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Trials & Tribulations - The drama of running a business and of life. It's not as easy as it looks. Running a business is full of drama. Customers, employees, money, family, time. You name it, it's a problem. Share with us your drama and how you handled it.

Today was pure hell


Trials & Tribulations - The drama of running a business and of life.

It's not as easy as it looks. Running a business is full of drama. Customers, employees, money, family, time. You name it, it's a problem. Share with us your drama and how you handled it.
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  #1  
Old 03-28-2009, 11:56 PM
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Default Today was pure hell

to start with it rained a inch n a half last night then this morning i HAD to go take care of two properties i get there cut everything,trim and edge everything(was a complete pain considering the previose LCO had not edge in over 3 years or cleaned beds or parking lots) so what will normally be a 45 minute job took two hoursso then i go to blow and find out some one has stolen blower out the back of my truck so now im really pissed i run to the closest stihl dealer and they want 575.00 for a br 550 well needless to say i didnt buy it so i run to the rental store and rent one for 25 bucks for the day. finally finish first prop get to the second one and start cutting and the 21" toro starts to act up doesnt wanna run(will run just at a very low speed) so i pull out the walk behind and ill be damned within 10 minutes the drive belt brakes and gues what closest toro dealer is a hour away so i run to advance auto and grab 2 fan belts didnt work great but worked. and the edging here was just terrible as well looked like a blind man edged it so low and behold another 2 1/2 hours at a 45 minute job. any suggestions on were to order belts from on line and price i wanna get two sets one for mower and one to keep in truck. its a 44 inch pro line 2000 model year
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Old 03-29-2009, 12:28 AM
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Default Bad day

Lawn care business tips
I had a similar day last week. About 3:30 am My Jeep Cherokee Lorado was totaled. A drunk hit the parked vehicle 25 feet off the road in my driveway. The troopers estimated he was doing 70. This was Friday morning. Was told insurance from the driver would replace the vehicle. Found a replacement on Saturday. On Monday the insurance company said they would offer $3,000.00. The one I was going to get was $8,900.00.

I had to get a lawyer. It's now Sunday morning and I am still out of business!
Not only did I lose the vehicle, I lost a lot of equipmnet. My jeep caught on fire!

How's your week going? It looks like Monday I will have to finance a new truck.

Steve
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Old 03-29-2009, 12:33 AM
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No offense but I would recommend not buying from online. If you buy online you get no customer service like you do at a storefront business. check your PM.
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Old 03-29-2009, 05:30 AM
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Wow that was quite a day, I keep knocking on wood as I haven't had one of those in recent memory....but when I do I try hard to laugh it off and say that will be a good reading chapter in the book I will write someday, I doubt the book will ever happen but it seems to ease the fustrarion of the current happenings knowing it will probably make me or someone laugh in a few years time.

I recently bought a BR500 as the dealer had in on or $475.00 the BR550 was $565.00, thought the 500 would do a good job.

Andy
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Old 03-29-2009, 06:00 AM
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For what it's worth I was just looking at ebay and there are a number of 550's on there, like new, for $230 +/- that might be worth looking at.

I guess the upside is the owner "should" notice your extra efforts, sounds like you did a great job, this is quite often what cements a relationship.

Aside from the problems you had, I personally dislike cleaning up after other contractors which is what I have been doing this speing in renovations, I looked at a $3,600 door a contractor installed in a customers house last week, she (client) was complaining the wind blew through it, the contractor said there was nothing more he could do which was correct as he had the door hinges on backwards and to try to get it to fit beat on them until the round hing part was into the casing. Needless to say he isn't returning her calls, she is a top lawyer in the city and can deal with that, I will fix the door tomorrow.
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Old 03-29-2009, 10:41 AM
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Lawnguy,
Damn, what a day!
Glad you made it through it with your sanity intact.
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:21 AM
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Default Pure hell and a bad day. Say a prayer.

Lawn-guy, I had a person steal my blower off my truck, so I went around the neighborhood to find Companies doing lawns, low and behold I approach a shady couple doing lawns. I ask them if the had taken my blower and this lady said no, but we just found one out on the road. I'm like WTF. They had it in a baseball bag in the back of their truck. Now when I'm away Or out of sight, everything is locked up.

Steve- bummer, but at least you're okay. Things can be replaced, but lives can't. Have your insurance company look into his insurance co. to get replacement value for your equipment. If no avail. take him to court in small claims $100 file fee tops and have a judgment against him. Eye for an eye. He hurt your business, time to hurt his credit. (7 years) People who drink and drive have no sense. Just my opinion

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Old 03-29-2009, 12:07 PM
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I would be furious if someone took my equipment, so far it's just tarps people steal around here. If I caught someone with my blower, oh boy. I'd let them keep it, because it will be so far up the persons *** before I think twice.
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Old 03-29-2009, 09:35 PM
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well thanks everyone good note is i just picked up a 700.00 dollar flower bed clean out should take about a day ill have my helper do it give him a 100.00 bucks and i make 600.00 plus she wants alot of other things done also so thats one up side it will pay for a new blower
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