to know and and maybe know what their budget is. But But getting into it, the first question I always ask, and this is right from from our flow chart. We have a whole flow chart for the initial phone call if somebody calls looking for snow proposals or pricing.
00:16:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah First question I ask everybody is, can I ask why you're shopping? what What is the reason?
00:17:00
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:17:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
What is the problem? Are you unhappy with your current provider? Did your current provider retire? It could be any number reasons. They want to go in a different direction. The last thing I want to hear is we want to go cheaper.
00:17:14
RICK JAMES
Great.
00:17:14
Mikey
Some
00:17:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
and
00:17:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:17:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's going to be a very quick phone call.
00:17:16
RICK JAMES
A
00:17:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
I guarantee I ain't going to be that.
00:17:18
Mikey
yeah
00:17:21
RICK JAMES
hundred percent.
00:17:21
Mikey
some of these guys are required to do it. Speaking from the commercial end of it, some of them are required if it's coming off a multi-year deal, if it's usually three years is the average.
00:17:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
They are.
00:17:30
Mikey
So their ownership group may want to make sure that they're getting the CPI, the the market rate for what the service is.
00:17:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:17:38
Mikey
And it doesn't matter how great you did or the relationship that you have with them.
00:17:38
RICK JAMES
Hopefully,
00:17:41
Mikey
They're just, they're forced to do and your hands are tied. But that relationship does salvage it at the end of the day because you have that level of trust with them. So they'll hopefully give you a second look if they need you to, like to look at your pricing a little bit or figure out where your escalators need to shift to get it in there.
00:17:50
RICK JAMES
hopefully, yeah. hopefully
00:17:58
Mikey
But yeah, it may not always be, you know, the dark end of the moon. It may just be something out their hands.
00:18:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, like I know the municipals that we do, they're required. we can't We've been trying so hard to get a multi-year deal done. Like, we'll lock in your price for three years.
00:18:11
Mikey
Yep.
00:18:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Just let's get this done because we're happy with the money we make there, and we know nobody's going to – we're there. It's right in our core area. We can do it. We can do it for the price we do it at, and we make good money doing it, and they're very happy with our service, but their charter forces them every year for us to spend time reworking bid,
00:18:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
And you know it's always going to come back to us, but they still make us do it. So, know, it depends.
00:18:38
Mikey
yep
00:18:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sometimes you got to do it. You got to dance the dance. But, yeah, I mean, you're you're having an entry conversation. you're You're trying to build out a customer profile what you're really trying to do with this. You know, you you want a customer that ideally for me, I want a customer that's serious about their level of service, that's serious about snow removal, and that knows actually that that kind of quality costs money.
00:19:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
if If that's the kind of customer that's calling, then we're going to get along just fine. um And I want to make sure they're a good fit for my company, for what we do and how we do it. And that's that's what this phone call is all about.
00:19:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
you know it's yeah I also i love to make note of when they're calling. Like, are they are they reaching out in June? Or are they reaching out November 20th?
00:19:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because snow is now forecast for four days away.
00:19:26
RICK JAMES
Right.
00:19:29
RICK JAMES
Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah that Because that' that's a big deal to me.
00:19:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, okay, if they're reaching out in June, chances are, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, they're taking snow pretty serious.
00:19:38
Mikey
Yeah.
00:19:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, they're they're listening. They're calling us early. They want to get it on the radar. They know what we're doing takes time to get them qualified and to get a site visit and all that stuff.
00:19:46
Mikey
Or they learn their lesson the hard way.
00:19:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, yeah, yeah.
00:19:49
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:19:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
I mean, 100%.
00:19:50
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:19:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
um percent If they're calling in November, I mean, two things are going to happen. It's either I'm going to say no outright, or if they are in our core zone and we can fit it into an existing route that we have without sacrificing our current level of service on other properties, they're going to be paying a little more for coming to the game late, you know, just for the hassle.
00:20:02
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
00:20:10
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah.
00:20:12
Mikey
Mm-mm. Nah.
00:20:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anybody disagree with that?
00:20:14
Mikey
no
00:20:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's just me.
00:20:15
RICK JAMES
Nope.
00:20:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, exactly.
00:20:16
RICK JAMES
Nope. Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:17
Todd Dickerson
i I call that pain.
00:20:19
RICK JAMES
yeah yeah
00:20:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:20:21
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:20:22
Todd Dickerson
You got to pay for the pain.
00:20:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. I mean, but when they call tells you a lot about them right off the bat, you know, because.
00:20:28
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, so so real quick on the government side, but most of our stuff is, I'll say March, April, because we have to allocate either whether it's iron, melters, you know, different stuff than, you know,
00:20:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, go ahead.
00:20:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:20:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure.
00:20:44
Todd Dickerson
um you know, trucks and stuff like that. So most of our stuff is generally early spring. I'll say March, April, right? I mean, I know a couple of airports that, be I mean, January, it's already out for the following, you know, winter.
00:20:56
RICK JAMES
wow.
00:20:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great.
00:21:00
Todd Dickerson
um So, um but I mean, i got one right now or two right now that we're we're right at the finish line, still don't have signature, but we've been going, we've been literally round table negotiating with them since June.
00:21:11
RICK JAMES
so
00:21:15
Todd Dickerson
um
00:21:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
They better hurry up.
00:21:17
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. But I also, i know that Chicago's out right now and they wait to put it out so that they can keep the incumbent because nobody can get that many melters in time to, you know, so it's all game in the, in the, in the government side.
00:21:28
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:21:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ah, gotcha.
00:21:33
Todd Dickerson
And we can talk about that later.
00:21:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, i bet
00:21:34
Todd Dickerson
Cause you know, that I like to hear the other side of the, of the, of the house, so to speak. So,
00:21:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
I bet. Do they determine when they award the bid, or can you put something in there that you need you need confirmation, yes or no, by a certain date?
00:21:49
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. I mean, generally it's ah it's a 30-day. Well, some of them are immediate openings.
00:21:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay. Okay.
00:21:55
Todd Dickerson
So once the bid's turned in, it's immediate.
00:21:55
RICK JAMES
hi
00:21:58
Todd Dickerson
And then most of them are about 30 days because generally all of our stuff is evaluated bid, not low price.
00:22:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Gotcha.
00:22:05
Todd Dickerson
um So you got to turn in technicals and all that kind of stuff. so But we can get into that you know in a little bit.
00:22:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sounds good.
00:22:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:22:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anything else on the first, ah you know, asking them why they're shopping? Any other questions we should be asking them along that line?
00:22:21
RICK JAMES
No, you pretty much hit it on the head. i mean, that's just your basic questions. You know, if they're, if they're going for price, keep calling.
00:22:24
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
00:22:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:22:27
RICK JAMES
I mean, it's, it's not any of us because, you know,
00:22:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yep. No, I agree with that. um The second question on that flow chart, which how they answer determines how they go basically on that graph. um they They work on one side or the other.
00:22:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
So the second question we ask them is the address, the type of property or business that it is, or the businesses within it, if there's multiple businesses in the building or complex. And we really want to know what, once we hear what business it is, we want to know what their hours of normal operation are.
00:22:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
When do their delivery trucks get there? When are they open for business? When do their first employees get there? When do they usually leave? that Those are all sub-questions in that you know and that question number two that we want them to to answer.
00:23:10
RICK JAMES
So like an RFP is what you're looking for.
00:23:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, basically.
00:23:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
But most of these places, when they're calling, if they're not emailing you an RFP right off the bat and they're just cold calling you, they don't have an ah RFP.
00:23:14
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:23:20
RICK JAMES
Yep. Right.
00:23:22
Mikey
or Or my personal favorite.
00:23:22
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:23
Mikey
Oh, like just do your general contract. Just whatever you normally do.
00:23:27
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:23:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
00:23:28
Mikey
Okay.
00:23:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'll send you my lawn contract.
00:23:29
Mikey
You have no idea what I normally do.
00:23:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
00:23:33
Mikey
I normally get an ah RFP.
00:23:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
But like for, for smaller properties, like, like my, like my wheelhouse where they're individually owned businesses, they're individually owned complexes. They're not, you know, multinational corporations, maybe larger corporations, big box stuff.
00:23:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. you know, this is what they do. They don't have ah RFPs, a lot of them. So you have to go through all all this with them. And what I've done with a couple of my properties that I really, they're really good people.
00:24:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I've helped educate them because I'm not going to be around forever. I know this. And they're good people. They've always done right by us. I will always do right by the customer. I've actually helped them develop an ah RFP so that when it is time to for all hands to hang it up,
00:24:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
whenever that may be, they can hit the ground running and I will actually help them find their next contractor. I will, I will be there every step of the way for them.
00:24:22
Mikey
That's great.
00:24:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Listen, you know, that's what it's all about, man. You know, you you take care of your customers, you have ah a friendship, you have a ah good business relationship and you know, it should be beneficial to both of you.
00:24:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
You should be getting what you need to make and they should be getting the service that they want, the level they want.
00:24:39
RICK JAMES
All right.
00:24:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, but, um but I mean, question number two there, that can help determine like for a smaller guy like myself, that hearing what type of property it is, or that will tell me a lot about the address tells me do I can I even do this logistically?
00:24:58
RICK JAMES
right
00:24:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, is this in my hub? Is this in my wheelhouse? can we even fit this into a route if it's too far outside that, you know, or is it a location that I even want to do?
00:25:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like maybe it's a high traffic, you know, ridiculous, something that's 24 hour location, like a, an urgent care or something that's 24 hours. i don't want to do that. You know, I definitely don't want to do that, but you know it helps you. it helps you work on that list.
00:25:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
What are laughing at?
00:25:26
RICK JAMES
i You definitely don't want to do that. it's like That's like our bread and butter.
00:25:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
What?
00:25:30
RICK JAMES
We like those.
00:25:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
What urgent care?
00:25:32
RICK JAMES
Yeah, we like those 24-hour.
00:25:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you really?
00:25:34
RICK JAMES
Yeah, well, I mean, they're good moneymakers and they're 24 hours. You got to be on them all the time. They're usually pretty good moneymakers, so.
00:25:43
Mikey
They wonder why healthcare is so expensive.
00:25:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't.
00:25:44
Mikey
Because paying Glacier every winter.
00:25:45
RICK JAMES
os
00:25:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
that all There you go.
00:25:46
RICK JAMES
Oh, come on.
00:25:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go. ruining it for everybody. No, I mean, that's just, but that for me, that's not my wheelhouse.
00:25:50
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:25:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's not something I want to do. I don't want to have that. that would i already have a lot of emergency service locations that I have to maintain and that they're the priority. You know, the the firehouses, the police stations, those are the priorities to urgent care.
00:26:03
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:26:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't really need them and they're too far out of our core right there for me to deal with it. So I was just using that as an example, what I wouldn't want to do, but.
00:26:14
RICK JAMES
like
00:26:15
Mikey
Yeah.
00:26:16
RICK JAMES
My guys love their, you know, the medical stuff because they always love shift change. I mean, it's they love watching the nurses walking it out. So I'm
00:26:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah oh
00:26:26
RICK JAMES
not lying. not lying.
00:26:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, no. But ah the the second little subcategory on that question, number two, once they give you the address, it ah allows you to start building up a profile for the property because while you're on the phone with them,
00:26:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
You can just say, hey, can you give me two seconds here? You pull it up on site photos. You pull it up on Google Maps, whatever the hell you do. And now you can plug it in and start mapping it for, well, like I do it half the time when I'm on the phone with them and I start mapping it out so I know approximate square footage is, you know I can get a ballpark of how many acres we're dealing with in the lot, how many square feet of sidewalk, that kind of thing.
00:27:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
um And it helps you start building out your, basically, the ballpark answer you give them at the end of the the ah conversation. But, ah I mean, the other thing, the hours of operation, for some guys, some guys don't want 24-hour operations.
00:27:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
They want to have the night to be able to get in there and attack it and just be done by 8 a.m.
00:27:18
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:27:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
m 24-hour operations might not fit into, you know, their schedule for what they're doing on a small, if they're on a much smaller scale, like even smaller than me.
00:27:31
Mikey
It depends on which operation though.
00:27:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
That might not work. Yeah.
00:27:33
Mikey
Like some operations have like a a shift change, right? They'll come in 6 PM and they'll leave at a, uh, three, two AM in the morning, something like that.
00:27:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:27:43
Mikey
They're going to in the building. They're not going to be out there like doing anything outside.
00:27:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:27:47
Mikey
So it's not like super, I'm only speaking from experience. It's not super involved. Like you 12 AM, 1 AM, you don't have to like be there plowing every single flake that hits.
00:27:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
True.
00:27:58
Mikey
You just got remember when they're going to come out to their cars and get it, get the aisleways done, the walkways done, treated, let them go.
00:27:58
RICK JAMES
Like industrial.
00:28:04
Mikey
The next shift comes in, do it all over again, wait for it to be over.
00:28:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:28:08
RICK JAMES
Like industrial sites, right? You know, like talking.
00:28:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. 100%.
00:28:11
RICK JAMES
to Yeah, I would love i love those.
00:28:11
Mikey
Yeah. Or automated sites like,
00:28:14
RICK JAMES
Yeah, I would love those.
00:28:14
Mikey
Yeah. Like some fulfillment centers.
00:28:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like we we have a ah we have a postal facility in town that used to be a sort center before they just closed it as a so sort center, but it's still a post office.
00:28:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
But they used to have trucks coming and going all night, the tractor trailers. So that we always had to treat that like zero T.
00:28:31
Mikey
Yeah.
00:28:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
and get At least in the back lot, the front you know customer lot and everything, okay, that could go three, four inches, and that could get cleared at 6 a.m., but the back lot, we had because they had people coming and going, and they had those trucks that had to be able to get in.
00:28:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
So that was you know that's something to to think about for some guys that maybe don't have they don't have the ability to get back there every hour to make a run through.
00:28:49
Mikey
yeah
00:28:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:28:56
RICK JAMES
Well,
00:28:56
Mikey
yeah Yeah. Yeah. We had a pharmacy fulfillment center for one of those mailout or mail-in pill services, and they would always park on one side of the parking lot for the second shift overnight, and we'd get the stuff that's furthest away for the morning shift to come in.
00:29:13
Mikey
So it's like this nice little, we don't have wait for the cars to leave and then come back at the end of the day. they' They're always staying on one end and then someone's shifting over to your your clean end and you're just doing the other end. It's such a nice little dance.
00:29:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's what you call the great white Buffalo.
00:29:24
RICK JAMES
well
00:29:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do you know how many times?
00:29:26
RICK JAMES
Yeah, was to say, where does that happen?
00:29:26
Mikey
Yep.
00:29:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. You know how many times we went over a site plan with the postal workers and it went to shit in the first or second storm that, Oh no, well they got mail trucks parked everywhere. Their cars are everywhere. They're not supposed to be.
00:29:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
It was good luck.
00:29:39
Mikey
Yeah. These guys,
00:29:41
RICK JAMES
Oh, you got the peep.
00:29:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good for you, dude.
00:29:42
RICK JAMES
Oh, you got the, you got.
00:29:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
God.
00:29:43
Mikey
Unfortunately, they learned the hard way.
00:29:44
RICK JAMES
Hmm.
00:29:45
Mikey
They know what it's like to have to shovel out their cars if they park in a wonky situation. So that I think that's why they they did it.
00:29:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah The great white Buffalo.
00:29:52
RICK JAMES
Hmm.
00:29:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got it. There you go.
00:29:53
Mikey
Yep, you get a couple.
00:29:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good. You got them trained.
00:29:55
RICK JAMES
ODP.
00:29:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
I love it.
00:29:57
RICK JAMES
That's awesome. Never heard of it.
00:29:59
Mikey
Steve, to kind of piggyback on like maybe beforehand for that second question, if you're starting out and you are trying to figure out where your niche is,
00:30:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:30:09
Mikey
ask yourself what you're doing now that's working for you. Where do you want that like brand to gravitate to, whether it's going to be distribution, gas stations, medical centers, schools, you name it. Like when you get a phone call from some of these guys and they tell you what the property is, you can say yes or no. I mean, you don't have to take the word just because you're trying to grow your business. If you're going to take something on that's not either in your wheelhouse, your expertise level, your comfort level, like It's okay to say no, but know that beforehand so that you're not sitting there on your hands like, do I want to take this?
00:30:42
Mikey
Do I not? And then you three or four days later, they're calling you like, Hey, I haven't heard from you.
00:30:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:30:46
Mikey
dude Do you want this site? Yeah, I think I do. Just give me the RFP and i'll ah i'll I'll give you a number. Like yeah have an honest conversation with yourself and your team and figure out what it is that you are looking for for new business.
00:30:58
Mikey
And that'll actually help you accelerate a little faster.
00:30:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
and i was Yeah. Just tell them I'll get back to you while you're figuring it out. If you're not already established on what you want to do. Yeah, ah no problem.
00:31:07
Mikey
Yeah.
00:31:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, let me get back to you in like two days. I'm in the middle something now, whatever, and I'll get back to you. And then think it out, talk it out, and see if you can do it or you want to do it.
00:31:16
Mikey
Yeah.
00:31:16
RICK JAMES
Yeah, that's my problem.
00:31:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
Definitely.
00:31:18
RICK JAMES
I always ah we try to, I always say yes, I'll figure it out.
00:31:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Jeremy says yes to everything.
00:31:23
RICK JAMES
I'll get figured out. No reason I can't do that. So yeah, spare equipment.
00:31:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Just throw some of that spare equipment on it.
00:31:30
RICK JAMES
mean, I got to go find, but I'm not going to, I have a hard time saying no or I can't do something.
00:31:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:31:35
RICK JAMES
like to, you know, get it done.
00:31:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:31:38
Todd Dickerson
ah I'm in that same situation right now. Like I have two, too good, good contracts getting ready to get going. And we literally just had another one call. And i mean, my, my crew is just like, what are you doing to us? Are you serious? And I'm like, ah, we'll figure it out. Don't worry about it.
00:31:58
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
00:31:58
Mikey
We always figure it out.
00:31:59
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. And I mean, all you guys know my guys and it's not like we're going around the corner, right? I mean, we're talking totally opposite ends of the country right now. And they're like, our what do what are you doing?
00:32:08
RICK JAMES
you know
00:32:11
Todd Dickerson
Like, we already got the two that you're working on. And now you want to go totally out of left field. Remember how my arm was over here doing that?
00:32:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah. yeah yeah
00:32:20
Todd Dickerson
Not where we're at right now.
00:32:22
RICK JAMES
yes
00:32:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I'm the complete opposite.
00:32:22
RICK JAMES
ah
00:32:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
I want to plan everything out and make sure I run through every scenario in my head and on paper to make sure if I say yes, that we can knock this out of the park on our worst day.
00:32:23
RICK JAMES
You'll get it done, Todd.
00:32:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like I'm, I'm like, I do not take any, shit like any chances.
00:32:33
RICK JAMES
Oh, I do...
00:32:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
My guy's like, yeah, we can do it. No problem. I'm like, uh, pump the brakes. Let me just figure this out.
00:32:40
Todd Dickerson
My media team loving all the new locations because they're like, oh, my God, we get to travel and do this. And and I'm like, oh, there's a question.
00:32:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Bonvoy platinum members for top dog.
00:32:47
RICK JAMES
and hello
00:32:49
Mikey
Yep.
00:32:50
Todd Dickerson
um' um I'm already with Marriott.
00:32:51
RICK JAMES
but
00:32:52
Todd Dickerson
Now I'm working on Hilton.
00:32:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
There you go.
00:32:53
Todd Dickerson
I need to travel diamonds.
00:32:54
RICK JAMES
Oh, nice. I need your number.
00:32:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's great.
00:32:57
RICK JAMES
No, it' just I mean, I i always always try to determine if it's, you know, in the worst storm and we can finish it, but i always figure we'll figure it out because that's what we've always done.
00:33:08
RICK JAMES
mean, just...
00:33:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got a lot of iron to throw at it, too.
00:33:11
RICK JAMES
Well, yeah, I understand that, but still it's still...
00:33:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, I mean, that gives you confidence. That that gives you a different kind of confidence.
00:33:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it gives me confidence. I mean, I can always, you know, I can get more, you know, vendor partners to help us out and stuff like that. So I'm not worried about it. but
00:33:24
Todd Dickerson
I think the biggest thing, just, just one-on-one, right?
00:33:25
RICK JAMES
I don't
00:33:27
Todd Dickerson
Snow removal, in my opinion is, and Mikey, you kind of hit it, right? There's nothing wrong with saying no, you know?
00:33:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Absolutely.
00:33:35
RICK JAMES
know. there isn't.
00:33:36
Todd Dickerson
And, and,
00:33:36
Mikey
better served by others.
00:33:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
say no all the time.
00:33:37
RICK JAMES
It's hard.
00:33:38
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. And, and I mean, like it if you want to hit 85 gas stations, then stay in that, stay in that lane and go with it, baby.
00:33:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:33:39
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:33:47
Todd Dickerson
But you, you, you gotta know when to say no.
00:33:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. 100%.
00:33:48
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:33:52
Todd Dickerson
And, you know, if you, if you're not, if you're not profitable in in the job, there' there's no reason to do it. And it's hard. It's, that's one of the hardest things when you're just getting started in this,
00:34:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
00:34:05
Todd Dickerson
You know, because like, I'm sure people are listening right now and probably not with my ugly head, but people are like, I want to be like those guys. Like, I want to do that. Right. And I get it.
00:34:16
Todd Dickerson
But the only way you get to this, to this is telling people no and just staying like super hyper focused on your, your niche.
00:34:28
Todd Dickerson
Like that's what you have to do.
00:34:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:34:28
RICK JAMES
Yep. 100%.
00:34:29
Todd Dickerson
And it is hard as hell.
00:34:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent.
00:34:32
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:34:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
We always, we always tell guys in my other career, like, you know, everybody's talking about, Oh, you know, don't ever make any mistakes.
00:34:32
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:34:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
You got to be perfect all the time. Perfection is a myth. We always tell people the key is make as few mistakes as possible and make them as minor as they possibly can be.
00:34:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
And that's how you overcome it.
00:34:52
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:34:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because if you,
00:34:52
Mikey
And when you make it, own it.
00:34:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
00:34:55
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
00:34:55
RICK JAMES
oh yeah
00:34:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. Own it. Fix it. Move on. And hopefully that it's minor enough and it doesn't happen again to the point where you're able to keep that contract. You don't get, you know, dropped by insurance, whatever happens, because you say you say yes to the wrong property because you're you're hungry and you're you're really aggressive and you want to build a business and you're just not patient.
00:35:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
You could be out of business by the end of that season.
00:35:18
RICK JAMES
Oh, easy. Yeah.
00:35:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Easily. it It only takes one bad decision. That's the unfortunate part of this game is you don't get a do-over, especially with insurance nowadays. They will drop your ass.
00:35:29
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
00:35:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
And then even if you could find another carrier that'll give you insurance after you've already had a claim, good luck affording it. you know that's That's the problem. So, I mean, just be like, I love the that the these guys reinforce that. It's okay to say no.
00:35:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
We say no all the time.
00:35:44
RICK JAMES
yeah its It is okay to say no. I'm going to circle back. where We don't just take anything on.
00:35:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do it.
00:35:51
RICK JAMES
the reason i I have a hard time saying no is because we're always we're spread out so far and we have so much equipment around. We're always in that area where I'm like, wow, we can just go right there.
00:36:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
No,
00:36:01
RICK JAMES
We got you know we can slide over there. so It's not like we just say yes to everything because we absolutely don't, but I have a hard time.
00:36:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
but like you said, you have a lot of tentacles. You guys are everywhere and you have the equipment to back it up.
00:36:10
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:36:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
One machine goes down is not going to end your day.
00:36:16
RICK JAMES
And if it's a property I've been looking at for years or whatever, and it comes up and I'm like, you know, you want to jump and grab that thing if you can that you've been, you know, that's yeah.
00:36:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, everybody's got their golden eggs out there that they're like, if that thing ever becomes available, I'm snatching that up. Like, everybody's got it. Everybody's got that jewel.
00:36:30
Todd Dickerson
Amen, brother. Amen.
00:36:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it.
00:36:33
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:36:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody's got their eye on it.
00:36:33
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah.
00:36:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, uh,
00:36:36
RICK JAMES
I am the prize.
00:36:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, that like that's a that's a whole – that's why i love having these conversations with with all of us because we all have a different scope. We all have a different ah looking glass to to view this stuff from.
00:36:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Whereas for guys that are smaller than me, if they only have two trucks or two machines out there and they're asked to take a so a job way away from their property and they have other properties of service and now they lose one truck,
00:37:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
can they still handle everything else they have? And a lot of times the answer is probably going to be no. So, but somebody else that has ah like, it's a lot easier to take. Yeah, we we're going to, we'll, we'll figure it out. We're going to get that done. That's no problem. We got backups to our backups to our backups.
00:37:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
The smaller guys sometimes don't have that. So don't exactly one of the other 47 loaders.
00:37:23
RICK JAMES
What's a backup? ah yeah
00:37:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:37:29
RICK JAMES
We don't have backups.
00:37:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:37:31
RICK JAMES
We don't. We've always talked about backups, but get you you can't you can't have We're like, that thing's sitting there.
00:37:32
Mikey
We use the backups.
00:37:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, backups go out.
00:37:37
RICK JAMES
might as well be using it because otherwise, what good is it sitting there?
00:37:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
but backup The backups always go out.
00:37:40
RICK JAMES
So, yeah, there's no such thing in the backup.
00:37:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
00:37:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
the yeah The third question we asked them to keep building out their profile, ah this is probably my, not not my favorite, but it's probably the most telling. ah Who was your previous snow contractor and why are you not continuing?
00:37:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
um you might know that contractor you might know their work you might know their reputation so you will know right off the bat a lot of times like hey these guys were really good like they know their shit they do a great job and they're in the same price range as us why the hell are they getting away from these guys
00:38:00
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:38:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like they're, you know, if they know what they're doing or all these, those guys were shit.
00:38:16
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:38:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like we know those guys suck. Those guys are getting in and out as quick as possible. they're cutting in every corner they can, you know, and ask them what, why is, why is the relationship ending? What is the problem?
00:38:31
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I like to do that if they'll tell us, um first of all, because I can i can ask them if you know for two reasons. I'll call that company and just be like, hey, are you aware, you know, property A, um they just called looking for a bid for snow this year.
00:38:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Are you aware that they're shopping? Like, is everything all right? Like, are you okay if we bid this? Like, at least give them the courtesy and the respect. to say, hey, listen, they're they're shopping.
00:38:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Is there a reason we shouldn't bid this? Is there you know is this going to really you know piss you off, basically? or Are we going to have a ah bad blood if if we bid this? Because if I really want it, that's going to be a problem. You've got to kind of massage around that.
00:39:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah, well, it depends on the contractor. Yep.
00:39:16
Mikey
Yep. Yep.
00:39:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Definitely, definitely, 100%.
00:39:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
But i always try and I always try and do the right thing. yeah You can do the right do the right thing as long as you can ah until they've made it obvious that the right thing is not going to matter. And then you do what you got to do.
00:39:30
Mikey
Yeah. We got some guys that were just like, Hey, made the best man win. And we're still friends at the end of the day.
00:39:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Yeah, 100%.
00:39:36
RICK JAMES
yep
00:39:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
It doesn't have to be confrontational.
00:39:39
Mikey
now
00:39:39
Todd Dickerson
Nope.
00:39:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
you It's just competition and friendly competition. I try and make it friendly, and and I have no problem with somebody bidding a property we already have. It just happened. yeah yeah Have at it.
00:39:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Good luck. you know i think our reputation speaks for ourself, and I don't think once people have us that they're going to get rid of us unless we do something crazy like, hey, by the way, ah you're 40% next year.
00:40:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
that what kind of That would kind of be a shopping. But the second question is, I can ask that contractor, if they are out of the game, like if if they're not retiring but they're dropping that property, why are they dropping that property?
00:40:13
RICK JAMES
Why why are they dropping it?
00:40:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:40:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
00:40:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
What is the problem? Did you not get paid? did you did it Did you not get paid on time? ah you know If you got paid, did was it three months, four months late?
00:40:21
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:40:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
um Were the people reasonable? Or were they absolutely out of their minds with their requests and expectations? for what the con
00:40:32
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:40:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
We all know. We've all been there. like We have contract terms, but once the snow starts flying, everybody wants shit that ain't in the contract and that we went over. they They all want it
00:40:45
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:40:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
so
00:40:46
RICK JAMES
That's a given.
00:40:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
it. The most important question for me that I asked the previous guy if he's getting out is if they were a good customer, do they treat your people well on the site?
00:41:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
so That's important to me because you know a lot of those guys, especially my sidewalk guys that are out in those complexes sometimes for eight, nine hours, they're cold, they're wet. um The one complex they do, I had to i had to actually tell the board, like you have some of the nicest people I've ever seen.
00:41:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
um Multiple people have come out with coffee. ah in the mornings have gone and gotten the Meg sandwiches, which they don't eat because they only want chicken fingers and fries. You know, that's all that's all they want.
00:41:27
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
00:41:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, you know, the gesture is there. They take the sandwich, say thank you, and they they don't eat it. But ah but, you know, basically now they they give them to the other guys.
00:41:34
RICK JAMES
Throw the garbage.
00:41:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
They'll give them to the operators. But ah but no, I mean, people in that complex have actually invited the guys on on some of the spitting storms where they're just getting soaking wet. They've actually invited the guys into their garage or into their home to, you know, just kind of hang out out of the elements and warm up.
00:41:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, like, that's a great customer. Like, you want to bend over backwards to keep them.
00:41:55
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
00:41:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
But anybody else got anything on that?
00:41:58
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:41:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, previous snow contractor question? Any other questions we want to be asking about the previous guy?
00:42:02
RICK JAMES
That's...
00:42:04
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, so government side, right?
00:42:04
RICK JAMES
That sums it up for us anyway. Go ahead, Todd.
00:42:07
Todd Dickerson
all All that is, you know, just to kind of, I think everybody's kind of scared of the government to, you know, and whether it's federal, local, whatever, um you know, to kind of jump in there because they think it's automatically a lowball situation, right?
00:42:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:42:23
Todd Dickerson
And probably eight times out of 10, it's an evaluated situation, right?
00:42:29
The SnowJobs Podcast
Okay.
00:42:29
Todd Dickerson
so you know, it's hard to, I'll say, get that first one so you can, you know, prove yourself. But after you do, you know, ah you'd be surprised how many times the contracting officer might have five or six different properties, right?
00:42:49
Todd Dickerson
um Whether it's a courthouse or a library or I don't know, whatever. Right. And next thing you know, you do such a good job this, the next year, the guy's like, Hey, you know, I'm getting ready to have whatever five courthouses in the County come up, you know, um, you know, you guys really proved yourself and I'd love for you to bid on this. Right.
00:43:13
Todd Dickerson
Um, so i think, uh,
00:43:13
RICK JAMES
right
00:43:16
Todd Dickerson
you know and if you're going to risk anything in the government side to get in, you know your first one is is a great learning tool, especially if you have any of the you know certifications, whether it's service-disabled vet, women-owned, minority, whatever the case may be.
00:43:34
Todd Dickerson
And I think um you know once you once you start gaining some traction in that market, It's it can be very, very lucrative if you if you learn the game um and it is intimidating.
00:43:49
Mikey
Yeah.
00:43:51
Todd Dickerson
and And, you know, look, I've said this every time I've been on this thing and I'm sure people are sick of me still saying the same thing. But, you know, if there's ever and an opportunity where somebody is like, I don't know how to do this or what with the government.
00:44:06
Todd Dickerson
I'm telling you right now, my my number's everywhere. And you guys have called me and said, hey, this, hey, that. And I immediately help however I can. i have no problem, you know, getting on a team's call and doing whatever. Or, i mean, i I'll drive out, I'll fly out, because I'm always traveling anyway.
00:44:25
Todd Dickerson
And I'll sit right with you and and help you or whatever we got to do. But, you know, the government jobs are, i mean, literally,
00:44:29
RICK JAMES
well
00:44:35
Todd Dickerson
Today I saw like 93 postings just within a hundred miles of of my location.
00:44:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
For snow?
00:44:44
Todd Dickerson
Oh yeah, absolutely.
00:44:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, wow.
00:44:46
Todd Dickerson
So like, And, you know, some of them are great, right? But they're not but i they're not right in my in my lane, so I stay away from them.
00:44:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:44:56
Todd Dickerson
But there's opportunities out there that, you know, a couple of these young guys, I say young guys, but guys that are just getting into this or maybe they're they've only done HOAs or commercial or whatever.
00:45:09
Todd Dickerson
And, you know, they look at the government side and they're like, eh, you know It it might not might not be a bad idea to take a poke at one or two and just learn the game a little bit because the money's, and I don't mean like the you're going to get rich, but the the money, you're going to get paid, right?
00:45:31
Todd Dickerson
it's There's no HOA or federal government or local government running out of money.
00:45:31
RICK JAMES
Yeah. yeah
00:45:36
Mikey
okay
00:45:36
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, um and and if a big one does come, you know, yeah nine times, ah probably seven times out of 10, you know, especially if a state of emergency is declared.
00:45:48
Todd Dickerson
i mean, that that's that's FEMA money and and it's pretty good. So, but.
00:45:53
Mikey
Those are good points, Todd. Government gets ah a bad rap sometimes or people get a little too intimidated. We do quite a few, most of them R&D centers and You can tell which ones don't have funding issues just by like how nice their campus is, how well their parking lots hold up for asphalt and concrete quality because safety is always their number one concern.
00:46:14
Mikey
So everything has to be pristine. Yeah.
00:46:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
And the others have Brightview.
00:46:18
Mikey
Yeah.
00:46:18
Todd Dickerson
Ha ha.
00:46:20
Mikey
the I do have one that's going through a little bit of a budget crisis right now, and it is coming down to price.
00:46:22
RICK JAMES
the
00:46:28
Mikey
Unfortunately, it's the longest contract that we've had. It's like going on 16 years right now. so Everybody else held up pretty strong from the the doge cuts and all that, but these guys took a pretty big hit. so You do come across that every now and then. It's very far and few between, but...
00:46:44
Mikey
The money is good. They care about their people. A lot of the guys that you deal with there are all bark and no bite. that They just want to kind of scare you a little bit and get you to feel like that intimidation of what you're getting into.
00:46:56
Mikey
But once you're in there and you're doing the work, therere they're super chill. They're laid back. They get how it all operates because most of them are engineers and they've been through it before, just like you. So it it can get fun.
00:47:05
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
00:47:07
Mikey
Just give it a shot.
00:47:09
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. I mean, it's, it's a different, it's a different um mindset that you have to kind of learn.
00:47:09
RICK JAMES
I think, go ahead Todd.
00:47:16
Todd Dickerson
And that's what I'm trying to explain is like, don't be intimidated by it. A lot of people are like, and look, when I, I consider myself a sales guy, right? Like, yes, I'm the president of the company and I'm the face of it and all that.
00:47:30
Todd Dickerson
But Every day I'm selling. I mean, that that's all I do. you know, seven days a week, 365 is sell snow. I'm thinking snow every day.
00:47:42
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, like,
00:47:47
Todd Dickerson
when you're selling a widget or whatever, you know, people can beat you up on that. People can beat you up on a service side too. But when the, like you guys are asking about RFPs, their RFPs are good.
00:47:59
Todd Dickerson
But a lot of times what has happened to me, especially at airports is, you know, they'll come out with an RFP for like, I'll get prime example right here. Dulles airport. When I first started, they had snow baskets on everything.
00:48:14
Todd Dickerson
Right. Right. So this was back in. Ninety nine when we started there. But.
00:48:24
RICK JAMES
What's a snow basket?
00:48:25
Todd Dickerson
That's exactly what I'm getting ready to
00:48:27
RICK JAMES
There
00:48:28
Todd Dickerson
Snow basket is like I'm surprised you guys don't use them up. So it's a it's a monster push box, but it's got it's got holes in it.
00:48:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Holes in it. Yeah. Okay.
00:48:41
Todd Dickerson
And I'm sitting here going, why do we have snow baskets?
00:48:44
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:48:46
Todd Dickerson
Like half, 90% of the snow is running out back behind the snow basket because d DC market, right?
00:48:51
RICK JAMES
and know
00:48:54
Todd Dickerson
Like we're we're dealing with...
00:48:55
RICK JAMES
It's wet. where
00:48:56
Todd Dickerson
elephant mud, you know, that just runs right through it anyway, right?
00:48:59
Mikey
Bye.
00:49:01
Todd Dickerson
So I finally said, can I please just show you guys what we need to be using?
00:49:01
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope.
00:49:07
Todd Dickerson
with and And I think the first push boxes we used, and I might be wrong here, they they were either Protex or Avalanches back in the day. I mean, we're going way back.
00:49:18
Todd Dickerson
um And we hooked one up and brought it in and they were like, oh, we need those. And I'm like, exactly. These snow baskets are worthless.
00:49:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:49:27
Todd Dickerson
I mean, if you're up where, you know, in Michigan where you're getting 80 inches of snow a year, 100 inches of snow, sure, you need that. But like, we're we're dealing with slop every every storm. Yeah.
00:49:38
Todd Dickerson
and
00:49:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:49:39
Todd Dickerson
You know, so they'll they'll listen to you and they'll change or they'll adjust the ah RFP as you prove yourself. So you can kind of and you kind of take ownership of that property.
00:49:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. Yep. Sure.
00:49:50
Todd Dickerson
Right. Even though it's a government contract, they're they're listening to you going, wow, we need more of those push boxes. We don't want those snow baskets anymore.
00:50:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
ye
00:50:00
Todd Dickerson
Right.
00:50:00
RICK JAMES
Mm-hmm.
00:50:01
Todd Dickerson
So it's it. You've got to play the game in the beginning, but then guess what? The game comes back to you and you get to have some input and take some ownership of it.
00:50:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
sure
00:50:10
Todd Dickerson
So that's where I think everybody's intimidated in the beginning, but you know what you're doing. Do it do it what the right way and they'll listen to you and change the RFP.
00:50:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Todd actually sent us an audio clip of that airport meeting.
00:50:33
RICK JAMES
i I think a lot of people get, when you talk about government stuff, just get scared of all the paperwork. I think that's what, because think that's because you got to learn how to do that.
00:50:44
Mikey
it's not It's not bad when you do it like ah couple times.
00:50:46
RICK JAMES
no i know you just have you just have to learn how to it. Once you learn how to do it, then you got it.
00:50:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:50:50
RICK JAMES
But it's, but it's once the paperwork's what a lot of, I know a lot of guys, you know, they don't want to deal with that. But hey, once you, once you get used to it or do it a couple times, then it's whatever, but.
00:50:59
Todd Dickerson
Honestly, once you do it one time and i mean, nowadays it's so easy with chat GPT and all that.
00:51:01
RICK JAMES
question
00:51:06
Todd Dickerson
I mean, in the old days you do the cut, copy and paste, you know, and you'd basically use the same thing for everything.
00:51:07
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:51:10
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:51:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
old days i'm still doing that i do i do
00:51:13
Todd Dickerson
and
00:51:14
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
00:51:15
Todd Dickerson
Well, you know, i I'm not going to yell a legal pad again, but you know what I do.
00:51:15
RICK JAMES
Yeah. sure
00:51:22
Todd Dickerson
so
00:51:23
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:51:23
Todd Dickerson
But my point is, you're exactly right. The the paperwork is intense, no question. But I mean, OK, if the dollars are right and you can hire another admin person to do all your paperwork, what does it matter?
00:51:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep i'll bring somebody in once a year for a month just to do the paperwork
00:51:37
RICK JAMES
Right.
00:51:39
Todd Dickerson
but Exactly. Exactly. So anyway, I just I feel like a lot of people. ah Jeremy hit it right on the head or intimidated by the paperwork side when once you do it once, you kind of are set for the until you are like, I'm out of the government game.
00:51:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:51:57
Todd Dickerson
So, you know.
00:51:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
I hear you.
00:51:58
Mikey
Yeah.
00:52:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cool. um So what are we at? Question four. So this is probably the most important one for us. ah We ask them, what's your scope of work and what's your level of service requested?
00:52:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
And you either will get an answer, even if it's not one you like, or you will get a, what?
00:52:17
RICK JAMES
I don't know.
00:52:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
Huh?
00:52:19
RICK JAMES
What's a neighbor doing?
00:52:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
what Scope of who? Like, yeah. like Is that mouthwash?
00:52:23
RICK JAMES
I want to like that. i want to like my neighbor. What is that? you don't You don't know what your neighbor is.
00:52:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah exactly but this is probably the most important thing for us because we like to do very low tolerance or you know zero tolerance which is a myth but you know as close to zero as possible uh that's what we like to do that's what we're good at that's what we base our whole business model on um so if they're like yeah because we for example we have a an extremely big um health club like gym here
00:52:39
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:52:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
um But they have best basketball courts, racquetball courts.
00:52:57
Todd Dickerson
um I've noticed. I've noticed.
00:53:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
like also It's huge.
00:53:03
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:53:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Now, one year they called and they said, i said, what do you need level of service wise? I said, what do you mean? I said, how often are we plowing this every inch? What are we doing yeah during business hours?
00:53:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, no, no, no. Just after 8 p.m. when we close. like, what if it's snowing all day? You get seven, eight inches on the parking lot. No, just we don't want anybody in there doing anything while it's open, while we're open.
00:53:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
So like they were perfectly happy with eight to 10 inches on the lot and on the sidewalks and stuff on the stairs. And we're like, yeah, you are.
00:53:34
RICK JAMES
Oh, cheers.
00:53:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
um You're not the right customer for us. So, you know, good luck. No problem.
00:53:39
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:53:39
Mikey
Here's an immediate introduction to my legal team.
00:53:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, I mean, like, don't know how you do that.
00:53:42
Todd Dickerson
so can i
00:53:42
RICK JAMES
There we go.
00:53:43
Mikey
this There's some paperwork you're going sign.
00:53:45
Todd Dickerson
Can I jump in on that real quick?
00:53:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure. Sure.
00:53:47
Todd Dickerson
So you way back in the beginning of this, you were talking about insurance and getting canceled. I mean, that's a prime suspect right there, right?
00:53:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yes.
00:53:56
Todd Dickerson
I mean, one slip and falls averaging like four and a half million dollars right now. So you get a couple of those at that health club, but you're done. So ah the other thing that I want to say on this is anybody mentions a trigger to me, I don't care if it's one inch or two inch, whatever, you know, Oh, come in every four inches.
00:54:16
Todd Dickerson
And we do no commercial work as everybody knows, but like, I want full control
00:54:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
yes
00:54:23
RICK JAMES
Right.
00:54:23
Todd Dickerson
of the property, whether I'm going to pre-treat, whether I'm going to do, you know, have guys sitting there 12 hours, eight hours.
00:54:23
RICK JAMES
here
00:54:30
Todd Dickerson
Now we work hand in hand with the government and tell them, you know, here's what we think. Right. But I mean, and I know this, again, this is a hard situation as a new guy, but if somebody's mentioning triggers to you, you know, two inch trigger, you know, you should be asking why, why do you have a trigger?
00:54:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
00:54:51
Todd Dickerson
You know,
00:54:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Better served by others.
00:54:52
Todd Dickerson
Exactly. Yep.
00:54:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. No, I mean that, but that's exactly why we ask those questions. Cause if they're not open to how we want to do things, like you said, we like total control. Like, Hey, here's the deal. We're going to pre-treat you.
00:55:03
RICK JAMES
for the professionals.
00:55:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, exactly. I don't tell you how to do whatever it is in your business, but you know, you shouldn't really tell us how to handle it. But I go after, like I, I go over it with them. Here's how we do it. We're going to pre-treat you before any winter precipitation.
00:55:18
The SnowJobs Podcast
You're getting a pre-treatment to prevent bonding, to keep your surfaces as safe as possible for as long as possible. And then we're going to come every inch to two inches and we're going to scrape it off. You're either having site specific machines or you're part of the route.
00:55:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
And this is how it's going to be. This is why you're calling because we don't advertise. So if they're calling us, somebody told them to call us or they saw one of our lots already.
00:55:41
Todd Dickerson
So that's exactly my point, right? They're calling you because you're the subject matter expert.
00:55:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:55:48
Todd Dickerson
So sell that, right? Don't sit there and be like, oh, okay, two inches. And you know two inches in that area. If you know the area well enough, you should be saying two inches is not acceptable where we live, wherever, Buffalo, whatever.
00:55:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
ponder percent Yep.
00:56:04
Todd Dickerson
I don't know, whatever the case may be. They're calling you because you're the subject matter expert. So sell that.
00:56:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. and Absolutely.
00:56:12
Todd Dickerson
That's where you have to you know sell it politely and be aggressive, but don't be you know let them think outside their box so that they come on to the subject matter expert side.
00:56:27
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, one property manager, ah property management company we used to do business with, he said, well, I'm trying to understand this.
00:56:28
RICK JAMES
right
00:56:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, I know you guys are really good at what you do, but I'm trying to understand how you do it. So you're saying on a six, take a six inch snowstorm. How many times are you guys going to plow that? And I'm like, yeah, go ahead.
00:56:45
Todd Dickerson
Can I answer that before you even say anything? What's the rate of fall? What are the temperatures?
00:56:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
Exactly.
00:56:52
Todd Dickerson
Tell me the conditions.
00:56:54
RICK JAMES
know
00:56:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
00:56:54
Todd Dickerson
there There is no answer.
00:56:55
Mikey
What time of day is it? What's the commute like?
00:56:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep, exactly.
00:56:57
Todd Dickerson
Exactly.
00:56:57
RICK JAMES
Yeah, exactly.
00:56:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
Are you open for business? Are you closed?
00:56:58
Todd Dickerson
but Right. and And that's what people are sitting there going, well, I'll ah probably come in three times because you said there's a two-inch trigger. That is the wrong answer.
00:57:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
Nope.
00:57:08
RICK JAMES
Right. Right.
00:57:09
Todd Dickerson
Wrong answer.
00:57:09
RICK JAMES
Yes.
00:57:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
inna um It's all going to be dependent on the environment, on the conditions present.
00:57:11
Todd Dickerson
So...
00:57:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
And I said i always tell them, we're going plow that thing as often as possible. If it's a slow storm.
00:57:20
RICK JAMES
yeah
00:57:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
we will make a We'll make a run. are Usually the machine on that route would have hit that every hour. Like it's doing five properties that take 10 minutes each. you know It's zooming around. That's all it's doing.
00:57:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
we'll We'll scrape an inch at a time if we you know if they're open. yeah know No problem.
00:57:36
RICK JAMES
Yep.
00:57:37
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
00:57:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, that's you know I want to know.
00:57:38
RICK JAMES
Every event is different.
00:57:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, everything's different.
00:57:40
RICK JAMES
Every event is different. Every event is different.
00:57:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everything's different. Every event's different.
00:57:43
RICK JAMES
There's never a event that's the same ever.
00:57:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
100%.
00:57:45
Todd Dickerson
Never.
00:57:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred percent
00:57:46
Todd Dickerson
Never, ever, ever.
00:57:47
RICK JAMES
And everybody thinks that everybody thinks you can time, time, time. no there's everything is completely different. Nothing's at a certain time. Yeah. In a perfect world, we'd all love that, but that's not a real world we live in. it I mean, everything is completely different every time.
00:58:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
The thing we hear over and over again is after we've gotten the contract like and they've taken the shot in us on us, they're like, we had no idea.
00:58:03
RICK JAMES
mean,
00:58:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
like we We had no idea what it could be like. We were used to something. We thought we had it good, and you know we never knew we could get it to to this point. yeah know You guys are very organized. you're very detail-oriented.
00:58:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, that's what we do. We do snow like we we don't just you know, we're not just sitting there pushing it around. This is what we do. And I love the people that call and just say, you guys do what you do. Like we're calling you because we we heard from so and so you guys are the best.
00:58:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
Do what you do. So, OK, great.
00:58:44
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, I think a lot of the people have been burned so many times by the clown machine, let's just call it, um that
00:58:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
We'll handle that.
00:58:57
Todd Dickerson
there they're they're so beat up, they don't know they don't know what to do anymore, right?
00:59:02
Mikey
You're
00:59:03
Todd Dickerson
They've been taken advantage of in numerous different ways. And, you know, like I said, if they're calling you, my my response is, well, you're calling me for a reason.
00:59:14
Todd Dickerson
I'm the subject matter expert. So what what what do we need to do here to get this done?
00:59:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
100%, which brings us right into question five, which is what is your budget?
00:59:21
Todd Dickerson
So...
00:59:27
Mikey
going
00:59:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know, and I ask him that because I'm already, I've already looked up quick mapped, found out that it's 10 acres and looked at the difficulty. How many islands are out there that we got to plow around?
00:59:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
How many light poles are out there? If it's an extremely easy lot and it's wide open and we can put the snow anywhere and we got good, good runoff and catch basin locations, and they don't have any specific instructions, then we can do that for probably 10 grand an acre on a seasonal.
00:59:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
So, okay, if it's a 10 acre site, okay, ballpark without me actually going through all the motions and going through the entire bid process, I'm just giving you a ballpark right now. You're probably looking at about a hundred thousand.
01:00:07
The SnowJobs Podcast
If they say, holy shit, like where our budget's like 35, that's awesome. I'm going to give you two other companies to call that are probably closer to that price range, but it ain't us.
01:00:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because why are you going to waste 10, 12, 15 hours of your team putting together a price package for this property if you're going to be 70% off um on on what their budget is and what they're willing to spend on snow?
01:00:19
Mikey
Yeah.
01:00:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
It makes no sense. you You're not getting paid for those hours. You're still paying your people to do it, to do the work. So that's all lost money. That's all lost efficiency. So that those are the five questions we ask on that flowchart.
01:00:47
Mikey
Yeah. For a number five to ask them what they prefer to do after snow events. If they need all their spaces back, do you want that cost for hauling and relocating worked into your pricing?
01:00:55
RICK JAMES
Right.
01:00:59
Mikey
Do you want it to be TNM? Do you want to have us just do an NTE? And once we hit it, you know, if you're happy with whoever at great, if not, here's another NTE to finish the job. Um, and honestly, yeah
01:01:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
See, and I love that. I love that you guys can all do that here. Hauling is not a thing, no matter how much snow we get. It's not a thing. Like we had that 92-inch winter. I think two plazas in the whole town, and we're 25 square miles.
01:01:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Two plazas in the whole town had dump trucks come in and haul out. Nobody else.
01:01:30
Mikey
Why do you think that is?
01:01:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, it's just it's just never been a thing here.
01:01:31
Mikey
Yeah,
01:01:33
RICK JAMES
It's expensive.
01:01:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
we Well, it's expensive, and we we just deal with snow.
01:01:36
Mikey
it is.
01:01:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't think you ever have, on it for for example, like Home Depot, Walmart, ah Sam's Club, none of those parking lots ever fill up during the day. Even if they have max, you know, their busiest times of the day, they're still only half to three quarters full.
01:01:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
So I don't think they mind losing. They got more parking lot than they have customers. So but it's just not it's not done. we don't You don't see hauling, especially on smaller properties like what we what we do mostly.
01:02:04
RICK JAMES
are Well, we we haul a lot, obviously. Everybody knows that. But it's mainly because our snow does doesn't disappear. Once it's here, it's here.
01:02:11
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, true.
01:02:12
RICK JAMES
It's here for the winter. I mean, we don't warm up. It's not going anywhere until April.
01:02:15
Mikey
Yes, it does. I've seen the LaRue.
01:02:18
RICK JAMES
What? Yeah, blows it away.
01:02:19
Mikey
It disappears.
01:02:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
01:02:21
RICK JAMES
yeah it disappears with that.
01:02:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:02:22
RICK JAMES
But not with ah Mother Nature like you guys get out there.
01:02:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
Most winters here, it will. Most winters here, it'll melt off to a certain degree.
01:02:27
Mikey
Well, you you get a lot of wind there, buddy. You got a lot of snow that just disappears into another lot.
01:02:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's true.
01:02:34
RICK JAMES
It just goes a different lot.
01:02:34
Mikey
You just want to snow your lot.
01:02:35
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:02:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's true.
01:02:35
RICK JAMES
we so Then we get to move it again. Then we get to move it again. Which...
01:02:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
That is true. He gets multiple times coming and going.
01:02:40
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:02:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yeah, I mean, it's just not a thing.
01:02:43
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:02:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, ah we don't we don't get a lot of requests for hauling at all, ever.
01:02:48
Mikey
And that may change down the road. It could just be the times right now.
01:02:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Sure. Well, I mean, the municipal sites...
01:02:52
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, so I was going to ask, Steve, goodnet was that is that new, like post-COVID, or was that pre-COVID, and even you when you first started, was that?
01:02:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
What's that?
01:03:01
Mikey
It's a good question.
01:03:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
17, 18 years i've been pushing snow here and we've we've never been requested the haul.
01:03:08
Todd Dickerson
And the only reason I was asking is like now with all these new, you know, like ah Walmart delivery and you know, blah, blah, blah, whatever, right? Like back in the day when, you know, we all jumped in the truck to go get diapers or whatever from kids, like, you know, we didn't have that luxury.
01:03:21
RICK JAMES
had to go to the store.
01:03:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
You know what half our problem is?
01:03:25
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
01:03:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Half our problem is our our guys are too efficient with how they stack snow and where they stack snow. So they're taking it off the blacktop to begin with, and they're even pushing it back maybe 10, 15 feet when they know because they know they're going to build a big pile there if there's limited spots.
01:03:43
The SnowJobs Podcast
They know multiple storms that have to go in that spot. So they're pushing back. As long as the ground's frozen, they're driving onto the grass and bringing it, you know, as far as they can to start the stack.
01:03:53
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we're, we're a little too efficient there. Some of the smaller sites, I think that 92 inch winter, I think we blew a couple sites. I think a snow blowed into the woods, the the piles that were smaller, but, um but yeah, no, like never, I've never had a customer call up and say, Hey, that pile's getting a little bit of an eyesore. We want it hauled out of there.
01:04:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hasn't happened. I'd love it if it did. Cause I mean, we'd make good money doing it, but it's just not a thing here.
01:04:18
Todd Dickerson
Well, you could just call and we'd come up and run it right down the tree.
01:04:21
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:04:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, you know what it is The hospitals up north, um two towns away, the hospitals will haul. They definitely haul. But like I'm talking five acre and below sites. ah It's just not a thing. Our municipals, the ones we do, the municipality hauls it out themselves.
01:04:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
They literally will come the day after the storm and they have like, what's that?
01:04:41
RICK JAMES
All right. but have They probably have to have something for the guys to do too, you know, you know.
01:04:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, like the village has the water department guys do it. They come with the backhoe and they come with their, you know, 3,500 dump trucks and they, you know, take seven, eight loads out of the the municipal lots and that's what they do. But yeah, I'd love to tack that on. We just can't do it. It's just not a demand here.
01:05:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
This winter there will be. The weather guys are saying, you know, they're saying the weathermen are saying big winter this year.
01:05:09
RICK JAMES
Oh,
01:05:15
RICK JAMES
God.
01:05:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're saying a big winner.
01:05:18
RICK JAMES
I said that last year.
01:05:19
Mikey
Yep.
01:05:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
Although I did find an internet weather guy today that says well below average snowfall for me. So I want to see if the weather pros or if this internet sleuth is, ah is right.
01:05:28
RICK JAMES
oh
01:05:34
RICK JAMES
Well, we're above average again, which means they said that last year too.
01:05:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
I said that the last two years for you.
01:05:38
RICK JAMES
so yeah, of course it is. Yeah. Oh no, two years ago it was going to be low, but last year they said above average. This year they're saying above average, but
01:05:47
Mikey
I mean, if we're considering 30 inches to be a lot, then yeah, I guess maybe it'll be above average this year.
01:05:54
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't know.
01:05:54
RICK JAMES
that's what your average is.
01:05:56
Mikey
That's what we had last year. I'm praying for the day we can get back into the 60s.
01:05:58
RICK JAMES
Oh.
01:06:01
Mikey
At least the Jesus.
01:06:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
I don't think you're seeing that anymore, Mike. I don't know. I mean, not, I don't know.
01:06:06
RICK JAMES
Oh, what are your green guy Global warming bullshit or what?
01:06:08
The SnowJobs Podcast
No, I just don't. He had, when's the last time you saw 60 in Boston?
01:06:13
RICK JAMES
Yeah, he's got guys. ODP's got guys cloud seeding.
01:06:15
Mikey
jesus
01:06:16
RICK JAMES
They're ready. They're getting ready. Cloud seeding.
01:06:20
RICK JAMES
so
01:06:20
Mikey
Pre-COVID.
01:06:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's what saying. It's gotta be at least five, six years, right?
01:06:22
Mikey
Pre-COVID. 2015, I think, honestly.
01:06:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh so that's 10 years holy shit yeah i don't
01:06:28
Mikey
know. Well, yeah, that just that just dropped off all of our 10-year averages. So all of our averages now for all these pricing laws that we're doing are not too hot because we lost that year.
01:06:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
well we'll have to ask the weather pros when they come on and do their winter outlook next month because they they're doing that again so i hope so i haven't i haven't been able to break any weather balls in a long time oh yeah absolutely
01:06:43
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. Aren't they going to be at S&S? It's going to be a good day of ball breaking there. It's to good day of ball breaking.
01:06:53
RICK JAMES
Nick better be ready if he's coming.
01:06:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm warming up. ah oh
01:06:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
oh man but that i mean that's the five questions that we ask you know why are you shopping uh address type of property uh hours of normal operation uh who was your previous contractor um ah what was your what's your scope of work and your your level of service request and uh what's your budget or expected ballpark to be in that's the five five questions we have on our flow chart and they get put into categories depending on their answers we go from there you guys got anything else
01:07:29
Mikey
Do you have de-icing material restrictions or preferences?
01:07:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, we don't even get that complicated on the initial phone call.
01:07:34
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah.
01:07:41
Mikey
Really?
01:07:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
Because we're not going to, well, yeah, we're not going store anything on their site, Mike. My company?
01:07:44
RICK JAMES
ODP doesn't thent miss a dotted I across the tee Those guys are on it.
01:07:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Well, yeah, but they they're you're talking about totally different sites. Again, like us, everything's kept at home in our bin. We don't store and salt on anybody's sites.
01:07:57
RICK JAMES
Same, same.
01:07:57
Mikey
Well, no, I mean, like, is there something you are supposed to use based on an order of conditions for the property or conservation commission?
01:08:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
nobody nobody has that around here nobody has those restrictions that's massachusetts bullshit new york's not that crazy yet use concrete on the roads out there and parking lots oh yeah no we're all asphalt we're all blacked up oh yeah well good good deal with that deal with blacktop
01:08:06
RICK JAMES
like and non like ah Like a Like a...
01:08:11
RICK JAMES
No, we'll have that too. like if if it's If it's like new concrete, like a non-chloride, you got to use on that lot and stuff like that.
01:08:16
Mikey
Exactly. Yeah.
01:08:17
RICK JAMES
or Or parking ramps or something like that, you know?
01:08:19
Mikey
Yeah.
01:08:19
RICK JAMES
So...
01:08:20
Mikey
Wait.
01:08:22
RICK JAMES
Oh, yeah. Fuck yeah. Oh, this is concrete world out here.
01:08:31
RICK JAMES
We are. Yeah.
01:08:33
The SnowJobs Podcast
But yeah, no, we don't, I mean, that's just not, um I mean, that's a great question. It's just not on my flow chart because we literally don't store salt on anybody's sites and we don't, we're using the the most environmentally friendly fucking shit we can get.
01:08:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
So it's like, we can't get any different than that.
01:08:48
Mikey
Yeah.
01:08:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
Or you're not going to get much better than IBG as far as the sheet that it guarantees, all the shit it guarantees to be safe from, you know, concrete safe, vegetation safe.
01:09:01
Mikey
At the end of the day, they're all chlorides.
01:09:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
they're all chloroids it's magic juice magic juice i will say this shit though it is a lot less corrosive on the vehicles i'm telling you dude it is the rust inhibitor whatever the hell is in that mix
01:09:04
RICK JAMES
Yeah, it's nuts.
01:09:05
Mikey
ah
01:09:07
Mikey
Yeah.
01:09:08
RICK JAMES
You guys are ridiculous.
01:09:13
RICK JAMES
Oh my god.
01:09:13
Mikey
Hmm.
01:09:14
RICK JAMES
Chloride's a chloride's a chloride. I mean... see Oh my god.
01:09:20
Mikey
We don't all have steam wash bays, Jeremy.
01:09:20
RICK JAMES
That don't mean shit.
01:09:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
exactly and exactly
01:09:25
RICK JAMES
What?
01:09:26
Mikey
We don't have...
01:09:26
RICK JAMES
What does that matter?
01:09:28
Mikey
Some of us have to leave our shit on site.
01:09:30
RICK JAMES
Well, that sucks.
01:09:32
Mikey
Yeah, it does.
01:09:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's what fluid films for.
01:09:34
Mikey
Yep.
01:09:35
RICK JAMES
Then got to keep the mobile wash guys busy then have them go wash up
01:09:38
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
01:09:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:09:40
Mikey
Got a few trailers going out this year.
01:09:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Turn your whole thing into a skating rink.
01:09:43
RICK JAMES
Todd freeze up or is he just staring at a fishing boat?
01:09:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
no he's just, he's on his phone.
01:09:46
RICK JAMES
Oh
01:09:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's yeah he's looking at his, looking at his rod and reel.
01:09:48
Mikey
business.
01:09:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
It must've bent over there.
01:09:53
RICK JAMES
no. He's got a big one on.
01:09:55
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh shit.
01:09:56
RICK JAMES
Got a Marlin.
01:09:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else?
01:09:57
Todd Dickerson
Always sell them boys, always sell them.
01:09:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anything? Anybody got anything else on this?
01:10:01
RICK JAMES
Oh, he's selling.
01:10:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
you know what? Let's hit some commercials real quick. We'll be right back.
01:10:57
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, we are back. ah You know, the one thing I did forget, i actually forgot to put it in there. If you don't already have one done, develop a price sheet or a cost per acre that you have. that So basically figure out your costs, what your profit margin that you need to make per acre, and have a and a per acre price, at least a ballpark price that you know you need to charge to make money per acre.
01:11:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
Have that already done going into the season so when these calls start coming – as soon as you figure out how many acres they are very simply with this phone call and site photos or google maps then you can give them a ballpark price and you can know you know ah basically where you're going to be because if you're that far apart no sharpening of the pencil no amount of sharpening is going to bring you back together
01:11:41
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:11:47
RICK JAMES
Right on.
01:11:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
what else
01:11:49
Todd Dickerson
so So I would agree with everything that we've kind of said, but let's let's be honest here, boys, especially for the new guys. There's nothing wrong with looking at ah like your acres that you were just talking about right now, right?
01:12:03
Todd Dickerson
And we'll just use on numbers. Let's say you're at $100 an acre. you know if If you can get it for $95, right? If you take a little chance on something,
01:12:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:12:17
Todd Dickerson
Like that that's business, right?
01:12:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. I always say 10% wiggle room.
01:12:20
RICK JAMES
We all,
01:12:21
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. But I mean, you got to know that like, you know, it's it's again, and in your in your route, it's it's an add-on, you know?
01:12:30
RICK JAMES
yeah. Great.
01:12:32
Todd Dickerson
So we don't say no to everything if it doesn't hit all, you know, check every box. I mean, that's not business.
01:12:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:12:40
Todd Dickerson
So I don't want people to sit here and think that like, you know, you can't...
01:12:40
RICK JAMES
Everything's gotta be perfect.
01:12:46
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, you can't wiggle. You got wiggle a little bit.
01:12:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody's different. Yep.
01:12:49
Todd Dickerson
Right.
01:12:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
Everybody's different.
01:12:50
Todd Dickerson
And you have to figure out what that wiggle is, you know? so But you also, you do have to be able to say no. and And that's hard as hell, especially when you're just starting out because every dollar counts, let's be honest. But, you know, you got to say no sometimes.
01:13:09
Todd Dickerson
And guess what? Every time I've said you're 100% wrong.
01:13:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
They come back. I know.
01:13:14
RICK JAMES
come back. They come back.
01:13:16
Todd Dickerson
You know what Come to poppy.
01:13:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
i know.
01:13:17
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:13:18
Todd Dickerson
Come on.
01:13:18
RICK JAMES
Yeah. The price went up.
01:13:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:13:20
Todd Dickerson
yeah Exactly.
01:13:22
RICK JAMES
yeah but
01:13:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
They're intrigued.
01:13:22
Todd Dickerson
The pain just went back up.
01:13:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
they're I swear they're intrigued.
01:13:25
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
01:13:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
Like, wow, this guy told us no. Everybody else is jumping on it.
01:13:29
Todd Dickerson
Yep.
01:13:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
Hmm.
01:13:30
RICK JAMES
Mikey, you got something? You got a big smile on your face? What you got?
01:13:35
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, you're muted, Mike.
01:13:35
RICK JAMES
You're muted. You're muted, Mikey.
01:13:36
The SnowJobs Podcast
There
01:13:39
Mikey
How'd that happen? hit the button.
01:13:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
he goes.
01:13:41
RICK JAMES
ah
01:13:42
Mikey
Huh. Was I muted that whole time?
01:13:46
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:13:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, were you saying something?
01:13:47
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:13:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
What'd you say?
01:13:47
Mikey
Motherfucker.
01:13:48
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:13:48
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:13:49
RICK JAMES
It was golden.
01:13:49
Mikey
No, i was just saying that...
01:13:50
RICK JAMES
Whatever you said was all gold.
01:13:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah ah ah whatd you say
01:13:54
Mikey
Damn.
01:13:54
RICK JAMES
the
01:13:55
Mikey
I was just piggybacking off Todd. like They do... The urgency is there when they come back. like When you try and say no to these guys, but they call you like, hey, we really need that proposal. We'd really like to get you guys in here, but...
01:14:08
Mikey
Yeah, you gotta stick to your nose. You gotta stick to your gun sometimes and let them fend for themselves, especially if they're getting to you late.
01:14:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:14:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred
01:14:16
Todd Dickerson
Or I tell you what else happens, and we all have been in these shoes.
01:14:17
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:14:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
or
01:14:21
Todd Dickerson
the The one comes, right? And that 2.30 in the morning call comes. And they're like, hey, remember the place over on Main Street?
01:14:25
RICK JAMES
Oh yeah.
01:14:31
Todd Dickerson
You know, the guys didn't show up.
01:14:34
Mikey
Okay.
01:14:34
Todd Dickerson
And like, what can we do? I don't know. I'm full. But... You know, like, exactly.
01:14:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Christmas Eve.
01:14:42
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, it happens all the time.
01:14:43
RICK JAMES
It's happened.
01:14:45
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. Happened last year, Christmas Eve.
01:14:47
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. I mean, like, yeah.
01:14:48
RICK JAMES
Those are, I love those calls.
01:14:51
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, while you're saying no now, you're saying no, I'll see i'll see you when you call me back is really what you're saying.
01:14:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah. 100%. Yes, sir.
01:15:01
Todd Dickerson
and And you don't think of that when you're saying no at that first time, but they're going to be back. Like they they will be back. So, you know,
01:15:09
Mikey
Yeah.
01:15:10
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:15:10
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah.
01:15:13
Mikey
Hey, one more thing I was thinking of real quick. so
01:15:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:15:18
Mikey
we all know what we cost per hour on the management side of things you're going to try and capture your time putting this together chasing the money following up with the clients your level of communication that they want you know how many touches they need before during and after events when you think of some of these places too some questions you can ask them is
01:15:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
Mm-hmm.
01:15:41
Mikey
you know, how many installments do you guys normally like to see for your seasonals? Obviously per push, you're billing at the end of the event, but, uh, you know, with, with that, what are your net terms? Net terms, usually 30, 30 net is what most people do.
01:15:55
Mikey
You get to 60, 60 gets a little tough, try and factor in some, uh, some fluff into those pricings just to make sure that you capture the headache of having to chase that and,
01:16:07
Mikey
whatever your interest rate is for the line of credit that you're tapping into to carry that. um
01:16:12
The SnowJobs Podcast
How long is your initial phone call? A couple hours? Oh,
01:16:16
Mikey
ah The meeting's like an hour and half. It's usually lunch.
01:16:18
RICK JAMES
There's no phone call. Let's come to the corporate office and have a seat.
01:16:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
man. Like, yeah, we're just taking a phone call. Like, yeah. All right. Are we meeting? Are we going forward with you or not?
01:16:30
Todd Dickerson
So I will say like that is one beauty of the of the government side.
01:16:30
Mikey
That's it.
01:16:36
Todd Dickerson
We never see more than I mean, the longest we go is probably 35, 40 days. And that's just if the timing's just, you know, Christmas, you know, the weird, weird situation.
01:16:49
The SnowJobs Podcast
yeah
01:16:50
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:16:50
Todd Dickerson
Right. But I mean, you're going to be paid in under 30 days. So.
01:16:56
Mikey
you know
01:16:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
what about government shutdown doesn't affect it oh nice
01:16:56
Mikey
Dick.
01:16:58
Todd Dickerson
Doesn't affect that because that's emergency service.
01:17:00
Mikey
That's a different checking account.
01:17:02
Todd Dickerson
Yeah.
01:17:02
RICK JAMES
<unk>
01:17:02
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, while, while we talked about the pains of the paperwork and everything, the beauty is you're getting your money. You know what I mean?
01:17:13
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:17:14
Todd Dickerson
So again, you gotta to You got to pay a little with the with the labor side of it, but you know you're going to get paid, so everything's good.
01:17:24
The SnowJobs Podcast
I like it. Yep.
01:17:25
Todd Dickerson
And right back to what you said, Mikey, you know, I think the biggest thing, and I think if we all were honest, the hardest thing to figure out is your overhead, right?
01:17:34
Mikey
Mm-hmm.
01:17:35
Todd Dickerson
Your overhead percentage is something you really have to get dialed in.
01:17:35
RICK JAMES
Right.
01:17:41
Todd Dickerson
Um, and then once you figure that out, like everybody wants to make as much margin as you can, you know, but, and, and you can give up some margin as long as your overhead number percentage, you're, you don't give up any of that, that, that has to be, that's, even though it's not a hard cost, it's a hard cost.
01:17:41
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:17:59
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:18:05
Todd Dickerson
You know what I mean? So, um you know,
01:18:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
yep
01:18:10
Todd Dickerson
the the The margin you can give up a little bit, especially like most government contracts are like, I mean, I've heard anywhere from, you know, three plus three, you know, that's three base and three renewal.
01:18:24
Todd Dickerson
I've heard, you know, five plus two single year renewals. I mean, I've even heard now there's some that I've seen that are like five plus five, right? Well, you give me a 10 year contract with escalations, right?
01:18:34
RICK JAMES
Wow.
01:18:39
Todd Dickerson
I'm all about that. You know how much, you know how much I can spread that equipment costs, you know, throughout?
01:18:40
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh, yeah.
01:18:41
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:18:44
RICK JAMES
Yep.
01:18:44
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeehaw.
01:18:45
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. I mean, a no but I'm just saying like, yeah, exactly.
01:18:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
but but yeah Giddy up. but
01:18:49
RICK JAMES
Tick top.
01:18:51
Todd Dickerson
So yeah.
01:18:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
the
01:18:52
Todd Dickerson
And, you know, and I, I'm telling you, I used, i used to hate government sales. I hated it because I am not a paperwork guy at all, but you know, you make a couple of good hires and and they want to sit in person.
01:19:05
RICK JAMES
It's got people for that.
01:19:06
Todd Dickerson
They want to sit in front of the computer and bang all day. Okay, great. You do all the paperwork, I'll sell it and let's go.
01:19:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:19:14
Todd Dickerson
So, you know, but yeah, I think the biggest thing is, you know, you, you gotta, you gotta know your overhead percentage on, on, I don't care if it's government or commercial or whatever it is.
01:19:14
RICK JAMES
Perfect.
01:19:30
Todd Dickerson
You got to know what it's costing you on the, on the house side.
01:19:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
hundred 100%. percent
01:19:34
The SnowJobs Podcast
Anybody anything else?
01:19:34
Todd Dickerson
So.
01:19:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
anybody got anything else
01:19:37
Mikey
House of Mistakes a cut.
01:19:40
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. Yeah.
01:19:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
House has to get a cut. Otherwise, the lights go out.
01:19:44
RICK JAMES
and
01:19:44
Todd Dickerson
Yup. No question.
01:19:45
RICK JAMES
Right. Yep. ye
01:19:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
What else, boys? Anything else? We'll wrap it up.
01:19:51
RICK JAMES
No, we can. Well, pretty much going piggyback on everything Todd just said about the house and everything. got to factor in all the stuff people forget about, like a weather service, like all your lot checks, manager management fees, stuff like that.
01:20:03
RICK JAMES
You got to figure all that in, you know, kind just piggybacking off what Mike and Todd just said.
01:20:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Cell phones, tablets, office supplies.
01:20:07
RICK JAMES
ah nobody no no Yeah, nobody thinks about, you know, GPS units, you know, software.
01:20:07
Mikey
Yes, sir.
01:20:11
Mikey
Software.
01:20:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:20:13
RICK JAMES
I mean, all that all that stuff adds up. It's got to go somewhere. That money's got to be – that's like technology, Todd.
01:20:19
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's yellow legal pad number three.
01:20:21
RICK JAMES
That's, yeah, that's that's like a whole pack of yellow legal pads.
01:20:22
The SnowJobs Podcast
but yeah
01:20:25
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah
01:20:25
Todd Dickerson
Costco, baby, Costco.
01:20:26
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep.
01:20:28
RICK JAMES
sure
01:20:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
That'll be, yeah, the, ah yes,
01:20:29
Mikey
there's a parking lot that fills up every snowstorm.
01:20:29
RICK JAMES
of
01:20:32
RICK JAMES
Every day, the one here in town is full from morning to night. don't even know if, like, nobody works.
01:20:39
Mikey
I love that place. It's my favorite.
01:20:42
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:20:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. So bottom line, know your numbers, figure out your overhead so you can figure out accurate numbers going forward. If you don't know your overhead, then you're not going to have accurate numbers. You're not going to be making as much money as you think you are.
01:20:55
Todd Dickerson
Yup. Yeah.
01:20:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
But, yeah, I mean, there's plenty guys that will help you out.
01:20:56
Mikey
Ask for help.
01:20:58
Todd Dickerson
yeah
01:20:58
Mikey
Just ask for help.
01:20:59
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:21:00
The SnowJobs Podcast
So there's no reason...
01:21:01
RICK JAMES
ye Yeah.
01:21:01
Mikey
I'm pretty sure there's a whole Facebook page dedicated to it in there.
01:21:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yeah, a little bit. we just did a We just did a thing the other night to make sure guys, there was a guy trying to do some ah commercial sites that he hasn't done before, and he just wanted to check his numbers.
01:21:09
RICK JAMES
you
01:21:15
The SnowJobs Podcast
So we had 13 guys get on and beat the ball around for two hours and just make sure he had all his eyes crossed our eyes dotted, T's crossed. So, yeah, we can we can definitely put guys in a room and and help out with that. bottom Bottom line is everybody getting their numbers straight will help everybody else.
01:21:37
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right. Anything else, boys?
01:21:42
RICK JAMES
Todd, your Redskins lost last night. What the hell? They couldn't do a job?
01:21:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
They didn't lose.
01:21:46
RICK JAMES
and
01:21:46
The SnowJobs Podcast
They got brutalized.
01:21:47
RICK JAMES
and
01:21:48
Todd Dickerson
Dude, they look tired.
01:21:48
RICK JAMES
It's like, come on. Where are these...
01:21:51
Todd Dickerson
They look tired.
01:21:51
RICK JAMES
I was going to call you last night and go, what's going on here, buddy?
01:21:54
Todd Dickerson
I was in tears.
01:21:56
The SnowJobs Podcast
I just watched a highlight reel of ah what's his name from the Cowboys there that's on the Packers now.
01:21:56
RICK JAMES
God, that was mad.
01:22:01
Todd Dickerson
Yeah. Yeah. I'll tell you what. they they
01:22:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
manchild Man child, man.
01:22:03
RICK JAMES
Oh, Parsons?
01:22:04
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's killing it.
01:22:04
Todd Dickerson
and
01:22:05
RICK JAMES
Parsons?
01:22:05
Todd Dickerson
They went to a legit contender real quick.
01:22:05
The SnowJobs Podcast
Micah Parsons, that's it. Oh, yeah.
01:22:09
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:22:09
Todd Dickerson
I mean, they went they were going to be good, but they just went real good real fast.
01:22:09
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's a game changer.
01:22:09
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:22:14
The SnowJobs Podcast
Yep. He's a game wrecker.
01:22:16
Todd Dickerson
Yeah, no question.
01:22:17
The SnowJobs Podcast
He's a game plan wrecker, that's for sure.
01:22:19
Todd Dickerson
No question.
01:22:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
but all right boys well i mean that was a good kickoff to some pre-season stuff uh you know helping these guys helping some guys hopefully get their uh get their efficiency up with uh everything from contracts all the way through to actually pushing so we want to thank you both for coming on and sharing your expertise in different areas expertise rather expertise what i said expertise yeah expertise it's late dude i'm
01:22:42
Mikey
Thanks for having us.
01:22:44
RICK JAMES
Expertise. Yeah, expectees or whatever whatever that means. We're snow guys, we can make shit up.
01:22:51
The SnowJobs Podcast
it's Dude, I'm so tired. I've been yawning this whole time, and I'm like, shit, you're on camera, dude, and you're fucking yawning.
01:22:56
RICK JAMES
You're tired, Steve?
01:22:58
Todd Dickerson
ah we still Are we still on camera?
01:22:58
The SnowJobs Podcast
Tired, bro. Yeah.
01:23:00
Todd Dickerson
Oh, man.
01:23:01
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:23:01
Todd Dickerson
I don't know if I like
01:23:02
The SnowJobs Podcast
24 on, 24 off, 24 on gets old quick.
01:23:04
RICK JAMES
Put your shirt back on.
01:23:05
Todd Dickerson
that. don't know if I like
01:23:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
Put your shirt back on. All right. Well, we'll wrap it there so Todd can take his shirt off again.
01:23:13
RICK JAMES
yeah
01:23:13
The SnowJobs Podcast
but But thanks, boys. We appreciate you as Oh, nice.
01:23:14
RICK JAMES
Oh, he's... Cheers, buddy.
01:23:16
Mikey
The mini bar is open.
01:23:16
The SnowJobs Podcast
There we go. The mini bar is open.
01:23:18
RICK JAMES
Shooter. We got shooters.
01:23:20
Todd Dickerson
that.
01:23:20
The SnowJobs Podcast
The lamp is lit.
01:23:20
Todd Dickerson
Cheers, boys.
01:23:22
RICK JAMES
Cheers.
01:23:22
Todd Dickerson
Cheers.
01:23:23
The SnowJobs Podcast
ah sir I sent some, some midnight McDonald's in your future.
01:23:27
Todd Dickerson
i
01:23:28
RICK JAMES
You got Sean going order it for you?
01:23:28
The SnowJobs Podcast
i
01:23:30
Todd Dickerson
I'm going have to call Sean and see if he can door dash something me.
01:23:30
The SnowJobs Podcast
um
01:23:32
RICK JAMES
Where are you at tonight?
01:23:32
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. A gremlin. He'll be on it.
01:23:35
RICK JAMES
Where are you at tonight?
01:23:36
Todd Dickerson
He just reorder out of his cart.
01:23:38
The SnowJobs Podcast
Oh man.
01:23:38
RICK JAMES
Yeah.
01:23:39
The SnowJobs Podcast
He is a real life.
01:23:39
RICK JAMES
There you go.
01:23:40
Todd Dickerson
Mom, where's the meatloaf?
01:23:42
The SnowJobs Podcast
That's it. He is a real life gremlin. He's so funny. Don't feed him after midnight kids.
01:23:47
RICK JAMES
He just snapped me.
01:23:47
Todd Dickerson
I don't
01:23:47
The SnowJobs Podcast
But,
01:23:48
RICK JAMES
He's smoking a stogie right now.
01:23:50
The SnowJobs Podcast
There he goes.
01:23:52
Todd Dickerson
know.
01:23:52
The SnowJobs Podcast
All right, guys. Well, we'll wrap it there. Then that's going to do it. Episode 136 of the s Snow Jaws podcast main show is in the books. Thank again. Thanks again. Jesus, I can't even talk now.
01:24:02
RICK JAMES
Jesus, you're done.
01:24:03
The SnowJobs Podcast
I'm losing it here. I need to go to bed, bro.
01:24:05
Mikey
Take a nap.
01:24:06
The SnowJobs Podcast
no Nap. I'm going back to work here. We want to thank Mike and Todd for the time today. If you're going to Stork's Plow Tech School on Wednesday, I'll see you there. If you're going to S&S on Thursday, we will see you there because Jeremy will be out as well.
01:24:21
The SnowJobs Podcast
But other than that, that's it, guys. Everybody have a safe week. Have a great week. Get your stuff done and keep pushing.