# Customer shows up at house on Sunday



## Stephen H (Feb 18, 2011)

hardscaper---- I think that's a good post.
People SHOULD run their small businesses as best they see fit.

some people won't want to do business with a guy working out of their home---- others won't want to do business with a big "in-personal" outfit----- I personally will screen out companies with a po box and a cel phone contact----- other people won't care about that at all.

whatever you do---- one person will see it as a positive---and the next guy may see it as a negative..... that's ok in my book---- it's part of the process of finding the customers who are the right fit for YOU.
stephen


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## Hardscaper (Jun 11, 2014)

Could not agree more Stephen.

Personally I refuse to by anything from the big box stores. I am a local guy and I BUY from local guys. But other good contractors buy everything from big box stores. It's PERSONAL preference.

Here's to all of us finding the right customers and the right projects for each of us.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Stephen, once again you misread... I don't have a problem with a CUSTOMER (that is someone with a singed contract and a deposit check) knowing where I live, but I ain't throwing it out there for everyone else. 

What I'm trying to point out is the flaw in your thinking "everyone over 40 would never do business with a cell phone and a po box company." 

I have brought some people to my house to see my deck, and I have had CUSTOMERS bring me checks and contracts to my home, but I don't need everyone that visits my website to have my home address, I get enough people calling after 7pm (I don't answer after 5) I sure as heck don't need some rude person coming to my house when I'm enjoying family time. 

My phone number has been the same since before I started my business in 2003, anyone who called me before can certainly call me again. You can cancel a landline just as easily as canceling a cell phone. 

You're paranoid but that doesn't mean everyone else is.


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## cwatbay (Mar 16, 2010)

I guess business is pretty good out there if we are reduced to arguing over the pros and cons of PO Boxes. 

IMO...it depends on your type of business. For instance, I know a landscape contractor who lists his home as his address. His property and house are large enough where he can show off various plants, structures and so forth. People seem to love this. Having a 3+ million dollar house and an office the size of most condos and apartments around here doesn't hurt.


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## Stephen H (Feb 18, 2011)

RobertCDF said:


> Stephen, once again you misread... I don't have a problem with a CUSTOMER (that is someone with a singed contract and a deposit check) knowing where I live, but I ain't throwing it out there for everyone else.
> 
> What I'm trying to point out is the flaw in your thinking "everyone over 40 would never do business with a cell phone and a po box company."
> 
> ...


 Robert----- I think in this case YOU have mis-read what I actually said------

what I said was that there are A lot of people over 40 who won't do business through a PO box or a cel phone contact

no where did I say "ALL people over 40"
Stephen
Edit:--- read post 47

also---as far as being paranoid goes----- given what I have actually written and how I actually live my life----- I am probably the opposite of paranoid and much too open and trusting........
stephen


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Stephen H said:


> Robert----- I think in this case YOU have mis-read what I actually said------
> 
> what I said was that there are A lot of people over 40 who won't do business through a PO box or a cel phone contact
> 
> ...


And I'm telling you that I deal with lots of people over 40 that don't have an issue with a p.o. box and a cell phone. 

You do realize it's just as easy to cancel a landline as it is a cell phone right? Are you also aware that you can port your landline number to a cell phone? Or you can port a cell phone number to a landline? There's virtually no way to know if someone has a landline vs cell since they've allowed porting of phone numbers. 

If you won't work with a trade person just because they have a cell phone (which you don't actually know that unless you ask) or a po box then I'd call you paranoid. You may be missing out on some great trades people, in fact you're probably stuck with trades people that are old and stuck in their ways and won't try something new. 

I can count 2x in 11 years (that's how long ago I started my business) that someone called about my "showroom location" and it changed the conversation. I didn't meet with either of those 2 but they didn't want to come to my house, they wanted commercial space showroom. And I know you'll be saying "see, you lost customers", potentially yes, but if the schedule was full I didn't miss income, just those people. Not to mention that if the "close 1 in 3" is true then I may not have lost anything.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Stephen H said:


> He immediately answered " OK---I sign now. We have other price. It Better---it even less if we pay cash---- but you have excellent reputation---we research you----we like family business--we like longstanding---where I sign ?


Do I win because the project we just finished up asked to give me a check to get on the schedule before I even gave them a price? They had a ballpark but said "I've read your reviews and seen your work, we don't want to work with anyone else." After I sent over the proposal she signed it and left it at my house (but she was a customer at that point, not just a potential).


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

When I am at home, I can be myself, I can let my hair down, I can tell dirty jokes, I can scratch my crotch, fart, burp, pick my nose and pee in the wooded part of my back yard if I am out working on the lawn.

If a customer drops in unexpectedly, then I run the risk of being caught in one of those "It's not what it looks like" moments. I have to pretend to be nice and excuse myself for not looking clean-cut like the Orkin Man. 

I wouldn't randomly drop in on my clients and I expect that they wouldn't to the same thing to me.


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## Kyle Erdmann (Nov 15, 2016)

Yeah, I wouldn't want customers showing up at my home uninvited regardless if they were showing up to pay a bill. 

The tough part is when you don't have an actual physical business address but want to list your business online so you show up locally.

Here's a solution if you want to be listed by google, but don't have an office and don't want to list your home as your 'location': http://smallbusiness.chron.com/add-business-google-maps-address-59973.html

Kyle Erdmann
Erdmann Exterior Designs Ltd


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## TBM (Oct 13, 2016)

Everyone is welcome at my house. Wouldn't bother me at all. At least you didn't have to chase down your payment, I wish everyone hand delivered payment.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Kyle Erdmann said:


> Yeah, I wouldn't want customers showing up at my home uninvited regardless if they were showing up to pay a bill.
> 
> The tough part is when you don't have an actual physical business address but want to list your business online so you show up locally.
> 
> ...


Just curious, why not?


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## CPMKW (Apr 28, 2014)

Because I like to lay in the yard naked? 

I don't like anyone showing up uninvited. Customers would be especially troubling for me. 

If I worked a 9-5 office job I would not like the boss dropping by uninvited. Separate my professional and personal lives.


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## builderfalmouth (Nov 16, 2016)

I use a mailbox in all our locations, I definitely want to keep business separate from home

cornwallbuilder.co.uk


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

CPMKW said:


> Because I like to lay in the yard naked?
> 
> I don't like anyone showing up uninvited. Customers would be especially troubling for me.
> 
> If I worked a 9-5 office job I would not like the boss dropping by uninvited. Separate my professional and personal lives.



Can't compare a 9-5 to what we do. I could list a thousand things that are different. Like it or not we are a part of our community. People stop at my house all of the time. They see the truck and stop. I find it hard to believe that you don't like "anyone" showing up uninvited. But maybe growing up in the south gave me a different perspective. I have no issue with anyone showing up uninvited, especially now that I am a figure in the community. 

If you want them separate then get a shop and don't use your home address as your business address. Pretty simple. But if you use your home address, it's what you are signing up for.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

Funny how this thread came up, just yesterday (black Friday) a customer stopped by to look at my deck, we were in the middle of tearing off my roof, everything was a disaster, deck was even covered in debris, signed the contract in the driveway and got a deposit check. 

I had told them a week ago to stop by to take a look anytime... just so happened they picked the worst day. Oh well, still worked out good.


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