Hey guys, here's the follow up to our last video with the manager of that restaurant, where I hinted at an equally crazy event that happened 2 days prior. Safe to say, that was a crappy week, and I was just done with it! Even Brian's Lawn Maintenance has bad days and weeks, ha. Have you guys ever been in a situation where someone was trying to pin something on you or blame you for something that you clearly didn't do, even though it was an awful situation? I feel like this was a really relatable story for a lot of us out there who might be blamed for things we don't do while running our businesses. Let me know what you guys think on this story! If you missed the other crazy customer story from last week about the restaurant manager, you can check it out here: bit.ly/2kfTiKm Thanks for watching ya'll!
She got something that's her own damn fault. I worked for teddys and a lady almost toboned me in a medium skid steer as I was unloading the 2 pallets of bricks and forks, I dropped the 1 yard back at next to the neighbors mail box pushed right up to it. She ran the bucket over while pouring down rain. Then said I tried to get out of ur way, but I ran ur thing over? I said u ran what over of my thing? I'm loading up a 15 ton dump truck and a 16ton 40ft triple axle loader trailer
Lady said the same thing to me, u ran my bucket over after almost tboning me, then flew up in the driveway and hot my bucket in the street and pushed it into the neighbors mailbox and crushed it. We had cones out blocking the street and a flag man. She was in a hurry ready to blame it on working guys. I felt bad. But she was a moron
Not long ago I had a very similar view of working with the public as you voiced on this video. That has changed slightly though. What changed it for me is the math of what your actions add up to. Let me explain... Near where I live, there's a local very successful mechanical company that has a reputation the customer is ALWAYS right, even when they are blatantly not right. This mechanical company drives nice vehicles and they charge probably 30% more to do the same job as any other company. Remember now, you are in business to take care of people and make a living doing it. Look at what can happen if you were to take a different approach with this lady you spoke of; you speak with her and REALLY validate her feelings about how terrible she must feel because of how the events of the morning are going. You know that you don't want to admit that you did something you really didn’t do because then they could take advantage of that legally, but you can tell her that you would like to help her day not suck so bad and let her know you want to give her $250 so she can get her mirror fixed. Your reasoning is that you really appreciate her as having chosen you to take care of her lawn for the previous season and you look forward to being able to work for her again in the future. By taking this approach, look at what you have just put in motion. She has friends who she will be talking to and rather than only spreading negative information about you and your company she now will have to tell her friends how you were so kind and understanding of her and you even gave her $250 to help get her car fixed. It's good advertising for you and you may have just set the stage to work for her again. When you go to work for her next time you will be increasing your fees by about 30%. If she asks why the increase it is simply because you are becoming more choosy about what clients that you will take on, and this is due to your company providing a premium top-tier service to your clients. You also tell her your company is worth the premium price and you think she's also worth the premium service... and she retains bragging rights with her friends because she has a premium top-tier company working for her. Like you said, she isn't going to see that she was at fault and if she posts a glaringly bad review about how this mean company ran her off the road and made her life flash by in a moment all because of the frightening experience. She just provided the reader a seed of doubt. Just imagine how that review would sting you as a company. It would not matter if you explained everything away in a rebuttal comment, you are now the villain and many won't hire you because they don't trust you, or what if you break something and squirm out of paying for the damages. Who needs that kind of company? You don't need that kind of advertising on a Google or social media review. Now, this does not cover the topic of her being a client that you would actually want to acquire again. You would have to make that judgment call and handle it diplomatically so that you don't attract a negative review. So if you do like I did and really think about it from a business sense standpoint, things began to calculate how it would benefit the business growth to take on a more 'the customer is always right', mentality. At the same time you increase your company wide customer rate to being a higher priced company because you provide a service that isn't just about being professional but also because the customer really trusts you beyond the work at hand. You now become worth the higher price. You know how it is; most of us would choose to pay more for a service because of the overall value of what we receive, and that value isn't always the most obvious or what is superficial. The mechanical company I talked about above is that company people know they can hire and never have to worry about being satisfied with the experience, even if they are twice as expensive as any other competitor. So you increase your profit margins to compensate for the occasional damaged car mirror and you're attracting customers who are accustomed to paying more for the best service experience. Overall your company is much more profitable. It's a win all the way around! Mentally you will have to change your mindset when first being confronted with these situations and realize that you are being presented with an opportunity to turn a negative into something positive for everyone involved. And if it helps to swallow the $250 mirror cost, just imagine how cheap that advertising is that you're buying and how you don't need the negative advertising. Just don't go out throwing rocks through customers windows to get advertising opportunities because I'm sure that would rank high on the counterproductive scale. haha BTW, I've listened to Extreme Ownership a few times over the last year and love it!
A dash cam is one of the best investments you can make in our business. I have a Rexing dash cam with front and rear facing cameras that record 24/7 and will save and store videos in the event your truck is hit when you're not around. It happened to me when I was in a backyard and the person took off.
My attorney friend always is reminding me to not "Self Incriminate". I asked him what he would say in this situation of your video. His advice is to keep it positive, polite, and to minimize, but NEVER self incriminate..... here is his example ---- "It's unfortunate that trash cans are on the street this morning, but fortunately for you the damage is small and I'm sure you will have that taken care of in no time. Now, if you would excuse me, I have customers that need me to take care of there lawns." AND THEN DISENGAGE as you look down and walk away. Also, his thoughts on DASH CAMS......"Remember, your DASH CAM can be used as evidence for you or against you. All video can be subpoena by the courts. GREAT VIDEO BRIAN and great subject matter. Since we are on the subject of legal matters, I would like to know how many Lawn Care owners use NON -compete contracts, and who has good ones.
Never heard of non compete with lawn mowers... I usually hear of the small fertilizer guy getting market share and one of the big fish buys them out. There's usually a clause in there that the small owner can't restart a new company for a few years in that area. Meanwhile big fish gobbles up little fish's client list till all clients leave for better (individualized) service from different small company.... Then it recycles 'cause big guys don't need to pay attention to customers... Or even see them.
I drive a commercial vehicle and going down the road if I look down at the other drivers 95% of drivers are messing with either their phone, putting on makeup, reading newspapers/books
@@runningscout14 I'm up in BC Canada and we just had a woman convicted for a $368 driving without due care fine + 6 demerit points in Kelowna. Why? She was eating a salad with chop sticks (salad in her left hand while steering with 3 fingers from her left hand). She also tried to argue to the judge that driving with 3 fingers on the steering wheel is careful enough LOL.
Dash cams are invaluable, they pay for themselves many times over if you need to go to court. Blackvue and Vantrue are two of the best! She is not a great lady, people show their true colors when they are under stress or drunk.
Great video, love your stuff. I want to come to your conference but I’m out of the county on military orders. Here’s my story. I have a small lawn care operation in Traverse City. Picked up a new client (very nice older lady) in the downtown area. We were there last year for the first mow. Had my guy mowing this corner lot on a 4 way intersection. Grass was pretty over grown on the sidewalks and needed a good edging. I completed the edging, piled up all the extra sod to haul away. We blew the sidewalks off of the extra dirt and grass clippings. Mind you, we are careful not to rip our blowers wide open to keep noise and dust down. The next week we get to the same job and start our routine. I’m mowing this time and have my guy running the trimmer. I see two older people talking to him in what appears to be an aggressive manner. I finish my pass and check with my employee on what happened. He told me they chewed him out and said they are going to sue me. Lol so, I walk over with a card and introduce myself as the owner. I asked them how I can help them. They started yelling at me telling me they are going to sue me, write a bad review on BBB and everything else. I asked what the problem was. They told me that they had their windows open and I completely covered the inside and outside of their home with dust. This was clearly not the case at all. I heard them out for a minute just listening. They told me it was my fault, I will be paying to have someone clean the inside and outside of their home. They are taking me to court and on and on. They were mad that my customer fertilized her lawn, said it’s so bad. Not that it’s any of their business but my customer uses an organic fertilizer because of her dog. I asked if they would like me to come over and let them know we are there to service the property so they can close their windows. Maybe this would help, I got a “NO, WE WON’T CLOSE OUR WINDOWS!” They told me that I will use a broom and a rake next time. I simply handed them my card, told them I will see them in court if they choose and to have a nice day. Never had an issue with them since.
dont want dust in your house dont open your windows lol. their admission they never close their windows means dust can come from anything and everything outside, hell even a breeze would make their house dusty haha
Had a dash cam for years, people round here will do anything but slow down. First thing, dash cams are watching how YOU are driving as much as others on the road. Had a trailer rear ended last year, other driver tried to say I stopped suddenly for no reason, but I clearly had video of another vehicle coming round a corner and blocking the road in front........dash cam was worth every penny. The way people behave on the roads round here, I will never drive without a dash cam again.
I worked with several people in the past that would blame the screw-ups on other co workers. I alway called that a diversion tactic. When someone would go blaming someone else, it would make me look harder at them. I retired as a waste water plant operator several years ago. When I would screw up, I found early in life just to accept responsibility, then move on. Learn from your mistakes so you won’t be making them again. I have been taught many life lessons by using this method. And it’s made me a better person and a better operator. (And most of all, it made my job easier and safer.) And dash cams maybe the way to go. Thanks for the video..... It’s always interesting hearing about the problems you encounter.
The way you described the other's comments about excuses around late mowing. I'm right there with them. My full time job is an 8-5 IT job, and I do lawn care for neighbors evenings when it's available, or weekends. If we are in a very heavy rain season, and I can't mow for several days-weeks because the conditions aren't possible for a push mower to appropriately handle it. I let them know, "Your lawn is due to be mowed this weekend, but it's been raining all week, and will continue through the weekend, and several days after. I cannot mow your property until there has been a chance for it to dry out. If you need to have it cut sooner, you will need to have someone with better equipment come by." Even right now, I am in one of those situations, My Wife is on vacation for 3 weeks out of the country, so it's just me and our 3 year old. So I sent my clients all a message letting them know it will be 3-4 weeks before I am able to mow, because I am spending much needed quality time with my Son, while his mother is out of town. Everyone no matter what the situation has been 100% understanding, and is willing to wait until I am available again, knowing that there will be an overgrown surcharge for waiting. In regards to the dash cam situation. I use my personal vehicle to haul my equipment (liner in the back of my SUV), I always make sure there is a front and rear camera recording in all of my cars. Not so much for business protection, but because I have seen friends and family get into questionable car accidents, where no witnesses came forward, and it was a he said/she said situation. So they are to protect my wife and I from idiots on the roads.
Very real story, thanks bro! I fired a client 2 days ago for calling my guys a liar about picking up storm debris. HE WAS THERE WITH ME TALKING TO THE CLIENT, PLUS WE DIDNT EVEN CHARGE THE CUSTOMER FOR IT. #PEOPLECRAZY
1st - She is Not a Lady 2nd - When two vehicles are approaching one another. The vehicle which has an obstruction in their lane, Must Yield to oncoming traffic. That is the Law - unless traffic is being directed by a police officer or flag man. 3rd - SEE #1 . . .. But, in her eyes You are #2 But, that's a good thing cuz You're the Shit👍👍- thanks for sharing 😆-😄
lol thx pal. Just trying to help anyone who’s never been in these situations before. This is the stuff we rarely get to talk about when running your own small business.
Also there's people out there that already have car damage like a broken mirror a scuff on their finger a bent bumper but if you have a dash cam that can prove your innocence and they may try to put it on you but with a dash cam will prove your innocence so go on Amazon go to Best Buy again pick one up he can save you possibly thousands of dollars in a lawsuit
Okay I think this my last comment as far as dash cams go one of my guys told me that he got into an accident but the girl was totally in the wrong and when the police showed up she lied and said that my friend slapped her which did not happen and fortunately enough he had his dash cam mounted on his car two days prior before he got into the accident so you see how a dash cam can protect you like I said just go on UA-cam and look at the road rage that takes place these days
Hey Brian, I’ve recently looked into a dash cam for this very reason and this video simply solidified that notion. Nowadays, you cannot trust drivers on the road. Too many crazies!
I literally just got chew’d out by a customer today for some bushes she didn’t want cut and now there not going to bloom correctly and claiming my crew cut the wrong bushes ........ they are the exact same bush she personally tagged and i was there myself (biz-owner) and cut them per bush as she selected them 💁🏻♂️
Absolutely run a dash cam! I use a roav by Anker and I can view and download the footage from my phone. I also keep it powered all the time so if something does happen when the truck is parked it will pick it up. I think it was only like $50.
Great video Brian, I do have a dash cam in my dump truck it record only when the truck is running so it doesn't waste my truck battery it has saved me so many times from people blaming me! I even have a camera on the back door of my trailer it is right next to the license plate light I would have caught that on my camera! It has even caught accents that happened behind me and I have to pull over and wait for the police to come because I have proof/ witness! Yes since I have a 2019 truck they do go after you more Brian is right!
I was involved in a pretty bad accident. I wasn't hurt or badly damaged, but two cars in front of me rolled over on us-131 at 80mph. After that, I went out and bought a Garmin GPS with a dashcam. Best investment I've made for my rig. Also great for if/when you get pulled over. The video records mph. Full audio. Check it out at your local best buy.
Dashcam would have shown if you stayed in your lane or not, therefore providing evidence who was at fault. Been thinking of getting a dashcam for the same reason. Thanks for the videos!!
Definitely had those types of clients! I've only ever had one client not be that way, we put a rock through their window and they literally offered to pay me to fix it and kept apologizing to me for "inconveniencing me to fix it"
Just had a customer accuse me of breaking pieces off her plastic fence, even though it has been broken before I even started the yard. Learned now I’m taking pictures of stuff that is broken on the customers properties.
100%on. One thing i learned gotta really think if you want to keep her as a client. Had similar situation and came up to an agreement it wasn’t my fault then couple months down the road she calls for a clean up, we did it, when it was time to get paid she gave me a copy off a repair invoice for her car and said now we’re even.
Love that video dude, I hate how the world is these days just as your description shows. I'm an insurance agent and I'll tell you she would never win in an arbitration with that story lol. This all comes down to the fact that people in society never want to take ownership of their own actions. The fact that it registers in her brain to say anyone but herself is at fault in that situation is mind-blowing
Appreciate this content! It’s crazy when people face adversity they tend to point fingers like they’re in second grade.....but 72.8k subs and still being real. Thanks Bri appreciate it and keep grinding!
I got blamed for cutting a fiber optic cable that was buried in over a foot of grass and the client didn’t tell me about it and told me they wanted me in and out as fast as I could be so as they asked we were racing around the yard and I specifically asked before I started “are they any hazards or obstructions etc in the yard” and they said no and tried to blame me for the cut cable
In my opinion, you should always walk a property thats overgrown. That is your fault. Never trust a clients word, look at the property with your own eyes. I would take fault if I cut it in that situation. I was using my bed edger for a mulch job I was doing, I cut the comcast cable. I took blame even though it was buried since they didn’t get cables marked when I told them to do so.
I think I would put a camera on the trailer too. Being higher up and farther back than the truck's cab it may catch some action that a dash mounted camera can't. I know it's a bit of upfront cost, but maybe you can put a camera on the front, back and each side of the trailer. The side cameras can be beneficial when parked at a job site. While you're mowing a lawn, the camera facing the lawn you're mowing can record the action, so if an issue arises with the customer you may catch it on video.
I purchased a Rexing Camera for my truck! Great quality forward facing video and ok video for the rear. Plus I have plenty of stupid driving captured. Definitely recommend getting some type of camera
Never had that happen. As a school bus driver i know that when driving a company vehicle you are driving a billboard and people want to blame you when something goes wrong.
I have the same truck and i have the blackvue 650 dr 2 channel with front facing camera and infared rear facing camera and also have a 650 single channel faced out rear window on drivers side to catch those incidents . when u have a 70,000 truck u have to protect yourself !!!!
Great point about dash cam , and wanted to mention she was looking for weakness and was not successful the less excuses the better for you and great job!
I always advise everyone to just get a dash cam, it help so much even when it's not for your sake you might catch an accident and someone might've got injured.
This is a late reply but in TN this is a single car accident. You have no legal obligation nor responsibility for this event. It may cause some negative publicity but it will also show your no push over and won't be taken advantage of. I feel like I was taken advantage of alot when I started my landscaping mowing career bc I wouldn't say no. When I stopped my profits rose dramatically bc my perceived value went up. Value is determined like a math problem. Cost divided by service equals value. We are here to make money. I feel like we as a group give away enough of our time and donations that we don't have enough to be taken advantage of by these " victims" of circumstance. Thanks as always Brian love story time. John's lawns East Tn
Man..... she was on her phone & applying makeup No Doubt!!! There is no denying your rig coming down the street. No way you'll be speeding through a development where you service however many lawns!!! And imagine if that trashcan was a child!!!! Hope all is well, thanks for sharing the story & Dirty Jersey out!! Oh, & P.S. that mentality is most DEFINITELY being spread to her children if she has any.....
Brian, I had a dentist that once told me, "trouble comes in bunches", and your epic week of run-ins (altercations) is proof of his adage. First, I can't see how on earth what she did to her car was any fault of yours, in any way, shape or form. Second, I think she's unhappy with herself and is looking for anyone to blame except herself. I own damage I know I've done, but I'll also own damage I didn't do, but happened while I'm on the premises with my equipment. I just like to cover my bases. But when I can clearly see that I in no way caused the damage, and yet get blamed for it, I'll stand up against the charges. I think you handled this as best as anyone could have, and I agree the victim mentality needs to stop! As for a dashcam, you've just given me a great reason to get one! You just had a rotten week, and I can relate for sure!
I actually ordered one for my truck . I got pulled over yesterday and arrested over a cop insisting I came through a one way street out of a gas station when I didn’t and it’s not a one way 🤦♂️
No dash cams yet. But definitely want to get one. Especially after watching this. Plus if you've ever driven through Charlevoix in the summer , especially during venitia festival, a lot of people think stop signs are a suggestion and oncoming traffic can stop or move for them. When we are parked we use our 4ways, our amber light on top and a cone and I have had multiple people almost hit me head on crossing into my lane going way too fast or on one occasion someone almost drove up my trailer. Side note. Love the landscape and chill shirt. Just got my lawntrepreneur shirts the other day.
Another good one where the customer used to mow on 2.5” and wants you to mow the same height. I immediately walk around the house and garages with vinyl siding and note how many holes from rocks, even windows with cracks that were thrown from previous mowers/people. We mowed for the state one year and a cop stopped saying the mower threw a rock and hit his brand new police car but had a dent and 8 inch scrape from what was clearly a child’s bicycle. Always be cautious of everything now. When you want a good reputation and long term customers, they all appreciate the little things.
Your responsible for what happens in your lane. Now a days people don't want to be responsible for their own stupidity. I think you did fantastic with situation.
Something I come across with the one time Mows are complaints after I've completely finished that the grass isn't as short as the neighbours. My reply, "healthy lawns should me cut weekly. To cut at the length you want it would also need to be watered 3x a week. If you usually cut yours at their height then that tells me you haven't mowed in a month. What I quoted was based on a maintained lawn. I'm happy to mow a second time but it is not free.
Feel like you handled this fantastically and couldn’t agree more with everyone playing the “victim” game. Thanks for the continuous awesome content and the real life problems! You da man 🤙
The customer needs to take responsibility for her own actions and stop bullying her lawn maintenance professional to cover the costs for her unfortunate mishap. Ridiculous that this day and age you have to go the extra mile to monitor the general public for liability issues and insurance purposes. Definitely handled this situation like a pro with excellent communications skillset.
When she said, "You need to come see this," I would have told her, "I don't NEED to do anything. Do you have a problem?" If she persisted, I would simply tell her, "You are being cheap and difficult. As such, you are not my customer, and never can be. Do not ever call me again. As for this? You can't drive, and that is not my problem. It is time for you to shut up and walk away now. Or, I will bill you for this time." If she does not walk away, I would take out my bid book, make a note, and walk away. There are way too many great customers who are not immature jerks. Why waste time?
Im a tree guy i get alot of this. With shared trees in between houses. Sense your there can you cut this limbs. I say sure its going cost this much. They say no get of my property. People are always trying to get free be
Wow. I'm not in the habit of missing videos of my favorite channels. Yet, I'm sitting here wondering how I missed this one particular video from 2019! I'll make a couple of points though: 1. Dashcams. If you don't have one and properly installed and working then you're wrong. It's just a matter of time when some thief or some other individual comes along and tries to take advantage of you. Lawn care guys and anyone else that makes their living on the roads should require these things mandatory equipment. I worked in Kuwait City for a while and you best be prepared to defend yourself against the absolute worst drivers on the planet! 2. Women. They detest being held responsible for things in their lives that go wrong! What you endured from this woman is what is commonly called being "$hit tested", trying to set you up for admitting fault, taking partial responsibility even though you're innocent or baiting you into a scenario where you get out of line with her so she can then force an advantage in a court that is prepositioned to support them. Again dashcams or other recording devices are becoming more necessary when dealing with the public and the female public in specific. I know managers that will not give professional, performance or private counsel to a female without the entire session being recorded from start to finish. Burned once you never forget!
We had stuff like this happend to me as well. So I invested in a dash camera on my rig and kept it recording from the start of work till the end. And it's very beneficial in my opinion The part where she stated you where in the middle of the road. The dash came would of showed how far you would of been on your side of the road.
Hey Brian I couldn’t agree with you more! I have a ant disk dash cam that works with your phone in my truck and it’s awesome. Especially for when I’m hauling my enclosed or dump trailer and plowing
Hey Brian I just ordered a " Dash cam " that covers the vehicle 360. I havent gotten it yet so I cant tell you how it works. Ill let you know how it is when I get it
I use the Vanture n2 Pro. I've used it for rideshare for 2 years and after a commerical renter accused me of throwing rocks at her Mustang. i use it on my work truck. It records the front and inside of the truck. But there is other companies that you can put 3 cameras in the system to record everything. Go to dashcamstore.com they show which areas each bundle records.
Your 100% rite don’t say anything to blame your self in the wrong my rule would be for that if cans are on your side yes you should yield if on there side there to yield to oncoming traffic hope I made sense
Brian, Huge fan of your channel and this is the ONLY comment I have to make after watching 20+ videos and it may piss you off. I worked as a sports official prior to getting into the landscaping industry and learned to not call women "ladies". It is apparently a more appropriate way to address females lol yeah only comment I have to make. It helps with general professionalism which you clearly take seriously
Brian, ownership has it's place "when it really is your fault". Not at all in this case. Stand your ground and lay out the facts short and to the point. Unfortunate but not your fault. She can take ownership. A dash cam is a great tool when you have a business vehicle. I would recommend one just as an extra protection for you and your business. Great job on this one buddy!
I agree pal. I always own up when it's our fault, but even my guy Rob that was with me looked at me and said "there's no way that was your fault". My other point I forgot to make was, imagine if this was one of my "rigs" out there. I wonder how the story and result would've been. Would I of believed the lady, or my employee? Definitely an interesting and potential pickle.
Oh man! If it had been her mirror on the same side as your truck , that would have been a thing! My buddy just bought a Rexing Dash Cam from the guys who did his shop cameras. They mentioned some dashcams have a greater chance of standing up in court , claiming that the Rexing cam is one with a track record of holding up in court. Pretty affordable too, around $100 for a some peace of mind. Anyone else have any experience with different brands of dashcams? Stories like this one are motivation enough to remind me to make the move and get one set up asap! ... some folks smell a whiff of success from an entrepreneur, working independently, while they are getting ready to go punch a time card for someone else, and the animosity and frustration boils up from underneath?
This is how I would have handled it, "My insurance company will look at this and will 100% say I am not at fault and not liable. However, I would love to try and help you find a new mirror from a pick and pull lot for $50 and find you a mechanic to install it. Or you can go to an auto body shop and pay them $2500 to fix it. I'd love to help in that way. But my insurance company will fight this and will win it".
Sad to say but I learned the hard way that the law and some people are not honest. Say as little as possible. Document everything and NEVER admit guilt unless you know what you did directly caused the accident. Trust me. I paid a$560 fine, bought someone a whole new windshield AND had my insurance double. In hindsight I should of just kept driving:)
I absolutely use dash cams. Specifically a birds eye view system just to cover my a$$. It has already paid off several times over when you let them know you can just go and check the footage and invite them to view it with you. Brakes start getting pumped really quick.
BlackVue is the ONLY dashcam to get. I've had one for a few years, it's awesome, don't cheap out on one, and if you take the time to hardwire it, it's worry-free.
“What are we gonna do about this”. I had a lady stop me while mowing her yard and said “what are we gonna do about these tree limbs,they are touching the house?” I didn’t hesitate and “I said I’ll email you an estimate”. PS she paid me to trim those limbs. Take charge!
I use Nexar Dash cam. It is affordable and very convenient, videos instantly go straight to your nexar app can save clips, see your location and distance traveled, unlimited storage and a very good quality camera. Lucky I haven’t had any issues with customers or people on the roads but if something did happen it’s a great security and provides video evidence if something unfolds.
I have a Garmin nuvicam. It paid for itself in the first few months when a construction truck kicked up a rock and smashed my windshield. They didn't want to pay until they watched the video, then they paid for the windshield.
Dash cams are such great tools. It may not have shown her hitting the can, but it would've shown you in your lane, not swerving towards her, fogged windows as she approaches... Some will show your speed via gps... all important if police get involved. Cheap insurance for $150
Watch a dashcam channel on UA-cam for an hour. Just a North American one. You'll be ordering a dashcam by the 30 minute mark. People will always try to blame the other person. It's cheap insurance.
People always try to take advantage of a business, but you can't afford to pay for everything and still make money. Let alone if it's not your fault, I don't mind paying for something that me or one of my guys caused especially if the customer is understanding. Put your foot down, say what you have to say and no more I've got dash cams on both my trucks and a 4 channel cctv system at the shop. 1000% worth the money
Hey guys, here's the follow up to our last video with the manager of that restaurant, where I hinted at an equally crazy event that happened 2 days prior. Safe to say, that was a crappy week, and I was just done with it! Even Brian's Lawn Maintenance has bad days and weeks, ha.
Have you guys ever been in a situation where someone was trying to pin something on you or blame you for something that you clearly didn't do, even though it was an awful situation? I feel like this was a really relatable story for a lot of us out there who might be blamed for things we don't do while running our businesses. Let me know what you guys think on this story!
If you missed the other crazy customer story from last week about the restaurant manager, you can check it out here: bit.ly/2kfTiKm
Thanks for watching ya'll!
Ya she would have gotten the "refuge" right back into her car... I would have been incognito doing it tho, returning the flavor
She got something that's her own damn fault. I worked for teddys and a lady almost toboned me in a medium skid steer as I was unloading the 2 pallets of bricks and forks, I dropped the 1 yard back at next to the neighbors mail box pushed right up to it. She ran the bucket over while pouring down rain. Then said I tried to get out of ur way, but I ran ur thing over? I said u ran what over of my thing? I'm loading up a 15 ton dump truck and a 16ton 40ft triple axle loader trailer
Lady said the same thing to me, u ran my bucket over after almost tboning me, then flew up in the driveway and hot my bucket in the street and pushed it into the neighbors mailbox and crushed it. We had cones out blocking the street and a flag man. She was in a hurry ready to blame it on working guys. I felt bad. But she was a moron
Not long ago I had a very similar view of working with the public as you voiced on this video. That has changed slightly though. What changed it for me is the math of what your actions add up to. Let me explain...
Near where I live, there's a local very successful mechanical company that has a reputation the customer is ALWAYS right, even when they are blatantly not right. This mechanical company drives nice vehicles and they charge probably 30% more to do the same job as any other company.
Remember now, you are in business to take care of people and make a living doing it. Look at what can happen if you were to take a different approach with this lady you spoke of; you speak with her and REALLY validate her feelings about how terrible she must feel because of how the events of the morning are going. You know that you don't want to admit that you did something you really didn’t do because then they could take advantage of that legally, but you can tell her that you would like to help her day not suck so bad and let her know you want to give her $250 so she can get her mirror fixed. Your reasoning is that you really appreciate her as having chosen you to take care of her lawn for the previous season and you look forward to being able to work for her again in the future.
By taking this approach, look at what you have just put in motion. She has friends who she will be talking to and rather than only spreading negative information about you and your company she now will have to tell her friends how you were so kind and understanding of her and you even gave her $250 to help get her car fixed. It's good advertising for you and you may have just set the stage to work for her again. When you go to work for her next time you will be increasing your fees by about 30%. If she asks why the increase it is simply because you are becoming more choosy about what clients that you will take on, and this is due to your company providing a premium top-tier service to your clients. You also tell her your company is worth the premium price and you think she's also worth the premium service... and she retains bragging rights with her friends because she has a premium top-tier company working for her.
Like you said, she isn't going to see that she was at fault and if she posts a glaringly bad review about how this mean company ran her off the road and made her life flash by in a moment all because of the frightening experience. She just provided the reader a seed of doubt. Just imagine how that review would sting you as a company. It would not matter if you explained everything away in a rebuttal comment, you are now the villain and many won't hire you because they don't trust you, or what if you break something and squirm out of paying for the damages. Who needs that kind of company? You don't need that kind of advertising on a Google or social media review.
Now, this does not cover the topic of her being a client that you would actually want to acquire again. You would have to make that judgment call and handle it diplomatically so that you don't attract a negative review.
So if you do like I did and really think about it from a business sense standpoint, things began to calculate how it would benefit the business growth to take on a more 'the customer is always right', mentality. At the same time you increase your company wide customer rate to being a higher priced company because you provide a service that isn't just about being professional but also because the customer really trusts you beyond the work at hand. You now become worth the higher price. You know how it is; most of us would choose to pay more for a service because of the overall value of what we receive, and that value isn't always the most obvious or what is superficial.
The mechanical company I talked about above is that company people know they can hire and never have to worry about being satisfied with the experience, even if they are twice as expensive as any other competitor.
So you increase your profit margins to compensate for the occasional damaged car mirror and you're attracting customers who are accustomed to paying more for the best service experience. Overall your company is much more profitable. It's a win all the way around!
Mentally you will have to change your mindset when first being confronted with these situations and realize that you are being presented with an opportunity to turn a negative into something positive for everyone involved. And if it helps to swallow the $250 mirror cost, just imagine how cheap that advertising is that you're buying and how you don't need the negative advertising.
Just don't go out throwing rocks through customers windows to get advertising opportunities because I'm sure that would rank high on the counterproductive scale. haha
BTW, I've listened to Extreme Ownership a few times over the last year and love it!
A dash cam is one of the best investments you can make in our business. I have a Rexing dash cam with front and rear facing cameras that record 24/7 and will save and store videos in the event your truck is hit when you're not around. It happened to me when I was in a backyard and the person took off.
Love how she didn't blame the guy who put his trash can in the road
logdon17 🤣🤣
Or the manufacture of the flimsy mirror 😉
2 trash related stories in a week. Sorry to dump all this garbage on you guys 😂
She didn’t blame trash guy because she does the same with her trash .
My attorney friend always is reminding me to not "Self Incriminate". I asked him what he would say in this situation of your video. His advice is to keep it positive, polite, and to minimize, but NEVER self incriminate..... here is his example ---- "It's unfortunate that trash cans are on the street this morning, but fortunately for you the damage is small and I'm sure you will have that taken care of in no time. Now, if you would excuse me, I have customers that need me to take care of there lawns." AND THEN DISENGAGE as you look down and walk away.
Also, his thoughts on DASH CAMS......"Remember, your DASH CAM can be used as evidence for you or against you. All video can be subpoena by the courts. GREAT VIDEO BRIAN and great subject matter. Since we are on the subject of legal matters, I would like to know how many Lawn Care owners use NON -compete contracts, and who has good ones.
Great tips!
Never heard of non compete with lawn mowers... I usually hear of the small fertilizer guy getting market share and one of the big fish buys them out. There's usually a clause in there that the small owner can't restart a new company for a few years in that area. Meanwhile big fish gobbles up little fish's client list till all clients leave for better (individualized) service from different small company.... Then it recycles 'cause big guys don't need to pay attention to customers... Or even see them.
I drive a commercial vehicle and going down the road if I look down at the other drivers 95% of drivers are messing with either their phone, putting on makeup, reading newspapers/books
Totally agree.
Today I saw a lady smoking a cigarette, eating a salad, putting on her make up, while watching the news on her phone
True
@@runningscout14 I'm up in BC Canada and we just had a woman convicted for a $368 driving without due care fine + 6 demerit points in Kelowna. Why? She was eating a salad with chop sticks (salad in her left hand while steering with 3 fingers from her left hand). She also tried to argue to the judge that driving with 3 fingers on the steering wheel is careful enough LOL.
You should seriously consider getting a dash cam. To protect you and your rig.
I wouldn't give her a dime. She needs to pay attention to what she is doing behind the wheel.
Jason S bitches cant drive at all😂
Dash cams are invaluable, they pay for themselves many times over if you need to go to court. Blackvue and Vantrue are two of the best! She is not a great lady, people show their true colors when they are under stress or drunk.
Great video, love your stuff. I want to come to your conference but I’m out of the county on military orders. Here’s my story. I have a small lawn care operation in Traverse City. Picked up a new client (very nice older lady) in the downtown area. We were there last year for the first mow. Had my guy mowing this corner lot on a 4 way intersection. Grass was pretty over grown on the sidewalks and needed a good edging. I completed the edging, piled up all the extra sod to haul away. We blew the sidewalks off of the extra dirt and grass clippings. Mind you, we are careful not to rip our blowers wide open to keep noise and dust down. The next week we get to the same job and start our routine. I’m mowing this time and have my guy running the trimmer. I see two older people talking to him in what appears to be an aggressive manner. I finish my pass and check with my employee on what happened. He told me they chewed him out and said they are going to sue me. Lol so, I walk over with a card and introduce myself as the owner. I asked them how I can help them. They started yelling at me telling me they are going to sue me, write a bad review on BBB and everything else. I asked what the problem was. They told me that they had their windows open and I completely covered the inside and outside of their home with dust. This was clearly not the case at all. I heard them out for a minute just listening. They told me it was my fault, I will be paying to have someone clean the inside and outside of their home. They are taking me to court and on and on. They were mad that my customer fertilized her lawn, said it’s so bad. Not that it’s any of their business but my customer uses an organic fertilizer because of her dog. I asked if they would like me to come over and let them know we are there to service the property so they can close their windows. Maybe this would help, I got a “NO, WE WON’T CLOSE OUR WINDOWS!” They told me that I will use a broom and a rake next time. I simply handed them my card, told them I will see them in court if they choose and to have a nice day. Never had an issue with them since.
dont want dust in your house dont open your windows lol. their admission they never close their windows means dust can come from anything and everything outside, hell even a breeze would make their house dusty haha
Had a dash cam for years, people round here will do anything but slow down. First thing, dash cams are watching how YOU are driving as much as others on the road. Had a trailer rear ended last year, other driver tried to say I stopped suddenly for no reason, but I clearly had video of another vehicle coming round a corner and blocking the road in front........dash cam was worth every penny. The way people behave on the roads round here, I will never drive without a dash cam again.
I worked with several people in the past that would blame the screw-ups on other co workers. I alway called that a diversion tactic. When someone would go blaming someone else, it would make me look harder at them.
I retired as a waste water plant operator several years ago. When I would screw up, I found early in life just to accept responsibility, then move on. Learn from your mistakes so you won’t be making them again. I have been taught many life lessons by using this method. And it’s made me a better person and a better operator. (And most of all, it made my job easier and safer.)
And dash cams maybe the way to go. Thanks for the video..... It’s always interesting hearing about the problems you encounter.
The way you described the other's comments about excuses around late mowing. I'm right there with them. My full time job is an 8-5 IT job, and I do lawn care for neighbors evenings when it's available, or weekends. If we are in a very heavy rain season, and I can't mow for several days-weeks because the conditions aren't possible for a push mower to appropriately handle it. I let them know, "Your lawn is due to be mowed this weekend, but it's been raining all week, and will continue through the weekend, and several days after. I cannot mow your property until there has been a chance for it to dry out. If you need to have it cut sooner, you will need to have someone with better equipment come by."
Even right now, I am in one of those situations, My Wife is on vacation for 3 weeks out of the country, so it's just me and our 3 year old. So I sent my clients all a message letting them know it will be 3-4 weeks before I am able to mow, because I am spending much needed quality time with my Son, while his mother is out of town. Everyone no matter what the situation has been 100% understanding, and is willing to wait until I am available again, knowing that there will be an overgrown surcharge for waiting.
In regards to the dash cam situation. I use my personal vehicle to haul my equipment (liner in the back of my SUV), I always make sure there is a front and rear camera recording in all of my cars. Not so much for business protection, but because I have seen friends and family get into questionable car accidents, where no witnesses came forward, and it was a he said/she said situation. So they are to protect my wife and I from idiots on the roads.
Very real story, thanks bro! I fired a client 2 days ago for calling my guys a liar about picking up storm debris. HE WAS THERE WITH ME TALKING TO THE CLIENT, PLUS WE DIDNT EVEN CHARGE THE CUSTOMER FOR IT. #PEOPLECRAZY
1st - She is Not a Lady
2nd - When two vehicles are approaching one another.
The vehicle which has an obstruction in their lane, Must Yield to oncoming traffic.
That is the Law - unless traffic is being directed by a police officer or flag man.
3rd - SEE #1 . . .. But, in her eyes
You are #2
But, that's a good thing
cuz
You're the Shit👍👍- thanks for sharing 😆-😄
lol thx pal. Just trying to help anyone who’s never been in these situations before. This is the stuff we rarely get to talk about when running your own small business.
Also there's people out there that already have car damage like a broken mirror a scuff on their finger a bent bumper but if you have a dash cam that can prove your innocence and they may try to put it on you but with a dash cam will prove your innocence so go on Amazon go to Best Buy again pick one up he can save you possibly thousands of dollars in a lawsuit
Okay I think this my last comment as far as dash cams go one of my guys told me that he got into an accident but the girl was totally in the wrong and when the police showed up she lied and said that my friend slapped her which did not happen and fortunately enough he had his dash cam mounted on his car two days prior before he got into the accident so you see how a dash cam can protect you like I said just go on UA-cam and look at the road rage that takes place these days
Hey Brian, I’ve recently looked into a dash cam for this very reason and this video simply solidified that notion. Nowadays, you cannot trust drivers on the road. Too many crazies!
Well said pal!
This is some really valuable and important information! Thanks for sharing, Brian!
I literally just got chew’d out by a customer today for some bushes she didn’t want cut and now there not going to bloom correctly and claiming my crew cut the wrong bushes ........ they are the exact same bush she personally tagged and i was there myself (biz-owner) and cut them per bush as she selected them 💁🏻♂️
Absolutely run a dash cam! I use a roav by Anker and I can view and download the footage from my phone. I also keep it powered all the time so if something does happen when the truck is parked it will pick it up. I think it was only like $50.
they make dashcams with a wider FOV than standard ones gives a bit more viewing to the sides
Dash camera is a must because can't lie when you have video especially when an accident is involved always protect your self and business
Great video Brian, I do have a dash cam in my dump truck it record only when the truck is running so it doesn't waste my truck battery it has saved me so many times from people blaming me! I even have a camera on the back door of my trailer it is right next to the license plate light I would have caught that on my camera! It has even caught accents that happened behind me and I have to pull over and wait for the police to come because I have proof/ witness! Yes since I have a 2019 truck they do go after you more Brian is right!
I was involved in a pretty bad accident. I wasn't hurt or badly damaged, but two cars in front of me rolled over on us-131 at 80mph. After that, I went out and bought a Garmin GPS with a dashcam. Best investment I've made for my rig. Also great for if/when you get pulled over. The video records mph. Full audio. Check it out at your local best buy.
Dashcam would have shown if you stayed in your lane or not, therefore providing evidence who was at fault. Been thinking of getting a dashcam for the same reason. Thanks for the videos!!
Mailboxes, gas pumps, and trash cans oh my! What a summer brother. Better start flying your drone over yourself to capture all the fun.
Definitely had those types of clients! I've only ever had one client not be that way, we put a rock through their window and they literally offered to pay me to fix it and kept apologizing to me for "inconveniencing me to fix it"
Just had a customer accuse me of breaking pieces off her plastic fence, even though it has been broken before I even started the yard. Learned now I’m taking pictures of stuff that is broken on the customers properties.
100%on.
One thing i learned gotta really think if you want to keep her as a client. Had similar situation and came up to an agreement it wasn’t my fault then couple months down the road she calls for a clean up, we did it, when it was time to get paid she gave me a copy off a repair invoice for her car and said now we’re even.
Love that video dude, I hate how the world is these days just as your description shows. I'm an insurance agent and I'll tell you she would never win in an arbitration with that story lol. This all comes down to the fact that people in society never want to take ownership of their own actions. The fact that it registers in her brain to say anyone but herself is at fault in that situation is mind-blowing
So true!
Appreciate this content! It’s crazy when people face adversity they tend to point fingers like they’re in second grade.....but 72.8k subs and still being real. Thanks Bri appreciate it and keep grinding!
Hey thanks B!
I got blamed for cutting a fiber optic cable that was buried in over a foot of grass and the client didn’t tell me about it and told me they wanted me in and out as fast as I could be so as they asked we were racing around the yard and I specifically asked before I started “are they any hazards or obstructions etc in the yard” and they said no and tried to blame me for the cut cable
Dang, crazy.
Brian's Lawn Maintenance yea man thanks for the reply keep it real Brian great job 👍🏻
In my opinion, you should always walk a property thats overgrown. That is your fault. Never trust a clients word, look at the property with your own eyes. I would take fault if I cut it in that situation. I was using my bed edger for a mulch job I was doing, I cut the comcast cable. I took blame even though it was buried since they didn’t get cables marked when I told them to do so.
I think I would put a camera on the trailer too. Being higher up and farther back than the truck's cab it may catch some action that a dash mounted camera can't. I know it's a bit of upfront cost, but maybe you can put a camera on the front, back and each side of the trailer. The side cameras can be beneficial when parked at a job site. While you're mowing a lawn, the camera facing the lawn you're mowing can record the action, so if an issue arises with the customer you may catch it on video.
Brian, I think you are right on this one, she needs to pay attention to the road and take responsibility for her own actions in my view.
I agree 100% . People are all to ready to blame the next guy instead of taking responsibility for it themselves.
I purchased a Rexing Camera for my truck! Great quality forward facing video and ok video for the rear. Plus I have plenty of stupid driving captured. Definitely recommend getting some type of camera
Never had that happen. As a school bus driver i know that when driving a company vehicle you are driving a billboard and people want to blame you when something goes wrong.
Totally!
Odd question but I need to ask! What type of Sunglasses are you wearing? Do they work good for mowing and easy to see for striping the lawns? Thanks!!
I have the same truck and i have the blackvue 650 dr 2 channel with front facing camera and infared rear facing camera and also have a 650 single channel faced out rear window on drivers side to catch those incidents . when u have a 70,000 truck u have to protect yourself !!!!
Responsiblity and accountability is hard to find now a days!!! Awesome video!
Great point about dash cam , and wanted to mention she was looking for weakness and was not successful the less excuses the better for you and great job!
"People go after nice shiny rigs" hmmm... I guess I should go drive through the mud 😂 thanks for another great video Brian!
I always advise everyone to just get a dash cam, it help so much even when it's not for your sake you might catch an accident and someone might've got injured.
Appreciate the story bro... I just upgraded to a F-150 from a mid sized highlander & I'm slightly nervous of the truck size with the trailer 🤔
I feel your pain. Well handled, consider getting a dash cam, shows the facts, can save on insurance claims.
What a joke! U handled it properly Brian. U said it best, everyone wants to play the victim.
Another great video full of usable insight.
Also, thanks for the stickers. Got them in the mail today.
This is a late reply but in TN this is a single car accident. You have no legal obligation nor responsibility for this event. It may cause some negative publicity but it will also show your no push over and won't be taken advantage of. I feel like I was taken advantage of alot when I started my landscaping mowing career bc I wouldn't say no. When I stopped my profits rose dramatically bc my perceived value went up. Value is determined like a math problem. Cost divided by service equals value. We are here to make money. I feel like we as a group give away enough of our time and donations that we don't have enough to be taken advantage of by these " victims" of circumstance. Thanks as always Brian love story time. John's lawns East Tn
Man..... she was on her phone & applying makeup No Doubt!!! There is no denying your rig coming down the street. No way you'll be speeding through a development where you service however many lawns!!! And imagine if that trashcan was a child!!!! Hope all is well, thanks for sharing the story & Dirty Jersey out!! Oh, & P.S. that mentality is most DEFINITELY being spread to her children if she has any.....
Brian, I had a dentist that once told me, "trouble comes in bunches", and your epic week of run-ins (altercations) is proof of his adage. First, I can't see how on earth what she did to her car was any fault of yours, in any way, shape or form. Second, I think she's unhappy with herself and is looking for anyone to blame except herself. I own damage I know I've done, but I'll also own damage I didn't do, but happened while I'm on the premises with my equipment. I just like to cover my bases. But when I can clearly see that I in no way caused the damage, and yet get blamed for it, I'll stand up against the charges. I think you handled this as best as anyone could have, and I agree the victim mentality needs to stop! As for a dashcam, you've just given me a great reason to get one! You just had a rotten week, and I can relate for sure!
For sure buddy!
I actually ordered one for my truck . I got pulled over yesterday and arrested over a cop insisting I came through a one way street out of a gas station when I didn’t and it’s not a one way 🤦♂️
Brian you had me dying at 9:15.
There’s no we, were. This is you lady 😂😂
Lol
I'm surprised you don't already have a dash cam! 100% good thing to have
Hello there Brian and Liz. Hope everything is going great for you both. ✌👍👌💪🙏🙏
Things are well! #Blessed!
Thank you! 🤗
No dash cams yet. But definitely want to get one. Especially after watching this. Plus if you've ever driven through Charlevoix in the summer , especially during venitia festival, a lot of people think stop signs are a suggestion and oncoming traffic can stop or move for them. When we are parked we use our 4ways, our amber light on top and a cone and I have had multiple people almost hit me head on crossing into my lane going way too fast or on one occasion someone almost drove up my trailer.
Side note. Love the landscape and chill shirt. Just got my lawntrepreneur shirts the other day.
I have a landscaping business in my neighborhood (with a SxS). Almost been hit 3 times by people on their phones 😑
Another good one where the customer used to mow on 2.5” and wants you to mow the same height. I immediately walk around the house and garages with vinyl siding and note how many holes from rocks, even windows with cracks that were thrown from previous mowers/people.
We mowed for the state one year and a cop stopped saying the mower threw a rock and hit his brand new police car but had a dent and 8 inch scrape from what was clearly a child’s bicycle.
Always be cautious of everything now. When you want a good reputation and long term customers, they all appreciate the little things.
Amen pal
Your responsible for what happens in your lane. Now a days people don't want to be responsible for their own stupidity. I think you did fantastic with situation.
Something I come across with the one time Mows are complaints after I've completely finished that the grass isn't as short as the neighbours.
My reply, "healthy lawns should me cut weekly. To cut at the length you want it would also need to be watered 3x a week. If you usually cut yours at their height then that tells me you haven't mowed in a month. What I quoted was based on a maintained lawn. I'm happy to mow a second time but it is not free.
Feel like you handled this fantastically and couldn’t agree more with everyone playing the “victim” game. Thanks for the continuous awesome content and the real life problems! You da man 🤙
Really enjoyed your video, thank you Brian!
I smoked my mirror. It was only 40$ for a new one. On my 2012 chevy silverado
The customer needs to take responsibility for her own actions and stop bullying her lawn maintenance professional to cover the costs for her unfortunate mishap. Ridiculous that this day and age you have to go the extra mile to monitor the general public for liability issues and insurance purposes. Definitely handled this situation like a pro with excellent communications skillset.
Thanks buddy
garmin and i us one in semi i want one to put in mowing truck. yep you lost a customer lol glad you stayed strong
When she said, "You need to come see this," I would have told her, "I don't NEED to do anything. Do you have a problem?"
If she persisted, I would simply tell her, "You are being cheap and difficult. As such, you are not my customer, and never can be. Do not ever call me again. As for this? You can't drive, and that is not my problem. It is time for you to shut up and walk away now. Or, I will bill you for this time."
If she does not walk away, I would take out my bid book, make a note, and walk away.
There are way too many great customers who are not immature jerks. Why waste time?
Bro., this video gotz me so fired up!!! Just da Jersey in me Bud. Great video man!! Dirty Jersey out again!!!
Thank you brother amazing video.
My man! Well said.
Im a tree guy i get alot of this. With shared trees in between houses. Sense your there can you cut this limbs. I say sure its going cost this much. They say no get of my property. People are always trying to get free be
Wow. I'm not in the habit of missing videos of my favorite channels. Yet, I'm sitting here wondering how I missed this one particular video from 2019!
I'll make a couple of points though:
1. Dashcams. If you don't have one and properly installed and working then you're wrong. It's just a matter of time when some thief or some other individual comes along and tries to take advantage of you. Lawn care guys and anyone else that makes their living on the roads should require these things mandatory equipment. I worked in Kuwait City for a while and you best be prepared to defend yourself against the absolute worst drivers on the planet!
2. Women. They detest being held responsible for things in their lives that go wrong! What you endured from this woman is what is commonly called being "$hit tested", trying to set you up for admitting fault, taking partial responsibility even though you're innocent or baiting you into a scenario where you get out of line with her so she can then force an advantage in a court that is prepositioned to support them. Again dashcams or other recording devices are becoming more necessary when dealing with the public and the female public in specific. I know managers that will not give professional, performance or private counsel to a female without the entire session being recorded from start to finish. Burned once you never forget!
Get this all the time. I’m getting better at standing up against this
We had stuff like this happend to me as well. So I invested in a dash camera on my rig and kept it recording from the start of work till the end. And it's very beneficial in my opinion
The part where she stated you where in the middle of the road. The dash came would of showed how far you would of been on your side of the road.
Yet dash cam would def help! I’ve been looking at adding one into the truck
Hey Brian I couldn’t agree with you more! I have a ant disk dash cam that works with your phone in my truck and it’s awesome. Especially for when I’m hauling my enclosed or dump trailer and plowing
DASHCAM. ABSOLUTELY. Everybody who runs a Commercial business that involves driving MUST have and use a DASHCAM every time you drive that vehicle.
Hey Brian
I just ordered a " Dash cam " that covers the vehicle 360. I havent gotten it yet so I cant tell you how it works.
Ill let you know how it is when I get it
I use the Vanture n2 Pro. I've used it for rideshare for 2 years and after a commerical renter accused me of throwing rocks at her Mustang. i use it on my work truck. It records the front and inside of the truck. But there is other companies that you can put 3 cameras in the system to record everything. Go to dashcamstore.com they show which areas each bundle records.
Your 100% rite don’t say anything to blame your self in the wrong my rule would be for that if cans are on your side yes you should yield if on there side there to yield to oncoming traffic hope I made sense
Brian,
Huge fan of your channel and this is the ONLY comment I have to make after watching 20+ videos and it may piss you off. I worked as a sports official prior to getting into the landscaping industry and learned to not call women "ladies". It is apparently a more appropriate way to address females lol yeah only comment I have to make. It helps with general professionalism which you clearly take seriously
Lol thanks pal
Installing dash-cams in the next few weeks.
Rexing V1P Pro Dash Cam. Definitely worth the investment. Has saved me many times in situations like this.
@ 8:05 ... The realest comment ever (no offense ladies) "I dont need a hysterical lady on my case at 8:30 in the morning."
Lol just calling it how I saw it.
Brian, ownership has it's place "when it really is your fault". Not at all in this case. Stand your ground and lay out the facts short and to the point. Unfortunate but not your fault. She can take ownership. A dash cam is a great tool when you have a business vehicle. I would recommend one just as an extra protection for you and your business. Great job on this one buddy!
I agree pal. I always own up when it's our fault, but even my guy Rob that was with me looked at me and said "there's no way that was your fault". My other point I forgot to make was, imagine if this was one of my "rigs" out there. I wonder how the story and result would've been. Would I of believed the lady, or my employee? Definitely an interesting and potential pickle.
Wow that’s crazy!
Oh man!
If it had been her mirror on the same side as your truck , that would have been a thing!
My buddy just bought a Rexing Dash Cam from the guys who did his shop cameras.
They mentioned some dashcams have a greater chance of standing up in court , claiming that the Rexing cam is one with a track record of holding up in court.
Pretty affordable too, around $100 for a some peace of mind.
Anyone else have any experience with different brands of dashcams?
Stories like this one are motivation enough to remind me to make the move and get one set up asap!
... some folks smell a whiff of success from an entrepreneur, working independently, while they are getting ready to go punch a time card for someone else, and the animosity and frustration boils up from underneath?
This is how I would have handled it, "My insurance company will look at this and will 100% say I am not at fault and not liable. However, I would love to try and help you find a new mirror from a pick and pull lot for $50 and find you a mechanic to install it. Or you can go to an auto body shop and pay them $2500 to fix it. I'd love to help in that way. But my insurance company will fight this and will win it".
This is exactly what cops try to do. Try to bait you into convicting yourself. FACTS
Well played, Brian.. well played👍
UPS truck! LOL, love the random comment! Good video.
Ha! He couldn't wait for the publish..wanted the scoop NOW!
Ohhhh....😲🤯ohhhh......most funniest part!😂😂
Sad to say but I learned the hard way that the law and some people are not honest.
Say as little as possible. Document everything and NEVER admit guilt unless you know what you did directly caused the accident.
Trust me.
I paid a$560 fine, bought someone a whole new windshield AND had my insurance double.
In hindsight I should of just kept driving:)
I absolutely use dash cams. Specifically a birds eye view system just to cover my a$$. It has already paid off several times over when you let them know you can just go and check the footage and invite them to view it with you. Brakes start getting pumped really quick.
BlackVue is the ONLY dashcam to get. I've had one for a few years, it's awesome, don't cheap out on one, and if you take the time to hardwire it, it's worry-free.
Ok, thanks for the recommendation
“What are we gonna do about this”. I had a lady stop me while mowing her yard and said “what are we gonna do about these tree limbs,they are touching the house?” I didn’t hesitate and “I said I’ll email you an estimate”. PS she paid me to trim those limbs. Take charge!
Love it!
i run a dash cam, have had too many people cut me off while towing something heavy
I use Nexar Dash cam. It is affordable and very convenient, videos instantly go straight to your nexar app can save clips, see your location and distance traveled, unlimited storage and a very good quality camera. Lucky I haven’t had any issues with customers or people on the roads but if something did happen it’s a great security and provides video evidence if something unfolds.
I have a Garmin nuvicam. It paid for itself in the first few months when a construction truck kicked up a rock and smashed my windshield. They didn't want to pay until they watched the video, then they paid for the windshield.
Dash cams are such great tools. It may not have shown her hitting the can, but it would've shown you in your lane, not swerving towards her, fogged windows as she approaches... Some will show your speed via gps... all important if police get involved. Cheap insurance for $150
I run dash cam because of this very thing I have one in the front and in the back
"What is this 'we' keemosabi? Do you have a mouse in your pocket?"
Watch a dashcam channel on UA-cam for an hour. Just a North American one. You'll be ordering a dashcam by the 30 minute mark. People will always try to blame the other person. It's cheap insurance.
People always try to take advantage of a business, but you can't afford to pay for everything and still make money. Let alone if it's not your fault, I don't mind paying for something that me or one of my guys caused especially if the customer is understanding. Put your foot down, say what you have to say and no more
I've got dash cams on both my trucks and a 4 channel cctv system at the shop. 1000% worth the money