tiedeman
03-27-2006, 07:57 PM
What would you guys honestly do with this situation and this particular customer?
Ok, most of you know that I am only maintaining a hand full of lawn maintenance accounts until the end of 2007 (because of contract obligations to some), while others I plan on dropping hopefully before the end of 2006.
This one particular customer for the last 1 1/2 years has been a thorn in my side. *She has been a customer for approx 3 years, located right next door to two other accounts that I maintain.
I think that she has been going through a tight budget problem that I first noticed around May of last year. *Before in the past she has always had me do the full treatment; spraying beds, fertilizing the lawn, mowing the lawn, spring and fall cleanup, etc. *
Well, last May she would start to call me up and tell me that the "lawn doesn't need mowing this week" or that "she will buy the fertilizer and then I can apply it". *At first it really didn't bother me that bad, but then it got to the point of where her lawn was growing out of control and because of her tight budget she expected me to maintain the lawn for the same price. *There went one period where she called me three weeks in a row to tell me that the lawn didn't need mowing. *Even the neighbors were asking me how come I wasn't mowing the lawn because it was looking horrible.
Then last fall was kind of a big shock to me. *Normally I always did approx 3 clean ups on her lawn during the fall months, because it's easier for me to haul the leaves away in smaller quanities, compared to one huge clean up. *She also liked having the leaves removed regularly from her lawn. *
Well, last fall she told me, "Call me to check up on whether it needs a clean up before you come." *Well, I kept on bugging her about the clean up over and over again. *I kept on calling her every week and asking her are you ready for a clean up. *But she kept on saying no, even though I could see that it needed one badly because I maintained the neighbors.
Finally, like the week before Thanksgiving she tells me to go ahead with the clean up. *I am like ok. *But she asks me how much it would cost. *I told her around $250. *Well, she questioned why it was so much. *And I told her, normally you always have me come three times, in which the price is around $50 (only takes me about 30 mins each time), but since you waited until the last minute, and there are more leaves to deal with the price is higher. *Well, she told me that she would have to get back with me in regards to the price. *I said fine, but you better hurry before the snow comes.
So that entire week, she would call up and ask me if I could do it cheaper, and I said no. *Finally, it got to the point of where I felt bad for her, and we finally agreed on a $100 price, but spread over 4 months (So $25 each month). *It made me really mad, but I also felt bad for her situation. *I came cleaned it up, and billed her for 4 months this past winter. *
So this spring rolls around around, and I call her up last Monday in regards to a spring clean up and tell her that I plan on starting next week. *She said fine, but the neighbor boys are going to come over and pick up the sticks from the yard for you don't have to later this week (meaning around the 23rd, 24th, or 25th) *That kind of made me mad, because that is lost money for me, but oh well I forgot about it.
Fast forward to today:
I pull up to her place, ready to do her spring clean up yet I see a lot of sticks still in the lawn. *I knock on the door and tell her that I am here to do the clean up. *She said, that I couldn't do it because the neighbor boys have not picked up the sticks yet. *"Perhaps, check up later in the week", she said.
I am furious at this point. *I hop in my truck and take off. *Well, the more and more I stew about it, I am wondering whether to cut the cord from this customer and just let her go. *Anymore she is just becoming a headache. *What do you guys think?
* *
She is a very nice old lady, of where we can talk about political stuff on the phone for hours it seems like. *I get along with her greatly. But anymore I don't know about her. I feel bad if I cut her, but perhaps it would be the best remedy
Ok, most of you know that I am only maintaining a hand full of lawn maintenance accounts until the end of 2007 (because of contract obligations to some), while others I plan on dropping hopefully before the end of 2006.
This one particular customer for the last 1 1/2 years has been a thorn in my side. *She has been a customer for approx 3 years, located right next door to two other accounts that I maintain.
I think that she has been going through a tight budget problem that I first noticed around May of last year. *Before in the past she has always had me do the full treatment; spraying beds, fertilizing the lawn, mowing the lawn, spring and fall cleanup, etc. *
Well, last May she would start to call me up and tell me that the "lawn doesn't need mowing this week" or that "she will buy the fertilizer and then I can apply it". *At first it really didn't bother me that bad, but then it got to the point of where her lawn was growing out of control and because of her tight budget she expected me to maintain the lawn for the same price. *There went one period where she called me three weeks in a row to tell me that the lawn didn't need mowing. *Even the neighbors were asking me how come I wasn't mowing the lawn because it was looking horrible.
Then last fall was kind of a big shock to me. *Normally I always did approx 3 clean ups on her lawn during the fall months, because it's easier for me to haul the leaves away in smaller quanities, compared to one huge clean up. *She also liked having the leaves removed regularly from her lawn. *
Well, last fall she told me, "Call me to check up on whether it needs a clean up before you come." *Well, I kept on bugging her about the clean up over and over again. *I kept on calling her every week and asking her are you ready for a clean up. *But she kept on saying no, even though I could see that it needed one badly because I maintained the neighbors.
Finally, like the week before Thanksgiving she tells me to go ahead with the clean up. *I am like ok. *But she asks me how much it would cost. *I told her around $250. *Well, she questioned why it was so much. *And I told her, normally you always have me come three times, in which the price is around $50 (only takes me about 30 mins each time), but since you waited until the last minute, and there are more leaves to deal with the price is higher. *Well, she told me that she would have to get back with me in regards to the price. *I said fine, but you better hurry before the snow comes.
So that entire week, she would call up and ask me if I could do it cheaper, and I said no. *Finally, it got to the point of where I felt bad for her, and we finally agreed on a $100 price, but spread over 4 months (So $25 each month). *It made me really mad, but I also felt bad for her situation. *I came cleaned it up, and billed her for 4 months this past winter. *
So this spring rolls around around, and I call her up last Monday in regards to a spring clean up and tell her that I plan on starting next week. *She said fine, but the neighbor boys are going to come over and pick up the sticks from the yard for you don't have to later this week (meaning around the 23rd, 24th, or 25th) *That kind of made me mad, because that is lost money for me, but oh well I forgot about it.
Fast forward to today:
I pull up to her place, ready to do her spring clean up yet I see a lot of sticks still in the lawn. *I knock on the door and tell her that I am here to do the clean up. *She said, that I couldn't do it because the neighbor boys have not picked up the sticks yet. *"Perhaps, check up later in the week", she said.
I am furious at this point. *I hop in my truck and take off. *Well, the more and more I stew about it, I am wondering whether to cut the cord from this customer and just let her go. *Anymore she is just becoming a headache. *What do you guys think?
* *
She is a very nice old lady, of where we can talk about political stuff on the phone for hours it seems like. *I get along with her greatly. But anymore I don't know about her. I feel bad if I cut her, but perhaps it would be the best remedy