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letter to customers dated 08/12/01
Dear Customers;
Here
we are again, finding ourselves nearing the end of summer, as always we do not
want to be reminded of the upcoming winter but it is going to arrive sooner or
later.
Festival Snowplowers is once again gearing up for the snowplowing season. We
have been in the snowplowing business since 1978 and each year we learn new
things about winter and it’s effect on people and things in general. Maybe
if we learn enough we will be around a few more years.
This year I say maybe,
last year I said hope.
I keep telling you about the problems we experience such as the blizzards, the
shortage of workers, on & off winters and gas prices that change like a
thermometer in summer. We work hard
in extreme conditions for long hours, but sometimes we can’t earn as much as
the pay we lose, by missing our regular jobs.
I figured out why, look at the figures below and you can see for
yourself.
Average
cost in 1978
The
charge to plow the average driveway would be $ 15.00 or $ 20.00
The
cost of a new plow truck in 1978 was @ $ 8000.00
The
cost to fill up a truck was about $ 30.00 with 2 tanks.
The
cost of labor for a shoveller was $ 5.00 per hour.
Average cost today The
cost to plow the average driveway is between
$ 30.00 to $40.00
The
cost of a new plow truck is @ $
32000.00
The
cost to fill up a truck is about $ 60.00 to $ 70.00 with 2 tanks
The
cost of labor for a shoveller is $ 20.00 per hour
As
you can see;
The
charge to plow the average driveway has doubled.
The
cost to buy a new truck has increased by 4 times
The
cost of to fill up a truck has more than doubled. The cost of labor for a shoveller, has increased by 4 times We see our costs have increased by as much as 4 times but our rates have not.
What
we have to do is increase our rates to all our customers*
and In an attempt to cover part of the increased costs we will be charging for
some services, customers have come to expect for free, such as driveway staking
& mapping, property maintenance and landscape repair. We will also be
selling items, including ice & snow control products and, winter
accessories. If you are interested in learning more check out our website at festivalsnowplowers.com
or ask for our new catalog of products and services.
*
The rates will increase by 10% this year, not 50% as the data shows, I think
small steps working towards the solution of the problems are better than 1 big
leap. We will review the progress
on a yearly basis and only if necessary will we raise our prices to stay current
with the market and to cover costs and to make a profit..
We
are closing our lists early this year. Send your reply to our office by no later
than September 15 2001 Thank you,
Bob
Sobel & Festival Snowplowers
LETTER
TO CUSTOMERS DATED 11/12/01
Dear
Customers This
year we would like to announce festivalsnowplowers.com
our website, designed to help us communicate with you, please go on-line* and
see it for yourself. We have also
added new products and services, such as, property inspection, repairs and
pre-emptive treatments for ice and snow, we now stock winter supplies, like
stakes, shovels, salt and other ice-melters, even windshield washer solvent.
Just let us know what you need, to get ready for winter.
Here is a short list of things to do before winter
arrives.**** ·
Perform
a pre-season Inspection of your property, to make sure everything is in good
condition and were it belongs. ** ·
Mark the boundaries of your
property well enough that it is easy to find when it is dark & snowing. ·
Make repairs and improvements now,
before winter can make them worse. · Purchase winter supplies to have on hand when the snow flies! Lastly
please review the sketch and the confirmation letter you have already received,
if
necessary
add any
notes or comments you might have, or any new information we should know about
before it snows. Return the updated
information to our office a.s.a.p. Festival
Snowplowers and also Festival Services*** want you to be ready for whatever the
winter brings. Or job is doing what you need us to do. Just let us know how we
can help. As
always I want to thank you for you continuing patronage and understanding. Sincerely,
Bob Sobel *
If you don’t have access to the web you can request a print version ** Property inspections
should be preformed twice a year, in the fall and the spring.
*** Call Festival services
for asphalt and concrete repair, seasonal clean-ups and hauling
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Send mail to Bob@festivalsnowplowers.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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