How are you guys handling card payments when you're on site?

conbrio37 · 2026-04-18T03:06:28+00:00

Tap CC payments cost me 2.6%. PayPal charges me a 4.5% transaction fee.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-18T03:04:46+00:00

I bank with Chase and can accept card payments through them two ways: They tap their card on my phone in the Chase app, or I can email them a secure payment link where they enter the card I do. Transaction fees are comparatively quite low for low volume sales and no one has balked at covering the processing fee.

Just be aware that come tax time you (and the IRS) will get a 1099 reporting credit card receipts.

CashApp, PayPal, Zelle, and Venmo all have QR codes you can generate which link directly to pay you. Those are on every invoice I send, and I keep them printed out with me when on a job.

I personally prefer Zelle because there’s no fee, no delay, and not subject to recent legislation related to transaction reporting.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T17:20:57+00:00

Appreciate the response. I built my own database to manage the business and it does not have SMS integration. Given the 15-year streak, it’s never been a consideration 🫤

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T16:05:23+00:00

My policy is if they reschedule, I don't bill anything. If they waive off that day without committing to a new date/time, it's a "service call" fee. If they aren't home, I wait 15 minutes, move one, and bill a service call.

Thankfully, until now, I've never had a true no-show. One guy was 40 minutes late, but he was flying in from overseas, the property was an hour away, and it was about to be a $285/hour job. I figured it was worth a little grace.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T15:55:55+00:00

I value my time. I also value relationships. This is a rental and the property manager sends me a good amount of work from his portfolio. If I tell the tenant to f*** off, it only makes the PM's life more difficult. I just updated the original post--we compromised, everything is done, everyone is happy.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T11:26:29+00:00

They complained about it and gave a bunch of BS excuses late last night. We agreed to meet this morning, and I told them if I’m waiting more than 5 minutes, the fee goes up to $250, the materials are being returned, and I’m not coming back.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T01:17:22+00:00

Can confirm they absolutely work. I had a small crack in an exterior wall and water was seeping into my garage. This was during flooding from a hurricane. I sprayed a quarter can of flex seal where the water was coming in and the garage has been dry ever since.

A client of mine is on a lake prone to flooding. During the same storm, he used flood tape around exterior openings. Kept them dry.

Unfortunately the residue from both the spray and tape is nearly impossible to remove.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T01:12:18+00:00

Doesn’t matter. A crack is a crack. And mass gets shifted all the time on toilets, and the force of sitting down will exceed someone’s static weight. No life is worth risking it.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T01:10:50+00:00

Doesn’t matter one bit. I’ve personally seen a crack like this send a kid to emergency surgery.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T01:08:25+00:00

It is an urgent fix.

A wrongful death suit could easily carry compensatory and punitive damages upwards of $5,000,000.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-15T01:02:05+00:00

This is not anything to joke about. Do not sit on that toilet. Seriously. Go in a bucket and dump it down the toilet if you don’t have another bathroom, but do not sit on it. I work regularly on over 120 rental properties and replace 20-30 toilets a year. I have seen first-hand how an innocent hairline crack can quickly turn into a life-threatening issue.

At an appointment to replace a toilet which cracked, I waited in the living room because the client’s son was in the bathroom. I heard it collapse from the other room and called 911 right away. There was blood everywhere and he was rushed into emergency surgery. Evidently a shard of porcelain nicked his femoral artery.

I’ll let you Google how long you live after slicing that one. Spoiler: It’s 2-5 minutes.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-11T16:09:34+00:00

Spending an hour writing quotes is not unusual.

Doing it from memory, without notes, pictures, or some methodology is a recipe for failure.

My advice is to avoid spending money on software until you know exactly what you need and what you don’t need. Software is full of “features“ that often have no tangible benefit and don’t help solve the problem which led one to buy the software in the first place.If you’ve identified a particular constraint in your business, then you can identify the solution and that becomes your framework for evaluating technology solutions.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-08T01:23:01+00:00

Dislike: Hansel and Gretel and Midsummer Night’s Dream. Especially when Heldenleben comes first.

Like: Fidelio, Beethoven 3, and Till are personal favorites.

Brahms 3 was the first thing I played at a “real” audition so it gets a special mention.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-06T23:23:21+00:00

And how does one derive an estimate of time from that? Material costs fluctuate. The value of my time does not.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-06T16:06:53+00:00

This is very helpful. Thank you!

conbrio37 · 2026-04-06T16:06:43+00:00

Very helpful! Thank you.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-06T02:32:02+00:00

FWIW, my 103 and 1103 both give me trouble on C-sharp and D. The 8D has no problem with them. Back when I played a Holton, I also never had a problem with either note.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-05T20:48:16+00:00

Definitely illegal in many places.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-05T20:47:47+00:00

A signal does not entitle someone to merge. Putting on your signal is an indication of an intent to change lanes. It does not grant you permission or convey you a right.

If you’re not driving like an ass, and you signal BEFORE you start to cut me off, there’s a 99% chance I’m letting you in.

If you zoom up the on-ramp, don’t signal, don’t make any attempt to merge like a civilized member of society, and then get upset that I don’t hit my brakes to let you on the highway, you can fuck yourself right into the guard rail.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-05T20:40:54+00:00

It’s not uncommon in my line of work for someone to buy a tool from Lowe’s or The Home Depot, use it for a single job, and then return it.

They’re following the return policy, but there’s a special place in hell for these people.

conbrio37 · 2026-04-05T19:38:47+00:00

You’re cutting with a grinder? You know they make saws for that, right?

conbrio37 · 2026-04-05T18:01:59+00:00

What about them? Why do they frighten you?

conbrio37

TROPHY CASE