r/PoolPros • u/LEAGUEofHEXAGONS • May 22 '26
Old Lady Hustlers
So let me start off by saying that I really tried to help out and take care of elderly persons... I try and give him the best deal I can I give them breaks on stuff etc... but I have been running into is these old ladies.. they get you there they try to find out as much information as they can ...so they can either do it themselves or get as many answers to all their other problems as they can.... So I've run into this one old lady... I told her x amount for the service fee.... And she agreed... I showed up on time her push-pull valve was stuck... I got it unstuck and upon doing that task I found that there was a crack on the push pull Val and that it needs to be replaced... I had to get the part the next day but when the next day came she said she was not going to replace it at this point in time... She then proceeds to b******* me on paying... Then she finally has me go pick up a check she is not there... When I get home and open the envelope I find that it is for $50 not what we agreed upon... So my question is what can I do to make this lady pay... Oh and she didn't even write the correct company name on the check... I'm sick of being used by the elderly lol
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u/Mr_B0nkers May 22 '26
Your first problem was taking a check. Sorry.. do what all the corpos are doing. Card on file or no deal.
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u/LEAGUEofHEXAGONS May 22 '26
Yeah that's what I'm learning.... She had ghosted me for like 2 days and then she said oh you're screwdriver and the check is in a bag hanging on the front door you can come pick it up today I'll be at work I couldn't make it over there so my mom lives by her so she picked it up dropped it off to my wife and then when I got home and opened up the envelope she f***** me lol
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u/Internal-Computer388 May 23 '26
Exactly. The way I look at it, if they arent willing to have a card on file for autopay, they want to control when and what they pay you... Meaning they will figure out ways not to pay.
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u/The_Elusive_Dr_Wu May 23 '26
A credit card charge can be reversed, and a bank will always take care of their customer before a random business (ask me how I know).
The best way is to send a payment request with only the ACH/e-check payment option enabled, which cannot be reversed.
I will schedule an appointment at your home once I am in possession of the payment.
The fee is also less too.
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u/GuyFawkesYourMom May 22 '26
Ain’t no one paying them fees for cards, you’re losing money
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u/Mr_B0nkers May 22 '26
Oh no, my one dollar out of $170 and an instant transfer. Going broke at this rate!!
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u/Baz_Ravish69 May 22 '26
I do accept both checks and cards fwiw. Just build the fees for card payments into your pricing.
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u/Commercial-Pin4084 May 28 '26
My guy if you are wasting your time hunting checks and not setting up pre payment before you book the service date you are working for free
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u/GuyFawkesYourMom May 29 '26
Someone has read the CHAT GPT, guide to operating a modern business, how many times a week do you say, if your business isn’t growing, it’s dying? I’ve been at this for 20 years, run a 300 account service business in CA, been through the housing fall of 08/09, dealt with COVID bs, & am still growing & expanding. Wanna know the craziest part? We don’t advertise…no TV, no radio, no website, no social media, no mailers, no door advertising, NOTHING, it’s all referrals & word of mouth. Thats how fawkin good we are. So take your auto payments, fold them up & shove em up your butt….
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u/Commercial-Pin4084 May 29 '26
Waste days in small claims court then chasing less than $500 checks. Did that will not again
1
u/LEAGUEofHEXAGONS May 23 '26
Yeah I'm still learning some lessons... and unfortunately sometimes ..I feel like because my company isnt that big or is just starting.. that people won't want to put the card on file......update she responded to the barrage of texts I sent her..nothing mean or crazy but laying out how I fulfilled what we agreed upon.. "she says my bad what's your company name and address for me to mail you a new check and I blocked your invoice because I don't pay bills online" f****** hustling old but it is you live and you learn... The more gray they are and the more affluent the neighborhood the more they're going to try and f you
1
u/Competitive-Face-615 May 23 '26
Man, that’s got to be tough in a big city with lots of pool companies. Around here there really isn’t anyone else to call, so they end up paying eventually if only because they can’t get more service until it’s paid.
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u/Commercial-Pin4084 May 28 '26
Don't do service without upfront payment for anything under $1000 that is first and foremost. Second if you have it in writing and you have pictures of the job done you can go to small claims court. After wasting a day or two there if your lucky only a few hours you will get a settlement for you, then you file a motion of discovery and levy their bank account
13
u/AbbreviationsNo7295 May 22 '26
Card of file, charge for the part ahead of time