Hi,
I am thinking about going on my own with a service truck. I would mostly focus on class 8 trucks and maybe some simpler heavy equipment repairs. I have not decided on the type or truck, crane capacity, etc. I am just planning it in my head and researching as much as I can at this stage. There is no rush.... The question that really bothers me is how to get paid. When you work for a shop, you don't worry about it at all. The shop is covered in the worse case scenario by the ability to put a lien on the property of the debtor. Unfortunately, when you run a mobile unit, you are on your own and these protections don't apply - could be different depending on the state/province. So far, the this question had several answers from other sources such as:
1. Take the keys from and return only when paid.
2. Preauthorize by EFS payment method - this is still a bit vague for me, I believe both parties must be setup with them.
3. Bill/preauthorize for a service call and then bill for the work when done.
4. Send the invoice and wait for the payment. - obviously, that would only work for a regular customers but would be no go for any emergency calls from unknown entities.
What I am looking for is best practices that are fair for a service tech and a customer.
Thanks a lot for any help on this topic.
I am thinking about going on my own with a service truck. I would mostly focus on class 8 trucks and maybe some simpler heavy equipment repairs. I have not decided on the type or truck, crane capacity, etc. I am just planning it in my head and researching as much as I can at this stage. There is no rush.... The question that really bothers me is how to get paid. When you work for a shop, you don't worry about it at all. The shop is covered in the worse case scenario by the ability to put a lien on the property of the debtor. Unfortunately, when you run a mobile unit, you are on your own and these protections don't apply - could be different depending on the state/province. So far, the this question had several answers from other sources such as:
1. Take the keys from and return only when paid.
2. Preauthorize by EFS payment method - this is still a bit vague for me, I believe both parties must be setup with them.
3. Bill/preauthorize for a service call and then bill for the work when done.
4. Send the invoice and wait for the payment. - obviously, that would only work for a regular customers but would be no go for any emergency calls from unknown entities.
What I am looking for is best practices that are fair for a service tech and a customer.
Thanks a lot for any help on this topic.