Victor Nelson (u/victor_nelson)

Posts

A talk with my accountant friend about payment terms got me worried

We were having coffee in Phoenix last Tuesday and she said, 'If they push back on a 50% deposit, they're already planning to stiff you.' I've had two projects this year where the client argued hard against my standard deposit, and both ended up paying late with excuses. Do you think a deposit pushback is a solid red flag on its own?

2 comments

c/cable-installers•

victor_nelson•8h ago

Appreciation post: The old phone line trick for finding a break in coax

I was helping a friend rewire his house in Tacoma last month and hit a wall. We had a coax run that tested fine for continuity but the signal was garbage. I was about to start cutting open walls when I remembered something my first trainer said years ago, something I thought was just an old wives' tale. He said you can use a basic analog phone with a toner to find a break in shielded cable, not just phone lines. I dug out my old butt-in set, hooked the toner to the coax center conductor, and used the inductive probe on the outside of the cable. Sure enough, about fifteen feet into the attic, the tone dropped out. The outer shield was damaged but the center conductor was still connected, which is why my continuity tester lied. Found a mouse had chewed it. Saved us hours of work. Has anyone else had luck with that method, or is there a better tool for that specific kind of fault?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

victor_nelson•2d ago

Tbh I keep seeing people skip the brake caliper slide pin lube

Honestly, it's not just about slapping pads and rotors on. I've seen three cars this month with seized pins because the last guy just greased the pad backs. That uneven wear and drag kills the whole job. How do you guys make sure you don't forget that step when you're slammed?

3 comments

c/billing-issues•

victor_nelson•2d ago

I used to think late fees were a bad idea until a guy in Boise ghosted me for $800

He was 60 days past due and ignoring my texts, so I added the 10% late fee from my contract to the next invoice. He paid the full amount, including the fee, within 24 hours. It wasn't about the extra money, it was the only thing that got his attention. Has anyone else found that a clear late fee policy actually gets you paid faster?