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Gardener
Casual Contributor

Yesterday was an interesting day not what I expected

Anzac day lady opened car door as I was parking and my Ute is damaged.

Yesterday her insurance paid more than I expected.

I had to get 3 quotes, one from my choice of garage, one from the lady that caused the accident and one her insurer picked.

Then weeks passed and lots of calls until they paid.

 

I went down to my local garage and asked why the payment was way more than his quote (I'm thinking an error has been made and I'm going to have to pay it back).

Pete my local mechanic said when 3 quotes are asked for insurers ignore the lowest quote and highest and pay the middle one.

 

Pete's quote was the lowest the one paid was higher but he explained his quote was for second hand parts from a wreckers because he knows I'm doing it tough financially.

So the quote paid was the middle one being for new parts so was a lot higher than his.

 

Pete said "Your in front better use it wisely why don't you put it into advertising."

Pete overheard me discussing advertisng costs way back at the beginning of the year and knew I was saving with a goal in mind.

I've been putting a little away each week so I could take up a years advertising and after 6 months I had saved $704 but needed $770 for the lowest package (bummer so close).

 

Pete suggested that I not use their website and to call up and introduce myself as a new potentual customer and see if I can get an end of year introduction price.

Its like big company dosen't know I'm already a paying customer and their software didn't recognise my name, email or phone so hello I'm new.

Wow that never crossed my mind to sign up as a new customer and the result a 1/3 introductory price and 18 months end of year special which gives me 6 referals a week.

 

Pete suggested that he will take payments for the repairs and that I could add the insurance money, ok not comfortable but made the enquiries and then Pete asked if the 18 months end of year special could just be rounded down to 12 months but up in service how many referals will I get.

You could have picked me off the floor when 186 referals a week was the reply wow tripple the invested advertising cost and referals go from 6 to 186 a week and heres me worried and taking the cheapest option unaware of whats available for not much more money.

 

I respect my local mechanic as a businessman and it was great having him in my corner negotiating on my side.

Even better I have 7 days to back out and to trial the arrangment properly.

Between 2pm and 6pm yesterday thats just 4hrs I booked in more work than I worked all of last week ok not a lot I only worked 2 days but right now its 4am and I'm too excited to sleep.

 

1.  scored a lucky break from an insurance company.

2. Then had help to negotiate a better advertising deal from a wiser businessman.

3. The advertising business offered a new customer a fantastic introductory package plus end of year 18 months for same price which got rounded up when shortened to 12 months for more referals.

4. My bill for vehicle repairs won't be any cheaper than quoted but pete will let me make payments which makes it possible to afford the better advertisng package and fits within my existing budget.

5. In the first 4hrs I booked 2 full days of work.

 

This time last year I was getting 2-3hrs sleep a night being financially stressed.

9 months ago I had a jerry can filled with fuel and a lighter at the bank, so out of my skull for lack of sleep I had no idea what I was doing and way over stressed after my wife and kids moved out.

 

I'm glad there are people that are there when we need them because yesterday was just a very lucky day where everything kinda lined up and I very nearly wasn't going to be around to experience the lucky day.

 

If anyone reads this and your feeling at your lowest just hang in there, I did it one day at a time or one hour, still have a long way to go and I'm learning to cope but with people in my corner I stayed and I'm glad I did.

 

 

 

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Yesterday was an interesting day not what I expected

What a great day @Gardener, it's great to hear that your car is getting fixed and you have a great associate in your corner as well! Business knowledge like that (especially small business) is hard to come by. How many days week are you looking to work if the referrals keep up? 

Re: Yesterday was an interesting day not what I expected

If the work is there I'll work 7 days a week.

Its what I've done since I was 7.

Yea it hurts to think I've been working for 43yrs and have nothing to show for it.

 

So far this past week I've spent $120 driving to quote lawns for tire kickers without getting any work.

Quoted on 7 jobs after seeing the job, quoted 4 sight unseen on the phone (only do this in desperation).

 

Had one who wanted me to mow her lawn for $40 and she got upset when I hung up on her (better that than telling her what I'm thinking), 2 days later she calls me back and says whats wrong with everyone no ones turning up after saying they will cut her lawn for $40 so I said I'll do it for $80 but when I turned up she said she could only go as high as $60 so I walked out without saying anything, I'm not going to work a whole day for just $60 seriously 1/2 an acre of foot high grass and she wanted all the clippings removed, one day I'm not going to be able to just walk away I'm so angry with the privledged home owners, I'd like to see her pay bills if her boss paid her like a slave but what would a lucky privledged home owner know about real struggle.

 

Its 2:30am and I'm afraid to sleep, my nightmares are too much, I need to be up in 4hrs to be working at 8am for an all day job.

I've only got 2 lawns to cut this week unless something else comes up.

Yea I'd work 7 days a week if the work's there but this week I've got 1 & 1/2 days work.

 

My son has lost his 3rd job this year his first year out of school and he's struggling too, I can't help financially I'd like to but he's forever going to think I don't care because I don't drop in to see him unless I'm in the area, I'd see my kids every day if I didn't have to save the fuel so I'm able to work.

 

Just 12 more weeks until garden work starts to pick up.

I'm hanging in there, the advertisings paid for so all I have to do is keep tredding water until the work comes in. 

 

 

Re: Yesterday was an interesting day not what I expected

The service industry has to be one of the hardest @Gardener, especially when people perceive the work to be less valuable than what it is actually worth. You are good to stick to your guns and not allow the price to be negotiated to less than a regular wage. 

 

Sorry to hear about your nightmares, that's not fun at all. Do they regularly keep you up at night? Have you been able to chat with your support network about these dreams? 

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