They can find plenty of work day and night, I have no doubt they can easily replace a client they find difficult.

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Keep the plow guy. Drop the boyfriend.

Yeah if they have to come back to redo a job without being able to bill again, that is more difficult than someone who is happy to have someone plow.

As the saying goes: if you want something done right, do it yourself.

You may be better off buying a snowblower. They are cheap used

Telling them what you want plowed and not wanted them covering your cars in sand doesn’t sound like micromanaging to me.

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It's a challenging time to find service providers for pretty much anything. If the guy plowing your driveway works for someone else, he may be a new hire and won't learn what not to do unless you provide some feedback.

Since the pandemic I get ghosted all the time trying to find new tradespeople, they show up for a quote then never come back, over and over.

On the bright side, maybe the driveway is one of those things you can do yourself with some modest equipment (a snow blower, or whatever). One thing is always true, nobody you pay is going to give it the same level of attention as you. Corners will be cut (literally, off your yard and plantings), messes will be made, sometimes if you want it done right you have to do it yourself.

Good luck. My driveway service had new blood this year who we really messing up. Three calls later and some additional stakes in the driveway and finally the mess has ebbed.

you get what you pay. if you want better service, hire a better plow. if your bf isn’t happy, tell him to pay the extra for better service. plus, move your car when they come, they will appreciate that.

In no industry on earth is it a good idea to hassle guys doing you a service. It sounds like maybe you're bf has never worked retail or anything?

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So... now I'm curious.

• Why was your bf's car there?
• Did you expect the plow to come by to sand?
• Where was your bf's car parked (was it easy enough for the plow to avoid it)?
• Did the car actually get damaged, or was it at risk of getting damaged? This is the part I'm curious about- either there was an actual risk here, or your bf is being picky for no good reason.

I don't have enough info to judge, but from the very limited evidence offered, I'm tending toward the "Keep the plow guy. Drop the boyfriend" point of view!

There are just some people who never seem to be satisfied with plowing no matter what the plow contractor does.

I was responsible for managing a 98 unit townhouse complex for a number of years and I handled any complaints that the residents had about services, such as plowing, as we couldn't have 98 owners individually giving their 2 cents to the contractors. Our plowing contract also covered the snow-blowing of sidewalks as well as the shoveling of the front steps. With 98 units, invariably someone would complain about something the contractor did that they didn't like, something the contractor didn't do that they didn't like, or the timing of something that they felt should have been done.

I had a good relationship with the contractor so he was very responsive to handling any of the complaints that I passed on from the residents. Some were perfectly valid complaints while others reeked with entitlement, like "I work and have to leave by 6am so I want my driveway plowed first." Obviously, lots of our residents also worked and also needed to get out early and not everyone could get their driveway plowed first.

I joked with my contractor that maybe he should offer a concierge plowing service. We could call it the Snowflake Club; any resident who wanted special plowing treatment could pay a fee and receive a special snowflake they could hang in their window to indicate that they were indeed a member of the Snowflake Club and were to receive special treatment. I'm so happy to no longer have this job.

Maybe move your vehicles when the plow guy shows up to clear the and or sand. Not sure that is the issue but I can say from experience that it's really a pain in the ass when people don't move their vehicles and whatever else is in the way. Good luck with your snow removal dilemma.

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Yeah if you have expectations you need to let them know ahead of time. I have never plowed so I don't know the specifics of that industry but if you have non standard expectations I would try contacting the office and ask what is the best way of communication that to the driver. If your requests are kind of extra I would also consider meeting the driver when he gets to your house and talking to him as well and at that point offering a hot coffee or something. If you're waiting until after and complaining it's creating a problem for the company, possibly getting the driver in trouble, and probably costing them money so that's definitely not the move. What are they doing that's wrong anyways?

So it sounds like the plow guy did exactly what one would want and expect. He touched up the driveway, he didn’t encroach on the area where cars were parked, and he caused no damage. He had no control over the car being where it was but it didn’t matter because the car wasn’t damaged.

Your bf sounds like a pill and I have to wonder how he behaves in other aspects of life. Consider for example how he’s going to be when your 3-year-old doesn’t put his toys away “correctly,” if you were to have kids with him.

I’d probably mention the car… damaging your car warrants a call.

Your boyfriend should have moved his car so the plow guy could do his job.

You are paying to have the driveway sanded and yet his car is in the driveway. So either the driver takes a wide berth and a big section of the driveway doesn't get sanded (and boyfriend slips and falls on the ice going to his car) or the driver tries to cover as much driveway as possible.

On the other hand, I wouldn't consider you difficult if you told the plow driver "hey, I know it is hard to sand/plow when there are cars in the driveway, feel free to just give a wide berth to the cars rather than trying to sand right up to the cars." It is all in how you say it and how often you say it.

Just wondering, do you tell your boyfriend how to manage his house?

Take the money you’d spend on plowing for a few years, buy your own plow.

Still plow close to your boyfriend’s car.

The guy is going out of his way to plow close to cars to give the best service he can. Next time he is plowing you can go tell him that he doesn't have to get too close to the car and you can deal with it. Pitch it as making it easier on the plow guy and that way he can do a fast pass near the car and get done quicker.

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I'm of the opinion that if you aren't getting what you paid for, that's a legit thing to call in. You gave them money and didn't get the service you requested. I wouldn't say "come back and plow again you missed a spot", but I think it's fine to say "hey y'all missed a big part of the drive today, can you make sure to get the (whatever they fucked up) next time?"

If the job was done correctly but in a way that you disagree with, that's kind of a get the fuck over it type of deal. Sand too close to your boyfriends car? IDK, if there's not any damage I think he just needs to park his car where it won't get sanded or go sand that area himself so the company ignores it. How do you even plan to fix that? "Hey, this one house on the route of 80 houses you plow wants you to sand three feet further from the passenger side door of their car". Like... you might not even have the same driver next time. I think that feedback just falls flat due to it being impractical. Nobody is going to remember where you wanted your sand dropped.

If it was something big, like having your lawn landscaped or your house painted, sure. But that works because companies sink hours of labor into those jobs, not minutes. This is like asking your postman to deliver packages a certain way. You can try, but you're going to get what you get at the end of the day.

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There’s nothing wrong with having expectations if you’re paying for a service. Just be prepared to pay more or get dumped if you create what they consider to be a hassle.

Complain to/hassle a plow guy? In this economy? 😬😬😬

I’ve interacted with 3 plow services. Usually a 1-2 man operation. All 3 destroyed shit. Like my driveway and landscaping. I had to put cones out. But I need their services so I don’t bitch about it. I travel for work, have no choice as my wife won’t drive my plow or snowblower. To be fair the machines are beasts and she’s not comfortable running them.

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Certified reddit moment. Any bit of minor disagreement in a relationship? There’s always someone to insist you end it lmfao

There’s not a lot to unpack here. Why does everyone on this website love to give unsolicited relationship advice…

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I plow and salt for a municipality and keeping areas clear of cars, trash cans, basketball standards, etc. and properly snow staked goes a long way towards a proper job and minimal risk of damage.

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If I tried to micromanage my guy, he’d nod, say thank you, do it the way he always has and charge me 50% more.

As for the one outside car we have, the two of us talked and came to a decision that I’ll park the car in the drive wherever he tells me to.

This is the answer. I'm lucky enough to have a guy who just kind of does it on the side on his way to work and lives nearby, so a special request here and there is nbd, but like I said I'm lucky. If you're making money plowing its reliant on volume and also inherently time sensitive by nature of having snow cleared for the commute.

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This is the advice you need. Landscapers/Plow companies are all in high demand and will remain so for the foreseeable future here in Vermont. Obviously, you can wait till next season to find a different provider but the season won't be over for a few more months so present your issues like the above commenter writes and you'll be fine. If you do reach out to the provider ask them to avoid sanding/plowing certain sections and you'll handle the rest through shoveling or sanding. Problem solved.

It is easy to forget the men/women who drive these trucks are spending long hours in terrible weather conditions providing an under appreciated at times service for us all so we may avoid snow blowing/shoveling. Hiring a company to plow or sand my driveway sounds like a dream. However, my reality is that my driveway is ancient and a plow truck would make mince meat of it. This is not the fault of the plow or the plow driver but due to the age of my driveway.

Here is my judgmental take: If I had a "rare car" like you write in later comments below I'd find a garage to park it in for the season rather than expose it to the New England roads at winter time. If I don't want or can't do that then I accept like an adult the risk of my "rare car" getting the wear and tear which comes with driving in New England winters.

If you complain about service here you will lose service at least this is my experience dealing with anyone in Vermont. The service industry is overwhelmed and if your a difficult client they will drop you. So if you don’t have someone else lined up or plan on DIY. Proceed with caution.

Tell him he can call them 🤷🏻‍♂️ then you know it’s his fault if they drop ya

A true reddit moment would also include the advise to get a lawyer and hit the gym

The math doesn’t really add up on getting a plow. You’re gonna spend 5k on something that’s decent and you’d have to spend a lot on plowing to make that balance out. Our plow bill is like 500 to 600 a year and Ive never thought it was worth it, by the time you break even you are going to need a new plow. Unless you want to do some for profit plowing on the side, that could make it worth it.

I agree wholeheartedly with your second point.

Sand and gravel probably did hit the cars. It’s totally not a big deal. If you have a pristine vintage car, driving around VT in the winter is not a great move.

Hmmmm. Sounds like you may have micromanaged your last plower- this is how companies gently fire a customer.

Plow guys are hurting between inflation and the lack of snow. Just move your car

Never mess with your plow guy

I set expectations when I hire them, if they fail, I ask if there was an issue with their equipment, if not I tell them what my problem was, if they do anything but fix the situation, they get dragged as especially in VT you have word of mouth where if you fuck someone's job up and refuse to fix it, you might as well close up shop and move because everyone Swanton to Bennington to Averill to Brattleboro will know how big a fuck up you are otherwise. It's not micromanaging if you set the expectations in the beginning of the contract they agree to and then they fail to meet them.

How big is your driveway. I bought a throw shower for about 1k. Last one lasted 10 years. Takes an hour to do a 150ft driveway and it gets done on my schedule. Not anybody else. Plus, it’s nice to be outside.

Here is the real answer: Your contract with ANY service provider including landscaping/snowplowing needs to be as detailed as possible. Make your expectations and desires very clear, and then they will quote you based on that. Then as long as you are paying the agreed price for the agreed level of service, they will be the ones in breach of contract for not following the guidelines.

The contract should state how often or when to come plow (include a snowfall minimum usually) and what is to be done in a given visit. Then also include that salt/dirt is not to be spread to close to the vehicles so as to hit them, conceding that if you fail to move your car, that’s on you.

Again, more detail is better. Although a plow person may view that as a red flag that you will be high maintenance, and may not want to even give you a bid. But also make it clear that you are willing to listen to their thoughts/concerns/suggestions on the contract so as to allow them to do their part in a reasonable and efficient manner.

In short: communicate, and don’t be a dick.

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Buying a plow for your truck can be worth it if you have a long driveway, and/or steep or difficult terrain to deal with

My driveway is 400 feet long with two turnarounds & parking area

The quotes I got were really high, so the cost of a plow will pay for itself over 4-5 years

I do it myself with my tractor. I guess that makes me the ultimate in micromanaging.

“If I don’t like them then I can switch services next season” That is NOT the way it works in most places in VT. Where I live there are 2 plow guys, and they are buddies. Piss one off and neither will touch your driveway. This applies to a lot of services and trades in VT. They just may be the only game in town which allows them to cancel at the last minute and do sub par work, if you can get them to show up at all.

Our first plow guy was our neighbor, who had plowed for the previous owner and other neighbors. He did a pretty good job on our 800’ driveway and parking area. But he also knocked over a couple stone walls, a couple of shrubs, our garden fence, and our mailbox. We dealt with it for a few years bc he was a neighbor, but then my partner got aggravated when he would come when there was only 2”, or he would plow every 3” or so in a multi-inch storm and charge for multiple plows. Eventually my partner tried to manage him (wouldn’t even call it micro managing), and they came to the mutual decision to fire each other. We already had someone else we knew already lined up, and he is great. We don’t have to tell him anything. He does an awesome job, sands when needed, and since I’m home during the day, I’m able to move cars around so everything gets cleared. We also tip at the end of the season. These guys work hard and when you find a good one, don’t piss them off!

I think micromanaging can be a bad thing it makes people think you don't trust them to do their job. I take it as I'll hire you to do a job and if you don't do a good job then you lost my business. Plowing is one of those things that lots of people do in the winter and if you want you can buy a snowblower and do it yourself.

Keep the plow guy and replace the boyfriend.

You can put up plow stakes. Other then that leave them alone and let them get the work done that you have contracted.

Your boyfriend is the problem and will find problems with every worker you ever have. He’s what I like to call “the nothings ever good enough” type

It might well be easier to find a new boyfriend...

Hey UV Chipmunk, you’re so right! We’re so lucky to have these dudes

This is the correct answer.

I think your answer is in the headline, no one likes to be micromanaged, especially if they know how to do something and know you don't. But either way, car should always be moved when the snow is a plowable event.

Scary thought. This guy sounds like a liability, not a bf. He doesn’t sound like a real Vermonter either, or he would know.