Define Your Worst Customer

[CHEESE2009]

For me, the worst customer would be the one to constantly remind me about what great service they had gotten as they hire me. They would tell me they only paid for lawn maintenance & the guy would trim their hedges & clean their garden for free.

The question is, Why aren't you with them anymore?

a) They did too many things for free & it caused them to lose their business

b) The customer was actually supposed to pay for the hedge trimming etc, but didn't, & considered the job to be free after the guy discontinued to serve them.

c) The guy did the job for free, but was then expected to do so much more jobs for free, he discontinued servicing the customer.

d) He's relocated, Retired, or Dead.

While advertising, 2 potential customers had asked me to mow their lawn once for free, to see if it was worth it for them to hire me. I laughed so hard & told them it doesn't work that way, sorry.

[Steve]

For me, the worst customer would be the one to constantly remind me about what great service they had gotten as they hire me. They would tell me they only paid for lawn maintenance & the guy would trim their hedges & clean their garden for free.

Have you run into these clients where when they hire you they want other services for free? How do you advise such situations be handled?

[CHEESE2009]

Well, personally if it's something simple like taking a small pile of debris, I just throw it in the truck no problem.

For big jobs like hedge trimming & garden cleaning;

Customer: The guy I used to have cut my lawn did my hedges & once in awhile he'd clean out my garden for me, can you do that?

Scott: Personally I don't mind, but I would have no choice but to charge you for those jobs. Gas, wear & tear on my equipment, as for my time I don't mind as long as I can find a day when I'm not busy.

Aka, you charge her double the price of the gas which is used.

You make a small profit & keep a customer happy.

It also depends on what the customer is like, if he/she is a pain, just say "No, I would have to charge you for that, would you like an estimate?"