I actually don't feel that there's any problem between me and my employees on this issue... they have signed the agreement and it's in their rulebook. They have told me when this has happened so as far as I'm concerned all is well on the homefront.
You guys must have the most amazingly successful businesses with clients just throwing money at you for this not to raise a few red flags. I'm struggling with the fact that it shows me that clients who I have formed a relationship with, that owe me money, effectively want to give it to me from behind sans lubricant. As stated... in the past I've stewed about it and made the determination that things are better left unsaid. It will most likely end up here again unless I come up with the perfect pearl of verbage.
If my guys wanted to mow some dudes lawn on the weekend I wouldn't care but its a hard road being responsible for the feeding of 14 people (employees, wives, kids) and their mortgages. Being the last guy to get paid means that you look pretty poorly on those who'd rather steal from you. One of the clients is a left over from my ex partner... a guy who we've made massive concessions to correct some big blunders made by EP. The guy had struck a discounted equipment deal with the EP that I've continued to honor. He does his own wiring, etc. and has paid us to come up and basically check things out. Now that it's trim time he wants us to devote a couple of days to his system. He lives 1 3/4 hours away by ferry so the only way this will work is to charge for travel time and a hotel room. Not soon after telling me to put him on the schedule... he approached my guy and told him he'd tell me he found "someone else" and it could be "their little secret". After all we've done for this f--k it feels like... well, read above!
Q and Impaqt, heartfelt congrats on your success... for the rest of you. Do you actually say anything back or do you just suck it up and hope your employees continue to take the high road?
