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Author Topic: Starting my own service co. Any suggestions? Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 06-26-2007 12:52 PM                    You probably need to state in your contract what you are responsible for on emergency calls and what the theatre is responsible for. In other words in the contract it should state that the theatre should change the bulb to verify that the bulb was the cause of the problem or not. Check all breakers, power buttons etc. Normal bulb changes are the responsibility of the theatre. etc. This will help you some on that. Also make sure there is a clause that states that if you arrive on scene and none of the theatre responsibilities were done an additional charge will be added to the emergency visit. Example: They call you and say that they could not get power to the console or sound. You talk them through everything and the problem can not be fixed. You drive 3 hours to get to the site. You walk into the booth. Now in the phone conversation you asked them to check the breakers or make sure all the power buttons have been turned on. They told you they did and the problem was still there. You go over to the breaker panel and find a breaker tripped or go over to the sound rack and find the exciter power supply turned off. You flip the breaker or turn the power button back on. Wow! problem solved. You should be able to hand them a bill that says payment of x amount of dollars for unneeded emergency call. Believe me this has happened in the field before.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 06-26-2007 02:46 PM                        Our system is that if we can help on the phone that is free. If we go on a special trip or if tools are involved that is billable. Weekends/nights are, of course, extra. That way you can have a social life and/or stay married. Unlimited emergency calls....gas must be quite a bit cheaper there than here. I have never charged a gas surcharge, but it is very close. Louis  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-26-2007 08:56 PM                        you guys all have good points. I got lucky with the phone co today 1 (866) 920 NECS was available! Can anyone help me with a service contract template? I would rather pay a film techer for a sample of thiers than pay a lawyer to do my own.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2007 09:03 PM                        quote: Darryl Spicer You should be able to hand them a bill that says payment of x amount of dollars for unneeded emergency call. Too bad there isn't a "bonehead fee." (I'd have had to pay one, more than once, for some of those "Do'h!" situations!)  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-26-2007 09:33 PM                     quote: Sean McKinnon I want to give the guys that cant afford NCS (Strong) How much do they charge? Re: Emergency! You've really got to drop that unlimited emergency call thingy. That alone WILL kill you unless "Emergency" is extremely well defined in your service contract to a tee. No one can afford to drive repeatedly hundreds of miles at the drop of a hat. Some of our customers are up to 900 miles away! Stop and calculate that drive time and mileage... it will kill you and you HAVE to take that into consideration when running a buisness. We charge extra on all the service conracts we have going for either one or two emergency calls a year depending on what they feel they need. In fact most of our customers do not want any EC's nor do they have the sort of emergencys that shut them down, we do after all maintain them properly.. most twice yearly. Many are just too far away to even think about giving free calls or even charging extra on the contract for emergency calls. We have customers that are up to 900 miles out! My feeling of defining an emergency is off the screen or some legitimate distracting thing that is annoying customers to the point of complaining or walking out. Beyond that it should be billable time or covered by a "next day visit" under the service contract. Mark  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-27-2007 03:46 PM                        I only plan to pick up accounts in New England which would mean maybe 180 miles away at most. I think I can offer the free labor but maybe charge mileage everytime I have to go out. Strong offers the unlimited Em's so to be competitive I feel I have too. The way I worked my numbers I need 100-150 screens to turn a decent profit. Hopefully someday I may pick up enough accts to add another tech. I have an agreement with another co. to back me up on emergency calls if im busy or need time off. I field all calls directly through my cell my toll free number goes there if I want a day off I have a compitent friend who will field calls for me and call the other co. to send out a tech if a theatre is down.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-27-2007 10:53 PM                     quote: Sean McKinnon Strong offers the unlimited Em's so to be competitive I feel I have too. Yea... but you have brains they don't! Mark  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-27-2007 11:16 PM                     quote: That alone WILL kill you unless "Emergency" is extremely well defined in your service contract to a "T". No one can afford to drive repeatedly hundreds of miles at the drop of a hat. Yes, if you want to do this, get ready to be called more a professional "babysitter" than an actual service "tekkie". If you planning on "babysitting" more that actual servicing, I'd get the antie price up there pretty high to compensate your "babysitting" time. Bottom line: you're in control of your business, not them. If you let your guard down one iota, you're a goner for sure.  |  IP: Logged Tristan Lane Master Film Handler Posts: 444 From: Nampa, Idaho Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-28-2007 01:41 AM                     quote: Yea... but you have brains they don't! Let's not start brand-bashing the service organization. (Although I know the main intention of the statement was to encourage Sean) I know of a some very competent technicians that are working for Strong Tech. Svcs, and generalizing they "they" don't have brains may result in some unsavory feelings. I only say this because I've had similar experiences in the past. I've been on the receiving end of those comments before, and not only did it make me feel like the people were judging my own skills, but that they were ragging on the skills of my peers. It always leaves a bad taste, and can further affect the attitudes of others in regards to a certain organization's service. I agree with most of the advice given here, and would like to encourage Sean to do his best to be successful and remain competitive, without sacrificing quality of service. Do what it takes to keep your customers happy, without letting them walk all over you with the "customer is always right" mentality. I've seen that idea taken for granted numerous times by the customer. Start developing connections with major D-cinema players and gain as much experience there as possible so that you can better advise and service your customers when the time comes.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-28-2007 06:36 AM                        Thanks again guys! I wasnt expecting such helpful and encouraging posts this sure is the greatest forum on the web. I worked with some of the smartest people I have ever met when I worked for NCS. It saddens me that some of them are rightfully upset with me because due to health reasons I had to leave without any notice ruining people vacations and weekends off. I wont name people but the tech in Western mass is the smartest person I have ever met and he tought me so much when I started with them I didnt even know how to do an A-Chain after spending a year with those guys and thier confidence in me to send me on calls even though it may have cost the company more money because it would take me longer to troubleshoot really helped me learn and understand things better. This tech has a major scientific masters degree and could be doing other things but he has stayed with NCS from RCA To Charlie Achea and now to Strong because he loves his job and he is the most professional competent meticulous tech I have ever worked with, I learned from him not to think you solved a problem and dont really know how you know it may have just started working and walk out the door because you'll be back, I remember calling him up bieng so excited to troubleshooting the simplest every day kind of things but to me it was all new and the techs from Maine, Mass/NH, Rhode Island, and the VP always treated me like a pear and spent a lot of cell phone limits talking me through troubleshooting when they could have just told me what it was they took the time for me to troubleshoot it and learn and gain confidence. I really hated leaving and would have handled my health problem differently if I could go back in time. The VP of the co is also a great guy he offered me a second chance because he thought I was a good tech and did my job well. I went from just bieng a "PM Guy" making 12.50 an hour to bieng a technician and running my own territory in less than a year because those guys were so willing to teach me and help me. I rember one tech driving 2.5 hours from home at midnight because I screwed up a motor and he drove down there to bring me another motor when it wasnt his responsibility at all he had no reason to do it but to bail me out, I really miss those guys and would like the chance to make ammends because there were really great. I also got to do 4 installs travel to North Carolina and San Fransisco to go to "Dolby School: which was awesome, even though I had been doind A chains for 8 months at the time it was still a great course taught by a former NCS tech, it was a real confidence boost when the instructor asked me to around and help some of the greener guys! Basically what im trying to say is thank you Film-Tech, Thank you NCS and the Techs I worked with and I also want to say I am not out to steal accounts from Strong, and if I was approached I would give the courtesy of calling them and seeing if they maybe have too much work and dont mind or if they can call the customer and offer to make them happy, I wouldnt just steal them. The last thing I want is for anyone to lose thier job and thats why I would turn down a large acct if it meant Strong had to let go a tech. maybe not smart business but I dont want anyone to lose thier job. I actually hope to work with Strong as an independent contractor here and there and having them go on 'DOWN HOUSE" calls for me if I cant make it! I would still love to see someones service agreement which I would pay for because I dont like lawyers and would rather pay a Film=Techer! Anyways thanks guys I have these grand ideas in my head about getting big and having more techs and how I would make everything automatic and efficient but I gotta rein myself in and pick up more than the 3 screens I have now. I figured id carrt Simplex and Century intermittents, vertical shafts, main drive assemblies, belts and a motor. If I pick up an account with christies or ballantynes then id carry those too! I love bieng able to just slap a new vertical shaft assembly in and rebuild the old one in my shop instead of rebuilding it at the theatre, Customer gets back on screen faster, I get to take my time in a well lit shop to rebuild it right! I know im rambling but that reminded me of rebuilding Ballantyne Framing Couplers at home in my bed room! Saved that customer a lot of money!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-28-2007 08:29 AM                     quote: Tristan Lane Let's not start brand-bashing the service organization. No... it was a total set up joke for Tim! Now yous guys ruined it... . Mark  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-28-2007 10:18 AM                       Mark! It went over my head. I figured you were knocking corporations in general. I just knew you weren't referring to me! quote: Mike Blakesley Too bad there isn't a "bonehead fee." My brother-in-law runs an HVAC company here in the valley. He refers to those as "nuisance calls," and they DO get billed.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 06-28-2007 10:45 AM                     I hate to ask what may be a stupid question, but as a single person company, what happens when you have more than one emergency call at the same time in different areas making timely response to one (or more) impossible? No theatre owner will be happy with the thought that you have more important customers than him.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-28-2007 12:25 PM                       Another clause for the contract: emergency calls taken in order received, I can only be in one place at a time, drive times, propagation delay, whatever, etc., etc.... Also make sure you have a clause stating you are not responsible for maintaining OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT. You can only perform so many miracles. When there are no longer parts available for a particular piece of equipment, some people just can't comprehend why you can't make it work.  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 06-28-2007 12:45 PM                        I am in the process of getting a contract with another company to provide back-up service.  |  IP: Logged

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