# Allowable time for completion of WOs



## Gypsos (Apr 30, 2012)

It has been my experience that you are typically given between 2 and 5 days to complete a work order, depending on the work being performed. 

I met a guy who is just starting out and he has told me that one of the biggest issues he has is that he is required to complete all work orders for bids requests, recuts and routine maids the same day he gets them. 

He is working for a regional that claims to have a direct contract with four banks. He told me they are Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and one other I cannot recall. 

I know some you have worked directly for these banks so you are familiar with the timelines they require. 

The area he is required to cover takes about 2 hours in good traffic to go from one end to the other. 

Same day service seems a bit extreme to me, not to mention quite unreasonable.

So is this regional blowing smoke or is this type of timeline they require?


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## brm1109 (Sep 17, 2012)

Most of our orders are due within 24 hours. This is something that does bug me but I understand that it comes with the territory.
However; I know that when I do get approvals I will contact my client if it is a larger job. Recently they sent me one when in the bid I said it would take 3 days to finish. Well guess what I get the order on Friday afternoon and do on Sunday. Sorry, but not happening.
As far as same day, there is really no way to do that when you have to schedule other jobs. Otherwise you need to leave them as your one and only customer in case they call. 
If they want same day service, then the only way I would do it, is if they paid me a retainer. Get paid a retainer to cover your day and then also paid for the work order.


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## PropPresPro (Apr 12, 2012)

brm1109 said:


> . . .As far as same day, there is really no way to do that when you have to schedule other jobs. Otherwise you need to leave them as your one and only customer in case they call.
> If they want same day service, then the only way I would do it, is if they paid me a retainer. Get paid a retainer to cover your day and then also paid for the work order.


Sounds to me like # brm1109 is having dillusional glimpses of reality and will need to have it's thinking re-readjusted. It's probably due to dehydration. 

Please wait right where you are brm1109, your handler will be there in 5 minutes with some refreshing kool-aid!


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## Gypsos (Apr 30, 2012)

He wants me to pick up some of the work in my area. I told him it would have to be on a case by case basis. 

We had a very warm winter this year and the grass is already growing.

Last year I did not even put the mower in the trailer until March. This year I already got lawns that have to be cut every two weeks. 

Looks like it is going to be a good year for lawn cuts.


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## JFMURFY (Sep 16, 2012)

Not for nothing, any outfits looking for same day service are amateurs. 
As we all know there are 24/hrs in the day... of which most of take at least 5-8 hours to sleep...Leaving 16 or so hours to get work done. I for one won't take a job with 1-2 day turns as it leads to sloppy work and opens me up for it not to be done right and inevitable "kick-backs". 
It's a game and especially when your bidding the work, insert a completion time in your Standard "Terms", and if they accept you bid, but want things done outside your time frame...advise that a surcharge is in store.


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## BRADSConst (Oct 2, 2012)

Gypsos said:


> It has been my experience that you are typically given between 2 and 5 days to complete a work order, depending on the work being performed.
> 
> I met a guy who is just starting out and he has told me that one of the biggest issues he has is that he is required to complete all work orders for bids requests, recuts and routine maids the same day he gets them.
> 
> ...


I'd say this is  B.S. "They" are taking advantage of him because he doesn't know any better. While I haven't worked directly for any of the banks mentioned above, I have worked for different regionals that gave me 48 hrs on maids and bid requests and 2 to 5 days for recuts. The maids always came out the same week every month and I would get a "friendly" email a day or two in advance saying they received from their client and and were processing them to send to the field.

I'd bet a case of beer that this regional just wants them turned ASAP so they can process the work orders in a timely fashion *at their leasure*. Heaven forbid they'd have to add a couple processors that may not have a full 8 hours of work because their workload isn't steady and uniform.

I'd tell them to go pack sand. There is no money made in bid requests for a measly trip charge anyway. Especially when you quickly figure out the the regional is just doing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th or whatever number of stupid requests to keep the original company honest. They don't get approved. I'll be damned if the 3 lowest paying services (maids, recuts and bid requests) are going to dictate my life.


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

BRADSConst said:


> I'd tell them to go pack sand. There is no money made in bid requests for a measly trip charge anyway. Especially when you quickly figure out the the regional is just doing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th or whatever number of stupid requests to keep the original company honest. They don't get approved. I'll be damned if the 3 lowest paying services (maids, recuts and bid requests) are going to dictate my life.





You just hit on some thing that has been my long term thinking. 


By the time you get to the second and for certain the third regional in the food chain bid approvals will dry up any way.
The guy working directly for the national will end up getting most of the bids because the levels of markup between the 
work getting done and the bank paying for the work is much lower than the slug 3 or 4 guys down the line could possibly do.


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## Wannabe (Oct 1, 2012)

Fannie has 10 days per routine service& on repair it is 10 days + 1 additional day per $1000 of work ($50k restoration means 60 days to complete). 

The lions share of banks follow the same timetable.


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## BRADSConst (Oct 2, 2012)

BPWY said:


> You just hit on some thing that has been my long term thinking.
> 
> 
> By the time you get to the second and for certain the third regional in the food chain bid approvals will dry up any way.
> ...


Exactly! :thumbsup: I have personally (at the same property within a 2 week window) bid the exact same items on a regional bid request that I bid for a national on the initial service. You will never guess who I got the bid approval from :whistling2:. I have replace numerous roofs for nationals. I have never replaced a roof for a regional. The math is really quite simple on large ticket items like roofing. Take a $7k roof that the national adds 25% to. Take that exact same roof that the regional adds 25% to and then the national marks it up 25%. The banks aren't stupid. They know how to get it done the cheapest.


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## BRADSConst (Oct 2, 2012)

Wannabe said:


> Fannie has 10 days per routine service& on repair it is 10 days + 1 additional day per $1000 of work ($50k restoration means 60 days to complete).
> 
> The lions share of banks follow the same timetable.


Thanks. Someone's been sand bagging me one this one. I've been told repeatedly FNMA is 3 days + 1 day per $1000. Not counting Sundays and holidays but it does count Saturdays. Time to revisit that discussion.


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## Cleanupman (Nov 23, 2012)

One of the big reasons that 90% of the people walked on PK is they were forcing the Service provider to complet services in 24 hours...


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

We never did big ticket items for regionals for a lot of reasons. A. Most of them can't/won't front any $ for the start up. Big red flag. B. Big breakdown in levels of experience and expertise, with job site queries, change orders or alterations, and turn around time for answers. C. Payment when due, payment at 30 days, payment at 60 days, pick one.


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## SwiftRes (Apr 12, 2012)

We've done a few small FNMA things and echo Wannabe.

Depending on where you are on the food chain, though, I'm guessing they can't fully tell you the timetable as you'd be able to determine what they are charging.

Example: They get approval for $13k, they pay you $8k to do it. They can't tell you they have 13 days. 



BRADSConst said:


> Thanks. Someone's been sand bagging me one this one. I've been told repeatedly FNMA is 3 days + 1 day per $1000. Not counting Sundays and holidays but it does count Saturdays. Time to revisit that discussion.


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

Doing direct work with FNMA through the local broker i have never been given a timetable. I have a remote property i just wrapped up a complete replumb/sheetrock patch on last night. Due to location we have been on it since Christmas week. Plumber has a day job and was working nights on it.


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## brm1109 (Sep 17, 2012)

I am not out of my mind. Just saying with some sarcazim that if they want same day they need a retainer.
I know that will never happen.


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## GTX63 (Apr 12, 2012)

We normally put on the bottom of our bids a time frame for completion. 72 hours on trashouts, 24-48 hours on rush orders (with a fee). I have had to point out our completion terms to a few Nationals that got uptight. Local clients, never a problem.


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## STARBABY (Apr 12, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> We normally put on the bottom of our bids a time frame for completion. 72 hours on trashouts, 24-48 hours on rush orders (with a fee). I have had to point out our completion terms to a few Nationals that got uptight. Local clients, never a problem.


 
I guess what just floors me is you will see a property sit for months even year, then get an order with a 24 to 48hr turn around! (ok were`s the fire!!!)


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## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

I've seen them sit for several years and then its a WW III emergency if they are not completed in 24 hrs.


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## 68W30 (Sep 8, 2012)

GTX63 said:


> We normally put on the bottom of our bids a time frame for completion. 72 hours on trashouts, 24-48 hours on rush orders (with a fee). I have had to point out our completion terms to a few Nationals that got uptight. Local clients, never a problem.



we have something along the same lines but in addition it says from 48 to 72 hours of the NEXT Business day IE the Christmas Eve at 4pm WO


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