Monday, February 23, 2009

Compassion or...........Confusion

As some readers might know, I am the author of an Internet-Published article titled "What the heck is a Trunk Slammer?" You may also be aware that there are some who think that my "branding" of people with names like Trunk Slammer is cruel and unethical. Some have called for me to publicly apologize for my remarks and have suggested that I publish and print a full retraction.

To those who think they are being "compassionate" in their demands, I say, they are truly........."confused" and they only succeed in confusing, but more dangerously, "encouraging" others who may be listening/reading what they preach.

First, let me briefly define what I call a Trunk Slammer: A person or persons who operate cleaning businesses without licenses, in areas where they are required and....there are "very few" regions where they are "not" and without insurance. This group of people are also "very unlikely" to declare any income they make to the IRS or State agencies because, without the license...........nobody knows they are working/making money.

Trunk Slammers are almost always the lowest bid on any job a "licensed/insured" contractor might bid on because they have little to no overhead expenses to cover and can and usually do work for minimum or below minimum wage thereby lowering (whether intentionally or not) the market value/price for work performed in a geographic area.

So.....................all of the above, coupled with the fact that Trunk Slammers usually posses little to no experience in materials and methods and we have a recipe for disaster both economically and physically yet............there are those (some who are "highly visible and vocal in our industry) who actually encourage people to open businesses this way citing........"compassion".

UGH!!!!!!!!!

1 comment:

  1. I agree... Time and time again I will lose customers due to this problem. When the "trunk slammer" realizes they cannot function very long that way they disappear. Which usually leaves me with a mess to undo, when I get called back.

    It is frustrating. I think it is the get rich quick programs... especially in the window washing field.

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