Bob shares his wisdom. Many gold nuggets of advice.
Here are a few tips.
Confidence is important, but don’t be cocky. Confidence in this business does not mean knowing everything about every situation. Even with decades of experience an animal can do the unexpected and make us puzzled. Never set up the situation that this is the same old boring easy job.
Honesty in everything. The Golden Rule applies in every situation. Customers have no idea about hiring a trapper. It is different and unusual in their life experience. On some jobs if extra time is necessary (not often) but it may be because I missed something. When that happens I do not charge for the extra work. Be crystal clear about the terms. For example recently a nice older lady new customer asked me that if I do not catch ALL of the animals in the number of days, that I will continue trapping indefinitely, right? No, extra work costs extra. She was fine with my answer because she was overwhelmed by the situation. She felt guilty for calling me. That is why you put terms in writing. Then again don’t nickel and dime customers for everything possible. Occasionally I tell customers that for a specific reason I believe a couple extra days is necessary and there will be no extra charge. Be reasonable, but remain in control of your business. People trust and refer me to others. They happily refer to me as “their trapper” and you bet I am.
Always be respectful of the animals. I am not a hit man, an assassin, or a hired killer. I manage animal populations that are in conflict with people. Timid, squeamish, and reluctant people have hired me saying that they learned about my reputation for being respectful about and to the animals.
Be prepared for many questions from potential new customers.
Best wishes.