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Starting a lawn care business. How to start a lawn mowing business, lawn care business, or landscaping business. If you are starting a lawn care business, ask your questions here.

STOP LOWBALLING (email to client)


Starting a lawn care business.

How to start a lawn mowing business, lawn care business, or landscaping business. If you are starting a lawn care business, ask your questions here.
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  #11  
Old 01-07-2013, 03:14 PM
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I liked the letter it was to many details but it really explained the situation to the customer.
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  #12  
Old 01-07-2013, 05:01 PM
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I thought it was good! I know Acton is a small town too. It seems like he was pushing you for a while, hence the long explanation.

Congrats on saying "NO!"

It reminds me of that Jim Carey movie, when he can only say "Yes". I think Yes Man?
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Old 01-07-2013, 09:12 PM
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well written I must say! Way to stand your ground and give him a no. Although, I'm not sure I would have given this long of a response to a rather superficial problem. If this persisted, then I would feel it would have been justified. But, since it was already put out there, GOOD JOB on the wording. Those can get tricky...
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Old 01-08-2013, 06:25 AM
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I thought your response was professional on your part....Even though it is hard to give up a customer, there comes a time that you have to stand your ground and just say NO !!! I am really interested in his reply
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Old 01-08-2013, 07:21 AM
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Good job. Id like to see his reply as well
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Old 01-08-2013, 08:25 AM
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Default response from client

It seems the jury is out on this one... Both forum members and the (former) customer feel it was a bit detailed. ha. Still find it hard to believe his former and now current plow guy does a 300+ ft driveway for $40.



Ryan,


Thanks so much for the email, and for the detailed explanation. I appreciate you are running a business and I apologize for my misunderstanding of your statement of work. At this time I am going to continue with my current plow guy I used last year - I have sent you a check for the work you did last week. If you have any other questions please let me know.

Best,
Andy
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Old 01-08-2013, 08:31 AM
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Whatever LMAO...

I'm sure your glad too be rid of him....
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Old 01-08-2013, 12:07 PM
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Quote:
We need to discuss how many times you are going to come to plow during a storm - I can't afford to pay out $80 every time it snows 6 inches - I would rather you approach this in the following way.
Ryan, were there storms that this client was billed $160 or more per storm? I am wondering what had initially set him off.
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Old 01-08-2013, 04:15 PM
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Default Good for you

I have been in business for well over a decade and good for you, I think you handled that awesome. After so many years I have came to a conclusion for this business and business in general(since I own other ones in different fields) and that is everyone is full of it and will try to get something for free. I especially like it when all my clients are under contract and the residential will quick go out to hand shovel to save money and wonder why they have a bill for that date.
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Old 01-09-2013, 10:53 AM
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Default I think Steve has it right

As I am new to this forum I am not new to this field with decades under my belt. I like when Steve the adminstator says on a couple of his videos(at least I think it is Steve) that you have these lowballers come into Commerical Properties and telling them they will do the work for half the price. Are they making money, most likely not and they will go out of business.

One story that sticks out in my mind is that about five years ago, I had these guys from Mexico come to the Midwest is where I am from. They opened a shop by me and popped up everywhere within a year they appeared bigger then I was. I seen there dump trucks everywhere and pick up trucks. They went from one truck to about a dozen in a year. By chance one day a customer of mine called me and said the neighbor was trying to get a hold of me. I called the neighbor and met with him, he told me he wanted his lawn done. He told me these Men from Mexico were charging him $28.00 a cut for an acre and a half, cut trim the whole nine! On top of this they didn't have a contract so they cut when the customer called and was only once every two months. At this point the grass would be to my waste or higher. I was so stumped on how they were making profit. They had nice equipment, it was used and beat up but nevertheless it was Scag riders. They tried to steal my customers also, I didn't lose any to them because as one customer told me, it was so low he knew the quality would be poor or they would go out of business soon and he would have to swallow his pride and call me back.

Well Long story short, I am still here and they have not been seen in three years, and the old customer that was getting his property cut for $28.00 lost his house to a forecloser. So moral of the story you should always be prepared to lose customers to low ballers but these customers are not worth having in the first place trust me!
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