OK boys................... Sound off !!

[Chris Muetterties]

WE have a policy that we collect a small deposit on WD, 250.00 to 500.00. Now after 10 years I got an adjustor going nuts over this. He called today and told the office that if I did not refund this 250.00 my bill will take much longer to pay. I' am not trying to be a hard ass but give me a break. These jerk's take their sweet time paying and I like this to help with cash flow.


I'm I out of line and what would you do. I have not spoken to him yet.

 

[John Watson]

Tell the dumb Mfn sb to go to hell, Just like the equip rental store you get a security deposit for your equipment. It is also a deposit on your emergeny services provided before you know if there is insurance coverage or not. I used to collect a $1000 up front if we didn't know if they had coverage or not. I would drop it down to the amount of their deductable if lower because that is the amount they are going to spend weather they have coverage or not. Trying to collect it at the end of the job sucks, 9 out of 10 time they will try to find something wrong that totals up to the deductable.. In WA state you have to have a cont. lic to do WD and present alot of paper work before the job starts. We had papers that cover this. No deposit weather it be check, cash or CC no job start and this was covered before we dispatched the crews out. Paper work was signed and check in hand before we started.

But, I don't do this anymore, been charged with assult for keeping the adjustor from slippin and falling in front of a moving truck, go figgure. I always got my money!!!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I hear that every now and then, but the reality is that it is needed for cash flow.

We will process the job, bill it and wait 2-weeks to a month for payment. Mean while I have payroll and other obligations that come due.

The homeowner owes it anyway, the best time to collect is while it's still an emergency.

Don't make the problem any worse, simply state that is your policy and that it's needed for cash flow.

The only time I might return it is if the adjuster is covering the whole thing, the deductible has either been worked off or is applied to someone else. Even then I'd want to be sure I were being paid direct and have some level of trust with the homeowner and adjuster.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

But, I don't do this anymore, been charged with assult for keeping the adjustor from slippin and falling in front of a moving truck, go figgure. I always got my money!!!

Yeah baby!

I know what you mean about trying to collect for water damage. Here the insurance company sends the homeowner the check made out to them and then you have to try and get your money from the homeowner who may have already spent the money.

I don't even bother with water damage anymore. What a headache!

 

[Craig Lindquist]

We charge it on every job except for when the job was reffered by the adjuster.