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[Monkey 252]

"Professional" seems to be a very loosely used word in this industry

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I believe it would be a benefit to this industry to have a standardized and regulated course of study to be given a title. I'm not saying anybody should be stopped form doing this but that would create a distinction that consumers could use to help judge who they wanted to hire. May thin out the fly by nights unwilling to take the certification and thereby raise the pricing back up to a liveable wage. By the same token even if not certified you would still have the opportunity for your work to stand on it's own merit, just w/o the credential.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

I believe it would be a benefit to this industry to have a standardized and regulated course of study to be given a title. I'm not saying anybody should be stopped form doing this but that would create a distinction that consumers could use to help judge who they wanted to hire. May thin out the fly by nights unwilling to take the certification and thereby raise the pricing back up to a liveable wage. By the same token even if not certified you would still have the opportunity for your work to stand on it's own merit, just w/o the credential.

I would very much doubt it Jay there are a lot of licenesed contractors that do terrible jobs so I doubt a certificate would help. Like I said it is up to us to suggest and maybe show samples of our work to show the best way but in the end it is up to the PAYING customer to decide if they want it the proper way or the way they want it.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Having come from a construction background i know you're right but I can't help but wonder how much worse it would be w/o the licensing in place.

[kauffman21 32]

as long as they paid you, and they were happy... I guess thats all that matters. But on the other hand, sometimes I'd love to tell people, "That will look dumb, let me hook you up."

[security802 686]

as long as they paid you, and they were happy... I guess thats all that matters. But on the other hand, sometimes I'd love to tell people, "That will look dumb, let me hook you up."

I usually do, and if they say nope I really want it my way, well then I do it there way. I don't feel as bad letting it out the door, cause I know I offered my "opinion". In the end money talks the loudest and I know the places in the bigger town have lower standards then mine I see their work around and ask myself "how" they let it leave the shop looking like that.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

sometimes you have to try to guide them - then when they stay their course do it their way and wait to get paid to redo it right

[Monkey 252]

Thats exactly it. If I see issues with their designs, I try to guide them a different way. But in the end, they are paying me for something they want and unlike some, I dont agree with refusing to do something someone wants that their paying their money for. I get business a lot because of that. I gave exactly what the customer wanted, not forced them into what I wanted to do. Sometimes they can be guided in a "better" direction, but sometimes they want what they want. I remember a day when more things were that way.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

Monkey, you hit it on the head as far as guidance. If they want my input great and if not that's fine too because I work for them not the other way around.

[slice&dice 2,450]

It's either my way or the highway.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

More than a few shops around here feel the way you do Slice which is why my business is growing every year. I don't advertise normally and get 99% of my business from word of mouth so if I were doing my customers wrong I'd be out of business in a hurry.

[Bertie 5]

Just read through the last couple of pages and surprised you still use cheques in the US. Most businesses here in the UK don't accept them and the banks are in the process of doing away with cheques altogether. It's either debit cards or credit cards here (or, ideally cash).

 

Bertie.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I would much rather take cash especially since cards cost me a percentage of my sale whereas cash is all mine. I think checks will be gone in the next decade as the last generation to consider them commonplace begins to age and become less and less a part of the economy.

[Monkey 252]

I dont take checks unless its someone I know real well for being good for it. Too risky anymore. I use Intuit for cards or cash. If someone has checks 99.9% of them have a debit card too. So Ill pay the small fee to be sure I get the money. Granted it has its own risk of charge back but in my eyes thats less then check bouncing.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

It is almost impossible to get a chargeback with a debit card. But credit cards always favor the card holder unless you can defend yourself beyond a shadow of a doubt.

[mabscotthandyman 1,410]

More than a few shops around here feel the way you do Slice which is why my business is growing every year. I don't advertise normally and get 99% of my business from word of mouth so if I were doing my customers wrong I'd be out of business in a hurry.

I have not advertised since 1998 except for yard signs. I don't have my vans or trucks lettered now. I use to pay to have every vehicle lettered but for a while I have bought all used vans and most have not been worthy of signage in my opinion.

As for checks I prefer cash or credit/debit cards but will take a check and usually it is for a substantial amount. I have all checks wrote to my name and go to their bank and cash it if I have any reservations about the check. I got hit with a bounced check after depositing it for several thousand dollars I had wrote checks to pay my vendors and I ended up in a mess with returned checks. The company that wrote the check made it right including fees ( they failed to transfer funds to the account the check was for almost 60 grand ) so I was very nervous before I deposited a cashier check to cover my checks.

[jaybyrd 3,770]

I think if I had to take large checks I would have a stipulation to the effect that order will be processed as soon as payment clears. I had a customer get hit with a bad check for $5000 a couple months ago and he didn't know until I ran his debit card and it came back declined. He had a stack of returned checks to deal with that were based on that money being there.