Should you pay for your scrap appliances/and just plain scrap???? - Page 2

Well this tread is more for the newbies but even our veterans of the scrap business, some will agree or disagree but being in this business for 20+ years I would like to post it. I have all ways paid for all my material. My father who was a scrap man when he used a horse and wagon to pull his loads also paid. Believe me a couple of bucks gives you the right of choosing what you will take and won't take, there's nothing worse to me than being at a customers mercy. That being said the key to this business is to have a steady flow of material to sell, and in order to do that you must have a customer base that when they have scrap they call you and you only.If you think that you are going to be able to make a living chasing bulk day pick ups you are only kidding your self. We do all kinds of jobs all sizes and amounts
But we have never given up our appliance pick ups.We advertise in many ways but the one that has always generated calls is good old Free Craig's List, the thing that sets us apart from the rest I believe is we pay them for there appliances only five bucks but, that allows me to say * ALL APPLIANCES MUST BE OUT SIDE OR IN THE GARAGE*
We do not enter your home, now how cheap is that five bucks now. I wanted to share this one story will you. I get a call one day the women on the phone says she is calling for her boss and that we pay 5.00 could we pick up some fridges tomorrow they need the room in the storage room ok so in my mind I am thinking two maybe three but I ask her how many do they have see says hold on, see says bring a big truck o boy score .well if I tell you that day we picked up 37 fridges. The customer is a real estate company that owns six rental developments in S. Florida we serve them all, when ever they replace the appliances some are good and we resell them for around a hundred bucks in the picture you can see a few along the left wall so I do believe in paying for every thing and building a customer base.what are your thoughts/ experiences .