The bad part of town!

[PineHillLawn]

I just got back from a call from my ad on Craigslist for lawn care. First of all it was in a rougher part of town, second there was no way to get to the front yard with anything but a 22" push mower and you'd have to carry up a set of stairs. The only other option would be to weed eat the enitre front yard, which while not huge, was just not worth my time. Then the back yard was in a place where after you weed eat the front yard you'd have to drive the whole truck and trailer around the block to get to the back yard, which was full of dog crap and had a mattress and other stuff piled up. I figured it would take 15 minutes to mow and trim, and if I charged $25 plus an extra $10 if the dog crap wasn't cleaned up, it still wasn't a yard I wanted. As politely as I could I told the guy I just couldn't get my equipment in here. Was this a wrong move? Should I have taken the job being that I'm just starting out and need the business?

[jymie]

Lawn care business tips

Originally Posted by PineHillLawn I just got back from a call from my ad on Craigslist for lawn care. First of all it was in a rougher part of town, second there was no way to get to the front yard with anything but a 22" push mower and you'd have to carry up a set of stairs. The only other option would be to weed eat the enitre front yard, which while not huge, was just not worth my time. Then the back yard was in a place where after you weed eat the front yard you'd have to drive the whole truck and trailer around the block to get to the back yard, which was full of dog crap and had a mattress and other stuff piled up. I figured it would take 15 minutes to mow and trim, and if I charged $25 plus an extra $10 if the dog crap wasn't cleaned up, it still wasn't a yard I wanted. As politely as I could I told the guy I just couldn't get my equipment in here. Was this a wrong move? Should I have taken the job being that I'm just starting out and need the business? smart move, I never take on work in area's like this, I work to hard for my cash to risk being robbed.

__________________


. http://www.lunchesruslawncare.com

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

you wouldve regretted taking it. You can tell a **** job when you bid. Theres no reason to believe the yard will ever be cleaned up.

I just bid three yards for one guy. One is just like described above. A fenced in backyard with no gate. You have to bring a push mower down two flights of stairs and then up to leave. I didnt have a choice to bid all 3 since there close enough together.

[PineHillLawn]

Originally Posted by SECTLANDSCAPING

you wouldve regretted taking it. You can tell a **** job when you bid. Theres no reason to believe the yard will ever be cleaned up.

I just bid three yards for one guy. One is just like described above. A fenced in backyard with no gate. You have to bring a push mower down two flights of stairs and then up to leave. I didnt have a choice to bid all 3 since there close enough together.

Well is this the kind of yards you get from Craigslist ads? I even put a picture of the nicest yard I do and I got this call. Makes me kind of wonder if Cragslist is the right move.

[Hedgemaster]

Originally Posted by PineHillLawn

Well is this the kind of yards you get from Craigslist ads? I even put a picture of the nicest yard I do and I got this call. Makes me kind of wonder if Cragslist is the right move.

I dunno... I've had calls for a few of the yards as you described. (and turned them down)
Overall tough, I have a pretty mixed bag of "types" that I've gotten from Craigslist. To say that "wealthy people" don't use Craigslist is just not accurate.

I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't "take", but I will say this as a new guy going into my second season - If you fill your schedule with low-pay jobs, you won't have any time left for higher paying jobs when they present themselves.
I've retained almost all of my clients from my first season. I have a limited amount of spaces left to fill now and I've already turned down several jobs this spring because I either (a) Don't WANT them, or (b) don't want to work a low-paying job that I will regret taking.

I just picked up a biweekly that I'm getting $50/cut for. It's not terribly difficult and I think I can trim the time down to about 35 to 40 minutes after I get more familiar with it. Why fill that slot with a $15-$25 job?

Last season I took almost anything I could get. One thing I learned is that there are plenty (at least in my area) of people out there looking for a good lawn guy. No need to "settle" for the first lawn that comes your way.

Don't base CL on that one property.

All kinds are on CL, not only cheapskates.

You did the right move. I'm starting out this year and I've turned down a few customers simply because the yard was either more dirt than grass, or dog crap.

More customers will come. I'm getting calls regularly.

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

Originally Posted by PineHillLawn

Well is this the kind of yards you get from Craigslist ads? I even put a picture of the nicest yard I do and I got this call. Makes me kind of wonder if Cragslist is the right move.

Yeah this guy found me on CL. I did 3-4 jobs for him before but I bid twice as many that I didnt get. I dont think I got this one either. I told him the only way I'm doing those yards if I can schedule them all the same day. Out of the 3 only 1 was a nice flat yard. The other had a steep hill down the whole backyard.

[picframer]

I would say right thing, we all have area(s) in our cities that is less desirable to work in, I generally state we are currently booked solid.

[JLM]

I have a few in the bad part of town...It's hard to work with a Glock on your hip! LOL! What would you gain by taking the job? I dont see you picking up many lawns in that area I know first hand, I feel stuck with 2 lawns that I cant shake mowing for 2 of the nicest 75 and 82 year old ladies for next to nuthin, I have pulled no other customers from that area. You did good bud.

[mark123]

Originally Posted by Hedgemaster

I dunno... I've had calls for a few of the yards as you described. (and turned them down)
Overall tough, I have a pretty mixed bag of "types" that I've gotten from Craigslist. To say that "wealthy people" don't use Craigslist is just not accurate.

I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't "take", but I will say this as a new guy going into my second season - If you fill your schedule with low-pay jobs, you won't have any time left for higher paying jobs when they present themselves.
I've retained almost all of my clients from my first season. I have a limited amount of spaces left to fill now and I've already turned down several jobs this spring because I either (a) Don't WANT them, or (b) don't want to work a low-paying job that I will regret taking.

I just picked up a biweekly that I'm getting $50/cut for. It's not terribly difficult and I think I can trim the time down to about 35 to 40 minutes after I get more familiar with it. Why fill that slot with a $15-$25 job?

Last season I took almost anything I could get. One thing I learned is that there are plenty (at least in my area) of people out there looking for a good lawn guy. No need to "settle" for the first lawn that comes your way.

That's a great point. We aren't really selling lawn service, we are selling slots in our schedule. The point is to fill it with the best possible jobs.