I feel like an IRS agent

I don't know what the heck is wrong with me these past weeks, but nobody wants to talk to me. My phone is quiet and even my commercial clients have started avoiding me. Seriously, one of my commercial accounts has not responded to anything (emails, text, calls, in-person attempts) in 3 weeks!! For years the communication has been easy and free-flowing weekly, but now they act like I am an IRS agent looking to collect or something.

I've never seen anything like it before. The weather is fantastic for a change (72 and sunny) and I have no work scheduled all week except for a single house and one store front. It is really weird....feeling like a ghost around this town.

Even my appointment with the Ozone water guys have fallen apart. Last week it was a dental emergency followed by no response to reschedule and now it was called off again until some time next week due to some "scheduling conflicts".

I hope this trend goes away soon, it is creating one of the worst Octobers in years!

Maybe you should try out a couple of google ads until things pick back up.

It will turn around soon, it always seems to......it's either too much or not enough in this biz, usually for me anyways.

Just try to enjoy a few days off, or maybe get some work done on your new truck?..........while you have the chance.

I did that very thing Davey.  It was a small victory, but I removed the safe at least.  

It was actually a nightmare, once I cut through the welds, it turned out to be bolted in as well.  Even worse, there wasn't room to get any tool close enough except for a dremel.....which I couldn't find in my shop.

So, I went to town and bought a nice upgraded model (4200) with the quick change attachment and some cutting discs.  It was really nice except it died after cutting the first bolt.  Just stopped working and couldn't get it to recover.

That left me with having to cut the next 3 bolts off with a hacksaw blade and thick pair of gloves as their was no room for the handle to fit.  Needless to say, it took a looooooong while, but it was still a victory in the end.

Maybe its the calm before the storm and you're gong to get slammed soon. Have you checked to see if your phone is working

Mo wrote:Maybe its the calm before the storm and you're gong to get slammed soon. Have you checked to see if your phone is working

I am embrarassed to say, but yes, I called and emailed myself....all works.

I also just learned that my new dremel tool was fine.  There is a flaw with the housing on the 4200 model that allows the brushes to lose contact.  All I had to do was press down on the housing behind the brush access plug and it roared to life again.  I think I will wrap it with a rubber band to keep it snug.  Then I realized that I spent hours with a hacksaw blade when I could have just zipped it off with the Dremel after learning the trick.

So, let me say it again for the next guy:

If you have a Dremel 4200 and it quits working, press hard on the housing between the brush plug and the rpm control and it should recover.  Just saved you hours of your life.

Things have turned. As predicted Mo, the storm has begun with 4 large rentals scheduled for early next week. My kind of calls, 3-story homes in wealthy neighborhood.

At least my Real Estate contacts are still answering their phones. I can breath a little easier now...had me a little worried.

I used to get a case of the nerves when things slowed down. It was always the lull before the next storm you didn't know was coming. I've since learned to enjoy the time off.

It was a new experience for me. Not that I am always slammed or anything, but I never had such a lull like that one. I still have concerns over my largest commercial contract which has become impossible to contact and was supposed to provide several jobs this month to the tune of over 5k....not sure what is going on there.

Still, it was like fishing a school of tuna today, the phone just kept ringing. I now have a very busy week coming up...so much for my vacation plans, but that is a good thing.

Glad to hear it's coming around, it always seems to.....especially when I start worrying about it. lol

Hopefully your big com. account wakes up soon too.

Thanks Davey....never thought I would get worried like that, but it spooked me.

The silver lining is that now I am far more motivated to advertise and keep looking for work. I guess I needed the scare to wake things up.

Yeah I'm always worried when it slows down a lot but like Dave said, our market here in LA is like when everyone decide they need their carpets cleaned, they will all call at the same time and ask for same day or next day services but then it'll all die down, that's why I always try to take them all when they call and just work my butt off because I know the following week I would get my rest, and in the event that I don't, I just think about the next vacation ( we vacation 4 - 6 times a year ) whether it's a weekend getaway or a whole week off, that usually gets me going.

That is one of my biggest failings, not taking vacations. I had the next 10 days slotted for the Marathon trip, so this was my big vacation for the year. Since I failed to survive the training this time, I was planning to spend this break on getting the box truck finished and de-cluttering my garage / house before going into the winter.

That was before the phone blew up and it did again this morning. My Property Manager called me with 7 two bedroom apartments that need cleaned on Thursday.

I am going to be struggling to keep up with things this week, but that box truck is still high on my radar to finish. Not a very restful plan...might have to schedule another vacation before this year is up.

BOOM...I'm back!

I grew tired of playing phone tag with my anchor contract after 3 weeks and decided to fire them. I sent emails out to the CEO thanking them for allowing me to be part of their success story over the last 2 years and wished them well with their up-coming holiday events. I also told them that I hoped the carpets hadn't become too ugly over the last month going into these events since we were not able to clean.

Five minutes later...phone rang...apologies galore....scheduled 3 buildings (32,000 sqft) for middle of next week.....contract promised for 2015.

It feels good to be back on top! In fact, it is time for.......

Sometimes it takes nothing more than politely telling someone they will NOT be walking all over you.

Glad it has worked out for you Rob. Just don't forget about taking time for yourself. Before you know it, it will be butt crack deep snow outside, and you'll have wished you got more done before the weather hit.

I really hate that "s" word...trying to convince myself that it is long ways off yet and enjoying this 75 degree weather right now, but it is coming.